Notes From The Lab
Archived Posts from this Category
missing anything?
Posted by bcrummins on 31 Aug 2009 | Tagged as: Notes From The Lab
I’ve started a collection of people’s things between my party and salsa en la calle. If you are missing any articles of clothing etc, email me offline bcrummins@comcast.net I may have it!
Barbara
Advice from Timba.com
Posted by casinero on 24 Aug 2009 | Tagged as: Notes From The Lab
Q. MY PARTNERS SAY THAT I’M HEAVY. WHY IS THAT?
There are two distinct types of weight perception problems: it can be a visual phenomenon, or it can be mechanical. Let’s start with the latter.
- MECHANICAL
The body is a machine, and it works in ways very similar to a car, hence we have:
-
- Legs = motor
- Hips and upper body = transmission
- Arms and hands = steering wheel
The machine will appear heavy when the hands transform the body into a trailer rather than behaving like a steering wheel, in order to spare the motor Compare Clip 6.1 and 6.2.
It’s also possible that the man, through it’s “driving”, forces the woman out of balance. This occurs when he jerks the wheel, leading the woman to “hang on”. It’s important to understand that;
-
- The man suggests, but the woman has the last word;
- We do, we don’t «make do»: what you do in turn influences the other, but it’s not puppetry;
- The woman participates actively, you cannot and should not force her;
- Tension is contagious, tenderness isn’t: both partners must strive to maintain smoothness in the arms at all times, and regularly make sure that tensions did not appear;
- The best defence against tension is a shock absorber! Compare Clip 6.3 and 6.4.
- VISUAL
Visual heaviness is a totally different phenomenon, which occurs when the weight transfers from one foot to the other are too sudden, or not gradual enough. A one on the one marker makes it even worse.
Information taken from Timba.com. Please go to Timba.com and look under Doscondos for dance instruction. Then enter into Q&A for more detailed information like this.
(Direct Link here – Ofer )
Notes From The Lab
Posted by casinero on 06 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: Notes From The Lab
Notes from the lab
It came to mind the other day, as I was dancing as a follow in Rueda, that leads often put too much force into their movements when leading. Now, what exactly do I mean by that? Well, if the follow can feel the force/torque in the leads’ hands, or if they feel a forceful push in their back as the lead checks them (like hockey) with their free hand, then the lead is substituting force for technique.
Now before everyone starts bellyaching about what I’m saying here, give it a good listen first, and then you can complain.
When I was first learning Rueda, Dennis Ruiz often told me that, because my body was spatially out of place in the dance circle, I consistently used force to compensate for my lack of technique. I also had a habit of leaning on the follower in order to complete my turns. All of this could be contributed to my lack of good footwork, slot-style salsa background and a limited knowledge of the basics of Casino dancing. So I decided to do some homework, AND to practice and here’s what I found.
Rueda de Casino is more a series of angled lines that in total form a circle. Confused yet? Read on.
- AROUND VS IN LINE
We often hear that N-Y salsa is danced in-line, whereas Cuban is danced in a circle. In fact, no one actually dances in a circle, for the centrifugal force would make the girl very uncomfortable! The reality is that NY is danced on a line clip 1.1, but it tends to blur over the years and be of less importance, and Cuban is danced in a series of angled lines that form a circle in time clip 1.2. Timba.com
. Therefore it is essential that the lead begins to move him/herself in a clockwise nature in the beginning* of the move in order to assure that the follow is in the correct position by the end of the sequence.(*for many moves but not all moves)
We stated it from the start, there is a major philosophical difference between the two salsas. In N-Y salsa, the turns are at the very core of the vocabulary. The vast majority of them are spotted or axed, which means there is no horizontal travel of the axis in the course of the turn clip 1.5. If you have to turn and walk, it shall be done in two separate operations, and multiple turns are a regular feature. In Cuban salsa, the turns take a back seat to the body movement, walks and curbs. They are generally executed in a walking fashion, meaning there is a gradual horizontal travel of the axis clip 1.9 and multiple and spotted turns, if any, are the exception. - Timba.com
In video clip 1.9 the lead begins the move by moving himself in a clockwise manner. Most importantly is the fact that the leads’ hand does not need to spin the follow around the circle but merely to be in the correct position to allow her to walk through the turn.
This small adjustment makes a huge difference in both the flow and the feel of the dance. Give it a try.
In order for any of us to be good rueda dancers we need to understand the nature of the dance. I hope that this will help move us all along that path.
Peace
Dennis
Notes from the lab.
Posted by casinero on 20 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Notes From The Lab
NOTES FROM THE LAB……
Guapea. One word. A simple concept? Not really. When one is guapeando it should be like the movie previews; something that announces exciting coming attractions. Your guapea should be crisp, lively, fun, sexy, daring or playful, and definitely full of energy.
If your Guapea looks like you are obviously waiting for the next move to be called…. hmmm. Do you get my drift?
There has to be a feeling of tension and release; a connection and a compression and then a subsequent energetic push away of your partner’s hand. If the leads or the follows hands are collapsed against their bodies and/or the push is not really a push… then the guapea looks weak and uninspired.
The meeting ground of the hands, hand and elbow, or hand and head should be where the compression and then expansion can be both felt by the couple and seen by anyone watching. Check out these videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODXUBTNogr8
So there you have it. Now go and guapea with the best of them but do so………… with SABOR!
See you.
TLR aka Dennis