Avoiding looking school taught...?

[richfilmz]

Hi everyone,

Youve got a great enthusiastic board here, hopefully someone can answer my question... Ok, Ive fallen in love with a woman from Venezuela, Im Puerto Rican, she's a great salsera, from what I hear( I did see her dance once), I however, am not... I would like to learn and Im considering finding a salsa class or someone to give me private lessons secretly here in NYC for a few months before I spring my new moves on her.

However, my concern is looking too stiff and practiced as opposed to loose and spontaneous. Now is there such a thing as appearing school taught as oppossed to looking like a naturally good dancer...? Of course it all depends on my abilities as a dancer, but I think I have it in me to learn well, Im just trying to avoid looking like I took lessons.....

Thanks for your help...... :D

[JohnK]

Welcome to DF richfilmz. As a relatively recent newcomer to dance myself, my own progression has been from stiffness to smoothness because of the lessons, not in spite of them. I found myself first concentrating just on getting the steps right and doing so in time to the music (ie "going through the motions"). Then, as my repertoire became "muscle memory", I had brainpower freed up to concentrate on technique, ie "smoothness" among other things.

Sounds like your quest is literally a labor of love :wink: . Just jump into it, take private lessons if you can, and practice, practice, practice. The lessons will get you up to speed much more quickly and with good form. Practice burns it into your brain. You will impress your lady not only with your cool moves but also with the effort you're making specifically for her.

[Pacion]

Welcome to DF richfilmz! As JohnK said, practice, practice, practice. Only with practice and the muscle memory thing, can you then 'forget' about it and start playing/adding your own style.

Treat the classes/lessons as a recipe/guidelines and then start interpreting/playing, to make it your own.

Do you cook? As an analogy (because I am hungry and it is dinner time here in the UK :wink: ) think of your dance lessons as your following a recipe for a dish you really would like to make. Then (!) when you are comfortable, start mixing up the ingredients, adding more of this, less of that AND bringing in ingredients that weren't even in the recipe! :shock: :lol:

You did not mention whether you had danced other 'formal' dances before?

[borikensalsero]

Hi richfilmz, how are you? Glad to see you are looking to get into the groove of salsa dancing. First? Does she go out a lot? If not, you are welcome to join me dancing around NY City so you can get a jist of what you are in for, see what you like, then go to that give school.

2- Go to 2 different schools - one to teach you moves the other to teach you how to get to your flava. Now, I can help in that department, when ever I can.

The first part and outmost importance is to go to Nydia Ocasio down in lafayette (China Town), you can take privates with her or go to class on wednesdays. She can teach you how to get to yourself and not look school taught... Not by teaching you moves, but by teaching you how to get richfilmz to come out and play. I say Nydia Ocasio, (nydiaocasio.com), tell her that Javier sent you, because she is pretty much one of the very few instructors in NY City that can actually show you how to get flava out of your dancing, not just tell you that you have to find your own style. For if everyone knew how to find flava, we all wouldn't look the same. She is the person you want to learn your basics from.

You can at the same time go to empiredance, or eddie torres for the moves. If you don't want her to know you are dancing, then you must take privates, otherwise, group classes are so crowded that you will blow your cover. You can also hit Razz M Tazz, or just about any other school in NY City, they all teach pretty much the same, even if the stepping sequence is different 1,2,3 5,6,7 (on2) or 2,3,4 6,7,8(on2)

Actually you might want to go to Razz M Tazz if you go to Nydia Ocasio, for they also dance 2,3,4 6,7,8. The same as Nydia Ocasio...

If you are intersted in getting into the salsa scene little by little I can take you around and show you the ropes. PM me and we can go from there. BTW, is this girl you are in love with the dancer for the Copa???

[DancePoet]

I encourage lessons, practice, and social dancing, too.

I'd take Borikensalsero up on his offer as well!

[SDsalsaguy]

Yup, no way you can go wrong with boriken! :D

...and welcome to the Dance Forums! :D

[peachexploration]

Yup, no way you can go wrong with boriken! :D

...and welcome to the Dance Forums! :D

Ditto. :D Welcome Richfilmz!

[squirrel]

Welcome Richfilmz...

A small question: does the girl you like dance on 1 or on 2? Most latinos I know, who have learned at home or in the street, dance on 1... Razz M Tazz and Nydia and Eddie Torres teach on 2...

[dr daffy]

welcome Richfilmz... i hope i'm not too late in posting this... i'm usually late in all the threads, lol... *shrugs* what can i say, i'm busy, heh

anyways... in my opinion, there is a difference between looking like you're enjoying what you're doing and you're not... even if you're school taught, if you're enjoying the dancing, she probobly won't even notice that you were taught by others. but if you're seriously not enjoying it and not into it, she'll notice. the most important thing to do is... enjoy it... be yourself... and just dance... doesn't matter how you're taught or anything as long as you're enjoying it and you look like you are :D

[richfilmz]

Wow, Thank you all so much for your help, support, kind words and warm welcome.

JohnK- Thanks for addressing my concern, lessons can only help.... simple as that...
Pacion- Thanks for your analogy, I do cook and it made it perfectly clear to me. In terms of past formal dancing, Im afraid not, Im a bit of a wallflower. Hopefully thats going to change now...
borikensalsero- Thanks for your more than generous offer, I think I'll try to take some lessons first before I venture out into the Salsa world... Now, I happen to live in Chinatown, (Cherry St.!) so Im very interested in your recomendation of Nydia Ocasio, I think Ill start there... In terms of my love interest, she's not the "dancer from the Copa" but she's told me she's been there many times...
squirrel- I have no idea whether she dances on 1 or 2. As a matter a fact I have no idea what that means even though Ive seen it in a few school descriptions. I'll try and find out inconspicuously...

Thank you all again for your thoughts and ideas, I feel so encouraged now I want to start right away...!

[borikensalsero]

richfilmz,
If your love interest is in NY City and dances in more popular venues (Cache, Jimmy Anton's, Flamingo's, LQ, Rumbero's, Mario's, Konig's socials), chances are that she is dancing on2. Most of the NY City area dances on2. I suggest Nydia because you expressed a concern in not looking school taught...

Nydia takes her time richfilmz, she isn't one of the instructors that will move along without anyone understanding her, she is known for her afrocuban dance style, and her mastery of the open floor craft (shines).

And the reason why you should go to 2 schools. Once you see her move, you'll never see another move like that, and will never want to part ways with her. But keep in mind that you won't be thrown a 100 moves in a month. She will first teach you the music, the beat, how the body should move, what causes it to move, and how to move it within the music as you feel it, NOT HER, this can take time, but when you are done, you'll look like you were never taught in a school, and will have your own unique flava!

The second school is for partner moves, I suggest Razz M Tazz if you are going to Nydia. There is no difference really dancing Eddie Torres Style (your love interest might be dancing Eddie's style) and Razz M Tazz style. The second school will help you by building a partner repertoire in what is common in NY City right now.

With nydia think of it as learning to move your and by passing the seemingly look alike movement that school tuaght dancers never break until they master the craft of salsa.

The second school think of it like building the partner reportire so it gives you something to do with the ladies when you are learning. Two totally different aspects of the dance.

The people that leave Nydia is because they want to learn things half fast, they want to learn to step and dance before they can walk. It is sad because at the end, they look like a clone of their instructor, once you get deep into the NY City salsa scene you will be able to tell who goes to what school simply by looking at them dance.

If you have any further questions let me know.