how are your lessons going? thread II

[RiseNFall]

I had the second in a series of coachings with the woman co-owner of the studio (WCO) and Smooth New Guy today. Followed up on what we did a week and a half ago, added in a few more things, and also did a little VW. All basics.... I'll be shocked the day we move on. It's feeling terrific, however, and I'm happy to do this as long as needed. Friday I have a coaching with her and Rhythm New Guy where we'll be doing smooth. His and my last couple of lessons have been working on small bits of rhumba and cha cha that bothered either him or me, and then switching to smooth. I know I said it before, but she is a great teacher/coach and I feel so fortunate to have her as a resource in the studio. She is my new favorite way of making up lessons I miss.

 

[Dance Mad Helen]

So after making the choice to split with my partner in February after university nationals. I have really not been dancing much. But the other day had a group class with guest teachers as out latin teacher is out of town for a few months. Ii have to say it went really well! They spent time going over Jive and stamina and I think I may have a couple of privates with then as I felt Ii responded well

 

[Loki]

...only 6-8 lessons before next comp and I feel as though I have no idea when I will have time to get the helpful info I paid for on lessons into my body

Been there. Frequently.

 

[FancyFeet]

Today was male ego paired with pre-comp nitpicking.

(My absolute least favourite kind of lesson. Seriously thought about declaring lesson over and heading home about 3 separate times.)

 

[RiseNFall]

I'm sorry, FF. Pro and I certainly have times where we would like to throttle the other one, and I know I have glanced at the clock in a lesson a couple of times thinking "can I get the f*ck out of here yet?" We have worked out the pre-comp lessons very well, however. It was clear what the patterns were, and what was leading to them, and we found fixes that we both are happy about.

 

[FancyFeet]

We just comp prep in opposite ways. I like to prep early, be ready, then just coast in the week of all nice and relaxed... he likes to up the work and intensity leading in.

It is better than it used to be... but still not so fun.

 

[RiseNFall]

Better is good! And probably the most that be hoped for. Pro and I occasionally switch "roles". I remember his saying shortly before one competition, "And you chose now to try to incorporate this into your dancing???"

 

[RiseNFall]

Pro said something was "perfect". Second time in 4 1/2 years of dancing with him. Of course, I was so stunned that he said that, I don't actually remember what it was in reference to (a measure or two of tango, but not sure which couple of measures we were working on at the time).

 

[Mr 4 styles]

Rule with me and my pros is.... no coaching the week before the comp. that's for foot rounds slow rounds long rounds and regular rounds. Build connection and stamina. At that point we are partners. Unless I ask for info

 

[IndyLady]

Rule with me and my pros is.... no coaching the week before the comp. that's for foot rounds slow rounds long rounds and regular rounds. Build connection and stamina. At that point we are partners. Unless I ask for info

I have a similar rule (which I have often had to enforce, since it's not always mutually remembered) - no new information the week before an event, whether it's Showcase or a comp. Run-throughs and reminders of already discussed items only.

 

[scullystwin42]

lessons were comp rounds this week. i am confident in my dancing but frustrated by a little trouble spots in just about every routine. gotta let that go mentally before comp next week. practice practice practice this weekend, just to ensure i've added on the spit and polish.

 

[cornutt]

Lessons for the next two weeks will be with alternate am partner, while regular am partner is gone on a (well deserved) two week vacation. AAP and I have recently taken it into our heads to choreograph a showcase Smooth Tango by ourselves. (We are calling it our "toy" routine, not because it's about toys, but because the routine itself is a toy...) So far, it's mostly syllabus steps with a couple of lines thrown in. We do have one cool bit where, after putting a dip, we realize that we come out of it in such a position that it's a simple matter to reverse the frame at that point. So now, for three 8-counts, I'm following. Anyway, the instructor is not going to know what kind of a trap he's walking into next Monday...

 

[debmc]

Now that I have an out of town pro, my lessons are packed with information and the aftermath is sitting in the hotel room icing every joint in my body! Lol!
We also had a terrific coaching and it always amazes and humbles me how often I have to go back to the basics!

 

[FancyFeet]

Peeps, I actually enjoyed a VW-heavy lesson last night. It may be a sign of the coming apocalypse.

We tinkered with a few concepts for my basic... breaking at the hip at certain points, like I do in places in tango, produces a really interesting (in a good way) effect. We're also putting in a spin turn option that is new and allowed in the WDC world (pro still won't agree to throw in WDSF stuff), and have finally added flekerls (sadly, we're doing natural first, where I much prefer reverse). It seems that me losing my sh*t on pro a month or so ago about VW finally made my message about the 'my problem is entirely mental in this dance' sink in. I am beyond happy that we're adding more figures to help keep my brain occupied so I don't have as much time to think.

And, in FT: I have extremely flexible shoulders. As-in, can swing my arms behind me and clap my hands together at shoulder height (I can actually cross my forearms). This means that sometimes (okay, a lot) my right arm drifts behind me while I am dancing... and thanks to my shoulders, it's comfortable, and my torso doesn't twist... so I don't can't feel it and don't notice, which is making it super hard to fix. Last night, for the first time ever, I felt it happen. Pro was all "your arm", and couldn't understand why I was bouncing up and down with excitement as he spoke, even after I explained. I've told him I can't feel it, and asked him to tell me when I do it... but his face last night told me that he was thinking something like "oh, she meant she really cannot feel it happening at all, not just that she doesn't notice". Hopefully, this is the sign of a breakthrough and I'll be able to feel it happening in the future!

 

[scullystwin42]

post-comp smooth and rhythm lessons in the books. smooth needs more places where we just breathe, but whenever my pro tries to change things, he tends towards the movement and power (he competed in standard and danced like an Italian). Gonna have to constantly remind him that we need breathing spots! both have improved, despite me being absolutely sure that smooth had not at all (comparison video to 6 mo ago proved me wrong lol). then spent another whole lesson on my mambo opening, sigh. there was much mocking. imma get that piece.