At a recent ballroom event, I was hired to write, what I shall call, “sheets of encouragement”: a few comments about participants’ dance skills and presentation that had positive and helpful feedback. Key word: positive.
WHILE I MEANT EVERY WORD I WROTE in those critiques, in “my spare time” during the event (which could be a competitive speed writing event for the judges, since we often had to write four different couples' feedback in around one minute's time), I also wrote my own “sheets of complaint”: observations on participants’ dancing that seemed to be universal, from newcomer to open levels, and honest. Key word: honest.
If you'd like to read on, gird your loins. And get out your dance dictionaries.
Now, at Newcomer levels, I'm really glad that you're dancing and you're really damn brave for getting on the floor. Seriously. BIG PROPS. I'm not even really mad if you dance off-time. So, bask in the glory of newbie-hood and soak up the endearing smiles of all the dance veterans who remember SO CLEARLY their first performance and are excited for you on the start of your own dance journey.
But then.
There is Bronze.
What is Bronze (or Bronze is "What?" if you're a long-time reader), but learning about foot positions (forward, side, back, etc.) and floor positions (LOD, DW, DC, etc.) and partner positions (closed, open, promenade, etc) and literally dancing to the beat of the music.
As in, you should know what those basic concepts are and how to demonstrate them.
For bonus points, one would start learning about body positions (side leading, CBMP, the like) and tricky foot positions (SIDE AND SLIGHTLY FORWARD, MY FRIENDS) and new partner positions (shadow, counter promenade, etc.) and maybe show off some of those skills as well.
But in Silver...
Can you dance Silver without understanding those previously mentioned concepts? Sure. Just like basketball players can participate in DWTS...
While I generally categorize Silver as "How?, at a certain point, if you're not doing many of the concepts or techniques mentioned, you're making your dancing (and your partner's dancing) infinitely harder than it could be. Technique isn't just the icing on the cake, it's the damn cake.
So, on with the "sheets of complaint":
Cha Cha and Rumba
Your Cuban motion is confused.
Even though I love saying "bend, straighten, settle" to explain it, that's not all there is.
I also hear "one leg bent and the other is straight" from other teachers.
Also, not the full picture.
Common mistakes that are visible at all levels in your Cuban motion-
- you're stepping onto a straight leg RIGHT AWAY and swinging your hip RIGHT AWAY as well. It's kind of Latin-y, but still wrong.
- you have ZERO use of your supporting leg. You're not using any of your cool joints from the foot you're standing on (ie, your foot, ankle, or knee) to push your weight onto the next foot. You're just swinging that free leg here and there with abandon.
- you're doing one leg bent and one leg straight. All the time. It's very bouncy and abrupt. And leggy, in a weird way.
Hopefully you're not doing all three of these things, but please God, get to two straight legs on each step. Don't know what I'm talking about? Get thee to a professional.
Swing
Oh Swing.
There's plenty of cowboy swing.
(Knees going two different directions on one "triple step". Or knees that are clearly trying to avoid your partner's knees.)
Also, note it is called "American Rhythm Swing". That rhythm is supposed to show up in a body action, not just through the rhythm you're pounding out with your feet. And it's not "International Latin Jive" where there's a fun hippity-skippity leg action (THAT IS A TECHNICAL TERM, OF COURSE) on that chassé. At a loss of how to get that groovy body action? Get thee to a professional.
All Around Rhythm
I'm not even going to get into Bolero and Mambo, because LORD HELP US.
But
- connection is a thing. Both with tone through your own arms and body and to your partner. It will make things easier, but it takes as much practice as those patterns and timing you've worked on.
- while Rhythm dances don't travel, they don't not travel either. There's a fine line between using your damn supporting leg and trying to make it to the other side of the floor on your continuous locks in Cha AAAAND purposely not traveling because someone told you Rhythm dances don't travel.
- if you don't use your center to do... well, anything, your shoulders are going to be by your ears. I'm not telling you to do some crunches, but I'm not not telling you to do some crunches either.
- you need to know what direction you facing, or where your partner is relative to you, in most figures. Don't look at your partner in Crossover Breaks, and don't turn your back to your partner in Open Cuban Walks, and the like.
- work on that whole skill building AND knowledge acquisition thing.
All Around Smooth
Yes, all of them first.
Because these notes are short, but important, and apply to all the dances.
(In no particular order:)
When you are going into open positions (aka, not closed dance frame), your upper arm should not be touching your rib cage. Let there be light... under your armpit. In other words, don't drop your elbows.
If you are not using CBMP or left side lead in your continuity style figures (aka, your Silver Waltz and Foxtrot steps; aka, not closing your feet in your boxes and twinkles), you are doing a horrible job.
If your footwork is bad, then you are probably not using your supporting leg [GASP] correctly.
You're "shaping" with only your arms and maybe your rib cage (aka, your hips and legs have done nothing; aka, you're "breaking your side"). Stop it.
Promenade position (PP) is wack. You lose your offsetness to your partner (aka, you get onset; YES, I KNOW THESE "TECHNICAL TERMS" ARE TERRIBLE), your head is too far forward, and your shoulders are jacked. And promenade is the second position you learn! WORK ON IT.
Stop looking down. Just. Stop it.
You're blowing the rise on 1 (Waltz or Foxtrot or Viennese) and then you're up up up up up. And it's making me hold my breath for you and you're also lacking literal depth in your dancing.
Ladies, you're changing your entire posture and poise from closed position to open positions. This is too much to explain in writing and you'll get your mind blown if someone explains it to you well in person. (Get thee to a professional.)
Viennese
Stay low. Get down. You still must lower on the end of 3, my peeps.
Tango
Cortés, man. Leads, step diagonally back and rotate a little to your right. A LITTLE. Stop swinging open to the left and knocking your partner over.
AND FOR THE LOVE, GO TO PROMENADE ON OPEN FANS. Your weird step-point nonsense drives most of the judges crazy.
(Plus, these two are great. ^^^^^)
The end.
