Leaders, what are your techniques for getting back on-beat?

[salsamale]

Aside from not getting off-beat in the first place, leaders, what are your techniques for getting back on-beat, if you happen to find yourself off-beat?

I usually lead 2 rushed cbl in a row, and if that doesn't work, another 2 rushed cbl in a row. On the rare chance that a break is nearby, I will extend it to regain composure, to get back on-beat.

Followers, what techniques have you noticed leaders using, to get back on-beat. Do you have techniques of your own to guide leaders back on-beat?

[tj]

I'll usually just pause, and then do a really obvious "1" step, usually continuing into a CBL.

[Vin]

WOW it's been so long since I've been off beat I wouldn't even remember what to do :).

Most of the time way I get off beat is a screwed up move or getting on the "wrong" side of the music. With a screwed up move just start over . . . when on the wrong side of the music, I just flow with it, unless the follower is a timing fascist in which case I will get back on the "correct" side of the beat.

It's amazing how some otherwise great dancers get clueless when you ask them to step back on the two(or 5).

If I am dancing with a woman who doesn't dance "strict style", or whatever you want to call what we learn, I will just keep an eye on her and try to follow what she is feeling in the music.

[Danish Guy]

A small dip is another way to reset the "counting" and movement to start form a fresh again.

[tj]

WOW it's been so long since I've been off beat I wouldn't even remember what to do :).

You crack me up, Vin! :wink:

[RugKutta]

For me, it depends on the situation. Sometimes I can play it off really well and do a "filler" move to make up for the missed timing until I can get back on beat. I don't really have a set filler move, I just do whatever comes to mind or feels good at the time. Then sometimes I'm able to speed up or slow down my step(s) in order to get back on beat. Then of course, there are those moments where I can do nothing but pause. When I pause, I try to make some attempt to make that pause look intentional or make it look good even if I can't make it look intentional.

[Vin]

You crack me up, Vin! :wink:

Glad to be of service tj.

[samina]

I'll usually just pause, and then do a really obvious "1" step, usually continuing into a CBL.

that always works best for me as the follower...
:)

[GTO Bruin]

I usually lead a CBL into a free spin and shine. Then I pick up the follow on beat. Sometimes with my girlfriend, I open break and bring her into a close, romantic hold, attempting a sexy gaze into her eyes for a dramatic effect. Then I resume on beat. If I were better at dips, I'd probably do that too.

[SnowDancer]

If I get off by a 4-count (stepping 1 on the 5), I'll do a CBL with an inside turn, and then use up 4 more beats with a 2nd inside turn at the end. My usual dancing partner (my wife), never even notices that I messed up.

[noobster]

Followers, what techniques have you noticed leaders using, to get back on-beat.
None really. We're commonly off by 4 beats, which doesn't bother me; and sometimes it switches back some time later. Most of the time I don't notice if there was a specific technique used. Sometimes I notice we go into a 'roundabout' on the 5 and come out on the 1 again. That's a good one because you can just keep going around until you're ready. :)

Do you have techniques of your own to guide leaders back on-beat?
Yes but they never work lol. :) What I notice frequently is that leaders are, not off beat per se, but a little too fast - i.e., they are stepping a little ahead of the beat. To combat this, I start dragging my weight a little more and refusing to step off the beat. It doesn't always work that well though, as often he will 'assist' me into keeping his timing.

Of course, perhaps it's just my own idiosyncrasy and they think I am stepping behind the beat. I not infrequently feel 'rushed' by leaders, so maybe it's more me than them. I also often find myself briefly stepping off the beat either fore or aft - either because of a fleeting balance issue of my own or because the leader gave me a little push - which bothers me much more than, e.g., switching the 1 and the 5.

[sac76]

None really. We're commonly off by 4 beats, which doesn't bother me; and sometimes it switches back some time later. Most of the time I don't notice if there was a specific technique used. Sometimes I notice we go into a 'roundabout' on the 5 and come out on the 1 again. That's a good one because you can just keep going around until you're ready. :)


Yes but they never work lol. :) What I notice frequently is that leaders are, not off beat per se, but a little too fast - i.e., they are stepping a little ahead of the beat. To combat this, I start dragging my weight a little more and refusing to step off the beat. It doesn't always work that well though, as often he will 'assist' me into keeping his timing.

