Walking and dancing

[pygmalion]

My first ballroom teacher used to say it all the time. "If you can walk, you can dance." In fact, that's how he started the early lessons. Just walking, then walking to a SSQQ rhythm, then doing a recognizable foxtrot basic. So, from that perspective, I guess he was right. If you could walk, you could do a foxtrot basic. An ugly one, but a basic.

So here's a question. What does walking have to do with dancing? Hmm. How do I put this? Do you HAVE to walk to be able to dance? What part does a basic walk play, if any, in the dances that you do? Is walking a good teaching approach for dancing? Do any of the basic physical principles used in walking apply directly to dance? If so, how? (There's lots of stuff here, methinks. One piece at a time is just fine. :wink: 8) )

[MacMoto]

Well, AT is basically walking in sync, isn't it? Being able to walk should be a big plus... :roll:

People -- both teachers and students -- often say Merengue is easier than Salsa because you don't have to worry about the step and can just concentrate on the arms. Ceroc dancers say the same thing when they compare salsa and ceroc. I know that great many people have a real difficulty with the salsa basic when they start out, precisely because it's very different from walking. One problem seems to be shifting your weight then going back to your "base". The other is the pause on the 4 and the 8 (many off-beaters are off beat because they don't pause).

[Chris Stratton]

So here's a question. What does walking have to do with dancing?

Some dances like foxtrot at their core pretty much are about normal walking actions. Sure, in international and continuity american styles there are more steps onto the toe (especially for the man) but most every backwards step the woman takes is a classic foot-rolling walking action.

Of course we could probably manage to argue about what is a 'normal' way to walk ;-)

[Sasashay]

pymalion wrote:

Do any of the basic physical principles used in walking apply directly to dance? If so, how?

I'm not really sure, but I do know that my ballroom dance teacher used to always be on my case because he said I was "walking" and not "dancing". :cry:

[Sakura]

I'm not really sure, but I do know that my ballroom dance teacher used to always be on my case because he said I was "walking" and not "dancing". :cry:

:shock: :shock: :shock: That's not very nice! Nor is it a way to help improve! ... :(

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

[Purr]

I'm not really sure, but I do know that my ballroom dance teacher used to always be on my case because he said I was "walking" and not "dancing". :cry:

:shock: :shock: :shock: That's not very nice! Nor is it a way to help improve! ... :(

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

I agree, that doesn't sound very nice at all! Even if the student is doing something wrong, there's a better way to communicate a problem than just saying that. And the teacher needs to be able to communicate what to do about whatever issue is at hand.

[Chris Stratton]

Maybe we need to differntiate between walking and:

plodding, shuffling, limping, dragging, creeping, crawling, running, jogging, hopping...

[Purr]

Maybe we need to differntiate between walking and:

plodding, shuffling, limping, dragging, creeping, crawling, running, jogging, hopping...

I've been accused of doing the "old persons's shuffle".

[Chris Stratton]

I've had my dance teacher accuse me of doing the "old person's shuffle" during the cha cha, particularily with the lock step. We've spent a lot of time on technique, with me doing the basic and the lock step by myself up and down the dance floor!

You and me and everyone else!

For at least the first year, cha-cha had two faces:

Dancing with shuffle footwork at 30-something mpm

Practicing with correct footwork at around 15 mpm, or possibly to very slow rumba music on a good day

I wouldn't personally put cha-cha in the walking dance cateogry though. Unless you happen to walk kinda funny ;-)

[Sakura]

Maybe we need to differntiate between walking and:

plodding, shuffling, limping, dragging, creeping, crawling, running, jogging, hopping...

Ooh! Ooh! Limping! That's me! :lol:

:? Truthfully, when my knees are acting up, it is... And that's when my mother starts threatening me with no more DDR and no more Dancing.... :shock: :cry:

SK :kitty:

[dancin_feet]

I've had my dance teacher accuse me of doing the "old person's shuffle" during the cha cha, particularily with the lock step. We've spent a lot of time on technique, with me doing the basic and the lock step by myself up and down the dance floor!

You and me and everyone else!

For at least the first year, cha-cha had two faces:

Dancing with shuffle footwork at 30-something mpm

Practicing with correct footwork at around 15 mpm, or possibly to very slow rumba music on a good day

I wouldn't personally put cha-cha in the walking dance cateogry though. Unless you happen to walk kinda funny ;-)

I'm so glad I'm not the only one having trouble with cha cha technique. I tend to "shuffle" as well. I blame it on weak knees.

I tend to identify different walking styles with the different dances.

Foxtrot is like strolling down to the pub
Waltz is like walking on clouds
Tango is like a Groucho Marx walk
Triple Swing used to be like sliding side to side, but with added technique it's getting away from that now
Samba is like limping on alternating legs

[tsb]

Well, AT is basically walking in sync, isn't it?

since i don't know if you're joking about this part, i'll pipe up & say, no, it isn't; besides the toe leads, knee/ankle brushing, etc. the steps backwards are definitely feet first and then the body moves - which is very different from how we walk - keeping our feet underneath us.

