How are your classes going?

[Zhena]

We have a thread for lessons, and one for practices, but so far we don't have one for lessons.

Just to be clear, I think "lessons" means private lessons in which you work one-on-one (or two) with your instructor on your own specific challenges. I think "classes" means group classes where the teacher presents material for a group but has limited time to work on personal issues.

DH and I tend to take more classes than lessons, and I think there may be more people out there like us.

So ... in our WCS lesson last night we worked on "extensions" where either the leader or follower can throw in one or two moves to take up some time so that you can "hit the break" ... make the emphasis of the pattern match the emphasis of the music.

I've taken some musicality workshops before, so some of the material covered wasn't completely new to me. But there's a big gap between intellectual understanding and ability to apply the theory. I have gotten to the point where I can hear a break coming, but I often find my dance emphasis is either too early or too late because I don't really have a feel for how to mesh my moves exactly to the music, especially in the context of lead-and-follow.

So we worked on variations within a 16-count routine that can work with a lot of different music, and tried to hear and feel how things fit.

I didn't have a breakthrough where it suddenly became clear to me, but I think I moved a little bit closer to understanding ....

[Zhena]

We've been continuing work on musicality ... last night we spent a fair amount of time listening ... to explanations and to music.

[Steve Pastor]

Have you learned about "amalagmations" that add up to 32 beats? I'm thinking that 32 corresponds more to the occurance of breaks than 16. When I hear a song I know I'd like to dance to, I'll often listen to it again and again, even counting between phrases if I'll be doing WCS.

[Zhena]

Have you learned about "amalagmations" that add up to 32 beats? I'm thinking that 32 corresponds more to the occurance of breaks than 16. When I hear a song I know I'd like to dance to, I'll often listen to it again and again, even counting between phrases if I'll be doing WCS.

Yup. We were working on two 16-count amalgamations (i.e., one 32-count super-amalgamation) consisting of some basic patterns plus filler.

Then she played some 48-count blues ...

[nucat78]

Phhbbbt! Between weddings and new student dinners and receptions, I haven't taken a lesson in over a week. Things should calm down shortly though...

[Zhena]

The intermediate WCS class last night started with a thorough review of the 8-count whip. The teacher often works on a basic step in preparation for a variation, on the theory that the variation won't work unless the basic is pretty solid.

What was different last night was that the teacher of the beginning class in the other part of the room had his class listen in and work on the same issues. These beginners have been coming long enough that this made sense. They were even beginning to catch the variation, so by the end of the class we mixed the two groups.

Actually, the mixing is normal at this stage of the classes ... the classes are grouped into sessions of a few weeks, and at the end of a session it's traditional for the intermediates to descend on the beginners and ask them for a dance at the end of class. The beginners are always nervous and apologetic, but it's a good way to make them realize they are actually capable of dancing with a stranger.


In our Hungarian class on Tuesday, we've been learning a dance that a few of us worked on at camp this summer. This was the first time the class has learned something that I was exposed to before the rest of the class. Most of them have way more experience than DH and I do. It has been interesting to see that they struggle just as much as I do when the material is new.

The best part is that the teaching is slow enough that I'm not overwhelmed by the pace ... I have a little breathing room to think about the details rather than just catching the outline. A couple of weeks ago one of the men commented that I seemed to be getting much more comfortable with the dances ... I think he's right. Cool.

[Zhena]

The last two Mondays I taught a folk dance class. The teacher was out of town and asked me to cover for him. I recalled why I like to teach, but I was also reminded of why I don't ... preparing takes a lot of time. I think I'd like to come up with a way to teach every month or two ... I've been talking to people about this.

Hungarian class on Tuesday was unusual ... we usually have more men than women but DH didn't come (allergy attack), the regular teacher wasn't there (he's in Hungary for a few weeks), a couple of women who come only occasionally were there, AND two new women showed up. Since it was only the first week of a new dance (we usually work on a single dance for 6-8 weeks) one of the experienced women switched to the leader role, so we had only one extra follower in the rotation.

DH still wasn't feeling well for WCS on Thursday, so he stayed home. Again, this helped the gender balance ...

It was one of those classes where I felt like I was STILL not getting some elementary concepts ... every time the teacher made a correction to the followers I felt she was talking to me ...

