Did you ever get a splash?

You mean a slap?

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Originally posted by pasox2:
Just tell her " Hey, you look fat. All the other girls are skinnier than you. Can you lose a few lbs? I bet you'd curve really sexy. Tell you what, I'll diet with you. Ok, Fatty? "

You might also try "Is that thunder, or your thighs? It's so loud in here, I can't dance."

I'm going at this with a wink. I've lost weight, recently, with my partner. I feel good, now, and we both look better. She looks really sexy - really, really good without that extra around the waist. And me ? Well....

Direct but playful and funny was the right thing for me.

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And you lived to tell this????!!!!!

There are a lot of interesting issues in here, psychological, interpersonal, and dance-related.

Let me stick to the dance-related for the moment.

1) What is your idea of a good weight for a standard dancer? How about a latin dancer? (Is there a difference in expectations?) In your opinion, what would a good weight be for a female dancer who is 5' 4" (which I believe is the average height for women in the U.S.)? According to the CDC, which uses Body Mass Index charts, a healthy weight at this height would be between 116-145 (BMI 20-25). Do you think that this hypothetical 5' 4" female dancer could be anywhere in this range, or do you think she has to be on the low end...or even lower?

2) How much do you think weight matters for syllabus-level dancers?

3) What about for men? Is there just as much pressure on men to keep a slim, trim physique?

Becky

As far as weight goes for syllabus-level dancers, I don't think it's a big enough deal to make yourself or your partner crazy over it. Depending on whose height and weight or BMI or whatever chart you are looking at, I'm between 30 and 80 pounds overweight. (And damn, with a range like that, who the hell really can tell what is appropriate??? I don't look at the charts anymore because it's too confusing.) Two weeks ago my amateur Standard partner and I danced in a syllabus competition and won two events, came second in two others, and then danced up into Novice using our syllabus routines and placed third. I sincerely doubt that being fat (he is also a bit chubby) held us back any. Of course, it depends on the judge -- a few judges are so turned off by overweight dancers that they will always pass them over in the recalls and/or mark them last, but in my experience these judges are very few and far between on the syllabus levels.

And the good news is that dancing is fun and that we're both losing weight from all the practicing. We love dancing together and if one of us had waited to either get "thin enough" or for the other to get "thin enough," then chances are high we would have ended up with different partners and would have missed out on the good dancing that we produce with each other.

So, getting back to the original question: good partners are hard to come by, no matter what your level. If you think the dancing is good enough that you don't want her to get away, then overlook the 10 pounds. 10 pounds is NOTHING -- appropriate costuming can help a lot, and having a good partnership will probably inspire her to improve her fitness and body fat ratio.

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Originally posted by Laura:
....10 pounds is NOTHING -- appropriate costuming can help a lot, and having a good partnership will probably inspire her to improve her fitness and body fat ratio.

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It depends a lot on where the 10 extra pounds are. In the legs (think of Nancy Senner). In the waist? In the bust, arms and shoulders? Is it mostly muscle, or flab? Some things can be covered up, and some things can't. A lady 5'4" is a little short for International Standard, but perfect for Latin or Rhythm.

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Originally posted by Three legs:
Did you ever get a splash?

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Daryl Hannah?

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Originally posted by Joe:
You mean a slap?

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Splash me silly and call me Susan!

Hey,
As a girl who needs to loose 10-15lbs for dance, depending on what level your dancing at (i.e beginning or pre-champ going to nationals type thing) she probably knows. I want to be a top international dancer, and I know I've got to loose the weight. Part of my problem is i feel like I want something to happen to motivate me...like getting the perfect partner, thats not the smartest move and i'm trying to loose the weight right now, but going on what someone else said, finding a great supportive partner may be just what she needs. If she's good enough to be prospective, give her a chance...if she doesnt start loosing the weight, maybe thats when you need to have a talk, or look for a new partner.
thanks,
Forever Reaching

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Originally posted by Joe:
You mean a slap?

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No,The Splash!