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Musicality in dancing, put simply, is the ability to change your dancing with a change in the music. To do that, you need to know how long your patterns are, and how long a particular section of music is. Enter the 8-count, the basic unit of measurement we use to tie what we dance to what we hear. Continue reading "Keeping Time, Part Two: Understanding the 8-Count"
Note: This content is for members only.
You know what sucks? Going to someone for help about something, and having them spit out a bunch of big words you can't understand and only serve to inflate their ego. That's how I feel sometimes when I ask others about better ways to teach dance timing to students. Continue reading "Keeping Time, Part One: Finding the Beat"
In the past, I’ve tried to explain how to improve dance timing in a variety of ways. In return, I’ve frequently met with frustration. I recall one reader brusquely replying, ‘I’m not a music major.’
I needed something simpler, some ideas that worked for anyone. And so, after hours of research, I’m finally ready with five new exercises. I recently used these in a group class, and they worked great! I hope they work for you too. Continue reading "5 Easy Tricks to Learn Dance Timing"
We get it - it’s fun to dance fast. When you watch performers cutting a rug dancing salsa, or rocking out to a jive, it seems the ones who catch the eye are those who can pull out the most crazy moves in the shortest amount of time. And don’t get me wrong, those are often the best dancers. What they don’t show you however, is how many hours they spent dancing each step. Much. More. Slowly. Because as it happens, there’s a lot that slow dancing can teach you about dancing fast. Continue reading "3 Ways Slow Dancing Helps With Fast Dancing"
So far in section one and section two, we’ve focused on changes in energy in ballroom dance songs, and how we can use this to determine the pace and predict where the song is going. But some styles of music can prove much more complicated then the intro-verse-chorus pattern we discussed earlier. To better understand these, we must learn about musical form. Continue reading "The Anatomy of Ballroom Dance Songs"
Ever watched a show like ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’ or ‘Dancing With the Stars’, and wondered how they were able to pick up so many dances at once? Yes, they’ve had some prior training in both cases, but still, could you dance lyrical, samba, and Bollywood after a few weeks of practice? Continue reading "Cross-Training: Upgrade Your Ballroom Dance Technique "
Now that we’ve a general idea of how to get the most from your dance practice, let’s look at three common issues all dancers face and how to resolve them by asking questions and experimenting.
To improve your dancing without an instructor, you must be patient and observant of what feels comfortable, balanced, and smooth… and what does not. Continue reading "How to Improve Your Dancing Without Help, Part 2"
So now that you’ve started to build your dance repertoire, you might notice that you’re actually starting to get ‘danced out’. You watch with envy those guys and gals who seem to be able to shake it non-stop - and they’re still there when you’re packing up your shoes. How can you raise your dance stamina to keep up?
There’s two quick answers: improve your physical fitness, and improve your dance efficiency.
We are talking about dance stamina, which is very different from strength. The latter requires a very different approach.
1. Practice!
I can hear your groans from here 🙂 But it’s true - if you want to build your endurance, practicing your steps at the intensity that tires you regularly will allow you to do it longer and longer - and naturally you’ll get better at the steps as well.
Pic of muscles: ‘Also, this looks nice.’
Make sure you pace yourself. The fastest way to improve is to set an intensity that stops short of pulling muscles or frustrating yourself.
2. Less is more
Most dancers start out doing everything too much: too much hips, too much arm styling, too much turning… You get the idea. All that extra energy just drains your dance stamina, and throws off your partner as well. See if you can relax your body a little more, do a little less, and still move with your partner.
3. Consider a dance fitness class
Many studios teach dance classes that focus on burning calories. For example, Joy of Dance teaches Zumba, Nia, and Ginga classes, which vary in their intensity. You might even try a style like capoera that can’t help but strengthen your body simply because it’s the nature of the dance.
4. Hang From the Joints
Try this: position yourself in a dance frame with an imaginary partner.
Now, relax as much as you can without loosing the frame. You’ll find it a lot easier to hold the position, while spending a minimal amount of energy holding your body at the right angles. Practice dancing like this, alone and with a partner, to keep soft and save your dance stamina.
5. Fill the Music
In ballroom, movements should be spread out to fill each beat. For instance, if you begin a waltz reverse turn by rotating your body, hips and feet leftward on count 1, if will be MUCH easier to complete the turn on steps 2, 3. It’s a smoother lead too, which will score you more dance partners.
Other movements, like open breaks or contra checks, can save dance stamina if the lead is initiated a fraction of a second earlier - it’s all about being comfortable enough with your steps to anticipate the action just before it happens.
I’m not giving followers permission to back-lead here. But be ready for these subtle lead changes, and you will work with your partner - not against him.
In part 1 of ‘What IS This Dance Anyway??’, we covered how to distinguish 5 major dance music styles from each other . Today we’ll look at 5 more common Latin and ballroom dances: Foxtrot, samba, merengue, Viennese waltz, and east coast swing. Let’s get cracking. Continue reading "What Ballroom Dance IS This Anyway?? Part Two"
Not all music is created equal - at least some of the time, finding the rhythm in ballroom dance music is tough. But if you’re new to the scene, what do we mean when we talk about rhythm anyways? And how can we get consistent enough to follow it, no matter the song? Continue reading "Finding the Rhythm in Ballroom Dance Music"