In addition to trying to pay attention to the issues highlighted in class, I was trying to work on getting my weight completely over my foot before turning. I decided to focus on this because I didn't like what I saw in the previous week's video (at the end of class the teacher shows the material so the students can video it, and I am often the "dance dummy" dancing the follower's part). DH was trying out a new camera and had mistakenly left in it "slow motion" mode when he recorded. This mode records at high speed, but plays back only in slow motion ... I don't think it can play at normal speed. So when we looked at the video when we got home that night, my errors were horribly obvious, but the worst one was late weight transfer! I know I've heard the reminder about full weight transfer a million times, both in classes and in private lessons. Seeing it so plainly is a great incentive to work harder. What's amazing is that the teacher looked great even in slow motion ... her every movement was under control.

So, from now on we'll make sure to record the lesson material in regular mode. But it's great to know that if we want to record ourselves for analysis purposes, "slow motion" will be a very useful tool.

[Nina22]

We are soooooooooo lucky that in spite of living in the middle of the ocean far from everything and everybody we have almost monthly visits from professional & internationally known tango teachers and their workshops/classes are phenomenal!

Tonight we have a final one (her fourth and last before she leaves) by Mirabai Deranja & next Wednesday we have Jorge Nel Giraldo, Sandra Milena Buitrago & Andres Bravo from Colombia.

You should all move to Hawaii! ;-)

[Spitfire]

Welcome Nina!

So what is the overall dance scene like in Hawaii?

[Nina22]

Hi Spitfire and thank you :-)

We got several islands and they often seem like different worlds (surrounded by the same ocean) so what you can find on Oahu would be completely different from that from Maui or the Big Island.

Then of course you got small communities on the different islands and they vary too.

The easiest answer is to come and visit us!

[Zhena]

DH wasn't in either class again this week - this time he was out of town for work. Being out for two weeks in a row will make it very hard for him to catch up next week ...

The gender balance in both classes was better this week ... maybe the stars were aligned?

The Hungarian class was in a different room in the recreation center ... one with horrible acoustics. It's amazing how much difference that can make. As I rotated from partner to partner, I noticed the difference in sound quality in different parts of the room ... and the guy with the hearing aid was in the worst corner ... how can you dance well when you can't hear the music properly?

In WCS there's a new couple who just moved up to the intermediate class this session, and they're a little overwhelmed. We were working on 4 variations of a basic move, using a sequence that included each variation in order (the sequence being used to enable the teacher to watch the class for common issues). The new guy was having a really tough time remembering the sequence, so when I rotated to him I ... gasp ... backled him. I think the teacher noticed me doing it, but she didn't say anything. He was very appreciative, and I noticed he was doing better with the followers who came after me in the rotation. I really, truly, try not to do this often, but in rare circumstances, I think it helps ... as long as I let him lead as soon as he has a clue what the movement is supposed to be like.

[Terpsichorean Clod]

Nicely done, Zhena! You're the rare follower who knows when to do that.

[Zhena]

DH and I almost didn't go to Hungarian class this week ... he still hasn't recovered from jet lag and my tummy was rather iffy. But I really wanted to dance ...

We started working on a sequence that involved two turns for the woman, followed by a couple turn in the same direction. It is a little tricky to get from here to there in time, so we had to work on it ... over and over and over. My tummy eventually said "stop this nonsense" so I sat down for the rest of the class. This gave me an opportunity to just watch the same movements done repeatedly.

I've often noticed that the teacher's wife dances beautifully ... I want to dance like her. I tried to analyze what she does differently from the other women in the class. Folk dancers rarely get guidance on technique or styling ... unless you are in a performing group you have to get what you can absorb by osmosis. She has had more opportunities than most people to work with the experts on Hungarian dance ... in addition to many years of dance camps she has been able to attend classes in Hungary.

So what does she do? Her movements are confident ... no hesitation or tentativeness. She waits for the lead, but she waits calmly, trusting that it will come in time. She dances over her supporting foot. Even when a turn makes her axis non-vertical, she maintains the axis ... she doesn't wobble. Her movements are tight and compact, except when she needs to cover ground to make the dance work. I especially like the way she places her feet neatly and precisely. But I couldn't identify the magic extra quality that makes her dancing such a pleasure to watch. Maybe in time I'll recognize it ...

[Aura]

Ah, Hawaii! There's no place like it really. I adore the waves in Maui, and I always recommend it for great surfing.

Ahem, to get back on topic, my classes have come to a bit of a halt. I'm in a bit of a "dead zone" when it comes to my skill level. I guess you could consider me a bare intermediate or an advanced beginner. I'm waiting to get tested out of my Bronze I, and the wait is starting to grate on the nerves a bit because they told me they'd test me out soon. Hopefully things will get better as I get more experienced. We only have Bronze I classes once a week, and the rest are just newcomer classes that I find myself bored in.

