Lucretia
09-28-2004, 07:56 AM
Last weekend I was at a mini congress called Salsa Weekend - a marvelous event. Three parallel classes from 10.00 – 18.00 on Saturday and 10.00-16.00 on Sunday. Teachers from Sweden, Denmark, Bolivia and Cuba. And a BIG party on Saturday evening.
There several Line style, Cuban, Rueda, Cha-cha, Batchata and a Ritmos Cubanos workshops. Different levels of course – improvers, intermediates and advanced.
We had very very good and MUCH food which we surely needed. It was food made for sportsmen – a lot of carbohydrates.
I left my brain at home
Since my health isn’t so very good (burned out) I decided to go there and do what I could manage. I also decided to leave my brain at home. I knew that if I try to remember the patterns I will be overloaded by information (causing stress) and will not manage all days. So I handed over the complete control to my partner for the moment. If he took wrong steps – I followed without telling him. If he spun me into the wall – I followed without any complaints.
I felt really comfortable with this decision. In my ordinary class its hard to turn off the brain – the leaders are too weak. But here the leaders had danced a lot more and I felt really good from the very first moment.
Rueda appetizers
The first Rudea class was on Saturday afternoon. This was genius. I felt like walking in a supermarket when they have a food campaign and you can try and taste food. After a few appetizers of different leaders I made a plan for the party. I would try to dance with everyone that tasted good. Everyone that had a rhythm and a style of leading I liked.
There were so many good leaders so I couldn’t follow my plan. But on Sunday I talked to the ones I had missed and told them I would like to dance with them next time we meet. They seemed happy about this feedback…
Different types of leaders
I found a few leaders who had a very comfortable style. Expanding my boundaries and making me do new patterns that succeeded on the first try. (New patterns on first try have never happened before :D .)
I also danced with some people who really made me balancing on the edge of my capability. But they didn’t give up and neither did I. They told me I had style and the good creative feeling but I was to slow to start up steps I’ve never done before. (I decided to believe them even if I very often felt real bad). I have to improve some of the basics so I react faster and don’t fail in balancing.
Finally – I didn’t forget the true newbies. I asked them for several dances. It’s was somehow relaxing dancing simple steps and knowing nothing unexpected was going to happen. I also liked the idea of helping them to be evolve. Just a few months ago I was the one who felt really uncomfortable.
Go for the eyes
I practiced a lot of the stuff you have learnt me. For example keep the connection with the eyes. It was really marvelous. What a joy – it really helped the dance AND the partnerwork
With one leader (a leader who is extremely good at tricks in middle of the basic pattern) I realized my body did the exactly trick as he did - the FIRST TIME HE DID IT! I actually mirrored him. Amazing since I never ever done that trick before. I believe there must be some mental communication. Or what do you think?
The real challenge
Late that night I found one of the best salsa dancers at the Swedish Westcoast sitting in a sofa alone having a break. I have admired him and his dance parter(s) for the whole summer, never imagined myself dancing with him.
Then I remembered some advise I given to some DF member and thought – what the heck if I fail. Let’s start with a chat and then se how it evolves. He was a real nice and humble guy so I felt like dancing with him. I DARED TO ASK HIM FOR A DANCE!
We had to work real hard to make me follow him but it was really fun. I had also the fortune to have him as a partner in one of the classes next day. At the following lunch I asked him for feedback. We talked about some of my problems and found out how I should fix these weak points. This was GREAT!
Exhausted but…
I have been home now for two days. Sleeping and resting. All muscles where aching by Monday morning. I guess my brain is exhausted as well. But it was all worth all money and all the pain.
Today the upper part of my back still hurts – too much of Cuban/African dance in the Ritmos Cubanos class I guess. But the rest of the body seems to have healed well. Although my bank account hasn’t. Not because of the fee – it wasn’t expensive - but I had to buy new shoes to stay on my feet for such a long time. A 200$ investement :shock: - worth every single penny/cent/öre or whatever.
I thought a lot of you DF members during this weekend and about all tips and advices I have got from you. I also wish we could meet under similar circumstances some time.
