Developing Body Rhythm

[pygmalion]

You know, if you were to read the threads I start, you could probably make some good guesses about exactly what's going on in my dance life.

That said, one of the things I'm working on in rhythm is body rhythm -- I think of it as letting Jenny (i.e. the real me) loose while I'm dancing. In other words, learning to allow my body to move.

My styling coach has given me some exercises that I can share later, but I'd rather wait to hear what others have to say about body rhythm, its role in rhythm/Latin dance, and how to develop it.

Thoughts, anyone?

[Sagitta]

It helps if you like the music. If I don't particularly like the music being played impossible for me to get any sort of rhythm. When I took a few waltz lessons last year there were some waltzes that I detested. I made such a strong case that the dance teacher didn't played them again. It's like playing a strong cha cha so one can practice salsa slowly!! :x

[pygmalion]

That's a good point, Sagitta. Having music you like does make it easier to release your spirit into the dance. And adding body rhythm, meaning actual body movement, is easier with music you like too.

[twodance]

Body rhythm is developed thru body isolations. Stand with you feet apart, weight split and arm out to the side. Move your ribs from side to side without moving your hips. Then move ribs forward and back. Your body will only move about 3-4- inches. After getting this down, when you move your ribs to the right bend that knee to accept the body weight. The rib isolation is called dancing your back (or sides). Adding the knee bend is called cuban motion (american style)

[ricodancer]

I think musicality in movement really improves with practice. Cross training in different styles of dance can help, as can listening to music and feeling the rhythm in your body, even when you can't dance to it- in the car, on the bus, etc. Twodance had a good point about isolations- the isolations we do in belly dance, or in jazz classes, might be very useful to connect rib cage and hip muscle groups with musical rhythm especially in Latin dance. In modern dance we talk a great deal about "breath," and the most challenging music I've worked with has a lot of breath in it, i.e. romantic piano music such as Chopin's, with it's rubato or "sighing" quality, maybe more relevant to waltz and other smooth dances.

[pygmalion]

I agree with you, ricodancer. Practice helps a lot. Some things, like rib isolations, I seem to have had naturally (or learned at a very young age.) But when I started ballroom dancing, I just couldn't tap into them. I was too busy worrying about my feet. So practice has helped me in two ways -- (1) practicing the ballroom patterns until they become automatic frees me to stop thinking about my feet so I can let my body move and (2) practicing isolations by themselves, in the car, in the livingroom, in the line at Walmart (subtly, of course :lol: ) makes them more likely to automatically pop out in my more structured dancing.

Pretty cool. 8)