I've been told that and read the same. Needless to say, I don't agree with it although I suppose it could help some develop a feeling. Hard to say. I've heard some horribly wooden "dancer/players"...

For me I just try to get a feeling through listing to and playing with others. I think I do OK at that too, I'm not a particularly good player, can never get the triplets I want, can't play anything really difficult, can make some horrendous mistakes, etc. but I do seem to have quite a natural sense for rythym and timing. And on the positive side, a couple of very good players have told me over the years that I can put "life" in to a tune, and I suppose that "life" is so much of what it is all about to me (if that makes any sense).