Shifting gears. Time spent as a Follow is becoming more and more a hopeless cause. I'm going to dedicate lessons to being a Leader for a while. So, we worked on the "breath in the frame" concept in bronze foxtrot and quickstep, and foot pressure problem areas in samba and rumba.
how are your lessons going? thread II
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Last lessons with Pro last night before team match...and first in two weeks because he was at Emerald last week. We spent most of the time running through the rhythm dances, correcting a few issues, and then I would say "next dance?" when the issues were either somewhat random or not fixable in the time we had. Last 20 or so minutes on smooth. Aaagh! I was so off that I'm just going to pretend that it didn't happen. My connection was just not there. It was better by the end, but alarming, so I'm sticking to "it didn't happen."My take-away from rhythm is that I need to go back to, or start, taking better notes. And actually reviewing them more. I've always been a little hit or miss about it, but there are too many errors getting corrected too often--things that I know well. Time to correct these so that I can move on to a new set of mistakes.
Dancing Irishman
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Really enjoyed the lesson with my coach last night. Talked through what jive styling options need to sync up between myself and my partner, and where I'm at liberty to play with styling options regardless of which option she's taking. I love jive and have been working quality in it for a couple years now, she's not as comfortable so I'll probably be taking more styling liberties than she does. Then dove into applying a principle from group class (being really specific on footwork) across the range of basic actions. Can't wait to hit the practice floor and work on it!
His entire class (of five students) was glad to have Ron, my group standard instructor, back in action earlier tonight after he took the month of April off because of health concerns. He taught two classes, advanced quickstep and advanced waltz.
To start the quickstep class, he had us warm up with quarter turn, side chasse, and lock step to a fishtail. He used the classic train track analogy. He had us imagine a train track running down LoD. And we were supposed to dance the quarter turn and side chasse by moving from "rail to rail" with only our fourth step landing in the middle of the "tracks." I was incorrectly dancing the quarter turn like an underturned half natural by "overshooting" the "second rail" with my first quick. And I was also turning all at once on that quick instead of splitting the turn for each quick. And I was turning too late. UGH! But it didn't take me long to clean all of that up! Then Ron had me change my check for the fishtail from "being too static" to rolling my body through the check to make that first quick easier and more defined. Even worse, I was "pre shaping" by dropping my right shoulder into the check. Once I levelled that shoulder off, my fishtail looked and felt much better for my partners. The rest of the class was uneventful. Lesson for me: Don't "sleep on" the basics!
The waltz was a trip and a half! All of us were very used to utilizing push, pull, and sway at the proper times because of our muscle memory for syllabus waltz figures without even having to think about it. But Ron decided to "deconstruct" everything by having us dance basic, American smooth figures. His goal was to make us think about exercising push, pull, and sway; and, to time this all correctly just like we'd dance International style. First up was a basic, closed box which of course had no sway. Then a turning box. It took me a couple of tries to correctly time push, pull, and sway for the left turning box. Ron's mantra was, "Step across, swing up, and float down." It was like learning to walk again by thinking about each facet of walking. Then a right box, right turning box, and finally some International: reverse turns, closed changes, and natural turns with closed changes. Then we worked on some hesitation variations: one step hesitation, three step hesitation, and side hesitations of one step and three steps. Perhaps his goal was for us not to take for granted all of this wonderful technique that we've already learned for our preferred style.
All five of us were so impressed with his unorthodox approach to the group classes that we gave him a standing ovation.
To start the quickstep class, he had us warm up with quarter turn, side chasse, and lock step to a fishtail. He used the classic train track analogy. He had us imagine a train track running down LoD. And we were supposed to dance the quarter turn and side chasse by moving from "rail to rail" with only our fourth step landing in the middle of the "tracks." I was incorrectly dancing the quarter turn like an underturned half natural by "overshooting" the "second rail" with my first quick. And I was also turning all at once on that quick instead of splitting the turn for each quick. And I was turning too late. UGH! But it didn't take me long to clean all of that up! Then Ron had me change my check for the fishtail from "being too static" to rolling my body through the check to make that first quick easier and more defined. Even worse, I was "pre shaping" by dropping my right shoulder into the check. Once I levelled that shoulder off, my fishtail looked and felt much better for my partners. The rest of the class was uneventful. Lesson for me: Don't "sleep on" the basics!
The waltz was a trip and a half! All of us were very used to utilizing push, pull, and sway at the proper times because of our muscle memory for syllabus waltz figures without even having to think about it. But Ron decided to "deconstruct" everything by having us dance basic, American smooth figures. His goal was to make us think about exercising push, pull, and sway; and, to time this all correctly just like we'd dance International style. First up was a basic, closed box which of course had no sway. Then a turning box. It took me a couple of tries to correctly time push, pull, and sway for the left turning box. Ron's mantra was, "Step across, swing up, and float down." It was like learning to walk again by thinking about each facet of walking. Then a right box, right turning box, and finally some International: reverse turns, closed changes, and natural turns with closed changes. Then we worked on some hesitation variations: one step hesitation, three step hesitation, and side hesitations of one step and three steps. Perhaps his goal was for us not to take for granted all of this wonderful technique that we've already learned for our preferred style.