Of course, perhaps it's just my own idiosyncrasy and they think I am stepping behind the beat. I not infrequently feel 'rushed' by leaders, so maybe it's more me than them. I also often find myself briefly stepping off the beat either fore or aft - either because of a fleeting balance issue of my own or because the leader gave me a little push - which bothers me much more than, e.g., switching the 1 and the 5.

Is it possible that u may actually be stepping behind the beat?If the guys are little faster than the beat, then u will feel rushed into moves .You said you dont feel rushed, then u maybe taking up little extra time to pause which may put u offtime.Balance is another issue which might be offputting. I noticed that some of the girls i dance with pause little too much which gets us both offtime....what do u guys think?

[tj]

Is it possible that u may actually be stepping behind the beat?If the guys are little faster than the beat, then u will feel rushed into moves .You said you dont feel rushed, then u maybe taking up little extra time to pause which may put u offtime.Balance is another issue which might be offputting. I noticed that some of the girls i dance with pause little too much which gets us both offtime....what do u guys think?

Unless one was actually watching and listening, you can never be 100% sure either way, but I'll go with Noobster's assessment that the guys she's dancing with are off-time, as well as your assessment that the women you're dancing with are off-time. :-)

[noobster]

Is it possible that u may actually be stepping behind the beat?Yes, of course that's a possibility. Presumably the guys don't think they're stepping off either, so one of us is wrong - no way to tell who. ;) I said as much in my post, no? - sorry if that wasn't clear.

If the guys are little faster than the beat, then u will feel rushed into moves .You said you dont feel rushed,Er? I thought I said I did feel rushed?

Balance is another issue which might be offputting. I noticed that some of the girls i dance with pause little too much which gets us both offtime....what do u guys think?Sometimes we need a moment to re-center ourselves. It's just a fraction of a beat before heading to the next thing. One thing that bugs me is when guys purposely pull me off my center and then go, "Don't worry, I've got you!" I can get myself, thank you; it just makes dancing so much harder when you don't let me. :(

[AlexSem]

GOod question you ask.

If I feel that I'm off beat, I'll just stop moving my feet and do some ribcage movements left and right, do some playful eye contact. Basically groove to the music without stepping for a few beats and then as others have suggested, do a VEEEERY obvious 1 because the lady at that stage will be somewhat lost.

A good habit to get into when you mess up in almost any scenario is to just spin your way out of it. Do a spin for her and for yourself. Then do a little shine to get back togehter and you're gold :)

[sac76]

GOod question you ask.

If I feel that I'm off beat, I'll just stop moving my feet and do some ribcage movements left and right, do some playful eye contact. Basically groove to the music without stepping for a few beats and then as others have suggested, do a VEEEERY obvious 1 because the lady at that stage will be somewhat lost.

A good habit to get into when you mess up in almost any scenario is to just spin your way out of it. Do a spin for her and for yourself. Then do a little shine to get back togehter and you're gold :)


agree with it....have to remind myself to do a spin everytime that happens;)

[Big10]

I'll usually just pause, and then do a really obvious "1" step, usually continuing into a CBL.Yep, that pretty much sums up my typical technique, especially if our break beat has become the 5, 6, or 7 (I'm an On1 dancer), either because of my mis-timed move or a swap in the musical structure. I may use the "pause" time to shimmy my shoulders or hips.

However, if we've ended up on 2 or 3, sometimes I'll go into a rushed CBL, ending on where the next "1" will be. If you have a strong lead, it's pretty easy to rush a CBL so that it finishes in 6 or 7 beats, punctuated by giving your follower a firm "1."


Unless one was actually watching and listening, you can never be 100% sure either way, but I'll go with Noobster's assessment that the guys she's dancing with are off-time, as well as your assessment that the women you're dancing with are off-time. :smile:Very well stated. I think it's always safest to assume that those of us posting on DF are the perfect dancers, and our non-posting partners are the imperfect ones. ;)

[sac76]

Yep, that pretty much sums up my typical technique, especially if our break beat has become the 5, 6, or 7 (I'm an On1 dancer), either because of my mis-timed move or a swap in the musical structure. I may use the "pause" time to shimmy my shoulders or hips.

However, if we've ended up on 2 or 3, sometimes I'll go into a rushed CBL, ending on where the next "1" will be. If you have a strong lead, it's pretty easy to rush a CBL so that it finishes in 6 or 7 beats, punctuated by giving your follower a firm "1."


