There’s a lot of articles about how dancing is a great way to build romance. Some even describe it as ‘couple’s therapy’. And yet, the more I teach, the more I realize that a dance is only as good as what a couple brings to it: Ballroom dancing won’t save a failed marriage, or magically create a spark where there is none. What it can do is take a relationship where there is at least some commitment to each other, and make it stronger. But to build strong relationships through dance, what must we know about our partner, and ourselves?
The Language of Love
Ask any therapist out there what the secret to a successful relationship is, and they will answer ‘communication’. But what kinds of communication must we use to build strong relationships with others?
It turns out there are five different forms of communication, somewhat cheesily referred to as ‘languages of love’, that we use to relate to and affirm each other. Although everyone responds to some languages better than others, dancing is one of the rare activities that can speak all the languages at once:
| Love language | Expressed through dance |
| Quality time | Spending time connecting with your partner, getting in touch with their body, translates into great ‘us time.’ |
| Words of affirmation | At any point in the partnership, there are numerous opportunities to applaud your partner’s efforts and progress. |
| Acts of service | Dancing and learning together is a give and take process, as you both learn and help each other improve. |
| Physical touch | This one’s a no-brainer, as all ballroom dances require touch - indeed all strong relationships in dance rely on it! |
| Receiving gifts | There are plenty of dance-related gifts you can get for your partner, from paying their way to a club or performance, to new shoes, outfits, or additional lessons. |
This however, does not make ballroom dancing a cure-all. A wise dancer will listen carefully to the language their partner prefers, and make sure they respond in kind during the learning process. Next week, we will look more closely at how you can express the languages of love through ballroom dance, so you can enjoy strong relationships not just with your life partner, but any friends you make along the way.
Sources:
Dancing Can Nurture Relationships
Perfect for Valentine’s Day.
I thought so too 🙂