Push-Pull
Intermediate Level
Going deeper — techniques and nuances for experienced dancers
The alternating compression and extension between partners that creates dynamic movement and clear directional signals.
Intermediate focus
Start using push-pull for direction changes in your basic step. At the end of a phrase moving right, a subtle push redirects the follower to the left. Before a turn, a pull creates the stretch that loads the rotational energy. Practice the timing: the push or pull should arrive one beat before you want the follower to move, giving them time to receive and process the signal.
Tips
- •Practice push-pull with your hands flat against your partner's hands, not interlocked. This makes it impossible to grip and pull with your fingers — forcing you to generate the signal from your body.
- •Think of push-pull as a conversation: push is a statement, pull is a question. You're having a dialogue, not giving orders.
- •Watch experienced leaders' bodies, not their arms. You'll see the push-pull originating from their center.
Common mistakes
- •Using arms instead of body — the arms are conduits, not generators. If your elbows bend and extend, you're arm-leading.
- •Pushing too hard — the follower only needs a gentle signal, not a shove. More force creates more problems, not more clarity.
- •Pulling without intention — random tension in the frame confuses the follower. Every push and pull should mean something.
- •Not matching the pull to the partner's mass — a bigger partner needs a slightly stronger signal, a lighter partner needs less.
Practice drill
Stand facing your partner, both hands connected palm-to-palm (no grip). Leader creates a slow push. Follower retreats one step. Leader creates a slow pull. Follower advances one step. No music, no timing pressure — just feel the push and pull as pure energy exchange. Do this for 5 minutes. Then add music. Then add it to your basic step. The order matters: feel first, dance second.