Approach to Salsa: Left or Right brain?

In chatting with a friend...I was commenting on how great (and surprising) it is that so many people [who seem to be more left brained] are utilizing their right brains through their passion for salsa. Her response was that she thought possibly most of those people aren't really approaching it from a right brained perspective, but more from the left. Which she admitted was the case for her.
This raised some curiosity for me, as I def. have a right brained approach to dancing. (which I'm sure I pull from good ole' lefty too, at times )

What do you here at DF think about this topic? What are your individual approaches to dancing?

Left brain is thinking/analytical; right brain is feeling/emotional. Yes? :? Or did I get it mixed up?

pygmalion said:

Left brain is thinking/analytical; right brain is feeling/emotional. Yes? :? Or did I get it mixed up?

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Yes, among other things as well....

I believe you are correct Pygmailion. I believe that most dancers start with dependence on the left and once they have recahed a particular skill level are really able to take advantage of their right.

I am very left-brained in my dancing right now because I'm learning and getting comfortable with everything. It was the same when I used to dance solo. Once I got comfortable though, I was able to tap into the emotion/performance side of things. Now, I have to incorporate another person in there too. Although I'm finding that I'm comfortable with him, it's still going to take practice and effort to be able to open myself up like that and tap into emotions.

Sagitta said:

I believe you are correct Pygmailion. I believe that most dancers start with dependence on the left and once they have recahed a particular skill level are really able to take advantage of their right.

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Yes I agree with you on that shift through the process of learning.

However, Do you think all advanced dancers are coming from that "right-brained" perspective?
Some peeps seem to care about # of moves, technicality etc...without being so concerned about emotional expression etc. And on the flip side...there are those of us who just don't pay attention to the "details" and focus primarily on that creative expression.

Kindra said:

Sagitta said:

I believe you are correct Pygmailion. I believe that most dancers start with dependence on the left and once they have recahed a particular skill level are really able to take advantage of their right.

Click to expand...

Yes I agree with you on that shift through the process of learning.

However, Do you think all advanced dancers are coming from that "right-brained" perspective?
Some peeps seem to care about # of moves, technicality etc...without being so concerned about emotional expression etc. And on the flip side...there are those of us who just don't pay attention to the "details" and focus primarily on that creative expression.

Click to expand...

I think that the approach is as unique as the person.

Interesting topic! I am very right-brained, artistic, intuitive, kinesthetic.
A lot of students I've taught have been very left-brained, analytical.
This was somewhat of a challenge for me, to put into words what just comes naturally to me. I just have to make an effort to get into my left brain as much as most people (it seems) have to strive to get into their right brains. It's not much of an effort, really, it's just that I'm more comfortable in my right brain, and "going left" it's kind of like speaking another language that I'm fluent in. I CAN do it, more easily than I'm making out, it's just frustrating sometimes.

I was in a painting class, and there was one woman, still painting at the end of class, who said she was so left-brained that it took her so long to get into her right brain that she didn't want to stop painting when she finally got there. I was a little shocked, thinking I was at home with a bunch of right brained artists.

:artsy: (without the moustache!!!)

ahhh.. I knew that I have the right brain, but my stiff body isnt expressing what I'm feeling... sigh

Kindra said:

Some peeps seem to care about # of moves, technicality etc...without being so concerned about emotional expression etc. And on the flip side...there are those of us who just don't pay attention to the "details" and focus primarily on that creative expression.

Click to expand...

It is not only the emotional/creativness that resides in the right hemisphere - also the spatial ability is placed there. I guess when you finally dance without "controlling" every detail - the work is done by the right side. This part of the brain is specialized - hand over the work to that side as soon as you can or dare. (some people don't like getting out of "control")

I have written a lot about the right/left brain here at DF. But rigth now I don't have the time to find it. I'll do it by Tuesday is someone else havn't done it by then. This is one of my favorite topics

/luc

Kindra said:

This raised some curiosity for me, as I def. have a right brained approach to dancing. (which I'm sure I pull from good ole' lefty too, at times )

What do you here at DF think about this topic? What are your individual approaches to dancing?

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i identify most with the 'half-brained' category

gte692h said:

Kindra said:

This raised some curiosity for me, as I def. have a right brained approach to dancing. (which I'm sure I pull from good ole' lefty too, at times )

What do you here at DF think about this topic? What are your individual approaches to dancing?

Click to expand...

i identify most with the 'half-brained' category

Click to expand...

Me too, occasionally. Sad but true. :doh:

All right... as one of these "left brained" analytical math types... I think the way that steps are broken down and moves are put into patterns, works quite well for a typical "technical" mind.

And then, as one becomes comfortable and familar with those moves and patterns, creativity sets in, and you start to exercise other parts of your brain.

Hey, after a day of analyzing database schema and writing SQL, a little dancing that night does the mind, body, and soul wonders.

My approach to dance is entirely right-brained. I'm not very good at analyzing and explaining what I do out there. And I don't learn new things in salsa by instructors explaining technique to me. Just show me once and it all soaks in.

to the right brained folks :

i get what you're saying, and here's a follow through question : do you feel you are creatively expressing yourself in salsa ? is that even possible ? are you expressing joy or playfulness, or other emotions with certain moves (aside from facial expressions like laughing, teasing, etc) ?