January 31, 2006
Regarding the Bachata/Salsa workshop, any help people can lend me will be greatly appreciated. I was expecting difficulties but not so many unexpected ones.
Any takers for a Brit Salsafest ticket?
January 30, 2006
I have a spare ticket for Brit Salsafest this weekend available (long story, which I rather not get into here). I could let it go to waste or let someone else have it. Is anyone interested? The only requirement is that the person probably has to be with me at the time of registration - and this is because I don't have a physical ticket to give away before the festival starts. Other details are negotiable. I can be contacted by e-mail (use the e-mail written on the bottom left on this link or here). I will listen to all suggestions and try to decide upon the best offer by tomorrow.
I have a spare ticket for Brit Salsafest this weekend available (long story, which I rather not get into here). I could let it go to waste or let someone else have it. Is anyone interested? The only requirement is that the person probably has to be with me at the time of registration - and this is because I don't have a physical ticket to give away before the festival starts. Other details are negotiable. I can be contacted by e-mail (use the e-mail written on the bottom left on this link or here). I will listen to all suggestions and try to decide upon the best offer by tomorrow.
Around the world envy
January 29, 2006
SOS level III – Mauro & Eva
shine of the day (modified version - January 31, 2006)
1,2,3 basic ending with L foot slightly behind R foot
5 R foot slide in front of L foot
6 R foot slide to R side
7 R foot slide behind L foot with weight transfer to R foot (L arm forward and R arm to R side)
8 L foot slide to L side
1,2 Suzy Q steps moving slightly to L
3 L foot in Suzy Q step slightly to L (on heels?)
5 R foot (sudden/sharp movement) to R (slightly moving forward) with body changing directions 1/4 counterclockwise and facing what used to be left
6 transfer weight to L foot
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot
8 L foot cross over in front on R foot
1 R foot cross over L foot (minimize traveling here) and change direction 1/4 counterclockwise (thus facing away from partner) and swing to R
2 L foot slide to L so that the feet are now far apart and swing hips slightly to L
3 weight on R foot with slight swing of hips to R
5 turn 1/2 clockwise as L foot cross over in front of R foot
6 weight on R foot (Suzy Q)
7 weight on L foot (Suzy Q)
8 R foot cross over in front of L foot followed by basic
shine of the day (original note)
1,2,3 basic ending with L foot slightly behind R foot
5 R foot slide in front of L foot
6 R foot slide to R side
7 R foot slide behind L foot with weight transfer to R foot (L arm forward and R arm to R side)
8 L foot slide to L side
1,2 Suzy Q steps moving slightly to L
3 L foot in Suzy Q step slightly to L (on heels?)
5 R foot (jump) to R with body changing directions 1/4 counterclockwise
6 transfer weight to L foot
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot
8 L foot cross over in front on R foot
1 R foot forward and change direction 1/4 counterclockwise (thus facing away from partner) and swing to R (feet apart – hips swinging)
2 swing hips to L
3 swing hips to R
5 turn 1/2 clockwise as L foot cross over in front of R foot
6 weight on L foot (Suzy Q-like motion)
7 weight on R foot (Suzy Q-like motion)
8 R foot cross over in front of L foot followed by basic
I probably want to minimize traveling to L side to make this shine workable in small space.
partner routine
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead ending in L-R hold (open and with some distance between partners)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break, around the world and end with hook turn (full clockwise) for leader with hold switched to R-R
[note: I can’t do this properly in time thus the title. This should be considered a fairly standard Salsa move so it really bugs me that I can’t do it. Footwork shown was to overtake on 2,3 while holding follower properly (R hand under follower’s shoulder blades(?)), turn as a unit 1/2 clockwise on 5 with R foot crossing behind L foot, L foot forward on 6 as follower is led to a further 1/2 clockwise turn, then leader hooks and turn on 7/8. In the beginning of the class, I thought I was managing it somehow – although I’m unsure if my partners would have agreed with this assessment. Then someone I generally trust in this class didn’t seem to like how I was leading this turn – this shattered my confidence about how I was doing. Things went rapidly downhill thereafter as a seed of doubt was sown and I never recovered.]
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic [Note: I didn’t need the basic until I lost confidence.]
1,2,3,5,6,7 Copa with R-R hold only – open break and follower is brought forward and turned 1/2 counterclockwise with shoulder stop with L hand – then follower is led to go back while turning 1 1/2 clockwise with help of L hand lead
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-L connection made above R-R as leader gets into cross body position – follower is led to a 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn (it was recommended that L-L comes down first, then raised, with R-R raise trailing L-L raise
1,2,3,5,6,7 [note: at the start hold should be crossed with R-R on top] leader turns 1/2 clockwise on 1,2,3 and follower is led to turn full clockwise on 6,7,8 as leader turns 1/2 counterclockwise simultaneously with all connections intact – this should end with hammerlock for follower with L-L behind follower’s R waist [recommended footwork for leader was L foot to front L side as he starts turning on 1 with L-L low and R-R high, transfer weight to R foot on 2 as turn is completed, L foot cross over in front of R foot on 3, R foot cross over behind L foot on 5 as follower’s turn is led with leader also starts turning essentially simultaneously, weight on L foot on 6 as turning motion is continued, and R foot into normal position as turn is completed on 7)
1,2,3,5,6,7 another Copa (open break and L-L is gradually raised from waist level to chest level and all arms outstretched on 3/4) ending with leading follower into traveling counterclockwise full turn with R-R high to end in neck wrap
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower out of the wrap (1/2 clockwise) with L-L pointing forward on follower’s new line (leader is positioned in (open?) cross body position by 3 and lead follower into 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn
Mauro & Eva had planned for at least two more bars of routine, which were not used. In fact, the last bar above was shown just once and discarded in favor of something arguably simpler. I entered the original version here because it made no difference to me either way and I was practicing the original “ending” during the class and thereafter. I think the rest of the routine involved turning 180 or 360 to get into cross body followed by allowing follower to do a shine. I liked today's material quite a lot.
Another big Cambridge contingent was present at SOS tonight – ten or eleven altogether including a few first-timers. Either way, it’s a new record. My party contributed 3 of 10 or 11.
SOS is back at the Mary Ward Hall for the first time in couple of months. I think it was more crowded than usual tonight.
There was a couple of performances tonight – both quite enjoyable. One was by Leon Rose & Susana Montero. Another was a Spanish couple (Nico & somebody?) involving a 28 year old and a 72 year old.
Dancing was fine for me tonight. I felt a little nervous in the beginning, and I don’t think I ever quite got into it even when things were going pretty well. Improvisation was working well – at least during the early hours. By all rights, I should have felt better about tonight than I really did considering things like zero refusals for a dance, a few compliments, getting asked for a dance by a total stranger (even if she might have originally thought I was a beginner), etc. Too much thinking probably was responsible for this. There are some penalties for having a too sharp, hyperactive, inquisitive, critical, obsessive and introspective mind.
I had Serap watch one of my dances and give me a critique. Usual expected suspects showed up – not enough room for follower to style, facing away from follower too much, dodgy footwork (weight on wrong foot sometimes), one time looking my feet during a shine, rushing sometimes. There’s the posture issue, but I already was making some progress (or attempting one) on this matter. Probably the best way to see what needs changing is to videotape my dancing – if I could bear to watch such a thing and thus destroy whatever illusions I have about how great (ha ha!) a dancer I am. Kidding aside, I don’t have any grand illusion about how high my ceiling is for dancing – I just want to try to get better continually as long as I keep on doing whatever I am doing.
Other highlights. Teaching Serap leader’s routine for level-3 partner work tonight was one highlight. During the drive back to Cambridge, Serap (or was it Johnny?) recollected Mauro telling his class (level 3) last week in exasperation that 60% of the people in the class did not belong there. In this case, I would have to agree in principle with Mauro based upon what I have observed in level 3 in my last several visits – arguably I too didn’t belong at level 3 when I started taking their level-3 class. One caveat (pointed out by Serap, I think) is that there is a huge gap in level of difficulty between levels 2 and 3, which begs the question, “How does one go from one level to the other without a very rough transition?”
A side note. Tamambo really does have a very squeaky voice when miked up as some Salsa Mafia poster noted some time ago. I didn't really notice it during normal conversations.
SOS level III – Mauro & Eva
shine of the day (modified version - January 31, 2006)
1,2,3 basic ending with L foot slightly behind R foot
5 R foot slide in front of L foot
6 R foot slide to R side
7 R foot slide behind L foot with weight transfer to R foot (L arm forward and R arm to R side)
8 L foot slide to L side
1,2 Suzy Q steps moving slightly to L
3 L foot in Suzy Q step slightly to L (on heels?)
5 R foot (sudden/sharp movement) to R (slightly moving forward) with body changing directions 1/4 counterclockwise and facing what used to be left
6 transfer weight to L foot
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot
8 L foot cross over in front on R foot
1 R foot cross over L foot (minimize traveling here) and change direction 1/4 counterclockwise (thus facing away from partner) and swing to R
2 L foot slide to L so that the feet are now far apart and swing hips slightly to L
3 weight on R foot with slight swing of hips to R
5 turn 1/2 clockwise as L foot cross over in front of R foot
6 weight on R foot (Suzy Q)
7 weight on L foot (Suzy Q)
8 R foot cross over in front of L foot followed by basic
shine of the day (original note)
1,2,3 basic ending with L foot slightly behind R foot
5 R foot slide in front of L foot
6 R foot slide to R side
7 R foot slide behind L foot with weight transfer to R foot (L arm forward and R arm to R side)
8 L foot slide to L side
1,2 Suzy Q steps moving slightly to L
3 L foot in Suzy Q step slightly to L (on heels?)
5 R foot (jump) to R with body changing directions 1/4 counterclockwise
6 transfer weight to L foot
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot
8 L foot cross over in front on R foot
1 R foot forward and change direction 1/4 counterclockwise (thus facing away from partner) and swing to R (feet apart – hips swinging)
2 swing hips to L
3 swing hips to R
5 turn 1/2 clockwise as L foot cross over in front of R foot
6 weight on L foot (Suzy Q-like motion)
7 weight on R foot (Suzy Q-like motion)
8 R foot cross over in front of L foot followed by basic
I probably want to minimize traveling to L side to make this shine workable in small space.
partner routine
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead ending in L-R hold (open and with some distance between partners)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break, around the world and end with hook turn (full clockwise) for leader with hold switched to R-R
[note: I can’t do this properly in time thus the title. This should be considered a fairly standard Salsa move so it really bugs me that I can’t do it. Footwork shown was to overtake on 2,3 while holding follower properly (R hand under follower’s shoulder blades(?)), turn as a unit 1/2 clockwise on 5 with R foot crossing behind L foot, L foot forward on 6 as follower is led to a further 1/2 clockwise turn, then leader hooks and turn on 7/8. In the beginning of the class, I thought I was managing it somehow – although I’m unsure if my partners would have agreed with this assessment. Then someone I generally trust in this class didn’t seem to like how I was leading this turn – this shattered my confidence about how I was doing. Things went rapidly downhill thereafter as a seed of doubt was sown and I never recovered.]
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic [Note: I didn’t need the basic until I lost confidence.]
1,2,3,5,6,7 Copa with R-R hold only – open break and follower is brought forward and turned 1/2 counterclockwise with shoulder stop with L hand – then follower is led to go back while turning 1 1/2 clockwise with help of L hand lead
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-L connection made above R-R as leader gets into cross body position – follower is led to a 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn (it was recommended that L-L comes down first, then raised, with R-R raise trailing L-L raise
1,2,3,5,6,7 [note: at the start hold should be crossed with R-R on top] leader turns 1/2 clockwise on 1,2,3 and follower is led to turn full clockwise on 6,7,8 as leader turns 1/2 counterclockwise simultaneously with all connections intact – this should end with hammerlock for follower with L-L behind follower’s R waist [recommended footwork for leader was L foot to front L side as he starts turning on 1 with L-L low and R-R high, transfer weight to R foot on 2 as turn is completed, L foot cross over in front of R foot on 3, R foot cross over behind L foot on 5 as follower’s turn is led with leader also starts turning essentially simultaneously, weight on L foot on 6 as turning motion is continued, and R foot into normal position as turn is completed on 7)
1,2,3,5,6,7 another Copa (open break and L-L is gradually raised from waist level to chest level and all arms outstretched on 3/4) ending with leading follower into traveling counterclockwise full turn with R-R high to end in neck wrap
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower out of the wrap (1/2 clockwise) with L-L pointing forward on follower’s new line (leader is positioned in (open?) cross body position by 3 and lead follower into 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn
Mauro & Eva had planned for at least two more bars of routine, which were not used. In fact, the last bar above was shown just once and discarded in favor of something arguably simpler. I entered the original version here because it made no difference to me either way and I was practicing the original “ending” during the class and thereafter. I think the rest of the routine involved turning 180 or 360 to get into cross body followed by allowing follower to do a shine. I liked today's material quite a lot.
Another big Cambridge contingent was present at SOS tonight – ten or eleven altogether including a few first-timers. Either way, it’s a new record. My party contributed 3 of 10 or 11.
SOS is back at the Mary Ward Hall for the first time in couple of months. I think it was more crowded than usual tonight.
There was a couple of performances tonight – both quite enjoyable. One was by Leon Rose & Susana Montero. Another was a Spanish couple (Nico & somebody?) involving a 28 year old and a 72 year old.
Dancing was fine for me tonight. I felt a little nervous in the beginning, and I don’t think I ever quite got into it even when things were going pretty well. Improvisation was working well – at least during the early hours. By all rights, I should have felt better about tonight than I really did considering things like zero refusals for a dance, a few compliments, getting asked for a dance by a total stranger (even if she might have originally thought I was a beginner), etc. Too much thinking probably was responsible for this. There are some penalties for having a too sharp, hyperactive, inquisitive, critical, obsessive and introspective mind.
I had Serap watch one of my dances and give me a critique. Usual expected suspects showed up – not enough room for follower to style, facing away from follower too much, dodgy footwork (weight on wrong foot sometimes), one time looking my feet during a shine, rushing sometimes. There’s the posture issue, but I already was making some progress (or attempting one) on this matter. Probably the best way to see what needs changing is to videotape my dancing – if I could bear to watch such a thing and thus destroy whatever illusions I have about how great (ha ha!) a dancer I am. Kidding aside, I don’t have any grand illusion about how high my ceiling is for dancing – I just want to try to get better continually as long as I keep on doing whatever I am doing.
Other highlights. Teaching Serap leader’s routine for level-3 partner work tonight was one highlight. During the drive back to Cambridge, Serap (or was it Johnny?) recollected Mauro telling his class (level 3) last week in exasperation that 60% of the people in the class did not belong there. In this case, I would have to agree in principle with Mauro based upon what I have observed in level 3 in my last several visits – arguably I too didn’t belong at level 3 when I started taking their level-3 class. One caveat (pointed out by Serap, I think) is that there is a huge gap in level of difficulty between levels 2 and 3, which begs the question, “How does one go from one level to the other without a very rough transition?”
A side note. Tamambo really does have a very squeaky voice when miked up as some Salsa Mafia poster noted some time ago. I didn't really notice it during normal conversations.
Launch of Club Mambo from Club Salsa & The Latin Collective
January 28, 2006
There you have it. Can I handle yet another Salsa class/night and not suffer a Salsa fatigue? There's no update on the Club Salsa website yet, but I imagine it will be rectified pretty soon.
There you have it. Can I handle yet another Salsa class/night and not suffer a Salsa fatigue? There's no update on the Club Salsa website yet, but I imagine it will be rectified pretty soon.
Johnny & Serap Intermediate workshop
January 28, 2006
I was asked to help out again. The program as a whole was very good and well-balanced, but I sometimes felt that this might have seemed too much like a series of drop-in classes. I thought the class perhaps could have used explicit statements (repeated several times throughout the workshop) about the logic behind today's routines and how these routines used different techniques but still could be thought of as having a similar overarching structure (I don't have a good idea about how to go about explaining this succinctly in a large class setting). Johnny & Serap in today's class used names like "cross body", "anti-cross body", "Copa", "wrap", "titanic", etc, which should have helped some people.
I entertained myself by playing the part of follower about half of the times when I was doing demonstrations with Serap. Needless to say, my following technique needs a lot of work. I used to think I could follow cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn okay but I was having a lot of difficulties with it today. The only way I could do it safely was to make it choreographed rather than followed. By the way, the main reason why I'm trying to better understand follower's part is because it would make it easier for me to teach it to less experienced dance partners.
I mostly stayed in the sideline during the first hour practicing 1 1/2 travelling counterclockwise turn with difficulty and paying very little attention to the class because some unexpected leaders showed up so I wasn't needed. After a while, I stayed with Serap's non-fast-track section for most of the rest of the class (playing both follower and leader with Serap and doing private coaching), then briefly stopped by for Johnny's section for about 1.5 routine before stepping out to make numbers even again.
As for the routines today, there was nothing new for me here with the exception of different way of leading travelling clockwise turn from (pseudo) open hold for the start of the sixth routine. However, I think most other experienced participants did obtain fair bit of simple but new material, which should serve them well - simple things done well is better than complicated things done haphazardly.
