Samba Walks

Some-one suggested some videos at ballroomdancers . com and they've been quite useful.

However, Samba is coming up in our class this week so I've been trying to get ahead a little. I recall we did basics, whisks and walks with side step, most of us making a hash of it as I recall.

It's been a while since we did it so it should be fun :headwall:

With the walks, my book (Victor Sylvester) describes a step forward and then a very small step with part weight. The ballroom dancers video show an absolutely HUGE step back.

I think it's meant to be Bronze so surely it shouldn't be far off beginners level should it?

Can anyone clarify?

By walks, do you mean as in a Copa? Side by side, odd number of walk steps and then return to closed position? If so, my backsteps are smallish. Don't want to potentially heel kick somebody behind us. You can adjust the length of the walk steps to accomodate the amount of crowding on the floor. My teacher often demos copas in place.

I'm sure the pros here can shed a lot more light on the suibject.

the samba walks is described by my teacher as a 'step push pull' action. Take a small step slide the other foot back like you have a $50 note stuck to it that you don't want to blow away and then the same for the other foot back to a half way position. - mummsie

Perhaps you saw the 'stationary samba walks' video on the web site, and your book is describing a samba walk in promenade... check out the other samba walks video.

Thanks all.

The video is here described as Samba Walks in Promenade Position.

I don't it's a Copa Nucat but that's just from what I could find on the net. Mummsie, I will think of the £50 note under my foot if that's the way to do it

Josh, if this video is Samba Walks in PP, how can it be so different? I get used to seeing things look very different when people are competing but usually the teaching aids are quite conservative. Either I am misunderstanding or the video is not exactly good for beginners?

I have the Anyone Can Dance DVD but no walks on that. I think Nucat mentioned affinity with teachers in an earlier thread and I like these DVD and also the Andy Wong videos which you can see a fair bit of on YouTube. His wife is a little 'homely' for a promo video and his accent can be strong in places, but I can relate to the way they teach.

Now he shows a Samba Walk in his Bronze2 video and it, like my book, shows a very small step, almost a shuffle and weight change for the second step.

Here's what my book says, noted as 1a2 1a2 or SSSS.
If my memory is working, I think we do 2 lots of 4 with a side step on the 1st 4th step and then, as usual, I can't remember what we do after the 2nd set of 4 (now why doesn't that surprise me - lucky I rembered this far)

I am determined though, that come tonight, I will have my steps off pat and the rythm in place, ready to take on board whatever comes next. I am now being proactive not reactive and hopefully FairyFeet (my new nickname for hubby) will be pleased when we are one of the few that don't have major meltdowns

Promenade Samba Walks

MAN
Begin and end facing LOD in PP and Normal Hold.
1. Forward LF relaxing knees and moving hips slightly forward
2. Back RF, very small step on toe with part weight, commencing to straighten knees and hips to normal position
3. Transfer full weight to LF drawing it slightly back, regaining normal position in hips and knees
4. Forward RF relaxing knees and moving hips slightly forward
5. Back LF, very small step on toe with part weight, commencing to straighten knees and hips to normal position.
6. Transfer full weight to RF drawing it slightly back, regaining normal position in hips and knees
Repeat ad lib., progressing gradually along LOD.

LADY
Begin and end facing LOD in PP and Normal Hold.
1. Forward RF relaxing knees and moving hips slightly forward
2. Back LF, very small step on toe with part weight, commencing to straighten knees and hips to normal position
3. Transfer full weight to RF drawing it slightly back, regaining normal position in hips and knees
4. Forward LF relaxing knees and moving hips slightly forward
5. Back RF, very small step on toe with part weight, commencing to straighten knees and hips to normal position
6. Transfer full weight to LF drawing it slightly back, regaining normal position in hips and knees

That video looks like a copa to me. We do a couple of whisks into PP and away we go. Maybe our terminology is outdated and "PSWs" is more correct. Your written description above seems to be describing what the video is showing, so I'm confused about your question on the backsteps.

You can repeat ad lib, but it needs to be an odd number of walk steps if you end by turning to close position.

nucat78 said:

That video looks like a copa to me. We do a couple of whisks into PP and away we go. Maybe our terminology is outdated and "PSWs" is more correct. Your written description above seems to be describing what the video is showing, so I'm confused about your question on the backsteps.

You can repeat ad lib, but it needs to be an odd number of walk steps if you end by turning to close position.

Click to expand...

Well the only description of a Copa I could find starts
"In open position, no hands joined"
whereas this is defnitely not that.

No the steps in the video show a step forward then a very large step back not a small step back as described in 2.

Hubby and I have enough problems without one of us doing a giant step back and the other barely moving other than on the spot.

Seriously, we will go with what we have been taught which is as Mummsie said - keep you foot on the $50 - I will remember that.

I just wondered why they take such a big step back in the video.

gclarke said:

Josh, if this video is Samba Walks in PP, how can it be so different? I get used to seeing things look very different when people are competing but usually the teaching aids are quite conservative. Either I am misunderstanding or the video is not exactly good for beginners?

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You're confusing "step" with "leg movement" G... note how much their body actually moves and you'll see that it really is a small step, in that hardly any body weight is transferred to the back leg, which is the case for all "a1" timings in samba. The leg reaches back to achieve the pulling action, but the hips are most affected, and the body weight hardly transfers at all. Some teaching videos which are more conservative unfortunately give the wrong message about what the step should actually look like, so if it looks different from a book description, it's probably a good thing!

Thanks Josh

What you say makes sense (I think) and probably will come clearer once I've mastered the basics.

BUT I'm still struggling with this a little. In that video, she takes a step forward leaving about 12 inches between her feet and then on the 2nd count her back foot actually goes back and she widens the gap to about 24 inches. A bit easier to see with the man as I can see the flat of his shoe

I may be quite wrong on the distance - it's hard to tell from the angle but it's definitely very different from the other teaching stuff.

I'd like to work this out. We did Samba last night. We haven't done a lot so far but I think it's going to be one of my favorites.

At the moment though, although everyone is in time, it sorts of feels very child-like and 'silly'. Of course it's to be expected that we aren't going to look the part for some time yet, but I'd like to feel that we had a bit of rythm instead of just bouncing round the floor.

The pronounced hip movement that seems to turn it into dancing rather than 'doing the steps', how much of that come from the action of weight changes and foot positions, rather than deliberately moving the hips?

gclarke said:

The pronounced hip movement that seems to turn it into dancing rather than 'doing the steps', how much of that come from the action of weight changes and foot positions, rather than deliberately moving the hips?

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It doesn't come from weight changes, foot positions, or deliberately moving the hips--it comes from articulating and working the feet.

Once you have learned to articulate your feet and really use them (you're not now, and will probably not really begin to do so for several months at least), the hip action even for samba will seem fairly straightforward. For now, it necessarily will feel as you described, sort of silly, but just be patient, and work on strengthening your feet.

Thank you Josh

Articulating the feet is not a phrase in my vocabulary at present but then neither is patience I'm afraid. I will try though

How exactly does one improve the articulation? Does it come naturally as the feet strengthen, from watching others, or does it have to be taught?

I'd have to say it comes through both - part of it comes naturally as you become more confident in footwork and body positioning and can really begin to work 'through' the floor as you step, and part of it comes from having a teacher who can take the time to show you what it feels like when it's done correctly.

.... of course, that's just my $.02

fire_dancer said:

.... of course, that's just my $.02

Click to expand...

And worth every penny - thank you.

It looks like we will be able to get a private lesson when we get back off holiday so we don't fall behind. That will be good and hopefully we can learn something other than just the missing new steps.