Fan
Intermediate Level
Going deeper — techniques and nuances for experienced dancers
An open-position figure where the follower sweeps outward like a fan unfolding — spacious, visual, and musically satisfying.
Intermediate focus
Play with the fan's geometry. A shallow fan keeps the follower close; a deep fan sends her to arm's length. Vary the speed: a slow fan over 8 counts for a melodic section, a quick fan over 4 counts for rhythmic accents. Add a follower's spin at the end of the fan for a combo finish. Practice leading the fan with either hand — left-hand fan and right-hand fan create different visual patterns.
Tips
- •Leader: think of the single-hand connection as a compass needle. You set the direction; the follower provides the movement.
- •The beauty of the fan is in the follower's free arm — follower, let it extend naturally, don't force a styling position.
- •Practice with a loose fist (no thumb grip) to ensure you're leading with frame tension, not hand grip.
Common mistakes
- •Pulling the follower back in with force instead of using a tension invitation
- •Sending the follower on a straight line instead of a curved arc — fans are circular
- •Follower adding momentum and overshooting the fan, ending up too far from the leader
- •Dropping the connection at the far point of the fan
Practice drill
Put on a song with clear melodic phrasing. Fan on every phrase start, return on every phrase end. Do this for an entire song. You'll develop an instinct for when a fan 'fits' musically — it's almost always at moments of musical expansion or breath.