Many people in the class were new to me, and some seemed to be no more than beginners with perhaps 4-5 lessons (or perhaps less) under their belt. Of course, there will always be people who jump into classes they're nowhere near ready for. In my opinion, people who would have benefited most from the beginner workshop 2 weeks ago are people who have taken at least one or two beginner lessons previously. Today's workshop was probably more suitable for people who have taken at least 10-12 classes plus beginner and improver workshops OR 4-6 months of classes every week. Small number of the people found the routines too difficult and seemingly gave up early, but I also saw some very new people seemingly building a pretty good foundation to become a good social dancer.
closed hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead (optional with 1 1/2 counterclockwise travelling turn for follower)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with R-L high only and into (open?) cross body position and lead follower into a travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2) with R-L lead
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break switch to R-R and free stationary turn for follower on 5,6,7 (with leader turning as well - hook turn?) - this was done only for the fast track workshop
crossed hold (L-L on top)
1,2,3,5,6,7 standard Copa (the version with R hand on follower's shoulder)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with L-L high and into open cross body position and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2) [follower's footwork here was apparently from Susana Montero's methods.]
crossed hold (R-R on top)
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic and lead follower to a stationary clockwise turn on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and into Titanic
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower to turn 1 1/2 clockwise (stationary) with R-R only
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower and reconnect L-L in front while getting into cross body and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)
R-R hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with R-R high and into open cross body position followed by leading follower to a travelling full counterclockwise turn ending with shoulder wrap (R-R on follower's R shoulder and L hand on follower's L shoulder)
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower to turn 1 1/2 clockwise (stationary) with R-R only
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower and reconnect L-L in front while getting into cross body and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)
[note: fast track workshop may have done a waist wrap instead of shoulder wrap]
L-L hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with L-L high and into open cross body position followed by leading follower into travelling full counterclockwise turn ending with waist wrap (L-L on follower's R waist)
1,2,3,5,6,7 turn follower around on 1,2,3 and switch to R-L and offer L hand in front of follower's forehead on 1,2,3 - then use L hand to let follower turn 1 1/2 counterclockwise while travelling on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-L hat for follower while getting into cross body position with L hand offered for L-R connection in front - followed by leading follower to travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)
L-R hold and R hand on follower's L shoulder
1,2,3,5,6,7 modified cross body lead start with exaggerated twist on 1 and 3 so that follower is facing leader on 3 with L-R high and in front of her line - R hand on shoulder could be used to lead follower forward and into 1 1/2 clockwise turn - leader turns 1/4 clockwise to face away from partner while switching to R-R at leader's back R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break followed for leader turning around 1/2 counterclockwise and lead follower into a stationary double turn with R-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower while getting into cross body position with L hand offered for L-L connection in front - followed by leading follower to travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)
I was asked to help out again. The program as a whole was very good and well-balanced, but I sometimes felt that this might have seemed too much like a series of drop-in classes. I thought the class perhaps could have used explicit statements (repeated several times throughout the workshop) about the logic behind today's routines and how these routines used different techniques but still could be thought of as having a similar overarching structure (I don't have a good idea about how to go about explaining this succinctly in a large class setting). Johnny & Serap in today's class used names like "cross body", "anti-cross body", "Copa", "wrap", "titanic", etc, which should have helped some people.
I entertained myself by playing the part of follower about half of the times when I was doing demonstrations with Serap. Needless to say, my following technique needs a lot of work. I used to think I could follow cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn okay but I was having a lot of difficulties with it today. The only way I could do it safely was to make it choreographed rather than followed. By the way, the main reason why I'm trying to better understand follower's part is because it would make it easier for me to teach it to less experienced dance partners.
I mostly stayed in the sideline during the first hour practicing 1 1/2 travelling counterclockwise turn with difficulty and paying very little attention to the class because some unexpected leaders showed up so I wasn't needed. After a while, I stayed with Serap's non-fast-track section for most of the rest of the class (playing both follower and leader with Serap and doing private coaching), then briefly stopped by for Johnny's section for about 1.5 routine before stepping out to make numbers even again.
As for the routines today, there was nothing new for me here with the exception of different way of leading travelling clockwise turn from (pseudo) open hold for the start of the sixth routine. However, I think most other experienced participants did obtain fair bit of simple but new material, which should serve them well - simple things done well is better than complicated things done haphazardly.
Many people in the class were new to me, and some seemed to be no more than beginners with perhaps 4-5 lessons (or perhaps less) under their belt. Of course, there will always be people who jump into classes they're nowhere near ready for. In my opinion, people who would have benefited most from the beginner workshop 2 weeks ago are people who have taken at least one or two beginner lessons previously. Today's workshop was probably more suitable for people who have taken at least 10-12 classes plus beginner and improver workshops OR 4-6 months of classes every week. Small number of the people found the routines too difficult and seemingly gave up early, but I also saw some very new people seemingly building a pretty good foundation to become a good social dancer.
closed hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead (optional with 1 1/2 counterclockwise travelling turn for follower)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with R-L high only and into (open?) cross body position and lead follower into a travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2) with R-L lead
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break switch to R-R and free stationary turn for follower on 5,6,7 (with leader turning as well - hook turn?) - this was done only for the fast track workshop
crossed hold (L-L on top)
1,2,3,5,6,7 standard Copa (the version with R hand on follower's shoulder)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with L-L high and into open cross body position and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2) [follower's footwork here was apparently from Susana Montero's methods.]
crossed hold (R-R on top)
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic and lead follower to a stationary clockwise turn on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and into Titanic
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower to turn 1 1/2 clockwise (stationary) with R-R only
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower and reconnect L-L in front while getting into cross body and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)
R-R hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with R-R high and into open cross body position followed by leading follower to a travelling full counterclockwise turn ending with shoulder wrap (R-R on follower's R shoulder and L hand on follower's L shoulder)
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower to turn 1 1/2 clockwise (stationary) with R-R only
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower and reconnect L-L in front while getting into cross body and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)
[note: fast track workshop may have done a waist wrap instead of shoulder wrap]
L-L hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with L-L high and into open cross body position followed by leading follower into travelling full counterclockwise turn ending with waist wrap (L-L on follower's R waist)
1,2,3,5,6,7 turn follower around on 1,2,3 and switch to R-L and offer L hand in front of follower's forehead on 1,2,3 - then use L hand to let follower turn 1 1/2 counterclockwise while travelling on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-L hat for follower while getting into cross body position with L hand offered for L-R connection in front - followed by leading follower to travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)
L-R hold and R hand on follower's L shoulder
1,2,3,5,6,7 modified cross body lead start with exaggerated twist on 1 and 3 so that follower is facing leader on 3 with L-R high and in front of her line - R hand on shoulder could be used to lead follower forward and into 1 1/2 clockwise turn - leader turns 1/4 clockwise to face away from partner while switching to R-R at leader's back R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break followed for leader turning around 1/2 counterclockwise and lead follower into a stationary double turn with R-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower while getting into cross body position with L hand offered for L-L connection in front - followed by leading follower to travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)
Big Friday bash before Blackpool
January 27, 2006
Johnny & Serap level IV
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic and lead follower into hammerlock position by leading her into a stationary clockwise turn with L-R high
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and L-R goes over leader’s head as follower is brought forward along her line while leader is essentially facing away from the line – then lead follower straight forward along her line on 5 and have the L hand run along the line of her arms (esp. her L arm from shoulder onwards) to prevent any turn from the follower and reach an extended position on 8 with partners looking at each other
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower forward and connect R-R at shoulder level into reverse cross body position then lead follower into 1 1/2 clockwise turn with L-L low and R-R high so that follower is placed into another hammerlock position (this time L-L is behind follower’s R waist)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and follower is turned around on 3 with R-R high and over her head into cross body position – then lead follower into a traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with L-L low again and R-R high initially and over follower’s head to land on follower’s L shoulder while leader positions himself slightly to right (and behind of course) of follower
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower back and around (counterclockwise) while letting go R-R and change to R-L by 3/4, then lead follower forward along her new line and into a free traveling turn (1 1/2 counterclockwise) with optional leader’s turn (clockwise)
The beginning of the evening started out very unpromising with a very large number of "suggles" enjoying a birthday bash. The dance floor was very crowded from the outset, and the music was wretched for the first couple of hours. I thought it would be just another one of experimental/improvisational dancing nights. However as the evening progressed, my improvisations became better and more interesting (now if I could remember some of the things I did!). More interesting new moves can be discovered when dancing with reliable partner with emphasis of spontaneity - too bad I'm still not quite at a point where I could do this freely and endlessly with the most reliable dance partners. Things improved dramatically after around midnight and some very good dancing was observed as many good dancers stayed late. Perhaps this was in preparation for late night dancing to be had at Brit Salsafest. I had a few "in-the-zone" types of dances (mostly somber in nature), which I enjoyed greatly. I think my shines made a big impression (hopefully good) on some people.
Johnny & Serap level IV
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic and lead follower into hammerlock position by leading her into a stationary clockwise turn with L-R high
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and L-R goes over leader’s head as follower is brought forward along her line while leader is essentially facing away from the line – then lead follower straight forward along her line on 5 and have the L hand run along the line of her arms (esp. her L arm from shoulder onwards) to prevent any turn from the follower and reach an extended position on 8 with partners looking at each other
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower forward and connect R-R at shoulder level into reverse cross body position then lead follower into 1 1/2 clockwise turn with L-L low and R-R high so that follower is placed into another hammerlock position (this time L-L is behind follower’s R waist)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and follower is turned around on 3 with R-R high and over her head into cross body position – then lead follower into a traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with L-L low again and R-R high initially and over follower’s head to land on follower’s L shoulder while leader positions himself slightly to right (and behind of course) of follower
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower back and around (counterclockwise) while letting go R-R and change to R-L by 3/4, then lead follower forward along her new line and into a free traveling turn (1 1/2 counterclockwise) with optional leader’s turn (clockwise)
The beginning of the evening started out very unpromising with a very large number of "suggles" enjoying a birthday bash. The dance floor was very crowded from the outset, and the music was wretched for the first couple of hours. I thought it would be just another one of experimental/improvisational dancing nights. However as the evening progressed, my improvisations became better and more interesting (now if I could remember some of the things I did!). More interesting new moves can be discovered when dancing with reliable partner with emphasis of spontaneity - too bad I'm still not quite at a point where I could do this freely and endlessly with the most reliable dance partners. Things improved dramatically after around midnight and some very good dancing was observed as many good dancers stayed late. Perhaps this was in preparation for late night dancing to be had at Brit Salsafest. I had a few "in-the-zone" types of dances (mostly somber in nature), which I enjoyed greatly. I think my shines made a big impression (hopefully good) on some people.
Brit Salsafest rants
January 27, 2006
There is a new workshop schedule out. It's more conventional than the previous schedule. In some ways, I think it's worse - it effectively offers only 10 workshops for 2 days instead of 12 workshops because 5-6 PM slots now only offer beginner Rueda and a pair of Masterclasses each day. For me the old schedule had some 5 PM keepers, which will now compete with other intriguing contenders.
No sign of my tickets have appeared so I suspect I may end up going without any proof of entry. I'm sure it will turn out okay though. It would seem many other people in Cambridge also failed to get any confirmation mail (if such thing was planned in the first place).
I don't think I'll be doing any body movement classes based upon the new schedule and consultation with Ivan & Sergio. Oh well. The idea of taking on-2 classes have become considerably less appealing with the new schedule. In fact, I think the only change in the new schedule I was somewhat positive about was Tony Lara teaching advanced on-1 shines instead of Susana Montero (with caveat that I have no idea how they compare).
There is a new workshop schedule out. It's more conventional than the previous schedule. In some ways, I think it's worse - it effectively offers only 10 workshops for 2 days instead of 12 workshops because 5-6 PM slots now only offer beginner Rueda and a pair of Masterclasses each day. For me the old schedule had some 5 PM keepers, which will now compete with other intriguing contenders.
No sign of my tickets have appeared so I suspect I may end up going without any proof of entry. I'm sure it will turn out okay though. It would seem many other people in Cambridge also failed to get any confirmation mail (if such thing was planned in the first place).
I don't think I'll be doing any body movement classes based upon the new schedule and consultation with Ivan & Sergio. Oh well. The idea of taking on-2 classes have become considerably less appealing with the new schedule. In fact, I think the only change in the new schedule I was somewhat positive about was Tony Lara teaching advanced on-1 shines instead of Susana Montero (with caveat that I have no idea how they compare).
Tired legs
January 26, 2006
Ivan & Sally Intermediate
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 stylized cross body lead (leader cross over behind L foot on 5 while follower slides L foot to side (left) on 3) – not sure if this was with a traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-L tossed underneath L-R and R-L reconnected above L-R while getting into cross body lead position on 1,2,3 and lead follower into 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead followed by leading 1 1/2 counterclockwise traveling turn for follower to get back into normal open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-R tossed underneath R-L and L-R reconnected above R-L while doing basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and into reverse cross body lead position and back out (like Copa) – after the open break, L-R goes over follower’s head and to her waist while R-L is at follower’s shoulder on 4 – follower is led into 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn like Copa while all connections are kept intact with L-R kept at waist level throughout for hammerlock
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and lead follower into 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn with L-R kept at waist level and R-L going over follower’s head for a wrap – follower is positioned slightly to left on leader on 8
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower back on 1 and back in place on 2,3 with hands going to follower’s shoulders – lead follower to a traveling clockwise 1 1/2 turn (leader can do a hook turn at the same time) – end with L-R hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-R hold open break and into Adios-like but leader does not complete turn – follower does 360 while leader only does 180 and change to R-R (leader facing away from follower and in front of follower)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower forward with R-R going over her head and L-L connection made – followed by leading follower forward on 5 then 1 1/2 turn (counterclockwise? I suppose clockwise works too)
Improvers
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic with open hold – hands come up on 7/8
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader does pivot turn (1/2 clockwise on 1,2,3) with connections on leader’s shoulders with hands crossing in front of leader’s neck on 1,2,3 – then L-R goes over leader’s head to his L shoulder then R-L goes over head to leader’s L shoulder – let go and follower’s hands (both) are caught at leader’s back waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower to leader’s R side – then follower is brought forward and into a clockwise turn to get back to open (1/2 turn or 1 1/2 turn depending on follower’s ability)
1,2,3,5,6,7 (basic optional) normal cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise traveling turn for follower (getting cross body lead properly – with or without extra turn – can really be a challenge)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader’s pivot turn on 1,2,3 – anything after that is at leader’s discretion
My right leg felt very tired for some unknown reason. Oh well. Aside from doing plenty of improvisation, I didn’t feel particularly on tonight.
Ivan & Sally Intermediate
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 stylized cross body lead (leader cross over behind L foot on 5 while follower slides L foot to side (left) on 3) – not sure if this was with a traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-L tossed underneath L-R and R-L reconnected above L-R while getting into cross body lead position on 1,2,3 and lead follower into 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead followed by leading 1 1/2 counterclockwise traveling turn for follower to get back into normal open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-R tossed underneath R-L and L-R reconnected above R-L while doing basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and into reverse cross body lead position and back out (like Copa) – after the open break, L-R goes over follower’s head and to her waist while R-L is at follower’s shoulder on 4 – follower is led into 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn like Copa while all connections are kept intact with L-R kept at waist level throughout for hammerlock
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and lead follower into 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn with L-R kept at waist level and R-L going over follower’s head for a wrap – follower is positioned slightly to left on leader on 8
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower back on 1 and back in place on 2,3 with hands going to follower’s shoulders – lead follower to a traveling clockwise 1 1/2 turn (leader can do a hook turn at the same time) – end with L-R hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-R hold open break and into Adios-like but leader does not complete turn – follower does 360 while leader only does 180 and change to R-R (leader facing away from follower and in front of follower)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower forward with R-R going over her head and L-L connection made – followed by leading follower forward on 5 then 1 1/2 turn (counterclockwise? I suppose clockwise works too)
Improvers
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic with open hold – hands come up on 7/8
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader does pivot turn (1/2 clockwise on 1,2,3) with connections on leader’s shoulders with hands crossing in front of leader’s neck on 1,2,3 – then L-R goes over leader’s head to his L shoulder then R-L goes over head to leader’s L shoulder – let go and follower’s hands (both) are caught at leader’s back waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower to leader’s R side – then follower is brought forward and into a clockwise turn to get back to open (1/2 turn or 1 1/2 turn depending on follower’s ability)
1,2,3,5,6,7 (basic optional) normal cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise traveling turn for follower (getting cross body lead properly – with or without extra turn – can really be a challenge)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader’s pivot turn on 1,2,3 – anything after that is at leader’s discretion
My right leg felt very tired for some unknown reason. Oh well. Aside from doing plenty of improvisation, I didn’t feel particularly on tonight.
Shameless advertising
January 25, 2006
I started talking to people at Club Salsa about the Tony & Claudia Bachata and Salsa workshops again. Logistics for the workshop is difficult but it makes sense in other ways. The fact that Brit Salsafest is held immediately before the Cambridge workshops is both good and bad - perhaps more good than bad.
