Q on prep for spins

[noobster]

OK, I have (wait for it...) another spins question! :)

How do you usually do your prep for multiples? Do you place your feet differently than if you were just going into a single spin, or into a basic? Or is all of the prep in the shoulders/arms/body?

I was taught to do a little foot placement and start off with a tap/paddle before bringing the feet together, but I am wondering if I would get smoother spins by keeping my feet still and just prepping entirely from the shoulders. It takes me about 1/2 to 3/4 of the first spin to get my feet together, and I feel like moving my feet around during the spin is sort of awkward and creates drag forces.

I have been watching advanced dancers do this; some of them start off with a toe and others don't seem to, or maybe they're just so fast that I don't catch the movement?

[englezul]

OK, I have (wait for it...) another spins question! :)

How do you usually do your prep for multiples? Do you place your feet differently than if you were just going into a single spin, or into a basic? Or is all of the prep in the shoulders/arms/body?

I was taught to do a little foot placement and start off with a tap/paddle before bringing the feet together, but I am wondering if I would get smoother spins by keeping my feet still and just prepping entirely from the shoulders. It takes me about 1/2 to 3/4 of the first spin to get my feet together, and I feel like moving my feet around during the spin is sort of awkward and creates drag forces.

I have been watching advanced dancers do this; some of them start off with a toe and others don't seem to, or maybe they're just so fast that I don't catch the movement?

I wouldn't know about the paddle, I don't think it's necessary. As far as I understand it prepping is just winding your waist so that the energy stored in the process when released rotates the core.

Knees relax, hips go slightly lower and twist. You should feel a springy action. The foot that preps is pointing at 10 o clock. Releasing will turn your core in the opposite direction.

A friend here took a workshop with Frankie Martinez where they taught them how to do double and triple spins without prepping. I didn't get a change to ask for details. Did anyone hear about this concept?

[GayleR]

It depends. If the lead gives me the prep then I have been taught to swivel left, swivel right, left foot in front, knees relaxed then alternate feet in the multiple spin. But often the guy does not bring my right arm down with his to prep me, so in that case I just keep my knees relaxed and use my shoulders and back for the missing wind up. Does that make sense?

[alemana]

where are you taking your classes, noobster?

[noobster]

It depends. If the lead gives me the prep then I have been taught to swivel left, swivel right, left foot in front, knees relaxed then alternate feet in the multiple spin. But often the guy does not bring my right arm down with his to prep me, so in that case I just keep my knees relaxed and use my shoulders and back for the missing wind up. Does that make sense?Yes; for led spins, this is pretty much what I do as well. I would say I only notice a prep about 50% of the time though. If I don't get it or notice it, I do what you mentioned: give some momentum with the shoulders and arm and get through it however. Usually in a led multiple I get some momentum from the leader though (I know, bad - bleh), so the prep isn't really so necessary.

But in a solo spin I usually do prep. I tried a bunch by myself last night (while I was supposed to be writing, bleh again) just keeping my feet close and parallel from the start. It felt awkward but that is probably because I am used to prepping with my non-weighted foot at 10:00/2:00. I wonder whether it could actually improve the spin if I could get used to it, or whether it's just a pointless exercise.

I wouldn't know about the paddle, I don't think it's necessary... The foot that preps is pointing at 10 o clock. Am I misusing the term 'paddle'? (Does it imply you are lifting your foot up?) I don't actually take my foot off the floor, but I do point it at 10:00 as you noted, and I push it into the floor slightly as I take off. Is that what everyone understood? I am trying to figure out whether I should be trying to ditch this foot-prep.

where are you taking your classes, noobster?I'm doing this in a slightly unorthodox way, I guess. I don't really take groups (I've dropped in on a few here and there but haven't found them that useful). I calculated that one private a month is the same price as four groups and a whole lot more useful for actually being able to social dance. So that's what I've been doing: occasional privates and lots of social dancing. Honestly, I seriously doubt whether I would ever have been able to get out on the floor without a private or two. I'm amazed at people who manage to get good enough to hit the socials just from group lessons alone.

The result is a little funny as well, I think, in that I don't know any of the choreography or styling that people usually get in group classes. I noted on another post that I basically make up all my shines, which is the inevitable result of not knowing any lol. But I feel like it's much more important to me to get a good base of being able to balance, follow, and spin. There's always time to learn shines later.

[alemana]

completely agree.

[englezul]

Am I misusing the term 'paddle'? (Does it imply you are lifting your foot up?) I don't actually take my foot off the floor, but I do point it at 10:00 as you noted, and I push it into the floor slightly as I take off. Is that what everyone understood? I am trying to figure out whether I should be trying to ditch this foot-prep.


I dont think you're misusing it. By paddle I understand using the foot the push against the floor to achieve some kind of motion, in this instance rotation. But I think it's unecessary as rotation should come from the core not from the foot. The foot points to 10 o clock but it does that as a combined result of relaxing hips, lowering core, and twisting waist to achieve tension for the rotation. Releasing this tension causes your body to turn thus paddling is...something extra. I believe paddling is a sort of cheating, and also I think it does affect your overall balance because given your core is in balance state applying an unbalanced force to it (the push against the ground) will require you to counteract that action in some manner to return to the balance state. And you will have to do this while spinning. This is a waste of energy and will affect the natural relaxed motion of your body and undermine your overall control during the spin.


So nobody heard about that technique Frankie Martinez was talking about. I'm dying to learn more.

[noobster]

Tx for clearing that up englezul. Sounds like I should continue to work on not paddling, but that doesn't necessarily require that I stop pointing the non-weight-bearing foot, yes?

alemana, your PM box is full

[anam]

Hey guys,

Saw this post and couldn't help myself to answer. I think the misconception that people have about spinning, which causes the most confusion in the end, is that there are a number of different ways to spin. More specifically, the preps are different depending on where you're getting your momentum from.

In order to understand the prep, you must first decide what method works best for you and which you would like to use. I'll mention the 3 most common below, but I'm sure there are many others...

1) Paddling

Momentum: The momentum for the spin would come from a push off from the prepped foot (L foot if you're turning to your right or R foot if you're turning to your left), and each time around, or every couple spins, you would push off the foot again. The hardest part about this one is staying centered so the push doesn't throw you off balance.

Prep: Your weight is centered over your R foot, the L foot pointing to 10 o'clock (for a R turn prep), both feet facing the same direction (on parallel lines). Upper body is square with the hips. (For a L turn prep, your weight is over your L foot, the R foot pointing to 2 o-clock.)


2) Hips

Momentum: The momentum comes from a whip of the hips.

Prep: Your weight is centered over your R foot, the L foot is slightly crossed so there is a slight twist in the hips. The hips are slightly offset from the upper body preparing for a whip. Once you whip the hips, you square your hips with your upper body.

Disclaimer: Some people have been experiencing hip problems from using this technique.

3) Shoulder

Momentum: The momentum comes from the shoulder of the direction you're going in (R shoulder for a right turn, L shoulder for a L turn)

Prep: Same as in the paddle, your weight is centered over your R foot, the L foot pointing to 10 o'clock (for a R turn prep), both feet facing the same direction (on parallel lines) (This part is particularly important, as the legs can't be crossed). The upper body is slightly offset from the lower body. The L foot out in the prep is there to provide some release of energy as far as the whip, but you do not push off the foot. Once you whip your R shoulder, you square your upper body with your lower body.


I'm sure there are more ways taught for preps, but I believe these are the most common. We prefer the 3rd method, but each person has to decide what works best for him/her. Once you find one, though, stick with it.

Hope this helps,

Ana :)

----------------------