Acro-dance is a hugely popular dance style for youth dancers, particularly those who compete at dance competitions. There are many acrobatic tricks with partners, but a favorite is the ankle-roll. To perform this dance partner trick, both partners must hold each other's ankle's while in a somewhat bent, circular position. They should then perform a series of somersaults as if they were in fact one person, but remain attached.The visual effect is stunning.
While some types of ballroom dancing specifically forbid the use of tricks, a common type called exhibition or showdance allows for the use of many partnering tricks. Usually used in conjunction with turns or quick flips, ballroom dance tricks are popular for competitive dancers because of the wow factor that partner tricks bring to a choreography. A common and simple ballroom dance partner trick is called the underarm lift in which the male dancer places his arms through the female dancer's and locks his elbows beneath her underarms while lifting her off the floor and quickly spinning her in place.
Classic ballet choreography that incorporates partnering between male and female dancers is called adagio, and often features many lifts and tricks throughout the choreography. To perform ballet tricks, the male dancer of the duo must be fairly strong. A classical Adagio trick is the the one arm lift by the male dancer of the female dancer, directly over his head. While the lifting arm must remain straight, the arm not in use is usually placed on the hip. The female dancer remains outstretched in the air.
Latin-style dancing is famous for it's many tricks, turns and special effects that require the use of a partner. While a long list of tricks is available, perhaps the most visually impressive is called the soccer ball. While the objective of the trick is to appear simple, it most certainly is not. In the soccer ball the female dancer does most of the work. The dancers place themselves parallel to each other, while the female dancer turns to the side. The male dancer uses his hips and feet to create a small kick-like motion while the female dancer does a repeat series of backbends to appear as if her head is being dribbled like a soccer ball by the male dancer's feet.