The fact that so many people in Cambridge are going to the Brit Salsafest means that many people will have an opportunity to participate in the Bachata workshop in Blackpool. The Blackpool workshop should be geared toward beginners and improvers. The Blackpool workshop is also going to be very heavily attended; well over 100 and possibly over 300 people will be crammed into the Pavillion (no wood floor?) - thus there will be little opportunity for personal attention in Blackpool. An intimate small Cambridge workshop immediately thereafter should be a slam dunk in theory. I suspect that people who attended both Bachata workshops last time also could benefit from doing one more workshop - I know I would despite having done both workshops and getting Tony & Claudia's Bachata DVD.
Tony & Claudia's Salsa workshop should be interesting although I'm not sure what to expect from it. People who were at their previous visit were very impressed with Tony's Salsa dancing. I can't say I know much about Tony's Salsa dancing because I was so busy dancing with everyone non-stop that night in order to keep as many people occupied so that they would not leave too early. On the other hand, I danced couple of times with Claudia (both that night and afterwards), and I can vouch that she is by far the most impressive follower I have ever danced with - feather-light touch with amazing balance and responsiveness (some described it as dancing with air). There are people who seem more interested in the Salsa workshop than the Bachata workshop. However, I expect and hope that Bachata workshop will be booked to near limit while the Salsa workshop is half-full. My reasoning for this is a little selfish because it would be nice to have an even smaller Salsa workshop for more personal attention. We shall see how it ends.
In some ways, a bigger stumbling block for the Bachata and especially Salsa workshop is that there are so many people teaching Salsa on Mondays now. I had forgotten about some of the new classes, which sprung up recently, as well as people who are involved in teaching as assistants in other places, including the Long Road Sixth Form College, Soul Tree and the LeL. This led me to make a faux pas in inviting people who are already preoccupied and are in "competing" position. Ooops. Sorry.
I just noted that Sally has a new website design. Very chic. Classy-looking. A very nice update.
Dancing today was uneven - I never quite found my comfort zone although I came close a few times. Maybe I had too long a break. There's always tomorrow. I look forward to tomorrow.
I had a chance to talk to Ivan about the workshops at the Brit Salsafest. Like me, he is of the opinion that too much turn patterns workshop would be counterproductive. Like me, he was annoyed with the way body movement classes were organized. I'll have to think more about how to schedule myself - possibly after consulting another expert.
I started talking to people at Club Salsa about the Tony & Claudia Bachata and Salsa workshops again. Logistics for the workshop is difficult but it makes sense in other ways. The fact that Brit Salsafest is held immediately before the Cambridge workshops is both good and bad - perhaps more good than bad.
The fact that so many people in Cambridge are going to the Brit Salsafest means that many people will have an opportunity to participate in the Bachata workshop in Blackpool. The Blackpool workshop should be geared toward beginners and improvers. The Blackpool workshop is also going to be very heavily attended; well over 100 and possibly over 300 people will be crammed into the Pavillion (no wood floor?) - thus there will be little opportunity for personal attention in Blackpool. An intimate small Cambridge workshop immediately thereafter should be a slam dunk in theory. I suspect that people who attended both Bachata workshops last time also could benefit from doing one more workshop - I know I would despite having done both workshops and getting Tony & Claudia's Bachata DVD.
Tony & Claudia's Salsa workshop should be interesting although I'm not sure what to expect from it. People who were at their previous visit were very impressed with Tony's Salsa dancing. I can't say I know much about Tony's Salsa dancing because I was so busy dancing with everyone non-stop that night in order to keep as many people occupied so that they would not leave too early. On the other hand, I danced couple of times with Claudia (both that night and afterwards), and I can vouch that she is by far the most impressive follower I have ever danced with - feather-light touch with amazing balance and responsiveness (some described it as dancing with air). There are people who seem more interested in the Salsa workshop than the Bachata workshop. However, I expect and hope that Bachata workshop will be booked to near limit while the Salsa workshop is half-full. My reasoning for this is a little selfish because it would be nice to have an even smaller Salsa workshop for more personal attention. We shall see how it ends.
In some ways, a bigger stumbling block for the Bachata and especially Salsa workshop is that there are so many people teaching Salsa on Mondays now. I had forgotten about some of the new classes, which sprung up recently, as well as people who are involved in teaching as assistants in other places, including the Long Road Sixth Form College, Soul Tree and the LeL. This led me to make a faux pas in inviting people who are already preoccupied and are in "competing" position. Ooops. Sorry.
I just noted that Sally has a new website design. Very chic. Classy-looking. A very nice update.
Dancing today was uneven - I never quite found my comfort zone although I came close a few times. Maybe I had too long a break. There's always tomorrow. I look forward to tomorrow.
I had a chance to talk to Ivan about the workshops at the Brit Salsafest. Like me, he is of the opinion that too much turn patterns workshop would be counterproductive. Like me, he was annoyed with the way body movement classes were organized. I'll have to think more about how to schedule myself - possibly after consulting another expert.
Different mindsets of on-1 and on-2 dancers in UK
January 25, 2006
Table above summarizes Salsa workshop schedule for non-beginners at Brit Salsafest. On-1 dancers would appear to have much greater interest in turn patterns whereas on-2 dancers place more emphasis on shines and body movement and other technical aspects of the dance. It's unclear why Cuban body movement was categorized as on-1 intermediate as opposed to Cuban intermediate or advanced. Also I wonder if it'd be okay for me to take an advanced on-2 class (body movement) even though I have next to no experience with on-2? I'm also considering taking part in as few as 2 or 3 on-1 turn pattern classes (assuming I try to maximize my use of the workshops).
Table above summarizes Salsa workshop schedule for non-beginners at Brit Salsafest. On-1 dancers would appear to have much greater interest in turn patterns whereas on-2 dancers place more emphasis on shines and body movement and other technical aspects of the dance. It's unclear why Cuban body movement was categorized as on-1 intermediate as opposed to Cuban intermediate or advanced. Also I wonder if it'd be okay for me to take an advanced on-2 class (body movement) even though I have next to no experience with on-2? I'm also considering taking part in as few as 2 or 3 on-1 turn pattern classes (assuming I try to maximize my use of the workshops).
Dodged a bullet
January 23, 2006
The only reason I was interested in the Soul Tree tonight was a flier, which I saw two weeks ago and which advertised a live band for tonight. I would have been interested enough to pay a small cover so when I obtained some free passes, I thought I would try to get some friends to come along. No one was able to come, and I ended up getting held up at work until 9:30 PM (and frankly could have stayed longer). When I finally arrived at the Soul Tree at around 10:30 PM, there was no band. Some people knew that the band was cancelled last week and the free passes made no mention of the band so I don't feel annoyed with anyone. However, I was very relieved that I ended up coming alone. I counted my lucky stars and left after ~30 min so that I would be able to get up early next morning.
The only reason I was interested in the Soul Tree tonight was a flier, which I saw two weeks ago and which advertised a live band for tonight. I would have been interested enough to pay a small cover so when I obtained some free passes, I thought I would try to get some friends to come along. No one was able to come, and I ended up getting held up at work until 9:30 PM (and frankly could have stayed longer). When I finally arrived at the Soul Tree at around 10:30 PM, there was no band. Some people knew that the band was cancelled last week and the free passes made no mention of the band so I don't feel annoyed with anyone. However, I was very relieved that I ended up coming alone. I counted my lucky stars and left after ~30 min so that I would be able to get up early next morning.
Playing DJ for a small crowd
January 22, 2006
Playlist of the evening
Frankie Ruiz – Para Darte Fuego
Frankie Ruiz – La Cura
Ray Barretto – Soy Dichoso*
Eddie Palmieri – El Cuarto*
Eddie Palmieri – Puerto Rico*
Tito Puente – Picadillo A Lo Puente*
Tito Puente – Mambo Diablo#
Toque D’ Keda – Lamento Boliviano#
Grupo Niche – Duele Mas
Grupo Niche – Una Aventura
Grupo Niche – Sin Sentimientos
N’Klabe – I Love Salsa*
Africando – Betece
Africando – Miye Na We
*Denotes tracks never played at Club Salsa during regular club hours to the best of my knowledge.
#Denotes tracks debuted last week.
Apparently Vishal has the same CD by N’Klabe but had been hesitant about using it. “I Love Salsa” has a very fast tempo. Vishal said that he liked my program as did couple of other people. Too bad the number of people present was a little smaller than I hoped. I had forgotten completely about the Peterborough Salsa party.
I had only one dance for me tonight, and it was because of a special request. I was a little off, especially in the beginning of the song – Una Aventura.
Earlier in the day, I was looking more into the Brit Salsafest, in particular to workshop programs and accommodations.
Workshops. Some notable things I found included - there's a lot more shines and body movement stuff with on-2 compared to on-1. I was thinking about taking some on-2 classes regardless but now I am looking seriously into more on-2 classes including an Advanced on-2 body movement class. I may end up taking only 2 or 3 turn pattern classes on-1.
Accommodations. Blackpool hotels are hammered by many bad reviews. After having experienced my top two worst hotel experiences in England (several levels worse than anything I have seen in America, Europe and Asia), I'm feeling a little worried. I've narrowed down my choices to 3-4 places and probably will consult with some people before deciding.
I'll have a tough decision to make next weekend. SOS is back at Mary Ward Hall starting next Sunday. So do I continue playing DJ or go to SOS one last time before the Salsafest?
Playlist of the evening
Frankie Ruiz – Para Darte Fuego
Frankie Ruiz – La Cura
Ray Barretto – Soy Dichoso*
Eddie Palmieri – El Cuarto*
Eddie Palmieri – Puerto Rico*
Tito Puente – Picadillo A Lo Puente*
Tito Puente – Mambo Diablo#
Toque D’ Keda – Lamento Boliviano#
Grupo Niche – Duele Mas
Grupo Niche – Una Aventura
Grupo Niche – Sin Sentimientos
N’Klabe – I Love Salsa*
Africando – Betece
Africando – Miye Na We
*Denotes tracks never played at Club Salsa during regular club hours to the best of my knowledge.
#Denotes tracks debuted last week.
Apparently Vishal has the same CD by N’Klabe but had been hesitant about using it. “I Love Salsa” has a very fast tempo. Vishal said that he liked my program as did couple of other people. Too bad the number of people present was a little smaller than I hoped. I had forgotten completely about the Peterborough Salsa party.
I had only one dance for me tonight, and it was because of a special request. I was a little off, especially in the beginning of the song – Una Aventura.
Earlier in the day, I was looking more into the Brit Salsafest, in particular to workshop programs and accommodations.
Workshops. Some notable things I found included - there's a lot more shines and body movement stuff with on-2 compared to on-1. I was thinking about taking some on-2 classes regardless but now I am looking seriously into more on-2 classes including an Advanced on-2 body movement class. I may end up taking only 2 or 3 turn pattern classes on-1.
Accommodations. Blackpool hotels are hammered by many bad reviews. After having experienced my top two worst hotel experiences in England (several levels worse than anything I have seen in America, Europe and Asia), I'm feeling a little worried. I've narrowed down my choices to 3-4 places and probably will consult with some people before deciding.
I'll have a tough decision to make next weekend. SOS is back at Mary Ward Hall starting next Sunday. So do I continue playing DJ or go to SOS one last time before the Salsafest?
Walking on water - Johnny & Serap
January 20, 2006
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into a stationary double clockwise turn with L-R high
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with leader turning 1/4 clockwise on 7/8 with hold changed to R-R to face away from follower
1,2,3 open break and lead follower lightly to turn free 1/2 clockwise on 3 while leader turns 1/2 clockwise and positioned to left of follower with L-L connection made in front of follower L waist and R hand placed on follower’s R back waist
5,6,7 walk backwards together as couple
1,2,3,5,6,7 stylized cross body lead followed by leading follower into a traveling full counterclockwise turn with L-L low thus ending with a wrap (L-L is positioned in front of follower’s R waist)
1,2,3 lead follower forward on 1 and turn her 1/2 clockwise while getting into cross body lead position with L-L changed to R-L and with free L hand positioned at follower’s eye level (for follower to catch on 4/5 with her R hand)
5,6,7 lead follower to a 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with L-R connection made
String of good dances continued tonight despite heavy crowding problems. I think I still had leftover glow from last couple of nights and stayed lit through most of tonight. I suspect it helped that four different women asked me for total of five dances; three of the women were people I had never met before and one of the dances was Bachata. This has to be a new record. I’m unsure which was the bigger factor - whether I was getting asked for these dances because I was “on” or I became “on” more because I was getting all these unexpected dance requests. While there were many good dances tonight, I felt that the stretch of dances with “Hong Kong Mambo” and two versions of “Ran Kan Kan” stood out as being especially interesting in terms of improvisation – presumably this was helped by the fact that I really like those songs. It seemed that other people were feeling pretty good about their dancing tonight too – maybe there was something good in the air.
I skipped yet another birthday dance. I must say that I was sorely tempted, but I don’t feel ready for such a public display – at least not yet.
According to Vishal, starting week after Tony & Claudia’s workshop, Club Salsa will start classes on Mondays to be run by Joe Davids and the Latin Collective. I think the main instructor’s name is Russell. Apparently on-2 dancing instruction is a possibility. Hmm. I guess this is an ongoing effort from Vishal to try to get to a point where Club Salsa will be open 7 days a week. If everything sticks, Club Salsa will be closed only on Tuesdays. This seems highly remarkable to me; even in London, Bar Salsa is the only Salsa venue that is open 7 days a week. I suppose it probably is necessary for Club Salsa to stay open on as many days as possible to continue with capital improvements and to stay afloat. Presumably the cost of rent, insurance, etc (unlike electricity, heating, and personnel costs) does not change significantly upon the number of days a venue is open on a week.
I was utterly exhausted by the end of the evening. Maybe it’s because of drastically increased dancing load after a small hiatus during which I was concentrating on adjusting my technique. Maybe it is caused by something else altogether. I don’t know for sure.
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into a stationary double clockwise turn with L-R high
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with leader turning 1/4 clockwise on 7/8 with hold changed to R-R to face away from follower
1,2,3 open break and lead follower lightly to turn free 1/2 clockwise on 3 while leader turns 1/2 clockwise and positioned to left of follower with L-L connection made in front of follower L waist and R hand placed on follower’s R back waist
5,6,7 walk backwards together as couple
1,2,3,5,6,7 stylized cross body lead followed by leading follower into a traveling full counterclockwise turn with L-L low thus ending with a wrap (L-L is positioned in front of follower’s R waist)
1,2,3 lead follower forward on 1 and turn her 1/2 clockwise while getting into cross body lead position with L-L changed to R-L and with free L hand positioned at follower’s eye level (for follower to catch on 4/5 with her R hand)
5,6,7 lead follower to a 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with L-R connection made
String of good dances continued tonight despite heavy crowding problems. I think I still had leftover glow from last couple of nights and stayed lit through most of tonight. I suspect it helped that four different women asked me for total of five dances; three of the women were people I had never met before and one of the dances was Bachata. This has to be a new record. I’m unsure which was the bigger factor - whether I was getting asked for these dances because I was “on” or I became “on” more because I was getting all these unexpected dance requests. While there were many good dances tonight, I felt that the stretch of dances with “Hong Kong Mambo” and two versions of “Ran Kan Kan” stood out as being especially interesting in terms of improvisation – presumably this was helped by the fact that I really like those songs. It seemed that other people were feeling pretty good about their dancing tonight too – maybe there was something good in the air.
I skipped yet another birthday dance. I must say that I was sorely tempted, but I don’t feel ready for such a public display – at least not yet.
According to Vishal, starting week after Tony & Claudia’s workshop, Club Salsa will start classes on Mondays to be run by Joe Davids and the Latin Collective. I think the main instructor’s name is Russell. Apparently on-2 dancing instruction is a possibility. Hmm. I guess this is an ongoing effort from Vishal to try to get to a point where Club Salsa will be open 7 days a week. If everything sticks, Club Salsa will be closed only on Tuesdays. This seems highly remarkable to me; even in London, Bar Salsa is the only Salsa venue that is open 7 days a week. I suppose it probably is necessary for Club Salsa to stay open on as many days as possible to continue with capital improvements and to stay afloat. Presumably the cost of rent, insurance, etc (unlike electricity, heating, and personnel costs) does not change significantly upon the number of days a venue is open on a week.
I was utterly exhausted by the end of the evening. Maybe it’s because of drastically increased dancing load after a small hiatus during which I was concentrating on adjusting my technique. Maybe it is caused by something else altogether. I don’t know for sure.
My head is still spinning - Ivan & Sally
January 19, 2006
Intermediate
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic and change to crossed hold with R-R on top
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead followed by full clockwise traveling turn for follower (lead with L-L first followed by R-R) and leader turns 1/2 counterclockwise for reverse Titanic
1,2,3 open break and leader turns 1/2 clockwise with all connections intact for hammerlock for leader (with L-L behind leader’s R waist)
5,6,7 bring follower under R-R arm and then under L-L arm (follower is traveling along a line) and into another hammerlock for leader (this time with R-R behind leader’s L waist)
[note: I’m not certain about this – at one point, I think I was doing a basic on 5,6,7 followed by an open break on the start of next 1,2,3 followed by bringing follower under R-R and L-L arms on next 5,6,7. It’s probably okay to lead it either way.]
