Remember me?
"Me" being this damn pyramid, of course.
If you need a refresher of what's been going down:
Steps and Choreography
Here's what should happen:
- you dance 5 steps or amalgamations... tops.
- you dance down: Bronze in Silver, Silver in Gold, etc.
- you keep the first 4 levels of the pyramid in mind... and body
- you use steps from the dance you're dancing
- you dance the style you're dancing in
Elaboration:
1.
While you could have a routine that never repeats itself in the 1:10-1:30 you get to dance, you could have a routine that repeats 2-3 times.
Benefits of less steps? You can pick the steps that you do really well and then work to make them even better.
2.
While you could do most difficult steps from your assigned level, you could dance the easiest steps of that level, or EVEN the level below it.
Benefits of easier steps? First of all, it is easier to show a lot of technique performing less complicated steps. Secondly, it takes tremendous balls. So, super-props to that.
3.
While fancy and more difficult steps are alluring, if you're slipping toward the left on any of these graphs, you are missing the point of dancing.
Benefits of keeping timing, posture, footwork, and characteristics of the dance in mind while dancing? To be blunt, without those things, you are not dancing.
4.
While you could do a Cha Cha step in your Tango, it might be better to do a Tango step in your Tango.
Benefits of sticking to one dance's syllabus? Many!
If a judge looks at you while you are doing your Cha Cha step and you haven't perfected it in its Tango form, that judge will think you are very confused and not mark you.
If an invigilator looks at you while you are doing your Cha Cha step, you may get called to the podium to be warned (embarrassing, and stressful if you don't know how to fix it) and eventually disqualified.
If you are social dancing and try your Cha Cha move on a partner, your partner might think you are ridiculous and not care to dance with you in the future.
If you are choosing steps from other dances to be creative, there are many variations on syllabus patterns that are fun, underused, and qualify for your dance.
5.
While you could enter American Cha Cha and dance many of the International Cha Cha figures, I could also bonk you over the head with my clipboard.
Benefits to dancing the correct style? Not getting under the judges' skin. One of the biggest irks from judges is watching a style being misrepresented. While Smooth is based upon Standard, they are not one and the same. Rhythm is not Latin, no matter how thin the line may be. While judges understand wanting to have lots of moves, dancing some fancy stuff, forgetting about technique and rocking out, and being creative, dancing the wrong style is annoying.
Next and last up? The unmentionables. Which I will mention. Next time.
One year ago: Why I Hate Pinterest, in which I'm a liar.
Two years ago: Drop and Give Me 10, in which I roll my eyes at myself.
