What qualities does a young dancer need to become a great ballroom dancer?
Melanie LaPatin: Determination is the only quality you need. Talent helps, but it’s not everything. You need to be obsessed. You need to be there because you need it, because you can’t live without it. Tony Meredith: Passion. DS: How can practicing ballroom help dancers of other genres with their port de bras, footwork or carriage? ML: It really helps strength—you have to be so strong. There’s also line, posture and body awareness. DS: How important is the upper body in ballroom dance? ML: The frame [the position of the arms and head] is extremely important. It’s everything. You need to make a beautiful presentation and sell the choreography. If you’re hunched over, it’s ugly and you lose connection with your partner. It’s all one big package. DS: What do you learn from dancing with different partners? ML: I had a partner other than Tony once for a West Coast swing competition and we got killed. It takes a long time to master the art of partner dancing. It is meant to be for your partn