1,2,3,5,6,7 pivot turn full clockwise for leader and 1,2,3 and back basic (all connections intact)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and into reverse cross body lead and lead follower forward (thus not in-and-out or true Copa) and into up to 2 1/2 clockwise traveling turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic as crossed hold with R-R on top is re-established
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower into a touch-and-go stationary double turn (just one touch-and-go rather than two) followed by a flick of R-R to get R-R back on top
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead start and lead follower to a stationary full clockwise turn to return to cross body position [note: leading this was problematic as pretty much everyone was making a traveling turn – not sure what kind of adjustment in leading is needed here.]
1,2,3 step back along follower’s line on 1 and back into cross body position
5,6,7 lead follower into Titanic with full counterclockwise traveling turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into 1 1/2 stationary clockwise turn to get back into open
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3 cross body lead start but with full counterclockwise turn for follower on 3
5,6,7 lead follower forward on 5 and into a half clockwise turn or 1 1/2 clockwise turn (traveling)
Improvers - Taste of Cuba
1,2,3,5,6,7 Back basic (cross over to left for clockwise rotation on 2 and step to forward left on 6 for more clockwise motion)
1,2,3 Enchufe (with L-R only with or with disconnection of R-L delayed as long as possible)
1,2,3,5,6,7 Into hammerlock position from open break (R-L high) and out of it
(not completely sure about timing below)
1,2,3 Into hammerlock position from open break (R-L high) ending with back to back
5,6,7 side-to-side walk to exchange position (L-R goes high and over)
1,2,3 followed by unwrapping of follower
5,6,7 leader wraps himself (L-R behind leader’s R waist)
1,2,3 L foot cross over to start rotating as a couple
…
5,6,7 release L-R and lead follower to turn clockwise with R-L and into open position
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and turn as a couple (with couple’s legs positioned alternately so that the R legs are inside) with R foot going back on 5 and 7 and L foot going forward on 6 (and optionally 8)
Thursday night might seem a bit cliquey to outsiders because a large number of hard-core dancers who stay behind longer seems to know each other pretty well and have been dancing within the same group for a long time (even if this means merely 3-4 months). I would consider the level of complexity in dancing on Thursdays higher than Wednesdays and Fridays, but this is largely because few beginners and not many students stay behind for dance for long after the class. Hopefully, more people will improve quickly and stay longer to make the group larger without bringing down the overall level too much.
Second biggest highlight of the evening – I asked someone for a dance and she declined. Shortly thereafter, Ivan asked the same person and she declined him too. Hey! It’s not just me!!! I went back to her to talk about this, and we had a good laugh over it. I did not ask permission to talk about this, so I hope this doesn’t offend. I think it’s useful for people to know that even the best dancers get no’s and to know not to get too bothered by it. Personally, I never said no although I sometimes ask to wait until the start of next song if I think the current song is more than half over or is not Salsa, etc.
I danced tonight with fairly large number of people yet again with inspiration and enjoyed the dances thoroughly - even if I still was making technical mistakes now and then.
Intermediate
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic and change to crossed hold with R-R on top
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead followed by full clockwise traveling turn for follower (lead with L-L first followed by R-R) and leader turns 1/2 counterclockwise for reverse Titanic
1,2,3 open break and leader turns 1/2 clockwise with all connections intact for hammerlock for leader (with L-L behind leader’s R waist)
5,6,7 bring follower under R-R arm and then under L-L arm (follower is traveling along a line) and into another hammerlock for leader (this time with R-R behind leader’s L waist)
[note: I’m not certain about this – at one point, I think I was doing a basic on 5,6,7 followed by an open break on the start of next 1,2,3 followed by bringing follower under R-R and L-L arms on next 5,6,7. It’s probably okay to lead it either way.]
1,2,3,5,6,7 pivot turn full clockwise for leader and 1,2,3 and back basic (all connections intact)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and into reverse cross body lead and lead follower forward (thus not in-and-out or true Copa) and into up to 2 1/2 clockwise traveling turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic as crossed hold with R-R on top is re-established
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower into a touch-and-go stationary double turn (just one touch-and-go rather than two) followed by a flick of R-R to get R-R back on top
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead start and lead follower to a stationary full clockwise turn to return to cross body position [note: leading this was problematic as pretty much everyone was making a traveling turn – not sure what kind of adjustment in leading is needed here.]
1,2,3 step back along follower’s line on 1 and back into cross body position
5,6,7 lead follower into Titanic with full counterclockwise traveling turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into 1 1/2 stationary clockwise turn to get back into open
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3 cross body lead start but with full counterclockwise turn for follower on 3
5,6,7 lead follower forward on 5 and into a half clockwise turn or 1 1/2 clockwise turn (traveling)
Improvers - Taste of Cuba
1,2,3,5,6,7 Back basic (cross over to left for clockwise rotation on 2 and step to forward left on 6 for more clockwise motion)
1,2,3 Enchufe (with L-R only with or with disconnection of R-L delayed as long as possible)
1,2,3,5,6,7 Into hammerlock position from open break (R-L high) and out of it
(not completely sure about timing below)
1,2,3 Into hammerlock position from open break (R-L high) ending with back to back
5,6,7 side-to-side walk to exchange position (L-R goes high and over)
1,2,3 followed by unwrapping of follower
5,6,7 leader wraps himself (L-R behind leader’s R waist)
1,2,3 L foot cross over to start rotating as a couple
…
5,6,7 release L-R and lead follower to turn clockwise with R-L and into open position
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and turn as a couple (with couple’s legs positioned alternately so that the R legs are inside) with R foot going back on 5 and 7 and L foot going forward on 6 (and optionally 8)
Thursday night might seem a bit cliquey to outsiders because a large number of hard-core dancers who stay behind longer seems to know each other pretty well and have been dancing within the same group for a long time (even if this means merely 3-4 months). I would consider the level of complexity in dancing on Thursdays higher than Wednesdays and Fridays, but this is largely because few beginners and not many students stay behind for dance for long after the class. Hopefully, more people will improve quickly and stay longer to make the group larger without bringing down the overall level too much.
Second biggest highlight of the evening – I asked someone for a dance and she declined. Shortly thereafter, Ivan asked the same person and she declined him too. Hey! It’s not just me!!! I went back to her to talk about this, and we had a good laugh over it. I did not ask permission to talk about this, so I hope this doesn’t offend. I think it’s useful for people to know that even the best dancers get no’s and to know not to get too bothered by it. Personally, I never said no although I sometimes ask to wait until the start of next song if I think the current song is more than half over or is not Salsa, etc.
I danced tonight with fairly large number of people yet again with inspiration and enjoyed the dances thoroughly - even if I still was making technical mistakes now and then.
Tony & Claudia advertising on full blitz
January 19, 2006
Posters are up at Club Salsa (see below for copies). Small number of business card- or bookmark-like fliers (not shown) also was placed at the bar. Thus far, one person bought tickets to the workshop while commenting that it would be perfectly okay if the class turn out to be very small to make it like a private lesson. Let's just say that I considered it a real risk that this will end up being an expensive private lesson for me. And you know what? I think I would be okay with it.
Posters are up at Club Salsa (see below for copies). Small number of business card- or bookmark-like fliers (not shown) also was placed at the bar. Thus far, one person bought tickets to the workshop while commenting that it would be perfectly okay if the class turn out to be very small to make it like a private lesson. Let's just say that I considered it a real risk that this will end up being an expensive private lesson for me. And you know what? I think I would be okay with it.
Waiting for Guffman
January 18, 2006
I like this title better than "Waiting for Godot" or at least I am more comfortable with it. In any case, I was neither surprised nor disappointed, and didn't concern myself with it after around 10:30 PM as I recalled my friend Jeremy's favorite line, "I'll always have a place at the Dairy Queen." There were too many weird aspects to it, including exact same wording used in a private communication from last year in a public inquiry and the birthday factor.
Brit Salsafest is seemingly being talked about by everyone and their cousins. People in Cambridge seem to be buying tickets left and right. Some were making travel arrangements together. I would start thinking about it too except I have no confirmation of my booking thus far. There is the factor of the extra ticket to consider - it would not be prudent to make a final decision on what to do with it until I am more certain that I have it.
I eased my dancing restrictions for tonight; I think there were at least 8 dance partners for 10 dances. Technical gaffes reappeared frequently still, but the only way to fix it is to keep trying. Thinking at the same time about feeling the music, stylizing with it, etc. made for an interesting and challenging evening. I liked it. With pretty much everyone gone, I made a debut of my extended shine, which went quite well until the very last bit. While no dance was perfect (by the way, I think it's arguable that if you are having nothing but perfect dances, you're probably not trying hard enough), I was very satisfied with a fair number of them. In particular with the last dance, I told myself that there's no way I could top it tonight and that I better call it a night.
I like this title better than "Waiting for Godot" or at least I am more comfortable with it. In any case, I was neither surprised nor disappointed, and didn't concern myself with it after around 10:30 PM as I recalled my friend Jeremy's favorite line, "I'll always have a place at the Dairy Queen." There were too many weird aspects to it, including exact same wording used in a private communication from last year in a public inquiry and the birthday factor.
Brit Salsafest is seemingly being talked about by everyone and their cousins. People in Cambridge seem to be buying tickets left and right. Some were making travel arrangements together. I would start thinking about it too except I have no confirmation of my booking thus far. There is the factor of the extra ticket to consider - it would not be prudent to make a final decision on what to do with it until I am more certain that I have it.
I eased my dancing restrictions for tonight; I think there were at least 8 dance partners for 10 dances. Technical gaffes reappeared frequently still, but the only way to fix it is to keep trying. Thinking at the same time about feeling the music, stylizing with it, etc. made for an interesting and challenging evening. I liked it. With pretty much everyone gone, I made a debut of my extended shine, which went quite well until the very last bit. While no dance was perfect (by the way, I think it's arguable that if you are having nothing but perfect dances, you're probably not trying hard enough), I was very satisfied with a fair number of them. In particular with the last dance, I told myself that there's no way I could top it tonight and that I better call it a night.
Shaking my head in disbelief
January 17, 2006
Pretty much right after I said that I wasn't going to post something every day on this blog, something like this happens. It's going to be extra fun for me tomorrow as if things weren't interesting enough already. By the way, three of the posters here have known about this blog for a long time, and I am 99% certain that all three know that the other two are well aware of this blog. It's things like this that makes me wonder if the Brit Salsafest contest was fixed for me.
Pretty much right after I said that I wasn't going to post something every day on this blog, something like this happens. It's going to be extra fun for me tomorrow as if things weren't interesting enough already. By the way, three of the posters here have known about this blog for a long time, and I am 99% certain that all three know that the other two are well aware of this blog. It's things like this that makes me wonder if the Brit Salsafest contest was fixed for me.
Cristian debuts at Soul Tree
January 16, 2006
Mmmm. Too much Salsa. I never expected to post something everyday for six days in a row or to attend Salsa-related events six days in a row. There's no way I'm going to keep this up.
I originally intended to check out at least a small part of the lessons taught by Cristian and co. in their debut at the Soul Tree, but all I could manage was to get there an hour after the lessons were over. The lessons were apparently held at the main dance floor (concrete floor), and there apparently were three levels of lessons. There were 10-15 couples dancing when I arrived ~10 PM, and they were about to move the Latin music to the penthouse (wood floor).
Salsa dancing went on for a bit longer after the move upstairs at least until dancers started heading out presumably to bed. As more accomplished dancers left, the bar became more and more crowded with the usual Soul Tree international crowd. At the time of my departure shortly before midnight, the party was still going strong. Overall this was the most amount of (and best) dancing I ever saw at Soul Tree all around.
As for me, I went with little intention of dancing - just enough to be polite but no more. This equated to one dance near the beginning. Rest of the time, I just sat around to chill and soaked up the atmosphere.
Supposedly a live Salsa band will be playing next week at the Soul Tree (not sure if it's Peter's Cambiando). I just might have to check it out even though I'm feeling overbooked.
Mmmm. Too much Salsa. I never expected to post something everyday for six days in a row or to attend Salsa-related events six days in a row. There's no way I'm going to keep this up.
I originally intended to check out at least a small part of the lessons taught by Cristian and co. in their debut at the Soul Tree, but all I could manage was to get there an hour after the lessons were over. The lessons were apparently held at the main dance floor (concrete floor), and there apparently were three levels of lessons. There were 10-15 couples dancing when I arrived ~10 PM, and they were about to move the Latin music to the penthouse (wood floor).
Salsa dancing went on for a bit longer after the move upstairs at least until dancers started heading out presumably to bed. As more accomplished dancers left, the bar became more and more crowded with the usual Soul Tree international crowd. At the time of my departure shortly before midnight, the party was still going strong. Overall this was the most amount of (and best) dancing I ever saw at Soul Tree all around.
As for me, I went with little intention of dancing - just enough to be polite but no more. This equated to one dance near the beginning. Rest of the time, I just sat around to chill and soaked up the atmosphere.
Supposedly a live Salsa band will be playing next week at the Soul Tree (not sure if it's Peter's Cambiando). I just might have to check it out even though I'm feeling overbooked.
I dabble at being a Latin DJ
January 15, 2006
I went to Club Salsa tonight with intention at dabbling as a DJ instead of dancing. I was in the booth for two stretches of times. Below is my play list. Vishal seemed happy enough to say that I'm welcome to do it again.
Frankie Ruiz - La Rueda
Frankie Ruiz - Esta Cobardia
Ray Barretto - Quitate La Mascara*
Orchestra Harlow - La Cartera*
Tito Puente - Mambo Diablo*
break
Grupo Niche - Gotas De Lluvia
Grupo Niche - Un Alto En El Camino
Toque D' Keda - Lamento Boliviano*
Eddie Palmieri - Ritmo Caliente II
Eddie Palmieri - Tu Tu Ta Ta II
Africando - Mandali
Africando - La Vie En Rose*
*Denotes tracks never played during regular club hours at Club Salsa. Lamento Boliviano was played at the Tony & Claudia workshop.
I danced/practiced with only one person (or one more than I expected) in between the times I acted as a DJ. I'm perfectly alright with it.
As I was leaving, Vishal informed me of launch of Cristian's Salsa classes at the Soul Tree tomorrow. Apparently, I was one of the last people to learn about it. I guess Tony & Claudia workshop will end up drawing some people away from it for one night. Oh well - that's unfortunate.
I went to Club Salsa tonight with intention at dabbling as a DJ instead of dancing. I was in the booth for two stretches of times. Below is my play list. Vishal seemed happy enough to say that I'm welcome to do it again.
Frankie Ruiz - La Rueda
Frankie Ruiz - Esta Cobardia
Ray Barretto - Quitate La Mascara*
Orchestra Harlow - La Cartera*
Tito Puente - Mambo Diablo*
break
Grupo Niche - Gotas De Lluvia
Grupo Niche - Un Alto En El Camino
Toque D' Keda - Lamento Boliviano*
Eddie Palmieri - Ritmo Caliente II
Eddie Palmieri - Tu Tu Ta Ta II
Africando - Mandali
Africando - La Vie En Rose*
*Denotes tracks never played during regular club hours at Club Salsa. Lamento Boliviano was played at the Tony & Claudia workshop.
I danced/practiced with only one person (or one more than I expected) in between the times I acted as a DJ. I'm perfectly alright with it.
As I was leaving, Vishal informed me of launch of Cristian's Salsa classes at the Soul Tree tomorrow. Apparently, I was one of the last people to learn about it. I guess Tony & Claudia workshop will end up drawing some people away from it for one night. Oh well - that's unfortunate.
Johnny & Serap's little helpers for a beginner Salsa workshop
January 14, 2006
Material covered in the Beginner workshop ran by Johnny & Serap included -
basic forward and back
basic back to back
basic side to side (straight back and opening up)
side to side to side and tap
basic in place (and tap)
rotational turns together during basic (during 1,2,3 or 5,6,7)
follower's pivot turn from open and closed hold
leader's pivot turn with low connection and hand switch
leader's pivot turn with L-R high
cross body lead
The workshop ran 3 hours 50 minutes or 50 minutes longer than scheduled (from 2 PM to 5:50 PM) yet not all the material that Johnny & Serap wanted to teach was covered. Several people were recruited to help with the class as there were many more women who subscribed for the class compared to men. These ringers had been gathered during Friday evening at Club Salsa. I mostly watched and made occasional suggestions during the first half and was more involved in the second half. I also used this as an opportunity to familiarize myself with the sound system at Club Salsa. Johnny, Serap and the helpers (all men) stopped by at Sauce afterwards for a drink.
Material covered in the Beginner workshop ran by Johnny & Serap included -
basic forward and back
basic back to back
basic side to side (straight back and opening up)
side to side to side and tap
basic in place (and tap)
rotational turns together during basic (during 1,2,3 or 5,6,7)
follower's pivot turn from open and closed hold
leader's pivot turn with low connection and hand switch
leader's pivot turn with L-R high
cross body lead
The workshop ran 3 hours 50 minutes or 50 minutes longer than scheduled (from 2 PM to 5:50 PM) yet not all the material that Johnny & Serap wanted to teach was covered. Several people were recruited to help with the class as there were many more women who subscribed for the class compared to men. These ringers had been gathered during Friday evening at Club Salsa. I mostly watched and made occasional suggestions during the first half and was more involved in the second half. I also used this as an opportunity to familiarize myself with the sound system at Club Salsa. Johnny, Serap and the helpers (all men) stopped by at Sauce afterwards for a drink.
