randomMysh
New Member
Another Elizabeth said:
I was taught it as one-two-three-cha-cha instead. The counts are full beats, and the cha-cha are half beats. When people do the thre cha's, it ends up not really following what the music's doing.
What should we think?
- Thread starter macha
- Start date
I was taught it as one-two-three-cha-cha instead. The counts are full beats, and the cha-cha are half beats. When people do the thre cha's, it ends up not really following what the music's doing.
SalsaAmore
New Member
cornutt said:
It's pretty much done the same way at the Salsa clubs. But, it got pretty bad at one point at this weekly Salsa club. Almost every other week there was a birthday and a birthday dance for so and so member of this particular group that frequents the club who knows the DJ's. I know people from both sides of the Salsa scene so I just kind of observe what's happening. But, the outsiders of this group use to watch and then they used to tolerate it. Only those who knew members in this group danced and they were some of the best dancers in the club, so they were sort of showcased while others stood and watched. So, recently, the others outside of this group stopped paying attention to the DJ's when they come on with the "dreaded" birthday dance and the outsiders just kept dancing around what's turned into a pretty small birthday dance circle, now. Maybe you can keep dancing Macha like you said before and others will follow. LOL
You'd think the DJ would get the drift and quit the silly custom...
cornutt
Forum Master
SalsaAmore said:
Ah, I see the problem now. My take is that clubs that don't do something to make outsiders and new arrivals welcome are just shooting themselves in the foot in the long run. We do try; maybe there is more we could be doing. I'll think about it. One thing we like to do is, for our weekly prize drawing, we pick a first-timer to draw the numbers out of the box.
liangjz
New Member
Another Elizabeth said:
Sadly, I've seen it taught the other way. More than half the time, it's because the instructor does not fully grasp the timing. (to put it kindly)
It's really annoying when it's a room full of beginners getting exposed to the wrong timing as their first dance lesson. Depending on the situation, it's hard to tell someone the lesson they just had from the perfectly credible sounding instructor was based on wrong timing.
I once had to leave a dance because I knew I would wind up spending the entire night dancing with beginners who were just taught the wrong basic.
liangjz
New Member
Now that you guys mention it, there actually are a bunch of performances and stuff that show up at parties. Pro performances are fine if the pros are good, but that's rare. Much more common are the pro-am or am performances that interrupt the dance. Sometimes they can drag on for 20-40 minutes. Now that I think about it, the difference between these performances and asking people to leave the dance floor so their "special" students can dance is very small. There is a matter of poor wording though. What macha described is still quite ruder even if it is ultimately the same inconvinience of being forced off the dance floor.
Someone mentioned birthday dance. (Though I think what I'm talking about differs from what was mentioned)
In my experience, it's convention at ballroom and non-ballroom dances that the birthday boy/girl gets to be the center of attention for a song or two (depending on how many friends are around) While everyone else just lines up to dance with them.
Even if I don't know the person, I think it's fine because I see it as analogous to when they make birthday announcements are restaurants.
Someone mentioned birthday dance. (Though I think what I'm talking about differs from what was mentioned)
In my experience, it's convention at ballroom and non-ballroom dances that the birthday boy/girl gets to be the center of attention for a song or two (depending on how many friends are around) While everyone else just lines up to dance with them.
Even if I don't know the person, I think it's fine because I see it as analogous to when they make birthday announcements are restaurants.
liangjz
New Member
I can't recall exactly how I was originally taught for American style, but I think we always started on the one.
I think all of my Int style instructors have taught starting movement on the one with the two being the first full power step for a syllabus opening.
Now that I think about it, I think my open routines all started that way too. Why break the habit?
I think all of my Int style instructors have taught starting movement on the one with the two being the first full power step for a syllabus opening.
Now that I think about it, I think my open routines all started that way too. Why break the habit?
Indiana_Jay
Active Member
Our instructor taught us this way:
Begin with a step to the side (to the left for me, right for my DW) on the downbeat of a measure (count 1).
On count two, a "rock step" back with the other foot.
On count three, a finish the "rock step."
On counts four, four and a half, and one. ("four-and-one") do the "cha-cha-cha" step to the side.
On count two, begin a rock step, etc.
This pattern seems to line up with the music, because some instrument is usually accenting two eighth notes on beat four, with an accented downbeat to follow.
As explained to us, one could begin with the "cha-cha-cha." But doing so would require taking one's first step on beat four, which is not as easy as taking one's first step on the downbeat (especially for musician-types like my DW and me).
Begin with a step to the side (to the left for me, right for my DW) on the downbeat of a measure (count 1).
On count two, a "rock step" back with the other foot.
On count three, a finish the "rock step."
On counts four, four and a half, and one. ("four-and-one") do the "cha-cha-cha" step to the side.
On count two, begin a rock step, etc.
This pattern seems to line up with the music, because some instrument is usually accenting two eighth notes on beat four, with an accented downbeat to follow.
As explained to us, one could begin with the "cha-cha-cha." But doing so would require taking one's first step on beat four, which is not as easy as taking one's first step on the downbeat (especially for musician-types like my DW and me).
saludas
New Member
I've heard from many chain studio students that they are taught (wrongly) 1,2, cha ch cha, and then, after signing on to a higher level program, are 'reintroduced' and taught the correct timing, because the chains think that learning anything that does not start on 1 is too hard for a beginner...
