Form and Feeling - Two Weeks from Competition

What is a dancer's mindset two weeks from competition? I can't speak for everyone but for me it has come down to two things - form and feeling.  When I started learning each routine respectively for Night Club, Waltz, Cha Cha, West Coast, and Two Step the I was really focused on just memorizing routines.  Of course, remembering footwork is key to getting through any routine! But now, that I know the footwork for my routines I can really focus on the form and feeling for each dance.

How do you explain form and feeling? It's really different for each dance.  Of course connection with your partner is key to any dance and I have addressed that in previous posts, but each dance feels different.  In Two Step the connection feels tight and strong and the dance basically feels good if all turns are executed quickly and cleanly.  West Coast feels more like an elastic band. As you dance you stretch in and away from your partner while completing the footwork and keeping time to the music.  Waltz feels like an intimate partnership.  In Waltz you have to stay low to the floor and your lower body has to meet your partners with each step.  As a result you are really dancing in tandem with your partner.  Waltz is also so focused on beauty and elegance so if you are not stretched up and away from your partner, while keeping your body low to the ground, the dance does not look elegant.  Night Club feels like an easy Waltz.  You have to stay low to the ground and connected but the steps are more basic.  Each person just needs to focus on keeping the steps long and elegant and the form wide and open.  And Cha Cha? It feels quick, tight, compact and fast.  If you can keep time to the music, focus on arm lines, and not do weird things with your hands then you pretty much look awesome.  

I try to stay away from "hamster hands", which is basically when you stand with your arms up and your wrists dangling limply.  I am so prone to hamster hands that I usually place a free hand on my body so that I do not look awkward.  So form and feeling- it's really important.  Two weeks out from competition I can say I that I am just starting to feel the dance instead of just going through the motions.