Positioning Yourself with Your Partner
Put your arms around the waist of your partner if you are leading. Place your hands so they are resting on the small of your partner’s back. Position your body so that your torsos and chests are touching. Typically, the man leads when dancing to Banda music.
Place your arms around the neck of your partner if you’re being led. Cup the back of your partner’s neck with your hands, and keep your torso and chest against theirs. Put your right leg in-between their legs, and keep your left leg on the outside. You and your partner could also hold one set of hands close to your chests if you prefer. This might help give you a little more balance and you start to get into the music.
Position your left knee so it is touching your partner’s right knee. If you’re the leader, put the inside of your left knee against the outside of your partner’s right knee. Try to keep these 2 knees as close together as possible as you dance. When you dance, it’s okay if your knees come apart a little bit. Keeping them close together will help guide your bodies and keep you in sync with each other.
Keep your bodies close together and settle your weight into your hips. When you dance to Banda music, keep your torso connected to your partner’s torso, limiting how much it moves back and forth (there isn’t much shoulder shimmying happening in Banda music). Hold your weight and your center of balance in your hips and legs. Banda dancing features a lot of small, quick movements, so keeping your legs about hip-width apart will help you keep your balance.
Moving Across the Dance Floor
Keep time internally as you dance to the beat of the music. Keep an internal count of “1-2-3-4” along with the song so you know when to move. Move your feet and sway your hips on each beat. When you internally count 1, move your right foot and swing your hips to the right. When you count 2, move your left foot and swing your hips to the left. Repeat this pattern as you dance. As you get more comfortable dancing to Banda music, add in little kicks along with the beat.
Shuffle your feet when you dance rather than picking them up. When you dance, keep your feet close to the ground and slide or shuffle them. Avoid picking your feet up and placing them down again. Since you’re in such close proximity to your partner, and since the music and dancing is fast-paced, the chance for stepping on their feet is really high if you pick your feet up. Whether you’re a man or a woman, try wearing shoes that have at least some tread on the bottom when you go dancing.
Allow the leader to dictate when you spin and move. If you are leading, try to keep your back to the middle of the room and pay attention to the tempo and bass line of the music. Take charge of when you turn your bodies and circle, depending on how busy the dance floor is. Try listening to a variety of Banda music before going dancing to get yourself in the right mindset.
Move in circular patterns with your partner. Don’t just sway back and forth in time to the music. Depending on how crowded the dance floor is, either stay in the same general area but continuously circle around, or dance your way across the floor. Be mindful of other couples on the dance floor so you don’t accidentally collide with anyone.
Spin your partner around when the tempo changes. If you are leading, keep your arms firmly around the waist of your partner and lead them in a quick 360-degree turn. If you are being led, try to stay light on your feet and allow your body to be moved with minimal resistance, otherwise you could both fall over. Banda music has some similarities to the tempo of polka music, and there is often a beat line from the brass instruments that you can easily follow.
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