azzey
Son Montuno
You have mail.
How can I improve my dancing? Feedback please :)
- Thread starter MacMoto
- Start date
You have mail.
Hey Mac !
This is actually kind of hard, because I tend to focus on what's good in the people I dance with, not on what's bad. It was a week ago and my memory of things I didn't focus on isn't always too good so here is what I remember. I also feel a bit like an a**hole (kind of like who am I to judge others?), but since you explicitely asked for it, here it is.
So first of all, I did enjoy dancing with you. If someone asked "hey should I invite her to dance", regardless of their level I'd say yes. And you're light, which is nice too ! Anything that's not too unusual will be leadable without much effort, compensation or specific concentration for me.
Now on the bad parts.
You dancing in general is a little bit fuzzy / imprecise. I attribute this to your connection to the floor. I didn't feel it a lot, but is it because it's slight, or is it because I purposely led moves that weren't very demanding ? I instinctively adapt to my follower's comfort level so it's hard to say. I do know that I went "easy" on you because I felt it was the right thing to do.
Here are a couple things I noticed :
- You often need a bit of time to recover from a spin. Your spin stops aren't sharp. This would make any spin->check->fast direction change pretty hard to lead.
- You sometimes get a bit off the line
- Your arm tension is usually good and can be somewhat inconsistent, but I really attribute this to the general balance approximation : if you keep your arms still / connected and your core moves a bit, the movement from the core will be transmitted to the arms
- You tend to sometimes slightly anticipate the lead, and also stop your spins on yourself instead of waiting for a check or clear "stop spin" lead (typically lowering the arm if it's an overhead)
Your self powered spins (I nearly NEVER power the spins, just the prep) are on the lower end of average speed. This somewhat gives out the message : don't do more than doubles. If it's what you want, then it's the right thing to do, if you actually want more triples++ (or 2 1/2 travelling instead of the usual 1 1/2), I would say go faster and stop sharper.
---
None of this actually was more than minor to me, because it doesn't bother me the slightest to "go easy". It's wasn't "disruptive" at all, and I have a wide enough repertoire to have fun with anyone who has a good attitude and her basics nailed.
Here is a basic that you don't have quite right and was slightly annoying. My very favorite move in salsa is the CBL 360, and it requires that the follower lifts her left arm at the end of a left spin, either automatically, or as a reaction to my hand in her back.
You tend to keep it in, which results in not being able to do the 360.
There are usually two ways of doing this, and two triggers to do that "left arm lifting" :
- with your shoulder first : just lift up your shoulder and put it down on about 7-8-1-2. Usually as a reaction
- through the inside on 6-7-8, fully up on 1, then down on 2-3. Can be done as a reaction, or automatically as a left spin ending
I think that doing it from the inside, automatically, is the best : no need to think, it just becomes a good habit.
Here is a video that illustrates this technique :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGmQiw2t3AE
2:03 - 2:23 - 2:38 - 2:49
I also have a 15-20min part of one of my DVDs just about this specific issue, so I just recompressed it and uploaded it for you (you have mail!)
This is actually kind of hard, because I tend to focus on what's good in the people I dance with, not on what's bad. It was a week ago and my memory of things I didn't focus on isn't always too good so here is what I remember. I also feel a bit like an a**hole (kind of like who am I to judge others?), but since you explicitely asked for it, here it is.
So first of all, I did enjoy dancing with you. If someone asked "hey should I invite her to dance", regardless of their level I'd say yes. And you're light, which is nice too ! Anything that's not too unusual will be leadable without much effort, compensation or specific concentration for me.
Now on the bad parts.
You dancing in general is a little bit fuzzy / imprecise. I attribute this to your connection to the floor. I didn't feel it a lot, but is it because it's slight, or is it because I purposely led moves that weren't very demanding ? I instinctively adapt to my follower's comfort level so it's hard to say. I do know that I went "easy" on you because I felt it was the right thing to do.
Here are a couple things I noticed :
- You often need a bit of time to recover from a spin. Your spin stops aren't sharp. This would make any spin->check->fast direction change pretty hard to lead.
- You sometimes get a bit off the line
- Your arm tension is usually good and can be somewhat inconsistent, but I really attribute this to the general balance approximation : if you keep your arms still / connected and your core moves a bit, the movement from the core will be transmitted to the arms
- You tend to sometimes slightly anticipate the lead, and also stop your spins on yourself instead of waiting for a check or clear "stop spin" lead (typically lowering the arm if it's an overhead)
Your self powered spins (I nearly NEVER power the spins, just the prep) are on the lower end of average speed. This somewhat gives out the message : don't do more than doubles. If it's what you want, then it's the right thing to do, if you actually want more triples++ (or 2 1/2 travelling instead of the usual 1 1/2), I would say go faster and stop sharper.
---
None of this actually was more than minor to me, because it doesn't bother me the slightest to "go easy". It's wasn't "disruptive" at all, and I have a wide enough repertoire to have fun with anyone who has a good attitude and her basics nailed.
Here is a basic that you don't have quite right and was slightly annoying. My very favorite move in salsa is the CBL 360, and it requires that the follower lifts her left arm at the end of a left spin, either automatically, or as a reaction to my hand in her back.
You tend to keep it in, which results in not being able to do the 360.
There are usually two ways of doing this, and two triggers to do that "left arm lifting" :
- with your shoulder first : just lift up your shoulder and put it down on about 7-8-1-2. Usually as a reaction
- through the inside on 6-7-8, fully up on 1, then down on 2-3. Can be done as a reaction, or automatically as a left spin ending
I think that doing it from the inside, automatically, is the best : no need to think, it just becomes a good habit.
Here is a video that illustrates this technique :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGmQiw2t3AE
2:03 - 2:23 - 2:38 - 2:49
I also have a 15-20min part of one of my DVDs just about this specific issue, so I just recompressed it and uploaded it for you (you have mail!)
Thanks lurker for your offline feedback about the flow, which tied in nicely with the recent privates and was very useful coming from the leader's point of view. The timing of the feedback was perfect - I had a whole night of the congress party to work on it 
Anyone else? Any comment welcome
Anyone else? Any comment welcome
:Bump:
Yes I'm still looking for feedback, both from leaders and followers! Still no vids I'm afraid (at least I'm not aware of any recent ones), but I'd like to hear from anyone who've danced with me in the last 6 months or so - either here, by PM or even directly if you are coming to Amsterdam this weekend. Thank you!
Yes I'm still looking for feedback, both from leaders and followers! Still no vids I'm afraid (at least I'm not aware of any recent ones), but I'd like to hear from anyone who've danced with me in the last 6 months or so - either here, by PM or even directly if you are coming to Amsterdam this weekend. Thank you!
olamalam
Son Montuno
I've noticed this in SSC again:
azzey
Son Montuno
:Bump:
Yes I'm still looking for feedback, both from leaders and followers! Still no vids I'm afraid (at least I'm not aware of any recent ones), but I'd like to hear from anyone who've danced with me in the last 6 months or so - either here, by PM or even directly if you are coming to Amsterdam this weekend. Thank you!
I did say, if you want feedback ask me at the congress. You didn't ask, so I assumed you were fine and didn't want any.
Apart from the single right turn issue which was very prominent and I remember Olamalam asking me about it (which is why I remember it), there were other things I noticed but it's been too long since the congress for me to remember them.
If anything pops into my head at some point I'll let you know.
olamalam
Son Montuno
azzey
Son Montuno
I wish she joined us on Sunday night for partnerwork practice
Yeah that would have been the perfect opportunity for her but you did fine as a follower and probably gained more from the 1-on-1.