Much ado about leading (and following)
January 13, 2006
Johnny & Serap's level 4 class note is as follows.
1,2,3,5,6,7 stylized cross body start #1 (L foot slide along follower’s line on 1 and back) followed by block (followers have their own stylization – it might have been twist while stepping backwards on 1 and a body swerve on 5 as they walk forward)
1,2,3,5,6,7 stylized cross body start #2 (L foot slide behind R foot on 1 and back) and finish cross body lead (followers have another stylization – it might have been R foot slide across L foot on 1 and back)
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead a double stationary clockwise turn (led with L-R) and switch to R-R preferably on leader’s R shoulder
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and into Copa with L-L connection made mid-way and arms outstretched on 4 and then lead follower into a traveling double counterclockwise turn (going back towards her original position) ending with R hand on follower’s R shoulder [note: I ended up forgoing this R hand on R shoulder bit with a normal song]
1,2,3,5,6,7 walk around in front of follower and into cross body lead position as follower is turned around one more time clockwise and finish with normal cross body lead
So many people seemingly had no practice in stylizing or doing double turns tonight unfortunately. With LA style Salsa, I think stationary double turn is essentially a requirement. I suspect it may be best to start teaching stationary double turns very early – even before teaching cross body with 1 1/2 turns. In an 8-week CDC course outline I designed last month on a whim (but did not publish), I proposed teaching leading and following stationary double turns for beginners on week 6 and continued on week 7. In a concurrent improver course at least for first time around, stationary double turn was started on week 5 and was continued on week 6 mainly because I did not assume that a so-called improver is necessarily familiar even with simple cross body lead. For intermediate class (and improver class after the first term of beginner class has been completed), stationary double turn would be started on week 1. Of course, since I have never tried teaching Salsa, I don’t know if this is really workable. Heck, I sometimes find myself second-guessing myself on my technique for leading double turns when I’m feeling especially incompetent. Then again, I have been scrutinizing every aspect of my leading lately so.
For anyone who hopes to be able to dance LA style Salsa and have fun immediately dancing with good local dancers, I feel that leading or following double turn has to become easy. In my (admittedly short) experience, I have not seen any followers who found stationary double turn difficult yet was not wobbling or was not turning too slowly when following 1 1/2 turns during cross body lead. Enough wobbling or not being able to finish turning in time severely restricts leaders ability to string together a complex pattern without placing in a basic – at least if the leader cares about dancing in time to the music.
My mind was in a heavy conflict about dancing tonight. On one hand, I wanted to dance. On the other, I was afraid to dance mainly because of two reasons. One, every dance would need to be more limited and made simpler, which was like a taking a step backwards (even if it is taking a step backwards so that it would be easier to take two steps forwards). Two, this adjustments ran counter to what had been my long-term aim of making my lead softer and smoother (here again step backwards is needed to go forward again). In my opinion, the amount of force needed for communicating leads should become less and less as one become more adept with partner dancing. I’m pretty certain that suggestions made about correcting my cross body lead by Sally and others were meant to make my leads clearer and more precise but to not necessarily make it sharper and more forceful. Perhaps the best proof of this approach (minimizing force) was my dances with Claudia on two different occasions. Just by holding her hands for few seconds at the start of the dance, it was abundantly clear to me that some of the best dancers only need (and probably even demand) mere flicker of indication to lead something to perform most if not all moves. This view is supported by classroom teachings of Sergio and Tamambo (and perhaps to a lesser extent by Ivan) and also dancing with many other very good dancers in London, Cambridge and the USA. Still even with more concentration on leading cross body lead with turns (at the expense of keeping my routines relatively simple), I think I was making a mistake about 1/4 of the time, and every mistake led to an internal (and hopefully internal only) groan. The only time I was feeling completely okay about dancing was during two Bachata songs. In any case, it will get fixed sooner rather than later. After all, I can’t afford to keep not dancing or otherwise risk losing stamina from too few dancing. Also in the end, only a lot of practice (with a lot of concentration on correcting the problem) will be needed to get it fixed (even if it didn’t really start in earnest tonight).
A most outrageous and hilarious thing happened to me near the end of the night. I was practicing some shine in a corner (a recent favorite activity for me) when someone out of blue grabbed my hands and started tossing me around. It wasn’t a battery but not exactly leading either. Maybe 10 seconds into this, this guy starts yelling, “Do you know how to dance Salsa?” I was too surprised and dazed and perhaps even a little scared to answer right away, and the question was repeated few more times before I answered that I did indeed know how to dance Salsa. By the way, I was so dazed that I don’t remember at what point he stopped tossing me around. This guy was with several friends both male and female. He then started talking about wanting to dance Salsa. I started suggested taking lessons, and he replied that he couldn’t consider taking lessons because he would want to dance according to his heart (presumably rather than following instructions from some stranger). Partly so that I could gather my thoughts, I asked him to try dancing to the music – even asking him to dance more when he stopped after about 20-30 seconds. I then commented that he indeed seemed able to dance to the music (even if the steps he was taking was not any standard basic). I then proceeded to explain that lessons are still useful because it instructs one about rules of the dance. The word “rules” seemed to invoke indignation, so I quickly added that dance is a like a communication or a language. In order to dance with someone else, one (leader) has to be able to communicate what is being asked of the other (follower). If two people dancing together don’t know what the other person wants, then the dance does not work. This line of explaining was apparently more persuasive because he then pointed out one of his woman friend while telling me that she had taken some lessons and asked me to dance with her. I obliged and led mostly simple Cuban moves after quickly determining that she didn’t seem very familiar with cross body lead, etc. I think they were favorably impressed because these guys then tried to get me to dance with their other woman friends. I declined on the pretext that they stopped playing Salsa and made my escape. As I was relating what had happened to Sean and few other familiar faces, I commented that the only way it could have been made more extraordinary (and unlikely) is if the person who grabbed me was a woman and if she was leading me correctly.
Thanks to everyone who was helpful and bore with me – there were quite a few out there tonight (although I will keep my policy of not using people’s names except in special cases). Serap in particular was helpful in getting me to figure out which adjustments were good and which adjustments were counterproductive or wrong (I guess this happened because I started questioning my lead for everything). While I haven’t gone over everything yet, it would seem that the number of corrections I need to make is not as big as I once thought.
Johnny & Serap's level 4 class note is as follows.
1,2,3,5,6,7 stylized cross body start #1 (L foot slide along follower’s line on 1 and back) followed by block (followers have their own stylization – it might have been twist while stepping backwards on 1 and a body swerve on 5 as they walk forward)
1,2,3,5,6,7 stylized cross body start #2 (L foot slide behind R foot on 1 and back) and finish cross body lead (followers have another stylization – it might have been R foot slide across L foot on 1 and back)
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead a double stationary clockwise turn (led with L-R) and switch to R-R preferably on leader’s R shoulder
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and into Copa with L-L connection made mid-way and arms outstretched on 4 and then lead follower into a traveling double counterclockwise turn (going back towards her original position) ending with R hand on follower’s R shoulder [note: I ended up forgoing this R hand on R shoulder bit with a normal song]
1,2,3,5,6,7 walk around in front of follower and into cross body lead position as follower is turned around one more time clockwise and finish with normal cross body lead
So many people seemingly had no practice in stylizing or doing double turns tonight unfortunately. With LA style Salsa, I think stationary double turn is essentially a requirement. I suspect it may be best to start teaching stationary double turns very early – even before teaching cross body with 1 1/2 turns. In an 8-week CDC course outline I designed last month on a whim (but did not publish), I proposed teaching leading and following stationary double turns for beginners on week 6 and continued on week 7. In a concurrent improver course at least for first time around, stationary double turn was started on week 5 and was continued on week 6 mainly because I did not assume that a so-called improver is necessarily familiar even with simple cross body lead. For intermediate class (and improver class after the first term of beginner class has been completed), stationary double turn would be started on week 1. Of course, since I have never tried teaching Salsa, I don’t know if this is really workable. Heck, I sometimes find myself second-guessing myself on my technique for leading double turns when I’m feeling especially incompetent. Then again, I have been scrutinizing every aspect of my leading lately so
For anyone who hopes to be able to dance LA style Salsa and have fun immediately dancing with good local dancers, I feel that leading or following double turn has to become easy. In my (admittedly short) experience, I have not seen any followers who found stationary double turn difficult yet was not wobbling or was not turning too slowly when following 1 1/2 turns during cross body lead. Enough wobbling or not being able to finish turning in time severely restricts leaders ability to string together a complex pattern without placing in a basic – at least if the leader cares about dancing in time to the music.
My mind was in a heavy conflict about dancing tonight. On one hand, I wanted to dance. On the other, I was afraid to dance mainly because of two reasons. One, every dance would need to be more limited and made simpler, which was like a taking a step backwards (even if it is taking a step backwards so that it would be easier to take two steps forwards). Two, this adjustments ran counter to what had been my long-term aim of making my lead softer and smoother (here again step backwards is needed to go forward again). In my opinion, the amount of force needed for communicating leads should become less and less as one become more adept with partner dancing. I’m pretty certain that suggestions made about correcting my cross body lead by Sally and others were meant to make my leads clearer and more precise but to not necessarily make it sharper and more forceful. Perhaps the best proof of this approach (minimizing force) was my dances with Claudia on two different occasions. Just by holding her hands for few seconds at the start of the dance, it was abundantly clear to me that some of the best dancers only need (and probably even demand) mere flicker of indication to lead something to perform most if not all moves. This view is supported by classroom teachings of Sergio and Tamambo (and perhaps to a lesser extent by Ivan) and also dancing with many other very good dancers in London, Cambridge and the USA. Still even with more concentration on leading cross body lead with turns (at the expense of keeping my routines relatively simple), I think I was making a mistake about 1/4 of the time, and every mistake led to an internal (and hopefully internal only) groan. The only time I was feeling completely okay about dancing was during two Bachata songs. In any case, it will get fixed sooner rather than later. After all, I can’t afford to keep not dancing or otherwise risk losing stamina from too few dancing. Also in the end, only a lot of practice (with a lot of concentration on correcting the problem) will be needed to get it fixed (even if it didn’t really start in earnest tonight).
A most outrageous and hilarious thing happened to me near the end of the night. I was practicing some shine in a corner (a recent favorite activity for me) when someone out of blue grabbed my hands and started tossing me around. It wasn’t a battery but not exactly leading either. Maybe 10 seconds into this, this guy starts yelling, “Do you know how to dance Salsa?” I was too surprised and dazed and perhaps even a little scared to answer right away, and the question was repeated few more times before I answered that I did indeed know how to dance Salsa. By the way, I was so dazed that I don’t remember at what point he stopped tossing me around. This guy was with several friends both male and female. He then started talking about wanting to dance Salsa. I started suggested taking lessons, and he replied that he couldn’t consider taking lessons because he would want to dance according to his heart (presumably rather than following instructions from some stranger). Partly so that I could gather my thoughts, I asked him to try dancing to the music – even asking him to dance more when he stopped after about 20-30 seconds. I then commented that he indeed seemed able to dance to the music (even if the steps he was taking was not any standard basic). I then proceeded to explain that lessons are still useful because it instructs one about rules of the dance. The word “rules” seemed to invoke indignation, so I quickly added that dance is a like a communication or a language. In order to dance with someone else, one (leader) has to be able to communicate what is being asked of the other (follower). If two people dancing together don’t know what the other person wants, then the dance does not work. This line of explaining was apparently more persuasive because he then pointed out one of his woman friend while telling me that she had taken some lessons and asked me to dance with her. I obliged and led mostly simple Cuban moves after quickly determining that she didn’t seem very familiar with cross body lead, etc. I think they were favorably impressed because these guys then tried to get me to dance with their other woman friends. I declined on the pretext that they stopped playing Salsa and made my escape. As I was relating what had happened to Sean and few other familiar faces, I commented that the only way it could have been made more extraordinary (and unlikely) is if the person who grabbed me was a woman and if she was leading me correctly.
Thanks to everyone who was helpful and bore with me – there were quite a few out there tonight (although I will keep my policy of not using people’s names except in special cases). Serap in particular was helpful in getting me to figure out which adjustments were good and which adjustments were counterproductive or wrong (I guess this happened because I started questioning my lead for everything). While I haven’t gone over everything yet, it would seem that the number of corrections I need to make is not as big as I once thought.
Tony & Claudia will return
January 13, 2006
Tony and Claudia workshop is on (again). When Tony had e-mailed me yesterday afternoon to inquire about the status of the workshop, I was debating how to reply and was very close to giving up on the workshop – mainly because I will now be going to the Brit Salsafest. However, I got just enough encouragement from couple of people (one last Sunday and one last night) to make me think that it will be worthwhile. I must be insane for doing it but I knew that already; I love to put myself in impossible situations.
It'll be Monday, February 6th. Probably starting at 7:30 PM at Club Salsa. A Salsa workshop and a Bachata workshop. Dancing afterwards. More details TBA.
Tony and Claudia workshop is on (again). When Tony had e-mailed me yesterday afternoon to inquire about the status of the workshop, I was debating how to reply and was very close to giving up on the workshop – mainly because I will now be going to the Brit Salsafest. However, I got just enough encouragement from couple of people (one last Sunday and one last night) to make me think that it will be worthwhile. I must be insane for doing it but I knew that already; I love to put myself in impossible situations.
It'll be Monday, February 6th. Probably starting at 7:30 PM at Club Salsa. A Salsa workshop and a Bachata workshop. Dancing afterwards. More details TBA.
No easier than SOS level 3 - Ivan & Sally
January 12, 2006
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic with L-R prepare as styling on 1,2,3 (seemed to confuse a lot of followers)
1,2,3,5,6,7 New York preparation on 1,2, and turn follower full clockwise on 3,4 thus leaving 5,6,7 for styling by both (body isolation type – new for Cambridge … for that matter, I don’t’ recall getting body isolation styling in any of my London classes either)
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn (standard L-R lead)
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 1 1/2 clockwise turn for leader with L-R high and ending on leader’s L shoulder on 1,2,3 then release (flick) L-R and connect R-R at leader’s R waist
1,2,3 open break and R-R goes over follower’s head to land on top of follower’s R shoulder while L-L connection is made in front
5,6,7 both move forward on 5 and leader uses R-R on follower’s shoulder to bring her backwards and spin full clockwise (L-L is released early and is not a part of the lead here while R-R is released after the turn is led – R hand ends up on top of follower’s R shoulder at the end again while L-L connection is remade after the spin)
1,2,3 both move backwards on 1 then get back to original position (open cross body position) with all connections staying constant
5,6,7 lead follower to 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with L-L
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3 pivot turn for leader with R-L high and L-R somewhat lower and released during the turn and reconnected at the completion of the turn
5,6,7 L-R is pointed towards R and R-L is flicked underneath L-R late in the count and reconnected up high above L-R (this L-R reconnection could be made during next 1,2,3)
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and lead 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn for follower with all connections intact
1,2,3 open break (high) and R-L goes over follower’s head while L-R goes over leader’s head and end back-to-back with arms outstretched
5,6,7 lead 1 1/2 turn for follower (not sure which direction it went)
My reaction to this routine was that I have had a number of easier classes at SOS level 3 compared to this. I suspect very few (if any) will get much useful routine out of such a difficult class until they get used to it. This will almost certainly take at least couple of months. It’s very ambitious. I was thinking about staying behind during the second hour (not necessarily to partake in the class but use it for some practices), and I ended up taking the second class, which was much more manageable and possibly immediately usable if I weren’t working on fixing my cross body lead technique.
Second class (improver level = I think it’s a stretch to call it improver but whatever)
1,2,3,5,6,7 1 1/2 clockwise turn for leader with L-R high and ending on leader’s L shoulder on 1,2,3 then release L-R and reconnect L-R at leader’s L waist
1,2,3 open break and follower is brought forward on leader’s left side with L-R side by side and hooked so that leader’s L arm is positioned to L of follower’s R arm (optional: L-R connection can be released at this time)
5,6,7 lead follower forward into 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn (optional with L-R released is footwork styling – one suggestion was R foot slide to front R and then to front L – this is followed by both stepping back on next 1 and back to place on 2,3 to get back to finish this move as written here)
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic on 1,2,3 and lead follower to a pivot clockwise turn with all connections intact on 5,6,7 (pivot turn or 12 o’clock turn for follower works fine here)
1,2,3 open break (high) and R-L goes over follower’s head while L-R goes over leader’s head and end back-to-back with arms outstretched (optional: open break could be made low for styling and then to do a simple basic on next 5,6,7) - remember the triangle
5,6,7 lead 1 1/2 or 1/2 clockwise turn leading with R-L and thus letting follower carry on through to the direction she was going
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic with hold changed to L-L over R-R at some point (can be done as early as 8/1 after follower’s turn in previous bar]
1,2,3,5,6,7 reverse cross body lead ending with Copa with R-R on follower’s R waist to help indicate in-and-out nature of the lead (although Ivan says even R-R on follower’s R waist does not mean that it will end up being a standard Copa).
