Choose Between Two Options

• Treat your kids to a month of salsa or ballet classes, and let them learn the art of leading and following! ($135 value)
• Make it a three-month journey, and help your kids become well-rounded, attentive partners! ($345 value)

Leading and Following: Staying in Tune with Your Partner

Before you and a partner hit the floor, you'll need to decide who will lead. Learn why dancing is more than a game of "Follow the Leader" in Groupon's study of the concept.

A truly great dancer can lead a partner through a waltz on a crowded floor without smashing any toes or shattering any monocles even if that partner has never waltzed before. The lead dancer (traditionally, but not always, the male of a male-female partnership) is charged with sending nonverbal cues to his partner through subtle movements of his hands and arms. This task can be incredibly nuanced, as the lead dancer must simultaneously keep time with the music, plan out his next steps, and navigate around other dancers. This is not to say that the other partner is entirely passive. Richard Powers, a dance instructor at Stanford University, asserts in his Thoughts on Dance that "the follow role is mentally and physically active," just as aware of her surroundings and her partner's movements as the lead. Each partner must constantly adjust their movements to match the other's, and a good lead will never exert too much force if his partner does not catch his cues or know how to read his semaphore flags. "Clear leading is the physical equivalent of quiet, perfect diction, not shouting," writes Powers.

This equality-minded philosophy of social dance has gained widespread acceptance over the last century, and it's important for all dancers to learn to lead and follow. Let Groupon help you and your kids get started on this journey!