Commendation to Oliver Pineda Body movement DVD

S

smiling28

Moderator
I found it actually SUPERB and EXACTLY what I needed not just for overall body movement, contral and awareness but for the ULTIMATE breakdown of the basic step.

A BRILLIANT breakdown of the basic step in salsa/merengue/bachata (transferrable across those dances).

Superbly explained and demonstrated.

Presentation fantastic with demonstrations all angles, on1 and on2 with music and without. Due to the content, I found it very mentally exhausting (focusing on the nuances of the basic step) but a MUST for technical dancers.

Points to improve upon:

- I found it frustrating that Oliver wore flared/long pants which covered his feet/shoes as I would like to see if he was on the ball of his feet at some moments
- Oliver gave some GREAT tips on each of the movements. I would love more (like common issues, ways to notice your progression, how it should FEEL)
- Would love an idea of how to use the dvd. I.e Every day, 2 times a week etc etc.

Overall fantastic and my sincere thanks to you Oliver (yes, the out takes were funny, I hope the DVD was popular everywhere including but not limited to San Francisco.......... :) )
 
Thank you for the review smiling! :D It sounds like something for me and I love Oliver's style. :P
 
ive recently bought his 2 partner work dvd's which i skimmed through briefly.

the the dvd's are pitched at int/adv the breakdown is on1 and on2 - also with tips for the men from oliver in section, then tips for the ladies from luda in the next section also the breakdown of the steps are given by each teacher :applause:. ALOT of other dvd's (i think) just have the guy talking with the girl as the demo dolly.

i really like the look of the dvd's and now just need to find a willing victim...practice partner.
 
Where can I find that DVD?

I've been looking for Oliver's body movement DVD and can't seem to find it anywhere. Does anyone know where I might be able to buy a copy?
Thanks!
 
breakthrough77 said:
I've been looking for Oliver's body movement DVD and can't seem to find it anywhere. Does anyone know where I might be able to buy a copy?
Thanks!
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latinmotion.com.au/index.php/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=2&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6

[Edit: Active link disabled, as direct links to commercial sites are not allowed outside the ads/webs forums --SD]
 
A friend of mine ordered a few Oliver DVDs but when they arrived, they turned out to be in PAL format, which does not work with US DVD players. So make sure to check this when you order the DVDs.

AguaDulce said:
latinmotion.com.au/index.php/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=2&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6

[Edit: Active link disabled, as direct links to commercial sites are not allowed outside the ads/webs forums --SD]
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smiling28 said:
I found it actually SUPERB and EXACTLY what I needed not just for overall body movement, contral and awareness but for the ULTIMATE breakdown of the basic step.
Click to expand...

Hey Smiling,

I finally got to watch these DVDs and I have to say they are great as well. Very very detailed since he takes two DVDs (vol 1 and 2) to put the hip, chest, shoulder and arms movements together for the basic salsa step.

I also have body movement DVDs from Shaka, Sekou McMiller, and Seaon Styling and I would put this in the same bracket with the one from Shaka and Seaon Styling. Interestingly, for the basic Salsa step with body movement, Shaka does add some movement (a tap and shoulder movement) on counts 4 and 8, unlike Oliver, though his DVD is not as detailed what with the shines included. Nice work...
 
nowhiteshoes said:
ive recently bought his 2 partner work dvd's which i skimmed through briefly.

the the dvd's are pitched at int/adv the breakdown is on1 and on2 - also with tips for the men from oliver in section, then tips for the ladies from luda in the next section also the breakdown of the steps are given by each teacher :applause:. ALOT of other dvd's (i think) just have the guy talking with the girl as the demo dolly.

i really like the look of the dvd's and now just need to find a willing victim...practice partner.
Click to expand...

Nws,

I got these DVDs too. It has all the Oliver 'dancefloor' trademark moves, and a bit more. It really shows Oliver has a unique style, and is laden with good technique. Actually Susan Montero does give the lady's perspective on SuperMario's dvds as well, which is usually very handy.
 
Has anyone worked on incorporating the suggested movements into their basic step? Oliver's suggestions for shoulder movement seem to be the opposite of what I'm used to hearing suggested for contrabody movement...
 
n'klave said:
Has anyone worked on incorporating the suggested movements into their basic step? Oliver's suggestions for shoulder movement seem to be the opposite of what I'm used to hearing suggested for contrabody movement...
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and what is his suggestion?
 
Whatever foot you put down, you move the opposite shoulder forward, and move the ribcage diagonally forward with it. The hip goes diagonally back to the opposite side, and the opposite hand points to the forward shoulder. So, if you're stepping on your right foot, your right shoulder goes forward, ribcage goes diagonally forward and right, hip goes diagonally back and left, and your left hand points towards your right shoulder. Kinda the opposite of natural contrabody motion, it seems...
 
n'klave said:
Whatever foot you put down, you move the opposite shoulder forward, and move the ribcage diagonally forward with it. The hip goes diagonally back to the opposite side, and the opposite hand points to the forward shoulder. So, if you're stepping on your right foot, your right shoulder goes forward, ribcage goes diagonally forward and right, hip goes diagonally back and left, and your left hand points towards your right shoulder. Kinda the opposite of natural contrabody motion, it seems...
Click to expand...

Bold is mine...in the example, it is the same shoulder as foot while in your description they are opposites. The example is exactly how I've been taught to do cuban motion and is said to be a stylized way of natural walking (in that, you would never walk sticking the same arm and leg out walking down the street). The idea is that you exaggerate your natural body mechanics while maintaining that flow of movement. For ladies, our larger hip-shoulder ratio means we get a nice swaying motion and increased attention to the lower half. :) I do admit, it's not half bad on the guys either....)

The way I was taught was to base all cuban/contrabody motion off your connection to the floor, that the foot pressing and exerting pressure downwards leads to weight changes and shifting in the hips. This shift in the hip means that your body will "automatically" adjust your center by bringing your ribs and arms in the opposite direction as your hips. As the arms move more than your ribs, that means that the opposite arm will end up closer to your body. I find that thinking about your left hand toward the right shoulder is only half the equation, you gotta remember that the right hand is still moving, this is only a snapshot of the entire movement and the right hand is also moving toward the right. So, the way I picture it in my head is to isolate my ribs and upper body (including arms) and move in them in the direction of the bent leg. It's not really "automatic"..when we first learn it, we're usually too nervous and become stiff and jerky in our movements and ignore our body cues. But now when I watch people walking on the sidewalk, I can see how it relates to natural walking.
 
Thanks mangomotion--you're right! I think I was getting interference from what I had learned, as well!

My previous post should have read like this (bold is my correction/emphasis):

n'klave said:
Whatever foot you put down, you move the same shoulder forward, and move the ribcage diagonally forward with it. The hip goes diagonally back to the opposite side, and the opposite hand points to the forward shoulder. So, if you're stepping on your right foot, your right shoulder goes forward, ribcage goes diagonally forward and right, hip goes diagonally back and left, and your left hand points towards your right shoulder. Kinda the opposite of natural contrabody motion, it seems...
Click to expand...

It's really the bit about the right shoulder going forward with the right foot that seems contrary to what I've heard everywhere...again, thanks for the catch, mangomotion!
 
It might help if you think of the shoulder movements not as forward motions but more of a shift from the rib isolation at a slight forward angle, then bringing the shoulder back and down in a small circle as you shift your weight. Forward movements of the shoulders look a bit awkward - the forward is really only from small angling of the ribs.
 
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