Showing posts with label dance technique. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dance technique. Show all posts

Thursday 18 October 2012

5 Techniques to Refine in Dancing

Have you ever looked into the social dance floor and wondered, "Why do they look so elegant when they're dancing? How do they do that?" While there's always the option of constant practicing in the social dance floor, most of the partner dance classes and workshops I've encountered doesn't teach you the basic dance techniques that gives you graceful lines that you may observe from those with a ballet or jazz background. So here's a list of techniques for you to try out.

1. Chaine turns
Squaring off, keeping your toes pointed, spotting - these are the important things that you should keep in mind when executing this move. This can help ease any form of dizziness from spinning for beginners. But do keep in mind that not all partner dances wants you to keep your legs extended out when you're turning. This move also requires your arms to look like they're holding a large beach ball, these are first position arms.

2. Pirouettes
Like the Chaines, you also have to spot in pirouettes. There's also the added challenge of spinning on one foot while doing this move, so it'll help with your balance immensely. Your entire body has to be held like a plank throughout the move so you can achieve multiple turns. As an added bonus, you might feel more comfortable with doing one legged spins on the social dance floor too!

3. Isolations
This is especially important in latin dances like salsa. A lot of styling comes from isolating your body parts. For example: the shoulder shimmy, body wave, hip rolls, etc. Knowing which body to isolate can help you look good, and gives an extra oomph to the moves you execute.

4. Rotating kicks
For an extra challenge to add to your WCS styling, try perfecting this move. It can look fierce or soft, depending on the way you play to the music and whether you're being accelerated or decelerated.

5. Spins
This is definitely a move that you've gotta be comfortable with doing before any more of the advanced accelerating moves can be done. As an added challenge for yourself, try to not push off the ground to balance yourself when making multiple spins.

Take note that you should refine your body movements from the tips of your arms all the way to your toes. I also encourage you to take ballet or jazz classes, as those will help you see the placement of your muscles better. Happy dancing!

Friday 27 July 2012

Tips: Additional Notes on Tension (WCS)

Disclaimer: The notes here are mostly for my convenience. Not everyone will make the same mistakes that I do, so what I state may not apply to you. This is merely stuff that my dance teacher said to me to correct my posture. Check with your dance instructor to clarify your errors. These notes are written in the follower's point of view. Some may work for the leader's point of view but take them at your own discretion.


  • As usual, keep your frame. Your shoulder blades should feel like they're opening up like a ballet dancer's and the rest of your hands are loose and free. Remember to get back into it after moves like underarm pass and outside turns where your arms are raised.
  • There's a tendency to break from the frame when you use up all your rope from the arms during the anchor. So make sure you have enough rope to give tension. You may have to take smaller steps for this. This means less work for the girls, hooray! 
  • The weight of the tension is not by pulling your entire bodyweight back. You're adding tension as you give rope from your arms gradually during the 5 & a 6 & a counts. The "sweet spot" aka maximum tension should be on the 6 & a counts, right before count 1.
  • The best way to know if your tension is right is to feel if its right with you and your partner. Ask his opinion on whether the tension is just right for him or if you feel like a truckload. After all, these are just words on a computer screen, which cannot replace the experience of dancing a partner dance like West Coast Swing. So get out there and start social dancing!

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Tips: Technical Details you May have Missed in a Sugar Push

**I'm writing this mostly for my own convenience, but my readers can use these tips if they like. Take note that the tips here may be tailored more to followers instead of leaders since...I'm a girl. Also not everything I mention here is accurate so you may want to check with your dance instructors if I missed anything out/made a mistake describing something somewhere.

A deceptively simple move to a beginner, but this move is riddled with technical details that can be overlooked even for the seasoned dancer. I'm going to list the things that a West Coast Swing dancer has to keep in mind while practicing this move.

Overall:
-Train tracks. Keep your arms & shoulders parallel to each other. In other words focus on only your partner and don't look/turn elsewhere. Handhold should be at the lady's waist level. Ladies, trust your gentleman and rest your hands completely on his.
-3rd position footing. For guys, the right leg should be behind the left and pointed outwards slightly. For girls, the left leg is behind the right leg and pointed outwards slightly as well. Think ballet, except that the respective front foot is pointed parallel, facing towards the partner. This should allow better anchoring at the end of the move.

Count 1 & a 2:
-Guys step back at count 1 & must already keep foot at 3rd position at count 2. Root yourself before the girl crashes into you. Bend your elbows in preparation for the compression at count 3 & a 4 to redirect the lady back to her original position. Keep hands at the lady's waist level.
-Girls, as soon as the gentleman pulls you, just follow with two steps forward. Imagine following Newton's 1st law of motion literally (An object is either at rest or moving at a constant speed unless an external force is applied.) Don't hesitate or anticipate anything, even if an awkward moment might ensue.

Count 3 & a 4:
-Triple step, stay in 3rd position on counts 3 & a. Then leader steps forward on 4, follower steps back on 4 as soon as leader gives the push back with his arms.
-Guys must provide cushioning/compression for the girl. Still keep in mind that the hands are at waist level (some of my classmates tend to forget that and lift their hands up into what my teacher calls "ladder position") The elbows bend, but lower arms are still parallel to the floor. 
-Girls should still keep in mind the literal Newton's 1st law of motion, and only stop if the guy gives you that compression before count 4 (or you can choose to stop yourself by placing your hand against the guy's chest) Your arms should bend a bit like the guys during maximum compression, which should happen at count &. Also, it isn't necessary to bend your knees further as you compress (Yes, Amanda. You're the guilty party for this one. Please don't ask why I'm talking to myself in third person.)
-As girls step back, try not to introduce tension at count 4 already to allow some styling before the anchor step (which may not necessarily be at count 5 & a 6)
-Keep looking at your partner and not on the floor to avoid headbutting.

Count 5 & a 6:
-Anchor step. Introduce tension to arms, but don't overstretch them.
-Guys, rock backwards to your centre so that the girls don't pull backwards too much.
-Keep elbows pointing downwards to the floor, and don't break the frame whereby the shoulder collapses forward. 
-Stationary triple step on 3rd position on all counts.
-Maximum tension should be at counts 6 & a... (right before another move is executed)

I have a feeling this is going to be difficult to digest for some of these readers. Don't be overwhelmed by them and keep your kitchen sink drills! Most importantly, keep having fun. My instructor even said that WCS is a fun dance, but the first 4 weeks will be a pain, just to master the basics.