Freezing up on the dance floor

D

danceguy

New Member
A question for the Salsa veterans out there...at what point in your dancing did things really start to come together for you?

I've noticed that when I go out dancing...I tend to just forget all of the moves I know and all I can seem to do is the basic front and side patterns, cross body lead and some turns for the lady. I have a lot of other techniques inside me...but I just can't get them to come out!

I wonder if part of this is that I tend to dance with women that are total strangers? It usually takes me a few minutes to get a feel for how they move...and it is a lot easier to dance with someone you know who is familiar. Sometimes I'm a bit too intimidated to try anything too fancy, especially if the woman is hard to lead.

Any advice?
 
I think you only need lots of practice... It used to happen to me before when I started dancing... Now I don't have that prob anymore so I think it's all about practice and time! Good luck!
 
scorpionguy said:
I've noticed that when I go out dancing...I tend to just forget all of the moves I know and all I can seem to do is the basic front and side patterns, cross body lead and some turns for the lady. I have a lot of other techniques inside me...but I just can't get them to come out!
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SG, even though I have been dancing for some time, I still feel that I have a lot to learn so I´m probably not the most qualified person to reply to this. Nevertheless, here goes my two cents...

I used to forget all my moves also. I decided to write the moves down on my PC after class (when it was still fresh in my mind). I have a long list of moves descibed in detail and in shorthand at home with me now. Another thing I do is take a small cheat sheet with me to the clubs with the names of the moves, in really small lettering. I place it on my back pocket and use it to refresh my memory in between dances. This has saved me many times from endlessly repeating the same moves over and over again. My memory is not very good. :cry:

Regarding recently learned moves, I suggest practicing them after class with a friend till you feel confident enough to take it to the dancefloor. If you want to do it at the club, you could try practicing it with a friend on the sidelines. Practicing new moves with strangers on the dancefloor can be difficult and ackwards at times.
 
I guess for me, when people started complementing me on my salsa, was after about 1.5 years (keep in mind I learn other dances besides salsa) of practice and a week long Salsa 'boot camp' in Cancun with the like of Jami Jospehson, Cultural explosion and other instructors. Something to be said about being about to be in workshops for close to 8 hours a day 6 days out of a week. That is when I really hit that spot to where I didn't need to think about my moves and premeditate my dance so much.
 
I find that my dancing always dramatically improves when I have an intensive salsa experience of lots of salsa over a short period of time, compared to my once a week Tuesday salsa nights. I would do more of these, but the opportunities are not there very often.

Getting new moves to come out on the dance floor is only possible after they are internalized, and that is accomplished with practice, both with and without a partner. I often will try out new moves to slower songs as I have more time in them...and also while doing merengue and bachata...
I actually prefer mixing up doing new moves with strangers and with people whom I know. Even doing new moves with raw beginners. If you can lead a beginner through a move well you really know the move. :)

Just in terms of turns...there are over 20 simple turns you can do without a crossbody lead...so that is a lot. How you execute these turns can also be varied to make them different. Then for the x-body lead can be a done quite a few different ways, plus you have shines. A lot that can be done in a short period of time, one dance.
 
Hmm, practice moves slowly during a Merengue...now that's some good advice Sagitta. I tend to avoid Merengues (I use the "whoops I sprained my foot" excuse), but the few times I've done them, I was able to pull off quite a few moves since it was easier to do them at slower speeds.

A while back I used to get frustrated during the lessons and couldn't seem to do anything right. Now I'm picking up a lot of techniques much faster...but if I haven't got them in my muscle memory then they just don't come out on the dance floor. I can't make excuses though, I tend to sit down a lot and only once have I got up and danced for most of the night. This is most of my problem.

I've been putting some variation in what I do know...and I've found I can dance with complete beginners who've never done Salsa and lead them without too many difficulties.

My new goal is to just dance more...and stop worrying about being a beginner when all the experts are dancing. I need to get more floor time and stop being a sissy about it, so that's my goal for this week!

Shines? Me? I actually know a few but I don't do them often...however I have been practicing them at home...perhaps I will unleash them one day very soon!

Look out ladies! :P :twisted: :P
 
Oddly enough the one time that I froze on the dance floor was when I’d already been dancing for over 2 years. I was dancing with my dance instructor and I had never really seen her bust out like she did that night. I came out of a triple spin and when I was about to hit the 6,7 with a slide of the left foot forward and back again across my right for the 7, I saw her start an unbelievable shine routine, which incorporated Jazz, Pachanga, Yambu, and Son. I forgot all I’d learned over the years and could only stand there looking at her. She looked at me and said dance man, dance, I laughed and only danced circles around her so I could get a good look at what she was doing.
 
I had problems with this in the beginning. I agree with the basic message of: practice. That's what got me past the point of freezing up.

I still sometimes forget about certain moves I know, if I haven't been practicing or dancing for a while.
 
borikensalsero said:
Oddly enough the one time that I froze on the dance floor was when I’d already been dancing for over 2 years. I was dancing with my dance instructor and I had never really seen her bust out like she did that night. I came out of a triple spin and when I was about to hit the 6,7 with a slide of the left foot forward and back again across my right for the 7, I saw her start an unbelievable shine routine, which incorporated Jazz, Pachanga, Yambu, and Son. I forgot all I’d learned over the years and could only stand there looking at her. She looked at me and said dance man, dance, I laughed and only danced circles around her so I could get a good look at what she was doing.
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:lol: great story!

SG it seems to me you're thinking way to much, if your thinking you're not dancing. Let the music dictate to you, if that means basics and xbody leads then go with it. I find once you're 'in tune' the other moves will naturally come.
 
youngsta said:
SG it seems to me you're thinking way to much, if your thinking you're not dancing. Let the music dictate to you, if that means basics and xbody leads then go with it. I find once you're 'in tune' the other moves will naturally come.
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I will second to that. Don't worry so much, you don't need to impress anyone here. No need to squeeze everything you've learnt in class into a 3-4 min song!

Enjoy you music & your partner. Dance as much as you can (with partners, at clubs), your muscle memories will come to you.

Just a word of praise to all you guys out there: WELL DONE! It's always so much harder for the guys having to dance, lead (and lead well), ask for dances, make sure she has a good time, make sure you have a good time, playing traffic cops on the floor etc.

Geez :shock: , so much pressure.....! I'm glad I'm not in that position! (all I have to worry about is to follow well, have fun, and make both of us look good!.........oh, and ask you guys to dance :wink: ) We girls have it easy 8) ........
 
Some wise words I've read here...thank you Youngsta and Salsachinita. Even as I was typing that post I realized that the only way I'll get past this plateau is to get out there and dance. The more I sit out, the more I lock up and feel like I'm not part of the group dynamic, and that's no good. :oops:

Strange though...the best Salsa dance I've ever had was last week when a friend dragged me onto the dance floor sometime past midnight. I was so tired and exhausted...but I think because of that I was able to just let go and have my left brain relax for a change. The music was just moving through me, and I forgot about everything else except my partner and my connection to her...

It was very wonderful to be in that space...I hope to allow myself to experience it again.

More dancing...less thinking...will do. :wink:
 
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