Research Your Teacher!

I'm Good at Some Things Too!

Yesterday I went to a salsa social after much prodding from my teacher.  I reassured myself I would refuse each dance offered to me.  Because that's the way to start a night of dancing!  But my teacher doesn't let up so easily.  I had so many valid excuses too, "I don't have dance shoes, I'm drinking Sangria, I'm highly contagious" but like I said, she doesn't let up.

I was out on the floor 15 minutes later.  I make a far bigger deal than it is, really.  It's never THAT bad.  And it's over before you know it.  I had a nice dance with a few mistakes.  Whenever I'm lead into something that I just don't get, I keep the feet moving and turn myself to avoid the deer in headlights "omg I screwed up" buggy eyed stare.  It works for now.

I also had one slightly awkward dance.  I told the guy I was a newbie.  That always swells the guy up with confidence everytime!  I need to stop!  I see how my insecurity brings about a sudden chest puff and Fred Astaire quality in a guy.  Glad I can contribute.  He says he's a dance instructor and starts giving me the history of salsa.  "NY dances on 2, Eddie Torres is... and then there's Salsa on 1..."  I know everything he mentions but I pretend it's the first time I'm hearing it.  I don't know why I do this.  We start to dance and I don't know what he's doing.  We stop.  We try again. Listen, it's not me, I swear!  To be out on the dance floor, stuck for the next 5 minutes in an awkward situation is not what I want.  So I break away a little and I start to dance by myself waiting for him to join.  And then he dances with me.  Apparently he was trying to dance on 1, which he told me later.  Mid dance he kept trying to get me to do something.  I don't know the name so I'll say it looked like cumbia.  Since I didn't get it the first time, he would try again.  And then again.  Persistent fella.  It should be a rule: if a girl doesn't get the step, don't try to teach it to her on the dance floor.  Funny thing is he danced with my instructor and tried to do the same step and she didn't get it either!  Show off ;p

In the end I'm glad I went.  I got some feedback on how good my timing is and how they could see the instructor I danced with constantly going off on timing.  Not that I enjoy other people's faults, but I'm so hard on myself that hearing a teacher isn't naturally great makes me put things in perspective.  I'm good at some things too!  

Uninspired

I haven't been to partner class in 2 weeks.  I don't see how my body will move like the people I see  : /  As for the bug, it was the closest thing to dejected I could find. 

Dance Heals (as opposed to Dance HEELS, which is a whole ‘nother post)

It sounds corny but once I became a part of this dance world, I felt like I fit somewhere.  When I see familiar faces who frequent classes, I see people who I have something in common with.  That ONE thing, Salsa, makes everything else in my life obsolete even if only for a little while.  We’re all there to learn / express how to be free.  That sounds great, but to get to that place is not easy for me because it’s not physical at all.  Mentally, I have to let go of judging myself in a class.  Because otherwise I couldn’t learn anything.  A by-product of not judging me is that I stop judging other people.  Isn’t that funny?

Even if you’re not a world champion dancer, the process of learning through dance can be healing.  A lot of my insecurities came out when I first started and they still do.  I found myself analyzing the moments I felt uncomfortable and realizing things about myself.  “I’m afraid when… I feel uncomfortable when… I feel free when…”.  I think it’s the real reason Salsa is so addictive to me.  Because dancing freely isn’t all physical.  For me, it’s mentally healing the parts that are holding me back.

 

My New Dance Idol

I don't know if you know this girl but she's my dancing ideal.  Her name is Emily (of Junior and Emily) and I think she looks so perfect.  I  love how she uses her arms!  Just gorgeous and no pretension.  She's my new dance idol!  Go Emily!

Salsa Science: It's in the Wrists!

Griselle Ponce said that as a salsa newbie, we'd have ONE dance that changes it all.  Where you suddenly "get it".  I thought that was NOT in the cards for me because I didn't think partner dancing was something I'd ever get.  Then this weekend something amazing happend.  

