Do you remember the Caramel Bunny?

With her smooth sexy voice, dreamy half-closed eyes, laid-back attitude and curvy little body, busy beavers, stressed out storks and even an army of soldier ants were enticed to the chilled, mellow side of life.

I'm convinced that Blues is the Caramel Bunny of the dance world. Sultry, smooth, laid-back, dreamy and mellow with more than a hint of excitement and sexiness. The music grabs you by the sensitive parts and just won't let you go. “ 

I find myself continually coming back to this thought. I make no apology for that. My thoughts evolve and change yet my love of all things dance and chocolate related remains. 

This time I find myself wanting to put the music to one side for a while and to focus upon the feeling of the dance itself. With special consideration given to the art of the perfect Blues follow. 

When I follow, I know that I am capable of far more than merely moving my feet across the floor in time to music. I can follow moves. I can follow movement. I can follow changes in time, tempo, direction, motion, energy and musical influences. I aim to adapt instantaneously to follow changes in the lead I am given.

At any given time I may be using my arms, my feet, my body, weight transfer, hip movement, core engagement, a mixture of personal and conjoined balance, hesitation and initiative in any and every combination and I may at times drift from following to leading and back again. 

When I lead, with my limited repertoire and ability, my best dances are with those follows who put me in mind of the caramel bunny. Where there is a laid-back, easy kind of laziness that is in absolutely no way lazy. I can feel the engagement of her core,

I can elicit immediate and appropriate responses from her and I can dance with any and every part of her. From her innermost thoughts to the tips of her toes. 

I can feel lag with just the right amount of resistance. 

I can feel a workable tension and responsiveness that is matched to my own. 

Our breathing is in tune with each other and the music. 

My partner not only complements my movements but completes them with harmonious accentuation. 

Between us we create a confidence in both stillness and movement and can incorporate each into our dance. 

We integrate both passive and proactive following techniques into our choreography. 

We can create a synchonicity of movement that is lead/follow at its finest. Where the lead and the follow are so finely tuned that it is impossible to discern where the lead finishes and the follow begins. 

There is a heightened responsiveness that resists anticipation. 

And there is trust. Trust that I can and I will lead. Trust that my lead will be, to the best of my limited ability, movement of symbiosis with music. 

So many factors contribute to this state of dance being… 

Patience and positivity. Balance and poise. Trust and intuition. Confidence. All alongside the myriad of dance/follow techniques which collectively contribute to our dance-ability. 

Yet beyond all of these much can still be learned from the Caramel Bunny. ‘Take it easy…’ is her advice for life. 

‘Take it easy would be a big part of my advice for dance. Don’t be lazy. Don’t be late. Don’t be greedy or selfish in the time that you take as your own. But do take it easy… Match the energy you respond with to the lead you are given and the music you are spontaneously choreographing your movements to. Think less, feel more.

The caramel bunny makes it very clear that there is more than one way to get a job done… Let us utilise as many skills as we can acquire in our following, at the appropriate time, in appropriately delivered measures and with due care and attention to both our partner and the music.

Caramel bunny oozes sultry, smooth, laid-back, dreamy and mellow with more than a hint of excitement and sexiness. 

I try to bring a bit of that caramel ‘bunny-ness’ to my dance. And my best dances when I lead are with those ladies who seem to do that, in their own unique and special way, too.