10-21-10 (Week 6)

We wrapped up this rich class series looking at some more Cha Cha, and juxtaposing it to some (East Coast) Swing.

Cha Cha basic:
1-2-3-cha cha-2-3-cha cha…
(The back and front breaks–steps–are on the 2)

Swing basic:
Slow – Slow – Quick-Quick
(side – side – rock step)

Rock Step vs Back Break
**In Swing, your Rock Step isn’t a full weight change; remember, you’re stepping on the cat’s tail.
**In Cha Cha, your back/front breaks are full weight changes; you should be placing ALL of your weight on each foot with each weight change.

Some Swing moves
*Basic and rotating basic
*Throw-out (with returning Under-Arm Turn): Two “half” under-arm turns. Out and back.
*Right-Side Pass (RSP): From a back break, walk forward and turn under the Lead’s arm, ending facing the opposite direction that you started.
*Cuddle: Similar timing to the RSP, but keeping both hands connected (as always, “up” hand moves across the face)

Thank you for making this such a fun class!

Announcements
Next week we start the first week of the next class series: Salsa/Rhythm 101b. Using Salsa as a starting point, we will also work on some Rumba!

10-14-10 (Week 5)

This was a week of review and relfection on connection and frame. We used a couple of Cross-Body Lead and Right Side Pass patterns as the basis for this work (See: Salsa 102, Week 2 and Week 3)

While not working on new moves, per se, we worked on posture, and keeping the momentum flowing. The most important thing for Leads to remember through all of this is that their sternum points the way for both themselves and the Follow.

Also, thinking about your dancing is good…but after a certain point you just gotta let go and do it. Even if your brain doesn’t think your body is “right,” as long as there is no blood or broken bones involved…it’s right!

Announcements
Next week is our last week of class! Salsa/Rhythm 101b will be starting immediately after that (10/28), same time slot. Instead of focusing on Cha cha, though, we will also be looking at Rumba. Salsa/Rhythm 103 also starts on the 28th, still at 7:30. Register for either by class next week (10/21) and get a returning student discount!

10-7-10 (Week 4)

This week, we worked more on Under-Arm Turns (UAT) in Cha Cha. UATs are one of many different moves that can be plugged onto the “ends” of the Cha Cha basic, like wild cards.

We also talked a little bit about how to recognize Cha Cha music, versus Salsa music. When dancing Cha cha, you always take your break (the forward or back step) on the 2 beat. In Salsa (as we’ve been dancing it), the break happens on the 1. Good Salsa music, then, will have a strong “exclamation point” on the first beat of the measure (the beginning of the “sentence”). Good Cha cha music will have that exclamation point on the 2. Cha Cha music also tends to have a bit of a “cascading down” feel on the “4-and” beats.

A video about Salsa music and timing:
http://vimeo.com/7841665

We ended the day with a little work on Overrotated Cuddles. Cuddles are a circle across the face, ending with the Follow essentially in the middle of a “hula-hoop” formed by the Lead’s arms. To overrotate this Cuddle, the Lead continues the motion of the Cuddle/hula-hoop past his body. Remember, motion comes from the middle of the body…to move this “hula-hoop”, you must also move your sternum to continue to point at the Follow!

9-30-10

We continued to work on a lot of the Cuban Motion and connection concepts that we had started discussin last week. I started off by complexifying things quite a bit, and then simplified to the following concepts (to keep in mind as a starting place):

1. Both big toes connected to the ground (and pointed!)
2. Whole leg turned out (from the hip)

We then worked on some Cuban walks: settle the hip, step forward, settle, step…etc.

We then began connecting Salsa and Cha cha with the help of Mambo (like Salsa, but danced with the break on 2). The song of Cha Cha became something like…

1. yump BUMP bah… cha cha…yump BUMP bah…cha cha…
2. slow SLOW slow…quick quick…slow SLOW slow…quick quick…
3. 1 *2* 3…4 &…1 *2* 3…4 &…

These three counting systems are all describing the same motion, in the same order. The important difference between Salsa and Cha Cha is that Salsa breaks on 1, and Cha Cha breaks on 2.

We ended working on an Under-Arm Turn (UAT). This is also sometimes called a “6 part turn,” “Pivot turn,” or “Walk around turn.” It’s very similar to a pivot in basketball (how handy, huh?). Turn, step, turn, step, turn, step. In short, you walk under your own arm, but never pick up your right foot. Ever.

This was a really technical day…lots of detail and minutae…but it will continue to balance itself out. The bigger picture is starting to emerge! Nice job tonight!

This week, we had a very small, all-Follow class. This allowed us to have a really in-depth workshop on The Skills of a Follow. I capitalize this on purpose, since these are the really important fundamentals that I really love working on! As a base, we used our old friends Cuddle (hand across the face) and Hammerlock (hand away from the face).

Connection: Relax into gravity. This doesn’t mean to let yourself get noodly, but to find that happy medium place where you are in control of your own body and are holding yourself up, but also not fighting the Lead. Think about using gravity as your friend; let the mass of the whole planet hold you and your partner together. Keep your wrists soft. Many people (both Leads and Follows) tend to carry a lot of tension in their wrists. This is a very important joint that can literally make or break your connection with your partner!

Timing: Everyone takes in the world in slightly different ways. Some people like to count (1-2-3 HOLD 4; 5-6-7 HOLD 8). That is good. Other people hum or sing the time of the song (yump-bump-baaah; yump-bump-baaaah). That is good. I flap my tongue on the roof of my mouth in time with my breath (in-2-3-4; out-2-3-4). That is good. Find a method that works for you and use it. Don’t feel contrained by words! Use your right brain!

Thinking Pattern: What we use as a basic salsa pattern (forward-replace-together; back-replace-together) is really more of a Thinking Pattern; something to default to in between the dancing.

Cuban Motion: This is what makes the hips look all wiggly! We covered only a few aspects tonight: Feet turned out, dance on the inside blade of your foot, and make EVERY step a toe-ball-flat step. The heel (almost) always must be a part of your step. 95% of the time. There always are exceptions!

Wonderful job tonight! It was truly a pleasure working with you!

Hello Dancers,

Sarah was not feeling well this week, so I was your substitute teacher.

Since everyone in class has danced some Salsa before, we jumped into covering a set of moves that require the honing of your basic skills. You did a cross body lead, modifying it with either a Lead’s turn, a Follow’s turn, or both (one right after the other). I called the Lead’s turn version of it (the hand-change-behind-the-back) a “Secret Agent”. I called the combination of the “Follow’s Under Arm Turn” immediately followed by a “Secret Agent” the “Double Secret Agent”. (You can call them whatever you’d like.)

In order to follow well, Follows must go where their hands go. In order to lead well, Leads must be clear about where the Follow’s hand is going (plus provide enough room for the Follows to move). We covered a few details about how low a person’s wrist needs to be (below the elbow) and how flexible everyone’s elbows needs to be.

I mentioned several times that a Cross Body Lead (CBL) is a systematic way to change places with your partner that takes two measures of music. The first three steps (the first measure) of a CBL is always the same, ending with the Lead and Follow about 90* apart, and the Lead clearing room for the Follow to pass in front.

The second three steps (the second measure) of a CBL is where all of the “moves” happen.