1.
You’re likely an Others-Oriented Dancer
The GoodThe wonderful thing about being Others-Oriented is that your external focus makes you a prime candidate for community building and including others. You're likely really good about spreading the love, and are less likely to have a small group of friends you intermingle with. You likely find it easy to share your "whole self" with partners, regardless of skill level, and have a high tolerance for annoyances and bad habits.You may be the person who is able to connect with those that most others find difficult, irritating, or odd, and help them blossom. You probably also rarely complain, and are generally thought of as a "bright spot" within dance (at least externally). You're more likely to appreciate being a trusted and liked member of the social community than a good dancer. A compliment from a scared beginner that you made feel safe likely would mean more to you than praise from your favourite star on your basic steps. You know how much it hurts when someone says or does something mean - and you really don't want to do that to anyone else. The DifficultThe difficult thing about being Others-Oriented is that you may struggle with giving voice to (or even admitting) the things that bother you. You also may have difficulty knowing what you want or need out of a dance community. Rather than feeling dissatisfied or underappreciated, you're more likely to feel like you're not giving enough to be worthy of your status - or simply burned out without being able to understand why.Out of BalanceOut-of-balance Others-Oriented dancers fall into two broad categories: the Burnout and the At-Risk. Read more on The Dancing Grapevine's article.The Good
You rarely find a partner's bad habits difficult to manage; after all, they're trying!
You rarely experience jealousy of others, and find it easy to admire great dancers
You rarely criticize other dancers' technique, attitude, knowledge, or other attributes
You really don't have many complaints about the dance community, and those you do have are about how it's hurting others - not you
The Neutral
Your memories of events feature others' accomplishments or achievements more than your own (if they had a good event, you had a good event)
Your eye is immediately drawn to people who look like they need cheering up or that are on the sidelines
You find it easier to focus on giving your partner a good time than having a good time yourself
Feeling useful to the community is important to you
The Not-So-Good
Saying "no" is very difficult, and you give people the benefit of the doubt if they cross your boundaries. They probably didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!
If you feel like an event didn't go well, you often struggle to understand "why" outside of a general sense of not feeling connected
It's unfathomable to ask for a refund or make a complaint, even where others would think it warranted. Everyone's doing the best they can!
If you feel bad about yourself in dance it's usually because you feel you're not giving enough, or just feel very, very tired without explanation.