:cheers:
/Lucretia
ps. I have edited the text after posting. My PC crashed in the middle of the update - so I had no chance to check spelling and adding subtitles.
There several Line style, Cuban, Rueda, Cha-cha, Batchata and a Ritmos Cubanos workshops. Different levels of course – improvers, intermediates and advanced.
We had very very good and MUCH food which we surely needed. It was food made for sportsmen – a lot of carbohydrates.
I left my brain at home
Since my health isn’t so very good (burned out) I decided to go there and do what I could manage. I also decided to leave my brain at home. I knew that if I try to remember the patterns I will be overloaded by information (causing stress) and will not manage all days. So I handed over the complete control to my partner for the moment. If he took wrong steps – I followed without telling him. If he spun me into the wall – I followed without any complaints.
I felt really comfortable with this decision. In my ordinary class its hard to turn off the brain – the leaders are too weak. But here the leaders had danced a lot more and I felt really good from the very first moment.
Rueda appetizers
The first Rudea class was on Saturday afternoon. This was genius. I felt like walking in a supermarket when they have a food campaign and you can try and taste food. After a few appetizers of different leaders I made a plan for the party. I would try to dance with everyone that tasted good. Everyone that had a rhythm and a style of leading I liked.
There were so many good leaders so I couldn’t follow my plan. But on Sunday I talked to the ones I had missed and told them I would like to dance with them next time we meet. They seemed happy about this feedback…
Different types of leaders
I found a few leaders who had a very comfortable style. Expanding my boundaries and making me do new patterns that succeeded on the first try. (New patterns on first try have never happened before :D .)
I also danced with some people who really made me balancing on the edge of my capability. But they didn’t give up and neither did I. They told me I had style and the good creative feeling but I was to slow to start up steps I’ve never done before. (I decided to believe them even if I very often felt real bad). I have to improve some of the basics so I react faster and don’t fail in balancing.
Finally – I didn’t forget the true newbies. I asked them for several dances. It’s was somehow relaxing dancing simple steps and knowing nothing unexpected was going to happen. I also liked the idea of helping them to be evolve. Just a few months ago I was the one who felt really uncomfortable.
Go for the eyes
I practiced a lot of the stuff you have learnt me. For example keep the connection with the eyes. It was really marvelous. What a joy – it really helped the dance AND the partnerwork
With one leader (a leader who is extremely good at tricks in middle of the basic pattern) I realized my body did the exactly trick as he did - the FIRST TIME HE DID IT! I actually mirrored him. Amazing since I never ever done that trick before. I believe there must be some mental communication. Or what do you think?
The real challenge
Late that night I found one of the best salsa dancers at the Swedish Westcoast sitting in a sofa alone having a break. I have admired him and his dance parter(s) for the whole summer, never imagined myself dancing with him.
Then I remembered some advise I given to some DF member and thought – what the heck if I fail. Let’s start with a chat and then se how it evolves. He was a real nice and humble guy so I felt like dancing with him. I DARED TO ASK HIM FOR A DANCE!
We had to work real hard to make me follow him but it was really fun. I had also the fortune to have him as a partner in one of the classes next day. At the following lunch I asked him for feedback. We talked about some of my problems and found out how I should fix these weak points. This was GREAT!
Exhausted but…
I have been home now for two days. Sleeping and resting. All muscles where aching by Monday morning. I guess my brain is exhausted as well. But it was all worth all money and all the pain.
Today the upper part of my back still hurts – too much of Cuban/African dance in the Ritmos Cubanos class I guess. But the rest of the body seems to have healed well. Although my bank account hasn’t. Not because of the fee – it wasn’t expensive - but I had to buy new shoes to stay on my feet for such a long time. A 200$ investement :shock: - worth every single penny/cent/öre or whatever.
I thought a lot of you DF members during this weekend and about all tips and advices I have got from you. I also wish we could meet under similar circumstances some time.
:cheers:
/Lucretia
ps. I have edited the text after posting. My PC crashed in the middle of the update - so I had no chance to check spelling and adding subtitles.