All five of us were so impressed with his unorthodox approach to the group classes that we gave him a standing ovation.
With Female Pro worked on bronze foxtrot and rumba as a leader; with Male Pro worked on bronze Paso as a leader - once again, I marvel at the insights that I get from him with regard to the leader's role. Then we started playing around with some ideas for a samba showcase routine - which one of us will be leader and follower is yet to be determined.
scullystwin42
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good info on lessons last night, but i was not dancing up to par. too stiff and tense in the beginning, trying to think too much about my arms not being wonky and not overturning in everything. We were supposed to work on open rumba then swing....stuck on rumba and worked through some spots where I was not happy. Got better by the end. Then had a fantastic lesson again with the lady pro - she is really an amazing teacher. Worked on ending free spins, arm styling, styling in general in my open rumba. lovely lesson, and i would really like to be able to get the instincts of movement that she has... lots or practice this weekend!
Last lessons with New Guys before team match. Smooth New Guy was at a different time than usual and both studio owners were on the floor during our lesson...and interjected their corrections as well. Free micro-coaching. 
Overall, good. He made a change to how I setup and I'm waiting to see how Pro reacts to it. Works well with both of the new guys at least. Rhythm New Guy very nicely agreed to alter how he does one step to conform to how Pro does it. Usually I'm more than fine with variety, but I've had difficulty following RNG's version--I know what I'm doing wrong, but I haven't been able to fix it consistently. A few corrections with each dance, one game changer in rumba connection at one point. I'm planning on dancing well at the team match and having a good time.
Overall, good. He made a change to how I setup and I'm waiting to see how Pro reacts to it. Works well with both of the new guys at least. Rhythm New Guy very nicely agreed to alter how he does one step to conform to how Pro does it. Usually I'm more than fine with variety, but I've had difficulty following RNG's version--I know what I'm doing wrong, but I haven't been able to fix it consistently. A few corrections with each dance, one game changer in rumba connection at one point. I'm planning on dancing well at the team match and having a good time. 
Purr
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Have been learning Argentine tango...and there has been a bleed-over effect in some of my other dances...but in a good way...connection is very important in Argentine tango, and I recognize even more the importance of staying with your partner, being connected, in other dances like foxtrot and waltz...and Argentine tango forces patience and especially following...which is helpful for not getting ahead of the music or the lead in other dances...haven't noticed any bad side effects yet, other than watching my frame...
Well...I spent two days curled up with a stomach bug or food poisoning, not sure which, and missed the Team Match. I was too miserable to worry about it, but at least what ever I had was short lived and I made it to my lessons with Pro today. We ended up spending most of the time dancing waltz without hands
artially to make me more sensitive to the lead that I'm receiving through his body, and partially to teach me to keep that contact more solidly as we change direction and/or position. I tended to under or over rotate going into outside position. Neither one works particularly well.
We switched to rhythm for the last part of the lesson. One of the "corrections I don't want to hear about any more" is generating rotation with my hips so we discussed when I should and should not be doing that. And went through a rotation-heavy rhumba step looking at the differences. I know what I'll be practicing the next couple of days!
artially to make me more sensitive to the lead that I'm receiving through his body, and partially to teach me to keep that contact more solidly as we change direction and/or position. I tended to under or over rotate going into outside position. Neither one works particularly well. We switched to rhythm for the last part of the lesson. One of the "corrections I don't want to hear about any more" is generating rotation with my hips so we discussed when I should and should not be doing that. And went through a rotation-heavy rhumba step looking at the differences. I know what I'll be practicing the next couple of days!
Purr
Forum Master
We ended up spending most of the time dancing waltz without hands
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. It's an eye opening experience.
fascination
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lessons and coaching....on lessons, reviewed mambo and a new section of waltz...on coaching, spent a good deal of time focusing on doing less....seems to be the recurrent theme in my dance journey these days
dancelvr
Forum Master
We had to dance in the basement of our venue today, due to construction on the main floor. No actual dance floor. It was laminate over concrete. My knees, which for a change felt great today, had to deal with all this. But, we still got some good stuff done. It was actually a good thing to dance on a smaller floor. We had to make significant adjustments to our choreography on the fly, which was a benefit I believe. Waltz, VW, and Quickstep all went smoothly, with some tweeking to my frame and connection. Color me a little sore, but happy! 
s2k
Well-Known Member
Our regular coach was out of town, so we had our lesson with her amazing husband, who is so well-versed in the body and its mechanics... took one look at us do barely a measure and a half of bolero and let us know our hip placement was wrong. Spent 90 minutes on the mechanics of the hip, where it goes, how to release the knee, etc. And lo and behold I am not wobbly in bolero, and now DP and I are doing the same movements at the same time, and we are no longer pulling one another about, and there is much rejoicing and use of biofreeze today.
Dancing Irishman
Forum Master
Really enjoyable smooth lesson on Tuesday. Still getting some "you already paid for this" corrections, but given that it's getting a much lower priority than my latin work I'm willing to accept it. Also got introduced to leading ticks in tango for the first time, which I think might help with shaping I've been struggling with in chasse capes in paso. Can't wait to work with my latin coach in a solo lesson tomorrow and ask!
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