Posted on Nov 30, 2012

The Inspiring Power of an Elegant Couple

The original version of this was posted on Leadership Couples.

If you haven’t seen Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance together, then I encourage you to rent one of their old movies. Another option is to just watch a few sequences posted on YouTube.

This dancing duo is simply beautiful to watch. They’re mesmerizing and magnificent.

It’s pure elegance.

As a differentiating value, elegance means a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste; or beauty in movement.

Now, some might think the value of elegance is only for the stiff-necked or upper class. But that’s not true. Elegance can be embraced by anyone, from royalty to rednecks.

And there is no better way to portray this value than through dance.

As iconic dance partners, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made 10 movies together, or rather used film as a way to show off their elegance through dance. They set the standard for being an elegant couple, which inspired millions of couples to want to experience this too.

Quiet Inspiration

It can be very inspiring to watch a man and women dance together – from any country or culture, and of any age. Witnessing the refined quality of gracefulness through dance reveals something very special: the inner beauty of two souls working in unity.

There’s a silent power that draws you in, an inner hunger to experience more, and a quiet desire to acquire this talent. There’s a softening of the soul to know there is someone for everyone.

Thinking about a husband and wife dancing together, I referenced this idea in an earlier post, titled How to Build Flow into Your Marriage. Here I suggest that married couples can experience the joys of flow when they move freely in a continuous progression, in their areas of strength. Practicing flow with elegance is a powerful combination.

Imagine the leadership leverage that exists when a husband and wife team is being admired for their elegance. Others are suddenly receptive to their ideas. Their concerns become everyone’s concerns. That is the power of influence at its finest.

Elegance opens doors. It worked in the past, and it still works today.

Modern Inspiration

The inspiring power of an elegant couple didn’t end with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It’s very much alive today. Just consider the huge popularity of the TV show Dancing with the Stars. Here, celebrities are matched up with professional dancers where they compete as dance partners for the top prize.

This show has lasted for 15 seasons. How? Every week viewers are captivated by the power of elegance. While the concept of gracefulness may have shifted over the years, watching beauty in movement is as mesmerizing today as it was for admirers of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers 70 years ago.

And if there is any doubt about the power of influence, just follow the stars and dance pros. Some have opened dance studios. There are cardio dance DVDs. And of course spin-off shows.

There is no question that elegant couples wield power and influence.

The important question for leadership couples is this:
How are you using the value of elegance to inspire and lead others?