I danced with a man and our "tension" was perfectly matched.  It was like we were magnets - slightly repelling because we were both giving the same tension.  Think about it.  O

pposites attract.  So just like magents, similarities will slightly resist.  Our similar resistance made our dance feel so connected.  And I think I know why...

I've been told to give tension in my frame and hands, yet to relax.  Relax yet be tense?  Hello, oxymoron.  

Then my new instructor said "relax your wrists, it will change the way you dance".  The times I remembered, I could feel the lead very easily!  

During my night out, I relaxed them wrists and I suddenly "got it".  

Such simple advice - RELAX YOUR WRISTS.  You can still keep your frame.  It changes EVERYTHING.

How Embarrassing!

Have you ever had something so completely mortifying happen to you in class or on the dance floor?  I think these stories are hilarious!  This story isn't personally embarrassing but it's pretty mortifying for the teacher.  

I was at a salsa class and the teacher was showing me a simple move, when suddenly he whipped his head around and ordered the other instructor to teach the move to all the women.  He said we were all doing it wrong.  He quickly went around the room to show each person how it's done.  But something felt odd.  The move he claimed we were doing wrong was so simple.  

As I stood there a little confused, I smelled something god awful!  His sudden decision to show the girls this "complicated" move was an excuse to vacate the area because he had just farted!  Leaving me behind!  I was shocked no one else mentioned the elephant in the room.  We all kept on practicing like nothing happend!  Sometimes when something embarrassing happens, everyone gets shy.  Not just the offender.

Have you or someone you know ever been mortified while dancing before?  How did you handle it? 

Salsa to the King of Pop?!

I found this video of a salsa - hiphop performance and I love it!  It's set to Michael Jackson's Liberian Girl, with it's spoken Swahili and exotic drums.  The song is very fitting considering Salsa has African rhythms. 

I know some people who are against other dances infiltrating salsa.  But the dance itself is made from a mash up of styles so why not? 

Here's Zerjon and Nina Kollbruner from Twisted Feet Dance Company doing their damn thing:

(salsa's at 1min:30secs but entire video is worth the watch!)

Fancy Arms are for the Stage. Use that Body!

I've always had hand styling anxiety.  It's hard enough learning to use my feet.  That was put to rest after watching a video of dancer Burju Perez on Youtube, where she gave one of the greatest tips. 

Save fancy hand and arm movement for the stage.  Guys need your hands!  When you're social dancing, it's all in the body movement.  Of course I still practice arm styling, but the pressure is off.  I love hearing a game changing tip!

Fwd to 2:20 to see what I'm talking about.  What do you think of Burju's tip?    



Why isn't Salsa's Basic Step Taught with Style?

At a body movement class, the instructor repeatedly scolded me with "you're dancing with your feet!".  I had no clue what this meant.  What else would I dance with?

See, I was taught a watered down basic step.  It shouldn't even be called the basic.  It should be "the salsa direction".  I learned which way to travel, but by no means could I call it dancing.

The first person to teach me how to DANCE salsa, using the basic step, was Griselle Ponce.  At her styling workshop she taught it right away.  We did exercises on how to step so our hips would naturally sway without much force involved.  It was all about the weight transfer and keeping the feet close to the ground (so close you're practically dragging).  So why doesn't everyone teach a basic step with the style it's intended to dance with?  I think there may be a few reasons.


1. Watered Down Salsa Makes More Money
If a school waters down salsa's basic, they can teach it to a variety of people.  That includes the person who doesn't listen to salsa at home.  Or the person who wants to pick up a hobby and found a deal on Lifebooker.  If these people feel the dance is too complicated, schools may wonder if they will come back.  So the integrity of the dance is initially lost in favor of making more money from having more students. 

2. Some Teachers Want to Be the Only Ones Who Are Great.
I believe some teachers like to see a student aspire to be like them.  Because it feeds their ego.  They keep their "great dancer" status by making sure you don't progress too quickly.  They teach you just enough to get you to keep coming back.  You set a goal to be great, but don't even know where to start.  So you keep coming back to class in hopes of having an epiphany.  Your epiphany comes when you leave that kind of class.

Why do you think salsa is taught this way?