Deportment/Posture

There are some people you can look at and nod to yourself knowingly, that that person is a dancer and others, you can't.

If someone wanted to improve the way they hold themselves/appear on the dancefloor, what suggestions/tips would you make?

For instance, a favourite with finishing schools is for the girls to practice walking with a book on their head. (Not sure if guys do this in another setting?) This forces you to keep your chin up, otherwise the book falls off within microseconds :lol: keep your shoulders back and straighten your back.

(How do I know about? Oh, because I have done it! The book walking thingy, not the finishing school )

For me, imagining myself or reading myself into the drama of the dance is what helps me with the way I carry myself.

For instance, in other venues, posters have written about the kind of look of "arrogance" demanded in salsa, or, one could argue, bolero. Now, from my own limited background and technical ability, I have absolutely no basis for even the remotest glimmers of arrogance--but I can imagine myself in that role. I can, for the sake of the dance, throw myself into the role and start to get at the kind of look the dance requires.

Or waltz, foxtrot--to imagine yourself floating free and smooth, so that you can stretch your head and neck back. What I'm saying is that for me body position has an emotional or expressive basis. Technique is what I practice to try to develop muscle memory--but when I dance to perform, I allow whatever muscle memory I've developed take over and approach the performance emotionally.

Other threads, like the one on Alexander Technique, may address some more technical ways into posture and deportment, though.

Genesius Redux said:

For instance, in other venues, posters have written about the kind of look of "arrogance" demanded in salsa

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You are supposed to look arrogant :shock: I think I should go back to the beginners class then as I am usually grinning from ear to ear! :lol:

:lol:

That's why I referred to that post--I don't know if you remember it.

I've seen the salsa grin too--that's probably more my style. You could, I would guess, approach it (if you were thinking in the emotional terms I was suggesting) as a roller-coaster grin--"Wow! This is the best ride ever! If I weren't careful I'd be all over the place, but lucky for me I'm in complete control of even the most terrifying moments!" Or maybe the look-how-cool-I-can-be-when-I-flirt-with-destruction-and-chaos grin.

Cuz that's what salsa is to me--all about how we can control and shape our lives (and our bodies) in the midst of the energies and the passions that threaten to tear us to pieces.

Alternatively, you could look at it as the "We're gonna get it on right here right now in front of the whole club" look.

What story you tell yourself doesn't really matter--you tell yourself the story that's likely to get you to use your body to its greatest advantage!

So, coming back to my original question :lol: any tips for how you can get that "Look at me! I'm so cool!" look?

Does it mean practising in front of the mirror? Looking at photos of similiar type faces and trying to match your expression to it :wink:

What about tips for getting the dancers' look, rather than the "I've just got off the couch" couch potato look :wink:

To me, it's a matter of focusing on what I'm doing rather than what I look like.

When I dance salsa or mambo, my goal is release and control, release and control--almost pure sexual drive. And I'm trying to lead my partner in this way--there are times that I want to take her to the brink of disaster and then be there to pull her back.

So my focus is not on me put on my partner--what I can get her to do, and the need to check back in with her.

But if I focus on myself--I can't get it at all. I become too conscious of my own body and its limitations and I panic.

When I first started dancing--I'd only been dancing three or four months--my teacher and another instructor from the studio came to see me in "Richard III." The other instructor talked to me a few days later in the studio, I was working with my own teacher on a Theatre Arts routine to a song from "Jekyll and Hyde." I was trying to work out a step technically, and the other instructor was watching and said, "You need to focus on her more intensely--like you got some incredible looks in Richard. How did you do that?"

And I laughed and said I had no idea how I looked as Richard--because I was focusing entirely on everyone else. On how how much I was going to enjoy killing my stupid brother, and my irritating nephews, and my foolish Queen.

I don't know if this addresses your question, Pacion. But I separate the technical from the deportment issues. I only look in the mirror if I'm trying to find a technical position, and then only so I can try to memorize what it feels like, what muscles are involved.

