2 More Questions...

[Peaches]

It seems I'm on a roll tonight with questions...

1. This is kind of frivolous, but I'm curious...is there anyone else out there who dances with Werner Kern shoes? My 1 pair of heels is by WK, but I have never ever run across anyone else with them. I love mine, but is there something about the shoes (quality, stability, etc.) that I didn't know about when I picked mine?

2. Is it normal to not know the names of most steps? I learn names of steps when I take group classes, since usually technique is taught within the framework of particular steps. But when I take private lessons, it's pretty rare that I find out what it is that I'm dancing. Granted, I have no interest in competing or teaching or whatever--social dancing only. And to that end, I don't particularly mind not knowing what constitutes a particular step. I want to know how to interpret a lead so that I can follow correctly. To that end, I love the instruction that I get. But now and again it would be useful to know the names of things--like when I'm reading about dancing here on DF.

I suppose the easiest answer would be to interrupt and ask--"What was that?"--but usually the lesson is flowing along that I don't want to interrupt things. It would just ruin the concentration all the way around, I feel. Also, i don't want my teacher to be like, "OK, now were going to work on a progressive twinkle."

Any thoughts? Suggestions?

--Peaches

 

[fascination]

It seems I'm on a roll tonight with questions...

1. This is kind of frivolous, but I'm curious...is there anyone else out there who dances with Werner Kern shoes? My 1 pair of heels is by WK, but I have never ever run across anyone else with them. I love mine, but is there something about the shoes (quality, stability, etc.) that I didn't know about when I picked mine?

2. Is it normal to not know the names of most steps? I learn names of steps when I take group classes, since usually technique is taught within the framework of particular steps. But when I take private lessons, it's pretty rare that I find out what it is that I'm dancing. Granted, I have no interest in competing or teaching or whatever--social dancing only. And to that end, I don't particularly mind not knowing what constitutes a particular step. I want to know how to interpret a lead so that I can follow correctly. To that end, I love the instruction that I get. But now and again it would be useful to know the names of things--like when I'm reading about dancing here on DF.

I suppose the easiest answer would be to interrupt and ask--"What was that?"--but usually the lesson is flowing along that I don't want to interrupt things. It would just ruin the concentration all the way around, I feel. Also, i don't want my teacher to be like, "OK, now were going to work on a progressive twinkle."

Any thoughts? Suggestions?

--Peaches

i would simply reccommend asking the instrucotr what the step is called, writing it and the fotwork down and practicing it

 

[DWise1]

Peaches, are you a follow or a lead? I'm assuming a follow, so if I'm wrong just write me off as being my typically clueless self.

Just as a casual general observation from chatting with my rotating partners, many of them have trouble remembering moves (ie, how they go), let alone what they're called. Of course, that doesn't keep them from following the move when we lead it.

I think that's just natural. The leader is more likely to remember the moves because he has to remember the move and how to lead it. And he has to learn the names for the moves because he has to recognize what moves the instructor is telling him to lead (I assume everybody's group classes are run like mine, with the instructor rattling off the sequence of moves, either right before we do them all or while we're doing them). She doesn't have to follow what the instructor is saying and indeed isn't supposed to, to avoid anticipating, and so doesn't need to pay attention to the instructor, just to our lead.

Mind you, I'm not advocating that she not learn the moves and what they're called. I think we both need to learn each other's part as much as we can.

OK, so color me clueless.

 

[Shooshoo]

I know the names of the steps in ballroom dancing, but that's cause I take lessons. But in salsa, I have no idea and I don't really care to know. Sometimes the leaders tell me let's try 'so and so' and I have no idea what they're talking about. I just try to understand what they want me to do.

