Compact dancing

[jose armando]

One more thing...one teacher told me to think about in terms of switching positions - so basically if you're dancing in tight space, when doing a sequence change positions with the follower (she goes to your lcaiton, you go to hers) and it saves the space (also applicable in general)

 

[Smejmoon]

Unfortunately compact dancing is not practiced because nobody wants the challenge or the hassle. It's really bad everywhere. Nobody cares about dancing small. It's an epidemic, just as bad as bad stepping IMO.

It is practiced in all good schools (several) that I've attended. We even had "Compact dancing" 5 class course.
Our longest lasting vinyl salsa party has place for 3 couples, if they don't know how to dance or 7, if they know.

 

[Smejmoon]

One more thing...one teacher told me to think about in terms of switching positions - so basically if you're dancing in tight space, when doing a sequence change positions with the follower (she goes to your lcaiton, you go to hers) and it saves the space (also applicable in general)

Is not that fundamental part of linear salsa?

 

[jose armando]

I would guess yes I dance cuban salsa mostly but it is applicable in every style I think.

 

[Smejmoon]

I would guess yes I dance cuban salsa mostly but it is applicable in every style I think.

In Cuban it can be done, but in linear it's the basic rule. The rails of follow where lead gives her a way and then takes place where she was. Once training wheels come off this rule is not that important, but when dancing gets fast, it comes back. Or when there is not enough space.

I'd love to see the heat maps of dances. Should not be that hard to make with current tech.

 

[Offbeat]

I also find compact dancing a challenge - almost like a game. How small can I go? lol

Those couples in bachata room at 5am were dancing very compact, almost like two souls one body and the floor felt very big

 

[Smiley79]

For me to dance compact, I have to use angles to stay safe, have enough room to do my moves while sharing. As a result, instead of trading places in a straight line, I may move the line into clock directions as we change slots or curves.

To avoid, dance early with less people around. Also much cooler and not such a sweat box

 

[Groove On]

Nobody cares about dancing small. It's an epidemic, just as bad as bad stepping IMO.

I think it's a big problem in the western world. Many any long time Latino dancers naturally use half the space of their Western counter-parts and oddly enough it's usually the everyday Latino dancers, not so much the celebrities/teachers. It's particularly noticeable coming from a western Festival and then going to a Latino club. So much more dancing and sabor in half the space!

I'm sure it's a headache for teachers to teach body awareness/centering/balance where you're efficiently driving your energy into the ground vs. throwing it all the energy outward in large stepping/flailing movements.

 

[terence]

. It's particularly noticeable coming from a western Festival and then going to a Latino club. So much more dancing and sabor in half the space!

I'm sure it's a headache for teachers to teach body awareness/centering/balance where you're efficiently driving your energy into the ground .

Never a truer word !! and seldom dancing apart ( in some clubs )

teaching close contact ? no problem, closed can be . I always demo HOW closed position minimises the variety but helps in limited space .