Because of my cross body lead technique issue, I refrained from too much dancing yet again. I ended up dancing only with two people after the class; with one of them serving mostly as practice for both of us at the time – it worked out really nicely. On second thought, there was one other time when I led someone as well but I wouldn't call that a dance. The SOS shines, in particular from last time, were corrected and polished thereafter whenever I was getting bored with leading air.
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic with L-R prepare as styling on 1,2,3 (seemed to confuse a lot of followers)
1,2,3,5,6,7 New York preparation on 1,2, and turn follower full clockwise on 3,4 thus leaving 5,6,7 for styling by both (body isolation type – new for Cambridge … for that matter, I don’t’ recall getting body isolation styling in any of my London classes either)
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn (standard L-R lead)
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 1 1/2 clockwise turn for leader with L-R high and ending on leader’s L shoulder on 1,2,3 then release (flick) L-R and connect R-R at leader’s R waist
1,2,3 open break and R-R goes over follower’s head to land on top of follower’s R shoulder while L-L connection is made in front
5,6,7 both move forward on 5 and leader uses R-R on follower’s shoulder to bring her backwards and spin full clockwise (L-L is released early and is not a part of the lead here while R-R is released after the turn is led – R hand ends up on top of follower’s R shoulder at the end again while L-L connection is remade after the spin)
1,2,3 both move backwards on 1 then get back to original position (open cross body position) with all connections staying constant
5,6,7 lead follower to 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with L-L
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3 pivot turn for leader with R-L high and L-R somewhat lower and released during the turn and reconnected at the completion of the turn
5,6,7 L-R is pointed towards R and R-L is flicked underneath L-R late in the count and reconnected up high above L-R (this L-R reconnection could be made during next 1,2,3)
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and lead 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn for follower with all connections intact
1,2,3 open break (high) and R-L goes over follower’s head while L-R goes over leader’s head and end back-to-back with arms outstretched
5,6,7 lead 1 1/2 turn for follower (not sure which direction it went)
My reaction to this routine was that I have had a number of easier classes at SOS level 3 compared to this. I suspect very few (if any) will get much useful routine out of such a difficult class until they get used to it. This will almost certainly take at least couple of months. It’s very ambitious. I was thinking about staying behind during the second hour (not necessarily to partake in the class but use it for some practices), and I ended up taking the second class, which was much more manageable and possibly immediately usable if I weren’t working on fixing my cross body lead technique.
Second class (improver level = I think it’s a stretch to call it improver but whatever)
1,2,3,5,6,7 1 1/2 clockwise turn for leader with L-R high and ending on leader’s L shoulder on 1,2,3 then release L-R and reconnect L-R at leader’s L waist
1,2,3 open break and follower is brought forward on leader’s left side with L-R side by side and hooked so that leader’s L arm is positioned to L of follower’s R arm (optional: L-R connection can be released at this time)
5,6,7 lead follower forward into 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn (optional with L-R released is footwork styling – one suggestion was R foot slide to front R and then to front L – this is followed by both stepping back on next 1 and back to place on 2,3 to get back to finish this move as written here)
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic on 1,2,3 and lead follower to a pivot clockwise turn with all connections intact on 5,6,7 (pivot turn or 12 o’clock turn for follower works fine here)
1,2,3 open break (high) and R-L goes over follower’s head while L-R goes over leader’s head and end back-to-back with arms outstretched (optional: open break could be made low for styling and then to do a simple basic on next 5,6,7) - remember the triangle
5,6,7 lead 1 1/2 or 1/2 clockwise turn leading with R-L and thus letting follower carry on through to the direction she was going
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic with hold changed to L-L over R-R at some point (can be done as early as 8/1 after follower’s turn in previous bar]
1,2,3,5,6,7 reverse cross body lead ending with Copa with R-R on follower’s R waist to help indicate in-and-out nature of the lead (although Ivan says even R-R on follower’s R waist does not mean that it will end up being a standard Copa).
Because of my cross body lead technique issue, I refrained from too much dancing yet again. I ended up dancing only with two people after the class; with one of them serving mostly as practice for both of us at the time – it worked out really nicely. On second thought, there was one other time when I led someone as well but I wouldn't call that a dance. The SOS shines, in particular from last time, were corrected and polished thereafter whenever I was getting bored with leading air.
Blackpool according to Lonely Planet
January 11, 2006
I haven't had much opportunity to use my guidebook to Britain so I forgot about it initially when I decided to learn more about Blackpool. Here are some choice excerpts.
--
Blackpool
Tel 01253 - Pop 150,600 - Elevation 1 m
The unchallenged doyen of Britain's tacky seaside resorts, Blackpool has stubbornly refused to fade in spite of the challenge of budget holidays to southern Spain and other destinations where the sun is guaranteed to shine.
Blackpool is famous for its tower [half size version of Eiffel Tower], its three piers, its Pleasure Beach amusement park and its Illuminations [five miles of the Promenade are illuminated with thousands of electric and neon lights from early September to early November], a successful ploy to extend the brief summer holiday season.
Places to Stay
Blackpool has over 2500 hotels, B&Bs and self-catering units, showing just how popular a holiday destination it is. … Competition is fierce so you should have no trouble finding somewhere to stay for around £18 per person, except at the height of summer.
Places to Eat
Forget gourmet meals - the Blackpool experience is all about stuffing your face with burgers, hot dogs, doughnuts, and fish and chips.
--
Hilarious.
I haven't had much opportunity to use my guidebook to Britain so I forgot about it initially when I decided to learn more about Blackpool. Here are some choice excerpts.
--
Blackpool
Tel 01253 - Pop 150,600 - Elevation 1 m
The unchallenged doyen of Britain's tacky seaside resorts, Blackpool has stubbornly refused to fade in spite of the challenge of budget holidays to southern Spain and other destinations where the sun is guaranteed to shine.
Blackpool is famous for its tower [half size version of Eiffel Tower], its three piers, its Pleasure Beach amusement park and its Illuminations [five miles of the Promenade are illuminated with thousands of electric and neon lights from early September to early November], a successful ploy to extend the brief summer holiday season.
Places to Stay
Blackpool has over 2500 hotels, B&Bs and self-catering units, showing just how popular a holiday destination it is. … Competition is fierce so you should have no trouble finding somewhere to stay for around £18 per person, except at the height of summer.
Places to Eat
Forget gourmet meals - the Blackpool experience is all about stuffing your face with burgers, hot dogs, doughnuts, and fish and chips.
--
Hilarious.
Re-learning how to lead cross body lead, part 2
January 11, 2006
I danced only with two people tonight as I was concentrating on fixing cross body lead issues. In an informal survey with these two, one person preferred my old method of leading cross body lead while the other preferred my newer attempt. I am unsure if this is comparing apples and oranges (as the timing of turning – 5 vs 6 – is not the only difference between the two methods. Because there are so many ways to lead cross body lead, it is becoming more evident that this is a humongous problem. I hope this will get resolved and largely fixed by February.
I wonder how on-2 people do it; do they initiate turns on-3? I recall reading somewhere that they “cheat” and start leading follower on a move on-1, which might mean extra turns are initiated on-2. It’s highly mystifying and perhaps not very useful to speculate rather than learn.
It seems I'm getting more practice of doing shines because of this problem. In the course of practicing shines, I realized there probably are some errors to my notes, which I'll have to go back and correct later.
I danced only with two people tonight as I was concentrating on fixing cross body lead issues. In an informal survey with these two, one person preferred my old method of leading cross body lead while the other preferred my newer attempt. I am unsure if this is comparing apples and oranges (as the timing of turning – 5 vs 6 – is not the only difference between the two methods. Because there are so many ways to lead cross body lead, it is becoming more evident that this is a humongous problem. I hope this will get resolved and largely fixed by February.
I wonder how on-2 people do it; do they initiate turns on-3? I recall reading somewhere that they “cheat” and start leading follower on a move on-1, which might mean extra turns are initiated on-2. It’s highly mystifying and perhaps not very useful to speculate rather than learn.
It seems I'm getting more practice of doing shines because of this problem. In the course of practicing shines, I realized there probably are some errors to my notes, which I'll have to go back and correct later.
See you at Brit Salsafest
January 9, 2005
Unbelievable. Last night I was thinking that I'll skip Brit Salsafest and concentrate on hosting Tony and Claudia the night after the end of the Salsafest. Now I learn that I won a pair of tickets to Brit Salsafest courtesy of londonsalsa.co.uk and SalsaUK. I guess I could still opt not to go, but I think that would be fighting fate (even if I don't believe in fate…).
Phil at londonsalsa.co.uk assures me that the contest was not fixed. There were seven contests to pick 3 semi-finalists. I entered only the first contest in November and promptly was picked as a semi-finalist (possibly as the first name to be picked). I might add that I was chagrined by and did not completely welcome this turn of event. My guess is that entering all 7 weeks would have given someone perhaps 40% chance of being picked as a semi-finalist (assuming ~50 people enter every week - this number is a pure guess on my part and is probably on the low side). As a semi-finalist, one has 1/21 or a little less than 5% chance of winning outright (or 2% chance overall assuming one did the utmost to try to win). It's not like winning the lottery or even being struck by lightning, but… See you at Brit Salsafest!
Unbelievable. Last night I was thinking that I'll skip Brit Salsafest and concentrate on hosting Tony and Claudia the night after the end of the Salsafest. Now I learn that I won a pair of tickets to Brit Salsafest courtesy of londonsalsa.co.uk and SalsaUK. I guess I could still opt not to go, but I think that would be fighting fate (even if I don't believe in fate…).
Phil at londonsalsa.co.uk assures me that the contest was not fixed. There were seven contests to pick 3 semi-finalists. I entered only the first contest in November and promptly was picked as a semi-finalist (possibly as the first name to be picked). I might add that I was chagrined by and did not completely welcome this turn of event. My guess is that entering all 7 weeks would have given someone perhaps 40% chance of being picked as a semi-finalist (assuming ~50 people enter every week - this number is a pure guess on my part and is probably on the low side). As a semi-finalist, one has 1/21 or a little less than 5% chance of winning outright (or 2% chance overall assuming one did the utmost to try to win). It's not like winning the lottery or even being struck by lightning, but… See you at Brit Salsafest!
Re-learning how to lead cross body lead, part 1
January 8, 2006
I wasn't having much fun with knowledge of having a flawed technique, and I didn't think I was going to enjoy dancing Salsa until it is fixed. Because SOS is still being held at the replacement venue, there is not much impetus to go to London right now.
I thought that a possible solution was the Sunday practice sessions at Club Salsa. Because of other obligations, I didn't stay long this time but I think it might work based upon what I saw tonight. There were couple of people who are used to cross body leads, so I received some feedback from them to help me with my remedial work.
Also, it seemed to me that Sunday at Club Salsa might be a perfect place to bring my Salsa music to see how they sound on the dance floor. In fact, Vishal said bringing your own music (not just mine) to play it at Club Salsa is something he wholeheartedly welcomed when I talked to him.
I wasn't having much fun with knowledge of having a flawed technique, and I didn't think I was going to enjoy dancing Salsa until it is fixed. Because SOS is still being held at the replacement venue, there is not much impetus to go to London right now.
I thought that a possible solution was the Sunday practice sessions at Club Salsa. Because of other obligations, I didn't stay long this time but I think it might work based upon what I saw tonight. There were couple of people who are used to cross body leads, so I received some feedback from them to help me with my remedial work.
Also, it seemed to me that Sunday at Club Salsa might be a perfect place to bring my Salsa music to see how they sound on the dance floor. In fact, Vishal said bringing your own music (not just mine) to play it at Club Salsa is something he wholeheartedly welcomed when I talked to him.
After 1 1/4 years, I still can't do cross body lead properly
January 6, 2006
Johnny & Serap Level IV
open hold
1,2,3 open break and overtake on left side while L-R goes high and around counterclockwise to turn follower 1/2 counterclockwise – at this point positioning can be like cross body lead so presumably this move could end with a conventional cross body lead also although perhaps this is asking too much out of the follower
5,6,7 (instead) leader’s hook turn while letting go L-R
1,2,3 open break and overtake on left again but this time with R-L parallel to ground at chest level and pointing to left fully extended
5,6,7 lead follower into a free clockwise turn (1 1/2) – leader could do a turn here as well
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead (optional – I don’t think it was called for in the lesson)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and lead follower into a stationary clockwise turn with L-R and leader turns 1/2 counterclockwise to face away from follower and switch to R-R at leader’s R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower forward on 2,3 with R-R extended outwards and L-L connection made at leader’s R waist (thus L-L underneath R-R) by 3 and lead follower into traveling full counterclockwise with R-R staying low and L-L going over follower’s head and landing on follower’s L shoulder while leader is positioned behind and to right of follower
1,2,3 use L-L to lead follower backwards and step in front then cross over to right and back while bringing follower around to leader’s right with hold switched to R-R at the end
5,6,7 lead follower to a free traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn
I was wondering the other day where all the beginners have gone. The answer turned out to be Friday evening at Club Salsa. It was a welcome sight in some ways but then again it wasn't very fun dancing with many of them either. I suppose this is not surprising.
It really didn't matter very much in the end because I haven't been in a good form since mid-late December. Ever since I was told that there is a flaw with my cross body lead technique, I have been preoccupied with wanting to fix it but not being able to do so. Thus far trying to fix it during social dancing has been difficult. Knowing that I am constantly making mistake while doing a common and essential move also leaves me less able to concentrate on other parts of leading and less confident. I don't know how I'll fix it, but I better try to get it done as soon as possible.
Having this blog sometimes causes my interactions with people at Club Salsa to become surreal. Sometimes a conversation I was going to start would be completed before it starts. Sometimes contents of this blog or mere existence of the blog allows the other person to talk about some information as a given even though I did not know this because we never talked about it before. Sometimes the other person does not even need to have read anything I wrote in the blog, and I don't even have to write certain information on the blog. The effect can be very unnerving and disorienting because sometimes I am surprised by things other people know about me and sometimes I am left to wonder if certain things happened because of what I wrote in the blog.
This blog amplifies everything about me and makes me a public spectacle. I suspect some people like me more than they otherwise would have because of the blog while others dislike me more because of it. It also gives people an illusion of knowing me very well based upon my writing and how I try to portray myself.
One more fact about this blog - I think it made me become more obsessed about Salsa than I would have been without it.
Johnny & Serap Level IV
open hold
1,2,3 open break and overtake on left side while L-R goes high and around counterclockwise to turn follower 1/2 counterclockwise – at this point positioning can be like cross body lead so presumably this move could end with a conventional cross body lead also although perhaps this is asking too much out of the follower
5,6,7 (instead) leader’s hook turn while letting go L-R
1,2,3 open break and overtake on left again but this time with R-L parallel to ground at chest level and pointing to left fully extended
5,6,7 lead follower into a free clockwise turn (1 1/2) – leader could do a turn here as well
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead (optional – I don’t think it was called for in the lesson)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and lead follower into a stationary clockwise turn with L-R and leader turns 1/2 counterclockwise to face away from follower and switch to R-R at leader’s R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower forward on 2,3 with R-R extended outwards and L-L connection made at leader’s R waist (thus L-L underneath R-R) by 3 and lead follower into traveling full counterclockwise with R-R staying low and L-L going over follower’s head and landing on follower’s L shoulder while leader is positioned behind and to right of follower
1,2,3 use L-L to lead follower backwards and step in front then cross over to right and back while bringing follower around to leader’s right with hold switched to R-R at the end
5,6,7 lead follower to a free traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn
I was wondering the other day where all the beginners have gone. The answer turned out to be Friday evening at Club Salsa. It was a welcome sight in some ways but then again it wasn't very fun dancing with many of them either. I suppose this is not surprising.
It really didn't matter very much in the end because I haven't been in a good form since mid-late December. Ever since I was told that there is a flaw with my cross body lead technique, I have been preoccupied with wanting to fix it but not being able to do so. Thus far trying to fix it during social dancing has been difficult. Knowing that I am constantly making mistake while doing a common and essential move also leaves me less able to concentrate on other parts of leading and less confident. I don't know how I'll fix it, but I better try to get it done as soon as possible.
Having this blog sometimes causes my interactions with people at Club Salsa to become surreal. Sometimes a conversation I was going to start would be completed before it starts. Sometimes contents of this blog or mere existence of the blog allows the other person to talk about some information as a given even though I did not know this because we never talked about it before. Sometimes the other person does not even need to have read anything I wrote in the blog, and I don't even have to write certain information on the blog. The effect can be very unnerving and disorienting because sometimes I am surprised by things other people know about me and sometimes I am left to wonder if certain things happened because of what I wrote in the blog.
This blog amplifies everything about me and makes me a public spectacle. I suspect some people like me more than they otherwise would have because of the blog while others dislike me more because of it. It also gives people an illusion of knowing me very well based upon my writing and how I try to portray myself.
One more fact about this blog - I think it made me become more obsessed about Salsa than I would have been without it.