 

[fascination]

it is awesome to learn the names though b/c then it you want to practice w/ someone you can say "what do you know?" and you don't have to fumble through trying to show them...you can just tell them...I have been astounded recently by how many COMPETITIVE student have been unbale to tell me the answer to that so that we could practice together...both males and females.....plus its a whole lot easier to practice alone if you memorize the name of the step...IMO

 

[Purr]

1. This is kind of frivolous, but I'm curious...is there anyone else out there who dances with Werner Kern shoes? My 1 pair of heels is by WK, but I have never ever run across anyone else with them. I love mine, but is there something about the shoes (quality, stability, etc.) that I didn't know about when I picked mine?

I used to own two different styles of Werner Kern Latin shoes. The shoes weren't balanced well, and the fit wasn't great. I ended up selling the shoes on EBAY.

2. Is it normal to not know the names of most steps? I learn names of steps when I take group classes, since usually technique is taught within the framework of particular steps. But when I take private lessons, it's pretty rare that I find out what it is that I'm dancing. Granted, I have no interest in competing or teaching or whatever--social dancing only. And to that end, I don't particularly mind not knowing what constitutes a particular step. I want to know how to interpret a lead so that I can follow correctly. To that end, I love the instruction that I get. But now and again it would be useful to know the names of things--like when I'm reading about dancing here on DF.

I suppose the easiest answer would be to interrupt and ask--"What was that?"--but usually the lesson is flowing along that I don't want to interrupt things. It would just ruin the concentration all the way around, I feel. Also, i don't want my teacher to be like, "OK, now were going to work on a progressive twinkle."

Maybe it would be best to ask for a copy of whatever syllabus your teacher is using. That way you can keep track of what you've learned.

 

[fascination]

and a good teacher will have no porblem writing it down for you either...then slpa it all in a practice binder and you're good to go

 

[Twilight_Elena]

Over here, when we do technique on a particular step, be it a group lesson or a private one, the teacher does say "Today, we're going to work on progressive chasses". But if we're just doing rumba walks then it's "Today, we're doing rumba". I don't see why naming what you're doing should be a problem. Instead it's so much easier to focus on things you don't feel comfortable with. You can go to your teacher one day and say "I think I'm having problems with my spot turns and my progressive rock steps."

Twilight Elena

 

[cornutt]

it is awesome to learn the names though b/c then it you want to practice w/ someone you can say "what do you know?" and you don't have to fumble through trying to show them...you can just tell them...I have been astounded recently by how many COMPETITIVE student have been unbale to tell me the answer to that so that we could practice together...both males and females.....plus its a whole lot easier to practice alone if you memorize the name of the step...IMO

All quite true. For American style, however, there is a complicating factor: it seems like each step has about a dozen different names. I'm told one reason for this is that both FA and AM trademarked the names they use, so anyone else that writes a syllabus has to come up with another name. DVIDA tries to use names that are descriptive of how the step progresses, but they wind up being wordy and lacking flavor: "Cross-body lead to circular walk" just doesn't say it like "Cuban walk" does.

 

[saludas]

My partner still gets angry every time she thinks about how our previous coach in Standard did not tell her the specifics of the combinations (name, etc) and how that impacted her progress.

IMHO, knowing what you are doing is not gender (or leader/follower) specific - the more info you know, the better dancer you are.

Being able to say "fallaway" and both of you knowing exactly what you are taking about is the difference between practicing and social dancing; when you go to your coach you can talk about the movement and not 'that part where I go like this'...

 

[waltzgirl]

My pro has a hard time remembering the names of patterns (mostly because he's learned several different syllabuses that give the patterns various names). And his muscle memory is a lot better than his verbal memory. I don't really care about the names. And my pro and I have developed a spooky enough connection that he can do a little hand gesture and I'll know what pattern he means! I don't mean while we're dancing, I mean when we're just standing there talking.

I do like having my own copy of the syllabus book (we do DVIDA). I can't learn a new step from them, but it's a great reference once you've been introduced to the step. I can check little things when I'm practicing without having to wait for my next lesson to ask and it's a lot easier than trying to write down your own detailed descriptions of steps. I put my own notes in the margins.