Luckily, my DP has just started training me in proper Cuban motion, so I have a bit of incentive to go to the newcomer Rumba classes.

[tancos]

I've often noticed that the teacher's wife dances beautifully ... I want to dance like her. I tried to analyze what she does differently from the other women in the class. Folk dancers rarely get guidance on technique or styling ... unless you are in a performing group you have to get what you can absorb by osmosis. She has had more opportunities than most people to work with the experts on Hungarian dance ... in addition to many years of dance camps she has been able to attend classes in Hungary.

So what does she do? Her movements are confident ... no hesitation or tentativeness. She waits for the lead, but she waits calmly, trusting that it will come in time. She dances over her supporting foot. Even when a turn makes her axis non-vertical, she maintains the axis ... she doesn't wobble. Her movements are tight and compact, except when she needs to cover ground to make the dance work. I especially like the way she places her feet neatly and precisely. But I couldn't identify the magic extra quality that makes her dancing such a pleasure to watch. Maybe in time I'll recognize it ...

I've done these folkdances in Hungary with a lot of Hungarian women and it always amazes me that the vast majority turn very well with the stability and confidence you've described. Further they have a lot of trust that their partner will not let them fall and will prevent them from slamming into other dancers or objects. Even relative newcomers, who have been dancing only a few months, often spin better than people that have been in my class for 10 years! They don't get dizzy and they don't spot (peasants don't spot, so folkdancers shouldn't).

I've often pondered why and have 3 (non-exclusive) theories. The first is simply that women who cannot turn well are not attracted to this type of dancing or soon drop out. The second is simply practice. Hungarian dance cycles (a series of dances from the same region or village) are 30-60 minutes long with lots of turning. An evening of Hungarian folkdancing probably has more turns than a month doing some other types of dance.

Finally I have theory that started as a joke but I'm beginning to believe it may have some validity. Historically dancing was THE courtship vehicle in eastern Europe, and Hungarian/Transylvanian dances have lots of turns. Women that could not turn well didn't dance, never found mates, and were eliminated from the gene pool over a few centuries (Darwin in action). Sadly, disco is letting the klutzes back into the gene pool;)

[pygmalion]

Historically dancing was THE courtship vehicle in eastern Europe, and Hungarian/Transylvanian dances have lots of turns. Women that could not turn well didn't dance, never found mates, and were eliminated from the gene pool over a few centuries (Darwin in action). Sadly, disco is letting the klutzes back into the gene pool;)


:uplaugh:

[Zhena]

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted here ....

Over in the "how are your practices going?" thread, the current topic is frustration ... and signs of progress.

Last night's WCS class was another exercise in frustration. The moves we were working on weren't that hard for me ... except for the details of getting it RIGHT. It didn't help that one move in the advanced class is difficult to lead, but very easy for a follower to do without a lead. I was having trouble feeling the lead and making it possible for the leader to transmit the correct information, but also doing the correct step without throwing the leader off. Actually, that's not a good explanation, but I'm not sure how to say what I mean. I do know that things weren't working well, and that at one point the teacher had to step in and break me away from my current partner to dance with me to get me back on track, and stepping in like that is very unusual.

The good part of the class was that I finally learned (i.e., the right words in the right order finally penetrated my brain) what was causing me to "pigeon-toe" when turning ... something that has showed up in numerous photos of me dancing. As usual, it is something basic ... I need to get my weight fully over my standing foot before turning. Hmmm ... easier said than done.

[Steve Pastor]

what was causing me to "pigeon-toe" when turning was....

other than anticipating the turn in a technically and aestheticly "wrong" way?

[Zhena]

was....

other than anticipating the turn in a technically and aestheticly "wrong" way?

I'm afraid I don't understand ...:confused:

[Steve Pastor]

So, what WAS causing you to pigeon toe on turns?

[Zhena]

So, what WAS causing you to pigeon toe on turns?

Wrong: Facing LOD, move right foot forward, keeping weight over left foot. Start turning CCW, raising right heel into pigeon-toe position. Shift weight from left to right while completing turn. End facing RLOD with weight on right foot, left foot still in same place.

Correct: Facing LOD, move body center forward onto right foot, toes facing LOD. Turn on right foot, allowing left foot to move with the rest of the body. End facing RLOD with weight on right foot, left foot ready to step in desired direction.

Simple? Yes.

Easy (for me)? NO!