Ladies' shines?

[MacMoto]

When I go to classes where shines are taught, they are usually shown as unisex footwork and given in the leader's timing. Problems:

1. They don't always translate well to the follower's timing, and since I'm not good at switching back & forward between the two, I can't use them on the "real" dancefloor.
   
2. The emphasis tends to be on "funky", but I don't want my dance to be funky! I want to look sexy and sensual, and most of the funky shines I've been taught look disctinctively unsexy...

I'm thinking I have to start collecting sexy shines for ladies, but I don't see a lot of good examples out there on the dancefloor (ladies who like shines seem to go for the funky look). Can anyone here give me some pointers?

 

[peachexploration]

Hi MacMoto. I hear you. Sometimes, "funky" can look a bit too masculine for my taste. When I do mine, I think of shines as "play" with my partner. So to counteract alot of "stepping" and "stiffness", I incorporate samba movement, swivels, hip rolls, upper body isolations and fluent arms (not wild) depending on the music.

 

[Pacion]

MacMoto

Have you tried doing the shines on the 5, 6, 7 rather than attempting to do them on the 1, 2, 3 - which would otherwise mean that you are on the "wrong foot"?

Not all classes, in fact very few I have been to, show the shines on the leader's timing and then on the ladies timing. So what is a girl to do? I practise until I feel comfortable and "rework the timing" so that I can use them on the dancefloor. I even play with the shines too so that if I have been shown something on the leftside/foot, I try and do it on the rightside/foot and vice versa.

Whilst the emphasis may be "funky", there are ways to make them sexier. It is difficult to say without seeing the shines you are talking about but try playing with them and maybe use more hip action/shoulder rolls, head tilts/eyelash fluttering :wink: or even a head/hairflick to make them sexier

 

[Sagitta]

Good advice here. It's true what you say MacMoto!! I suspect that you are referring to male teachers showing shines. Then the tendancy would be to show them using male styling. Think of the lady styling you do when dancing and incorporate those elements into your shines...

Also, for shines you can do half a shine, or blend them together. For instance...Suzy Q, or Drunken Sailor. I think of shines as being taught to give people some ideas of what one can do, then it's up to you to work it to make it your own.

 

[MacMoto]

Drunken Sailor? I don't think I know that one... not by name anyway.