Learning to dance is like learning a new language. One has to understand the culture and grammar to be able to communicate using it. One doesn't learn a language by looking at a dictionary and putting the words together without understanding their usage and nuances. One has to understand the usage, tenses, pronunciation, to be able to communicate and understand the language.
     In dance, one has to understand the fundamentals, principles and essential concepts of movement and music. It is not a simple matter of putting step patterns and sequences together. If so, then learning to speak a language would be as easy as choosing words in a dictionary and putting them together.
    If we were to equate dancing with communicating, we would use such terms as:
 

     To dance, one expresses emotions and life's experiences through movement, acts and reacts to various messages sent through leading and following, and be in harmony with other people (your partner and other dancers on the floor).
     The most essential element of partner dancing is connecting with your partner, whether in a competition or on the social floor. Yet it is also the most difficult to learn. That's why we (my partner and I) make sure to include the concept from the very first dance lesson. Partner connection is even more important than posture, balance and centering, weight change, force and resistance, well, at least from my experience.
     Partner connection is achieved through appropriate and logical leads which enable the follower to to execute the intended move precisely.