Russian folk dancing remains popular even in the modern world. But while in ancient Rus everyone danced—from young to old—and pairs formed freely, today it's quite challenging to create a good partnership.
In the past, a husband always danced with his wife, children could dance with parents or even with animals, and there were often playful round dances involving the entire village or group dances. Nowadays, such diversity of partners doesn't exist, so you need to choose wisely—after all, you'll be dancing with this person for the long haul.
Start by Looking Within Your Group
When you begin dance classes, you'll often find a partner in your own group. Observe who dances well, who is at a similar level to you, and who you simply like. Someone else in the group may also be looking for a partner, and that person could be a great match. Be attentive and persistent in your search. You can also try involving family members—maybe your sister, brother, wife, or husband wants to develop in this direction too.
In fact, you don't need to rush into finding a partner as soon as you attend your first class. First, learn the basic movements on your own. Dancing in pairs requires special skills; if you don't yet know the basics, why hurry?
Consider Learning Both Parts
If an opposite-sex partner isn't immediately available, you can learn the dance part of the partner as well. When your half shows up later, you'll be able to teach them yourself. This speeds up the improvement process and brings you closer to performing on stage.
Group Dances as an Alternative
In Russian folk dances, not everything is danced in pairs. There are playful and ornamental round dances, mass dances, and quadrilles that everyone often dances together. If pairs in your group aren't forming quickly, focus on learning mass dances—they're more complex but also more beautiful. Perhaps group dancing will spark the formation of pairs.
Keep Honing Your Skills
Don't forget to train your own skills. Your future partner might be silent because they want to dance with someone of equal ability. But in reality, it's often beneficial when one partner surpasses the other in skills. This helps the less experienced partner level up faster. So even if all the opposite-gender dancers in your studio are significantly weaker than you, don't hesitate to invite them to dance—remember, they'll learn much faster, and you'll gain a partner.
Games and Random Selection
If everyone in the group is experienced enough and there are plenty of choices, but people are shy about dancing in pairs, try organizing group games similar to those of ancient Rus and choose partners randomly. Before you know it, everyone in the group will find a match. These icebreaker games often involve round dancing, kisses, or performing moves with a random partner. Many games are played blindfolded, with participants feeling each other. You can suggest such a game yourself to find a partner.
Be Bold and Show Your Skills
When it's time to find a partner, the main thing is not to be shy about showing yourself and your abilities. If you stand quietly in a corner, nobody will notice you! Besides, folk dances don't favor the quiet and modest. The Russian soul loves spirit and fire—so let your passion shine.