[Sasashay]

dancin_feet wrote:

I tend to identify different walking styles with the different dances.

Foxtrot is like strolling down to the pub
Waltz is like walking on clouds
Tango is like a Groucho Marx walk
Triple Swing used to be like sliding side to side, but with added technique it's getting away from that now
Samba is like limping on alternating legs

That is so funny :lol:

To Purr and Sakura, thanks for being on my side :D Actually, I didn't really mind my teacher getting on my case. I've only been dancing for two years, but he's been one of the best teachers I've had, because he concentrated on teaching me technique and latin hip movement, and not just steps :cheers:

[salsachinita]

What does walking have to do with dancing?

You know how the best dancers always made it look easy...? I used to admired the ease & fluidity of others (well, still do :wink: ).

Both my salsa mentor/ex AND my coach used to say: "Your dancing should come to you as natually/easily as walking."

On the othe hand, there's a different take on walking. A visiting salsero have recently told me, while I was having an 'off' night: "Don't walk so much, dance!" (I took it that he meant for me to pick up my feet & off my heels instead of walking back & forth with the whole foot :? )

So I guess there the combination of both interpretations is true: dancing as easily/natually as walking, while not to forget that you're dancing :lol: !

[squirrel]

:) I sometimes teach my students to walk all over the dance floor and respect the Salsa timing... sometimes I do this when I am on the street or in the office... just walk on 1-2-3, 5-6-7 (especially when I hear Salsa or cumbia or the like...) And this is because I wanna teach my students how to keep the beat... how never to lose it! I have had difficulties with staying on beat, and walking on the music helped :)

[ShyDancer]

One of my teachers told me that the phrase "If you can walk, you can dance" refers mainly to the way you carry your body weight during each walking movement you make each day wether it be running, skipping, shuffling etc...

You dont strain and overbalance when you take a forward step, you dont consciously think about the step you are taking, you concentrate on where you want to get to and the steps are just a natural movement to get there, he say thats how I should look at dancing.
Practice the steps, practice practice practice until they are muscle memory like walking.

At first I didnt believe him, but now there are a few dances where I can happily chat away to my partner and halfway through have to stop and think "what dance is this?" because my legs and feet are just moving !

[Sakura]

dancin_feet wrote:

I tend to identify different walking styles with the different dances.

Foxtrot is like strolling down to the pub
Waltz is like walking on clouds
Tango is like a Groucho Marx walk
Triple Swing used to be like sliding side to side, but with added technique it's getting away from that now
Samba is like limping on alternating legs

That is so funny :lol:

To Purr and Sakura, thanks for being on my side :D Actually, I didn't really mind my teacher getting on my case. I've only been dancing for two years, but he's been one of the best teachers I've had, because he concentrated on teaching me technique and latin hip movement, and not just steps :cheers:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: That was absolutly HILARIOUS, D_F!

Hey, having people on your side is always a good thing, right? 8) :roll:

I feel for you on the "best teacher" bit; because mine is *exactly* like that! He makes sure that I'm not just going through patterns, but that I'm Dancing! But he doesn't try to force all the technique on me at once, which is *always* a good thing! :shock: :)

SK :kitty:

[huey]

My first ballroom teacher used to say it all the time. "If you can walk, you can dance."...

...So here's a question. What does walking have to do with dancing?...

Great question pyg.

I like to think that, at it's simplest, dancing is 'moving in time to a beat'. And one of the simplest forms of moving for humans is walking.

I can think of a few famous dances that are based on walking - Michael Jackson's moonwalk, and some of the dances in 'Saturday Night Fever' come to mind.

[Sabor]

i prefer to crawl for a while b4 i start to walk.. need the warm up u know :lol:

[Sakura]

i prefer to crawl for a while b4 i start to walk.. need the warm up u know :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

SK :kitty:

[lily]

:) I sometimes teach my students to walk all over the dance floor and respect the Salsa timing... sometimes I do this when I am on the street or in the office... just walk on 1-2-3, 5-6-7 (especially when I hear Salsa or cumbia or the like...) And this is because I wanna teach my students how to keep the beat... how never to lose it! I have had difficulties with staying on beat, and walking on the music helped :)

I'm so pleased to hear that some teachers actually include dancing to the music in their classes! It really frustrates me that that doesn't happen enough. If you can't feel the rhythm and the beat of the music, you won't be a good dancer, I think. One teacher I know expects her students to keep on dancing when one song ends and to continue with the next song. (Although maybe this is normal practice.) But for me, when the music stops playing, I stop dancing!

[tsb]

you don't need to be able to walk to dance, at least not in denver:

http://www.danceronline.com/online_edition/1246472421/500656/?eid=208