Very well stated. I think it's always safest to assume that those of us posting on DF are the perfect dancers, and our non-posting partners are the imperfect ones. ;)

wish we were the perfect dancers and never offtime...but it doesnt happen that way.....but u will know the difference when u dance with various follows/leaders...when i dance with advanced follows, i never seem to have such problems but when i dance with lesser advanced follows, they seem to creep up. im not sure if the advanced dancers are compensating for our lack of technique or the lesser advanced follows are doing just too much.

[Vin]

Noobster, when you say some leaders are a little ahead. I am curious if it something that you notice more on the 4-5 and then the 6 syncs up, or do you notice it on all the beats.

The reason I ask is because I think when on2 there is alot of variety in how people step the 4-5(and the 8-1). Some people are pausing on4 and stepping on5 (closer to ET2) and others are stepping more on4 and pausing more on5 to give the 6 more emphasis (closer to power2).

[OneCentSalsero]

[QUOTE=salsamale;373964]Aside from not getting off-beat in the first place, leaders, what are your techniques for getting back on-beat, if you happen to find yourself off-beat?
QUOTE]

Shine, drop a double spin of my own, *cough* body roll.

[noobster]

Noobster, when you say some leaders are a little ahead. I am curious if it something that you notice more on the 4-5 and then the 6 syncs up, or do you notice it on all the beats.

The reason I ask is because I think when on2 there is alot of variety in how people step the 4-5(and the 8-1). Some people are pausing on4 and stepping on5 (closer to ET2) and others are stepping more on4 and pausing more on5 to give the 6 more emphasis (closer to power2).

I think it is on all the beats. I just get this feeling of being forced to put my foot down slightly before I'm ready in order to follow smoothly. It's a little unsettling. I am not 100% sure though, I will check next time it happens and report back. :)

I think I might have danced with somebody who was doing Power2 last Sunday. Not sure though. Something was a little different, but not really what I'd call off beat. Funny how it can be hard to tell! :)

[Sagitta]

Oh...I go off beat sometimes deliberately...and it annoys the hell out of some followers. :twisted: It doesn't matter that I know how to bring them back onbeat if they follow my lead.


How to get back on-beat...oh just start spinning them and then stop to get back on-1. If they actually keep time and if we are off 4 beats they will expect that we are still dancing on-5..I'll really spin them until they are izzy and then stop. :twisted: Most cannot keep track then.

OF course the above is when I'm not going off-beat deliberately. (Once you know the rules feel free to break them ;-) )

[Pacion]

Originally Posted by Vin http://www.dance-forums.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?p=373976#post373976)
WOW it's been so long since I've been off beat I wouldn't even remember what to do :smile:.


You crack me up, Vin! :wink:
Ahem to that! :lol:

Can't speak as a lead but as a follower, if I think I have gone off beat or my partner has gone off beat (or I have no clue where/to what he has zoned in to), I Suzy Q or do the cuban rumba step - anything, just to get back on the correct footing.

[devane]

I usually lead 2 rushed cbl in a row, and if that doesn't work, another 2 rushed cbl in a row. On the rare chance that a break is nearby, I will extend it to regain composure, to get back on-beat.



I don't know about changing the speed of your cbls to remedy the situation.You may confuse your partner by going slow then fast?
Like tj said, a pause or a "shake n' bake" or "body roll" will work. Then start again.
Once you get into moves involving multiple spins you will have to do this a lot because you may land early or late.


I'll usually just pause, and then do a really obvious "1" step, usually continuing into a CBL.
I would do my "1" backward instead of forward for safety.You don't want to kick your partner.
How does your partner know you are reverting back to "1"?
Some teachers teach this idea for when you start a dance. 1 "back-back" before you do the Mambo step.

When I pause, I try to make some attempt to make that pause look intentional or make it look good even if I can't make it look intentional.

Exactly ...make it look intentional. Cover up techniques should be a class in itself.:cool:

[salsamarty]

I’m not sure that there is much a follower can do to get a leader back on the beat other than to just tell him he is off the beat and to please get back on. It happened to me in the early days and I welcomed the help. Probably more than anything else, it is the leaders’ responsibility to find and keep the timing. If I want to get back on the beat seamlessly while dancing I can usually do it with a pause during a cross body lead or during a simple outside turn. If I’m way off then I’ll just stop and start over again. Some of the inexperienced followers don’t know what I’m trying to do but go along with it. The experience followers appreciate that I know what the beat is and that I would take the time to get back on.