The king is back
January 5, 2006
Ivan & Sally Intermediate
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn for follower ending in R-R hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower to a double clockwise turn leading with R-R but also using L-L for touch and go – end with L-L on top of R-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break (dramatic) on 1,2,3 and in place on 5,6,7 while repositioning L-L -have L-L positioned on the right side of leader’s body with palm facing the follower and fingers (or at least the digit closest to palm) pointing to left
1,2,3,5,6,7 give hat for follower with L-L (follower’s L arm should be over her right shoulder while leader’s L arm should be over her left shoulder) on 1,2,3 (plenty of time) and lead follower to turn full clockwise while leader turns full counterclockwise (both in place or stationary)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break into reverse cross body (arms fully extended version) and lead follower to right (thus not in-and-out) and into a free 1 1/2 clockwise turn (2 1/2 if Sally chooses so) and leader does a free clockwise turn also and close in to get R hand on follower’s back shoulder for …
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead end with open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into double turn ending with hammerlock (L-R high lead)
1,2,3 open break (very small step on 1) and step forward and to left on 2 and L foot cross over on 3 to get around follower and be back-to-back (it really helps to be keep distance very close here)
5,6,7 step back on 5 and lead with L-R to start bringing follower around (my left) and in front of and facing me by 6 while keeping R-R high and lead follower to a single or double turn during 6,7,8
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 (optional) cross body lead with turning follower around half counterclockwise on 3,4 before finishing cross body lead – of course starting close together R foot goes behind follower on 3 as the turn (as a unit) is initiated
During lunch today, someone told me that Club Salsa is a scary place to dance Salsa. By this I think he meant that there are many good dancers who are at several levels beyond his ability and that he finds this intimidating. It took me quite some time before I started to dance on Fridays at Club Salsa because of the same reason. When I was starting out, beginners like me were able to dance without much better dancers dominating the dance floor on Wednesdays at Club Salsa and Mondays at Po Na Na. With Po Na Na out of equation for Salsa (which my friend at lunch noticed also) and Wednesdays to Fridays heavily frequented by “experts,” I wonder if not-so-good beginners are being squeezed out (or perhaps driven out to suburbs) and if this will lead to lack of infusion of new blood and cause decline in Salsa in Cambridge in the long run. A scarier fact is that the kind of things people do nowadays dancing at Club Salsa is arguably more complex and intricate compared to when I was starting out about 1 1/4 year ago, and standards are still being raised. I’m all for rising standards but I do wonder if it will be difficult to maintain high level of dancing at a tiny venue like Club Salsa if it is to be a place where everyone who dances looks like an expert and if there is no place beginners and improvers to get quality teaching with time and room to practice.
Ivan looks even better on the dance floor than I remembered. Maybe it’s because I know more than before but I think it also is possible that he used his Madagascar trip to improve his dancing even more. Of course he has been doing it four times as long as I have (as he helpfully keeps reminding me). Then again I also think there are people who have been dancing for one-fourth the amount of time I have yet is arguably as good as or is even better than me in many ways. Everyone (or everyone worth watching) is trying to get better always so that they can get ahead or at least not fall behind too much; it is how life works.
One of my predictions for 2006 is already going astray. We’ve had two nights of Salsa dancing at Club Salsa thus far this year, and both nights featured people dancing on-2 (some with ease and some with a bit of struggling). Are these people trying to prove me wrong or something? I also may need to adjust my statement regarding the number of on-2 dancers in Cambridge so that it reads, “The number of people who can lead on-2 in Cambridge can be counted in one hand.” Who knows? Maybe I’m wrong about this too.
I talked to a few people about the Tony & Claudia tonight. I'm still worried about the proposed date being the day after the end of Brit Salsafest. On one hand, many of the biggest Salsa fanatics in Cambridge will be at the Salsafest and thus likely will be too exhausted to do anything the day after. On the other hand, many of the people who will be going did not attend last time. Heck, it is still conceivable that I will go to the Salsafest. There will be more talking Friday.
Ivan & Sally Intermediate
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn for follower ending in R-R hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower to a double clockwise turn leading with R-R but also using L-L for touch and go – end with L-L on top of R-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break (dramatic) on 1,2,3 and in place on 5,6,7 while repositioning L-L -have L-L positioned on the right side of leader’s body with palm facing the follower and fingers (or at least the digit closest to palm) pointing to left
1,2,3,5,6,7 give hat for follower with L-L (follower’s L arm should be over her right shoulder while leader’s L arm should be over her left shoulder) on 1,2,3 (plenty of time) and lead follower to turn full clockwise while leader turns full counterclockwise (both in place or stationary)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break into reverse cross body (arms fully extended version) and lead follower to right (thus not in-and-out) and into a free 1 1/2 clockwise turn (2 1/2 if Sally chooses so) and leader does a free clockwise turn also and close in to get R hand on follower’s back shoulder for …
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead end with open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into double turn ending with hammerlock (L-R high lead)
1,2,3 open break (very small step on 1) and step forward and to left on 2 and L foot cross over on 3 to get around follower and be back-to-back (it really helps to be keep distance very close here)
5,6,7 step back on 5 and lead with L-R to start bringing follower around (my left) and in front of and facing me by 6 while keeping R-R high and lead follower to a single or double turn during 6,7,8
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 (optional) cross body lead with turning follower around half counterclockwise on 3,4 before finishing cross body lead – of course starting close together R foot goes behind follower on 3 as the turn (as a unit) is initiated
During lunch today, someone told me that Club Salsa is a scary place to dance Salsa. By this I think he meant that there are many good dancers who are at several levels beyond his ability and that he finds this intimidating. It took me quite some time before I started to dance on Fridays at Club Salsa because of the same reason. When I was starting out, beginners like me were able to dance without much better dancers dominating the dance floor on Wednesdays at Club Salsa and Mondays at Po Na Na. With Po Na Na out of equation for Salsa (which my friend at lunch noticed also) and Wednesdays to Fridays heavily frequented by “experts,” I wonder if not-so-good beginners are being squeezed out (or perhaps driven out to suburbs) and if this will lead to lack of infusion of new blood and cause decline in Salsa in Cambridge in the long run. A scarier fact is that the kind of things people do nowadays dancing at Club Salsa is arguably more complex and intricate compared to when I was starting out about 1 1/4 year ago, and standards are still being raised. I’m all for rising standards but I do wonder if it will be difficult to maintain high level of dancing at a tiny venue like Club Salsa if it is to be a place where everyone who dances looks like an expert and if there is no place beginners and improvers to get quality teaching with time and room to practice.
Ivan looks even better on the dance floor than I remembered. Maybe it’s because I know more than before but I think it also is possible that he used his Madagascar trip to improve his dancing even more. Of course he has been doing it four times as long as I have (as he helpfully keeps reminding me). Then again I also think there are people who have been dancing for one-fourth the amount of time I have yet is arguably as good as or is even better than me in many ways. Everyone (or everyone worth watching) is trying to get better always so that they can get ahead or at least not fall behind too much; it is how life works.
One of my predictions for 2006 is already going astray. We’ve had two nights of Salsa dancing at Club Salsa thus far this year, and both nights featured people dancing on-2 (some with ease and some with a bit of struggling). Are these people trying to prove me wrong or something? I also may need to adjust my statement regarding the number of on-2 dancers in Cambridge so that it reads, “The number of people who can lead on-2 in Cambridge can be counted in one hand.” Who knows? Maybe I’m wrong about this too.
I talked to a few people about the Tony & Claudia tonight. I'm still worried about the proposed date being the day after the end of Brit Salsafest. On one hand, many of the biggest Salsa fanatics in Cambridge will be at the Salsafest and thus likely will be too exhausted to do anything the day after. On the other hand, many of the people who will be going did not attend last time. Heck, it is still conceivable that I will go to the Salsafest. There will be more talking Friday.
A Tony & Claudia Encore?
January 4, 2006
Tony Lara and I had a flurry of e-mail exchange late last night to discuss an encore Bachata workshop in Cambridge. The proposed date is February 6th (Monday), which is the day after the end of the Brit Salsafest at Blackpool. Tony seemed to be most interested in doing one Bachata workshop (improver/intermediate level) and one Salsa workshop (advanced? maybe we'll call it a master class or something like it). I'll talk to some people over next couple of days and see if it looks feasible.
Tony Lara and I had a flurry of e-mail exchange late last night to discuss an encore Bachata workshop in Cambridge. The proposed date is February 6th (Monday), which is the day after the end of the Brit Salsafest at Blackpool. Tony seemed to be most interested in doing one Bachata workshop (improver/intermediate level) and one Salsa workshop (advanced? maybe we'll call it a master class or something like it). I'll talk to some people over next couple of days and see if it looks feasible.
Ivan returns
January 4, 2006
Ivan & Sally Intermediate
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower a double stationary clockwise turn (led with L-R high) ending in hammerlock (this was at one point a bit of a fiasco even though I had done this type of thing many times – maybe it’s because even the simplest double turns don’t happen very often in Salsa classes in Cambridge)
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and lead follower into traveling 2 1/2 counterclockwise turn with all connections intact (I think L-R can be kept high the whole time) – need to have the follower turned 1/4 counterclockwise to face leader on 3 and leader needs to be sure to be in proper cross body position at this point – no further footwork is needed after 3 except to get back to open position on 7/8 – also be sure to keep R-L down until the final turn and raise it only at the last possible moment so as to not cause follower discomfort
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader does a pivot turn (full clockwise) on 1,2,3 to get back into open hold – no footwork for 5,6,7 as arm-lock and a flip follower’s arms to get back into closed hold
(note: I didn’t quite get this arm-lock and flip but what might be happening here is that follower is pulled towards the leader with leader’s arm flexed, then leader’s arms go over and around outside of follower’s arms, then follower’s arms are flipped upwards with back of hands – again, I’m not sure about this)
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead while leading follower to travel without leader following and stylize
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 a complicated cross body lead done with L-R hold only – from 2 to 5, tension between leader and follower is maintained throughout – leader is turned 1/4 counterclockwise into cross body position with free R hand positioned across the body and pointing upwards on 2 – follower is led forward and turned around 1/2 counterclockwise while leader turns counterclockwise 3/4 on 3 thus both are facing the same direction with leader in front with L-R wrapped and positioned by leader’s R waist – leader moves to his left with crossover footwork on 5 (or maybe slightly earlier?) while follower is led forward and turned around like end of normal cross body lead
The warm up was amusing. I had seen the same warm-up at the workshop led by Ivan and Sally last May but had forgotten about it. The last time I saw it, I thought it looked new-age and hippie-like. Now, it reminded me of exercises being done at a Frankie Martinez class (view or download trailer from here) – presumably practicing body isolation.
Near the end, Ivan talked about treating each dance differently – or at least dance according to the music and differentiate the way one dances with a romantic music as opposed to a more funky or lively (my words here) music, etc. This is still not that common in Cambridge as it really isn’t easy. I know I don’t manage all the time – or even try all the time. This reminded me of one dance I had at SOS last weekend when my partner at the time commented mid-dance that my lead was good but that I needed to be listening to the music. At that time, I took it to mean that I was not in time to the music (I actually was pretty sure I knew the timing of the music although I thought it possible that I was not necessarily perfectly keeping in time all the time). Now that I think of it more I think she may have meant that I was dancing without any passion. If that was what she meant (I think there is a good chance), then I have no argument because I was concentrating merely on leading lightly while practicing many different moves while dispensing with adding anything else to the dance.
There was a double-episode of Rome, which made me miss about 3/4 hours of club hours. By the time I got back to Club Salsa, things already were winding down. I only ended up staying for about half and hour and only had two dances, which could be a record low number since I started asking people for dances – I’m pretty sure I danced more than twice every time I went Salsa dancing in 2005. I also didn't have much opportunity to talk to anyone about Tony & Claudia encore. Oh well. There’s always tomorrow.
Ivan & Sally Intermediate
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower a double stationary clockwise turn (led with L-R high) ending in hammerlock (this was at one point a bit of a fiasco even though I had done this type of thing many times – maybe it’s because even the simplest double turns don’t happen very often in Salsa classes in Cambridge)
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and lead follower into traveling 2 1/2 counterclockwise turn with all connections intact (I think L-R can be kept high the whole time) – need to have the follower turned 1/4 counterclockwise to face leader on 3 and leader needs to be sure to be in proper cross body position at this point – no further footwork is needed after 3 except to get back to open position on 7/8 – also be sure to keep R-L down until the final turn and raise it only at the last possible moment so as to not cause follower discomfort
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader does a pivot turn (full clockwise) on 1,2,3 to get back into open hold – no footwork for 5,6,7 as arm-lock and a flip follower’s arms to get back into closed hold
(note: I didn’t quite get this arm-lock and flip but what might be happening here is that follower is pulled towards the leader with leader’s arm flexed, then leader’s arms go over and around outside of follower’s arms, then follower’s arms are flipped upwards with back of hands – again, I’m not sure about this)
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead while leading follower to travel without leader following and stylize
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 a complicated cross body lead done with L-R hold only – from 2 to 5, tension between leader and follower is maintained throughout – leader is turned 1/4 counterclockwise into cross body position with free R hand positioned across the body and pointing upwards on 2 – follower is led forward and turned around 1/2 counterclockwise while leader turns counterclockwise 3/4 on 3 thus both are facing the same direction with leader in front with L-R wrapped and positioned by leader’s R waist – leader moves to his left with crossover footwork on 5 (or maybe slightly earlier?) while follower is led forward and turned around like end of normal cross body lead
The warm up was amusing. I had seen the same warm-up at the workshop led by Ivan and Sally last May but had forgotten about it. The last time I saw it, I thought it looked new-age and hippie-like. Now, it reminded me of exercises being done at a Frankie Martinez class (view or download trailer from here) – presumably practicing body isolation.
Near the end, Ivan talked about treating each dance differently – or at least dance according to the music and differentiate the way one dances with a romantic music as opposed to a more funky or lively (my words here) music, etc. This is still not that common in Cambridge as it really isn’t easy. I know I don’t manage all the time – or even try all the time. This reminded me of one dance I had at SOS last weekend when my partner at the time commented mid-dance that my lead was good but that I needed to be listening to the music. At that time, I took it to mean that I was not in time to the music (I actually was pretty sure I knew the timing of the music although I thought it possible that I was not necessarily perfectly keeping in time all the time). Now that I think of it more I think she may have meant that I was dancing without any passion. If that was what she meant (I think there is a good chance), then I have no argument because I was concentrating merely on leading lightly while practicing many different moves while dispensing with adding anything else to the dance.
There was a double-episode of Rome, which made me miss about 3/4 hours of club hours. By the time I got back to Club Salsa, things already were winding down. I only ended up staying for about half and hour and only had two dances, which could be a record low number since I started asking people for dances – I’m pretty sure I danced more than twice every time I went Salsa dancing in 2005. I also didn't have much opportunity to talk to anyone about Tony & Claudia encore. Oh well. There’s always tomorrow.
Sending out an SOS for SOS
January 1, 2006
Alternate titles considered but ultimately not used.
London SOS can be worse than Cambridge Club Salsa
Fiesta of fiascoes at SOS
Wow! What a disaster! What a fiasco! I don’t think it can get any worse than this. At least I hope that it will never be worse than this.
I didn't really feel a great need to go to SOS because last night was very good. However, I liked the prospect of having both Leon and Tamambo being there to teach tonight, and I convinced myself that the replacement venue will be on the north side of the hotel (based upon a loose interpretation of Leon's words, "We'll be back here on the Jan 1st."
First sign of trouble. I stop by Mary Ward Hall on the way to the replacement hotel venue. There is a sign that says the replacement venue is on the south side of the hotel. I groan but what am I going to do? Go back to Cambridge? As I trudge down to the replacement venue, I say to Sean, “I hope it won’t be too crowded.”
I should add - be careful what you wish for because it might come true.
Second sign of trouble. It is indeed not crowded but this does not cheer me at all. At 7:15 PM, Tamambo announces, “We will be starting in 6 minutes.” There are a little over 40 people total, I don’t see anyone else coming in during this 6 minute interval. Sean asks, “Do you think there are more men than women here tonight?” Indeed this is true. I say to Sean, “I don’t ever recall seeing this many Asian men at SOS.”
I’m not sure if this is justified but Asian (I don’t mean Indian) men seem to have poor reputation as Salsa dancers among large number of people (observed from some Salsa Mafia posts).
Third sign of trouble. Tamambo is here but not Leon – this means Tamambo is teaching level IV and Mauro is teaching level III. I’m thinking that I might prefer to take a class with Tamambo instead but I decide to keep an open mind and stick with level III for now.
As a dancer or teacher, Mauro seemingly have the worst reputation among all SOS instructors (sources include posts at Salsa Mafia forum). I never had a class with him before.
Fourth sign of trouble. Class gets divided into four. There are 2 complete beginners and about a dozen people at level IV meaning everyone else is level II or III. Male to female ratio looks the worst for men at level III. I also look at who’s in level III and my reaction is, “This is not going to be any good.”
I’m now really regretting my decision to stick to level III, but once I make a decision I always end up going through it even if I know it will not be pleasant.