But because it's partner dancing, I'm going to be taking that position with my partner--so I'm focused on her as I'm moving. To me, it's just like being directed in theatre. You get your blocking, your director tells you where to move and when. But it's up to you to find a legitimate reason, and adopt a legitimate attitude. If you don't, you'll just be moving when you've been told, which isn't acting.

Same thing with the position--while I do isolation exercises and relaxation exercises, and other exercises meant to help me locate my center and move, the posture I adopt when dancing is something that comes from my working with my partner, and my focus on her rather than on myself.

As inadequate as that sounds, it's what I do.... :?

Pacion said:

So, coming back to my original question :lol: any tips for how you can get that "Look at me! I'm so cool!" look?
:wink:

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Jees, what a question.........


:shock: :shock: Oops!!!! Sorry Bordertango! Seems I edited your post instead of replying/doing a quote on it! If you remember what you wrote, you can edit this out. I just didn't want you to think you were imagining things

Pacion said:

If someone wanted to improve the way they hold themselves/appear on the dancefloor, what suggestions/tips would you make?

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This is exactly what we are talking about in another post . . . . but it's not asked as a question as to what we can do to portray the correct look. In the other post, we are talking about "ego-maniacs." However, this is the look you don't want, unless, maybe you are competing.

When I competed in Pro-Am, my Pro used to tell me that I was almost obnoxious and too arrogant, but she said it was a good thing, as, when I stepped out onto the dance floor, I knew, and everybody else knew that the dance floor belonged to only me.

Now we certainly don't want that look as we socially dance, yet, many dancers do portray that look.

Pacion said:

For instance, a favourite with finishing schools is for the girls to practice walking with a book on their head. (Not sure if guys do this in another setting?) This forces you to keep your chin up, otherwise the book falls off within microseconds :lol: keep your shoulders back and straighten your back.

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Guys are taught to practice with a bottle of Budweiser in each pocket! J/K!

Pacion said:

(How do I know about? Oh, because I have done it! The book walking thingy, not the finishing school )

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There are many things that you can do . . . there are articles everywhere on "The Dance Walk." Actually, my wife was taught this walk from her coach . . . it's a walk that instantly gets all eyes to look her way. She only uses in competition. However, no one can out-smile her . . . she has the biggest smile on her face . . . waht does that tell you? Right . . . she's having a great time! And the judges always see this, and she scores very well!

Ever notice how a good dancer walks? Head up, center up, chin up? Puffy chest . . . proud looking? Ever notice how other people react to that? Don't they almost always notice you?

That's how a dancer should portray themselves.

Read up on the many articles out there. I'm sure pygmalion, Ms. Google, can tell you right where these articles are . . . she is really good at research.

Do some surfing . . . the info is out there . . .

Thanks Vince :wink: I also wanted to get some thoughts on it. I will google though :lol:

Pacion said:

So, coming back to my original question :lol: any tips for how you can get that "Look at me! I'm so cool!" look?
:wink:

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bordertango said:

Jees, what a question.........

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Welcome to the Torture Chamber :twisted:

I try to forget any idea that I might be watched at all even when I'm demonstrating a move.

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No, this is not what I mean :cry: what I mean (I think :lol: ) is that a trained dancer has a particular look - very graceful, the way they stand, sit, walk, tilt their head, even hold their hands :shock: I was talking to someone once and using my hands whilst talking. They asked me - do you dance? Apparently from the way I was "talking with my hands" they picked up that I did a lot of dancing.

You could have a row of dancers, different styles, all linedup against a wall and all wearing a "uniform" (black t-shirt, trousers, jazz sneakers) BUT, from the way they are standing, I think you could guess quite accurately who the ballet, street (hip hop), jazz, ballroom etc dancers are.

My question therefore is - if I wanted to get the stance of a hiphop dancer, for instance, how could I go about/work towards it?