[MacMoto]

I’m not sure that there is much a follower can do to get a leader back on the beat other than to just tell him he is off the beat and to please get back on.
When I dance with leaders who have a habit of going off-beat, I just keep the beat myself, sometimes with a little push with the hand on the 5 as I step forward, and they usually take the hint and adjust back (they usually know they are not solid with timing so they are okay about it). When dancing with someone who's not aware he's off-beat and doesn't take my hint, I go with his timing.

[Danish Guy]

When I dance with leaders who have a habit of going off-beat, I just keep the beat myself, sometimes with a little push with the hand on the 5 as I step forward, and they usually take the hint and adjust back (they usually know they are not solid with timing so they are okay about it). When dancing with someone who's not aware he's off-beat and doesn't take my hint, I go with his timing.

:notworth::notworth::notworth::notworth:

Wow, this is so nice!

[squirrel]

When I dance with leaders who have a habit of going off-beat, I just keep the beat myself, sometimes with a little push with the hand on the 5 as I step forward, and they usually take the hint and adjust back (they usually know they are not solid with timing so they are okay about it). When dancing with someone who's not aware he's off-beat and doesn't take my hint, I go with his timing.

I'd just add "I go with his timing... MOST OF THE TIME!" :)

[Sabor]

i scream, throw a fit and maybe a fake heart attack

[squirrel]

Enlightening as always, Sabor... wish I could go to "Another Dimension" to dance with you... or just witness the heart-attack fake ;)

[Shooshoo]

Enlightening as always, Sabor... wish I could go to "Another Dimension" to dance with you... or just witness the heart-attack fake ;)

i scream, throw a fit and maybe a fake heart attack

Not sure you would like to witness that, squirrel, http://foolstown.com/sm/str.gif

[Sabor]

Enlightening as always, Sabor... wish I could go to "Another Dimension" to dance with you... or just witness the heart-attack fake ;)

well sweetheart, egypt is not that far away from romania.. and not expensive to visit.. so i say u get a small group of salser@s-friends together and take a road trip ;)

[Pacion]

Quote:
Originally Posted by squirrel http://www.dance-forums.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?p=378303#post378303)
Enlightening as always, Sabor... wish I could go to "Another Dimension" to dance with you... or just witness the heart-attack fake

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sabor http://www.dance-forums.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?p=377880#post377880)
i scream, throw a fit and maybe a fake heart attack

Not sure you would like to witness that, squirrel, http://foolstown.com/sm/str.gif

rotfl!!! :lol:

[squirrel]

well sweetheart, egypt is not that far away from romania.. and not expensive to visit.. so i say u get a small group of salser@s-friends together and take a road trip ;)

LOL Any Salsa events down there? This is how I would persuade my friends to come along...

[Pacion]

LOL Any Salsa events down there?

To see Sabor dance in person (with or without the fake heart attack), what more of an event do you want! :? :lol:

[Sabor]

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/spezial/Fool/bis.gif

[salsamale]

Thanks for all the insight on this one. I've pretty much replaced the rushed-CBL, with the pause, or the free spin + shine.

[salsamale]

Aside from not getting off-beat in the first place ...
I don't have enough proof or evidence, but I have found that chewing gum while dancing seems to help me stay on beat, while freshening breath :).

[quixotedlm]

you chew gum!!!! uh oh - isn't that a bad bad thing to do? ;)

[salsamale]

You know, I think I sometimes even syncopate my chews :).

[AndrewS]

you chew gum!!!! uh oh - isn't that a bad bad thing to do? ;)

I bit my tongue once whilst chewing gum and dancing at the same time. Never again. It's that male multi-tasking problem. Like dancing, talking and staying in time with the music

[MacMoto]

I bit my tongue once whilst chewing gum
I've done that a few times, but not when dancing -- I was just chewing gum, and suddenly my tongue was between my teeth. Maybe that female spatial cognition problem? :lol:

It's that male multi-tasking problem. Like dancing, talking and staying in time with the music
Don't talk, just dance (hopefully in time with the music). ;)