Shine of the day. This was okay – or maybe I just mean that I found it easy.
corrected version [January 13, 2006]
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic (probably end with R foot overtaking L foot)
1 L foot cross over in front of R foot
2 R foot cross over in front of L foot
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot
4 R foot cross over in front of L foot
5 R foot placed behind L foot and
6 slide backwards while leaving L hand behind til the end of the slide landing on R foot on toes (don't let heels come down)
7 transfer weight on L foot (or step on L foot) - there is NO PAUSE here!
8 R foot cross over in front of L foot
1 L foot cross over in front of R foot
2,3 R foot slide wide to R then slide behind L foot
4 weight transferred to R foot
5,6,7 L foot slide to L then to R then to R (long slides) while keeping weight on R foot
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Suzy Q (starting with L foot crossing over on 1) going slightly backwards the whole time with a R foot kick on 4 and on 6
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
old, probably incorrect version of the shine
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1 L foot cross over in front of R foot
2 R foot cross over in front of L foot
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot
4 R foot cross over in front of L foot
5 L foot cross over in front of R foot
6 R foot kick
7 R foot placed behind L foot and
8 slide backwards while leaving L hand behind til the end of the slide
1 weight on L foot (in front)
2 R foot cross over in front of L foot
3,4 L foot slide to R then slide to L (short slide) while keeping weight on R foot
5,6,7 R foot slide to L then to R then to R (long slides) while keeping weight on L foot
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Suzy Q (starting with L foot crossing over on 1) going slightly backwards the whole time with a R foot kick on 4 and on 6
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
Fifth sign of trouble. One of the women decided to play the part of a leader – no doubt she will turn out to be one of the better leaders in class tonight. I thought that she looked like the only one in the class who might be able follow a double turn comfortably (this supposedly is a requirement for level III) as the people were pairing up. By the way, I don’t recognize anyone in the class at this point in the evening – not a single friendly face. Eva is nowhere to be seen so Mauro decided to borrow one of the follower student for the time being – she apparently fell asleep next to the DJ booth. Level IV has more or less equal number of men and women by the way.
I’m thinking, “Why am I here? What drove me to this?”
Sixth sign of trouble. Partner work commences.
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead – L-R is raised to shoulder level by next 1
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with L-R at follower’s shoulder level through 5 – leader turns 1 1/4 clockwise as follower completes cross body lead so that leader is facing away from follower and switch to R-R. Footwork I preferred was R foot cross behind L foot on 5 and turn in one swoop. Mauro was telling people to take 3 steps on 5,6,7 during the beginning – this technique in my opinion is ridiculous in a real Salsa dance situation because it is too slow. I discovered my alternate solution right away so it was no trouble for me but it might have caused trouble for others. On the drive back, Sean also pointed out the same thing and said he also ended up spinning around in one go. Anyhow, my confidence in Mauro’s teaching ability has taken a considerable hit by this point because I found his instructions here overlong yet incomplete and misleading. By the way, I think this was the best part of the partner routine tonight in retrospect despite it all.
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and R-R goes over follower’s head as L-L connection is made on 2,3 then follower is led forward on 5 and follower is led into traveling full counterclockwise turn with all connections intact so that L-L wraps around follower’s R waist and R-R is in half Titanic pose
1,2,3 follower is turned around half clockwise (L-L is raised by 3 while R-R is placed by leader’s waist). In the beginning, Mauro instructed L foot cross over in front on 1. When 5,6,7 part was completed about 5 minutes later, footwork on 1 became L foot cross behind on 1.
5,6,7 leader turns 1 1/2 counterclockwise stationary keeping L-L connection intact throughout and end with reverse Titanic. This leader's turn is done best with full weight on L foot according to Mauro's instructions. A question. Just how often does leaders practice doing anything more than a full turn going clockwise? Answer for me – never. Such a maneuver coming into use never entered my head before tonight. Even a full clockwise turn (always done as a free turn) has been pretty rare. This was a big challenge that I was nowhere near ready for. And I stayed at level III because I was hoping to find fairly easy and useful material. For a while, I ignored Mauro’s instruction and stuck to a half turn because I was hoping to make something useful out of it until I decided that I won't be able to use it even dumbed down tonight and that I might as well practice this clockwise 1 1/2 turn while I’m at it. Sean by the way had a more positive reaction to this “challenge”. Also I wonder if that woman had much easier time doing this compared to the rest of us.
1,2,3 from reverse Titanic, L-L goes over leader’s head to R side
5,6,7 L-L is lowered initially on 5 then raised again to lead follower into a traveling full counterclockwise turn into Titanic position
1,2,3,5,6,7,1,2,3,5,6,7 A shine for followers involving a backward kick near leader’s genitals on second 3 followed by a half clockwise stationary turn with R-R
What exactly was the follower's shine? I wasn’t really paying attention. It could have been as simple as Suzy Q on first 8, then step back and back on 1,2 followed by a kick with R foot with the kick either not touching the leader or barely touching leader’s rear end on 3.
More was planned originally by Mauro (involving leader turning 1/2 counterclockwise (not sure?) on previous 7,8 to get in position for the next part of the routine. We ran out of time.
Seventh sign. Instead of a cool-down, Tamambo asks everyone to pair up – including people who were not in the class. There are over half a dozen men without partners. I’m also partnerless – I couldn’t be bothered because I’m already in low spirits so I didn’t search with enthusiasm. Despite a very late start, only a very small number of people have shown up by the end of the class. I’m thinking that this is going to be a long night. The alternative to the cool-down turns out to be a regular dance.
Comparing Saturday at Club Salsa and today at SOS, the sixth or seventh best dance at Club Salsa was at least as good as the best dance from tonight at SOS - I had about 12 dances Saturday night at Club Salsa and probably less tonight. The worst dance Saturday probably would have been considered average tonight. Even when I was dancing with good followers (these were in short supply by the way), the results felt perfunctory and were uninspiring. I suppose if I had some of dances like these 3-4 months ago, I would have been very pleased. I’m afraid that my standard has been raised considerably since then. By the way, Liam suggested to me that it is not useful to try to compare different nights and that to try to concentrate on the dance at hand all the time instead. Good advice, but I’ll keep complaining for now.
For every two ‘yes’s to my requests for a dance, I received one ‘no’s tonight. Sean also experienced the same thing – something new at SOS. I can’t believe that SOS became a poor imitation of Club Salsa. I didn't need a long commute for this.
Near the end of the evening as I was standing by myself and perhaps was looking not especially pleased, Tamambo came around and told me to stop thinking and start dancing. Nice try. The trouble was that there never were very many people I felt like asking for a dance, and by this time I had either (1) danced with them but did not enjoy the experience enough to inspire me to ask them again, (2) asked them once or twice already and had been rejected and had no desire to ask them again – possibly ever again, (3) did not bother asking them because they looked like Mafia supplicants or because they were teachers or performers. So I decide that the most palatable option was to try asking one of the teachers or performers. I don’t think I was ever apprehensive about asking teachers for dance but I had never felt the need to ask them at SOS. Unfortunately this did not work out either – they either got asked first or were in deep conversation and obviously done for the night or had collapsed to the floor in sheer exhaustion (By the way the one who decided to lie down on the ground was my primary “target” until I saw how tired she looked.)
There was a show by Tamambo and (presumably) his regular dance partner. It was okay. I was more struck by another couple dance on the dance floor without fanfare later in the evening. I turned to Liam to ask him what he thought of this couple’s dance but he apparently wasn’t watching. Later in the evening, the guy was revealed as Laith Sami, who is producing a Salsa musical called Land of the Apes opening later this week. Laith wasn’t the only outside performer to stop by SOS tonight but he certainly was the flashiest.
I think at least a small part of the problem tonight was that SOS tonight had large number of intermediate-student-level (or worse) followers, rather small number of good followers (I could call them middle class as this is usually the largest proportion of people showing up at SOS), and usual number of teachers and performers and their thralls. At one point, I saw maybe 20-30 men standing around not dancing while the number of women standing around was about 3-4. Another major factor was the small dance floor (only about twice the size of main (lower) floor at Club Salsa) and people there not being used to dance in crowded conditions (I might add that it was not very crowded by the Club Salsa standard).
Of my last five trips to London including three excursions to SOS, I was pleased with only one. Unbelievable! One very good trip. Two underwhelming trips. Two nightmarish trips. Tonight was the worst. Maybe I'm going to SOS too often nowadays. I think I may not go back to SOS until they are back at Mary Ward Hall.
Half the drive was spent complaining about how bad the evening turned out. Sean agreed with me that last night at Club Salsa was much better than tonight at SOS. When I got on M11, I told Sean to come up with a new topic because takling about SOS was beginning to get depressing. From the latter half of the drive, one of the more amusing tidbits I learned about Sean – his birthday is one day after mine and is two days before Enrique’s birthday (if Enrique was being completely accurate the other day).
Alternate titles considered but ultimately not used.
London SOS can be worse than Cambridge Club Salsa
Fiesta of fiascoes at SOS
Wow! What a disaster! What a fiasco! I don’t think it can get any worse than this. At least I hope that it will never be worse than this.
I didn't really feel a great need to go to SOS because last night was very good. However, I liked the prospect of having both Leon and Tamambo being there to teach tonight, and I convinced myself that the replacement venue will be on the north side of the hotel (based upon a loose interpretation of Leon's words, "We'll be back here on the Jan 1st."
First sign of trouble. I stop by Mary Ward Hall on the way to the replacement hotel venue. There is a sign that says the replacement venue is on the south side of the hotel. I groan but what am I going to do? Go back to Cambridge? As I trudge down to the replacement venue, I say to Sean, “I hope it won’t be too crowded.”
I should add - be careful what you wish for because it might come true.
Second sign of trouble. It is indeed not crowded but this does not cheer me at all. At 7:15 PM, Tamambo announces, “We will be starting in 6 minutes.” There are a little over 40 people total, I don’t see anyone else coming in during this 6 minute interval. Sean asks, “Do you think there are more men than women here tonight?” Indeed this is true. I say to Sean, “I don’t ever recall seeing this many Asian men at SOS.”
I’m not sure if this is justified but Asian (I don’t mean Indian) men seem to have poor reputation as Salsa dancers among large number of people (observed from some Salsa Mafia posts).
Third sign of trouble. Tamambo is here but not Leon – this means Tamambo is teaching level IV and Mauro is teaching level III. I’m thinking that I might prefer to take a class with Tamambo instead but I decide to keep an open mind and stick with level III for now.
As a dancer or teacher, Mauro seemingly have the worst reputation among all SOS instructors (sources include posts at Salsa Mafia forum). I never had a class with him before.
Fourth sign of trouble. Class gets divided into four. There are 2 complete beginners and about a dozen people at level IV meaning everyone else is level II or III. Male to female ratio looks the worst for men at level III. I also look at who’s in level III and my reaction is, “This is not going to be any good.”
I’m now really regretting my decision to stick to level III, but once I make a decision I always end up going through it even if I know it will not be pleasant.
Shine of the day. This was okay – or maybe I just mean that I found it easy.
corrected version [January 13, 2006]
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic (probably end with R foot overtaking L foot)
1 L foot cross over in front of R foot
2 R foot cross over in front of L foot
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot
4 R foot cross over in front of L foot
5 R foot placed behind L foot and
6 slide backwards while leaving L hand behind til the end of the slide landing on R foot on toes (don't let heels come down)
7 transfer weight on L foot (or step on L foot) - there is NO PAUSE here!
8 R foot cross over in front of L foot
1 L foot cross over in front of R foot
2,3 R foot slide wide to R then slide behind L foot
4 weight transferred to R foot
5,6,7 L foot slide to L then to R then to R (long slides) while keeping weight on R foot
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Suzy Q (starting with L foot crossing over on 1) going slightly backwards the whole time with a R foot kick on 4 and on 6
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
old, probably incorrect version of the shine
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1 L foot cross over in front of R foot
2 R foot cross over in front of L foot
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot
4 R foot cross over in front of L foot
5 L foot cross over in front of R foot
6 R foot kick
7 R foot placed behind L foot and
8 slide backwards while leaving L hand behind til the end of the slide
1 weight on L foot (in front)
2 R foot cross over in front of L foot
3,4 L foot slide to R then slide to L (short slide) while keeping weight on R foot
5,6,7 R foot slide to L then to R then to R (long slides) while keeping weight on L foot
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Suzy Q (starting with L foot crossing over on 1) going slightly backwards the whole time with a R foot kick on 4 and on 6
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
Fifth sign of trouble. One of the women decided to play the part of a leader – no doubt she will turn out to be one of the better leaders in class tonight. I thought that she looked like the only one in the class who might be able follow a double turn comfortably (this supposedly is a requirement for level III) as the people were pairing up. By the way, I don’t recognize anyone in the class at this point in the evening – not a single friendly face. Eva is nowhere to be seen so Mauro decided to borrow one of the follower student for the time being – she apparently fell asleep next to the DJ booth. Level IV has more or less equal number of men and women by the way.
I’m thinking, “Why am I here? What drove me to this?”
Sixth sign of trouble. Partner work commences.
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead – L-R is raised to shoulder level by next 1
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with L-R at follower’s shoulder level through 5 – leader turns 1 1/4 clockwise as follower completes cross body lead so that leader is facing away from follower and switch to R-R. Footwork I preferred was R foot cross behind L foot on 5 and turn in one swoop. Mauro was telling people to take 3 steps on 5,6,7 during the beginning – this technique in my opinion is ridiculous in a real Salsa dance situation because it is too slow. I discovered my alternate solution right away so it was no trouble for me but it might have caused trouble for others. On the drive back, Sean also pointed out the same thing and said he also ended up spinning around in one go. Anyhow, my confidence in Mauro’s teaching ability has taken a considerable hit by this point because I found his instructions here overlong yet incomplete and misleading. By the way, I think this was the best part of the partner routine tonight in retrospect despite it all.
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and R-R goes over follower’s head as L-L connection is made on 2,3 then follower is led forward on 5 and follower is led into traveling full counterclockwise turn with all connections intact so that L-L wraps around follower’s R waist and R-R is in half Titanic pose
1,2,3 follower is turned around half clockwise (L-L is raised by 3 while R-R is placed by leader’s waist). In the beginning, Mauro instructed L foot cross over in front on 1. When 5,6,7 part was completed about 5 minutes later, footwork on 1 became L foot cross behind on 1.
5,6,7 leader turns 1 1/2 counterclockwise stationary keeping L-L connection intact throughout and end with reverse Titanic. This leader's turn is done best with full weight on L foot according to Mauro's instructions. A question. Just how often does leaders practice doing anything more than a full turn going clockwise? Answer for me – never. Such a maneuver coming into use never entered my head before tonight. Even a full clockwise turn (always done as a free turn) has been pretty rare. This was a big challenge that I was nowhere near ready for. And I stayed at level III because I was hoping to find fairly easy and useful material. For a while, I ignored Mauro’s instruction and stuck to a half turn because I was hoping to make something useful out of it until I decided that I won't be able to use it even dumbed down tonight and that I might as well practice this clockwise 1 1/2 turn while I’m at it. Sean by the way had a more positive reaction to this “challenge”. Also I wonder if that woman had much easier time doing this compared to the rest of us.
1,2,3 from reverse Titanic, L-L goes over leader’s head to R side
5,6,7 L-L is lowered initially on 5 then raised again to lead follower into a traveling full counterclockwise turn into Titanic position
1,2,3,5,6,7,1,2,3,5,6,7 A shine for followers involving a backward kick near leader’s genitals on second 3 followed by a half clockwise stationary turn with R-R
What exactly was the follower's shine? I wasn’t really paying attention. It could have been as simple as Suzy Q on first 8, then step back and back on 1,2 followed by a kick with R foot with the kick either not touching the leader or barely touching leader’s rear end on 3.
More was planned originally by Mauro (involving leader turning 1/2 counterclockwise (not sure?) on previous 7,8 to get in position for the next part of the routine. We ran out of time.
Seventh sign. Instead of a cool-down, Tamambo asks everyone to pair up – including people who were not in the class. There are over half a dozen men without partners. I’m also partnerless – I couldn’t be bothered because I’m already in low spirits so I didn’t search with enthusiasm. Despite a very late start, only a very small number of people have shown up by the end of the class. I’m thinking that this is going to be a long night. The alternative to the cool-down turns out to be a regular dance.
Comparing Saturday at Club Salsa and today at SOS, the sixth or seventh best dance at Club Salsa was at least as good as the best dance from tonight at SOS - I had about 12 dances Saturday night at Club Salsa and probably less tonight. The worst dance Saturday probably would have been considered average tonight. Even when I was dancing with good followers (these were in short supply by the way), the results felt perfunctory and were uninspiring. I suppose if I had some of dances like these 3-4 months ago, I would have been very pleased. I’m afraid that my standard has been raised considerably since then. By the way, Liam suggested to me that it is not useful to try to compare different nights and that to try to concentrate on the dance at hand all the time instead. Good advice, but I’ll keep complaining for now.
For every two ‘yes’s to my requests for a dance, I received one ‘no’s tonight. Sean also experienced the same thing – something new at SOS. I can’t believe that SOS became a poor imitation of Club Salsa. I didn't need a long commute for this.
Near the end of the evening as I was standing by myself and perhaps was looking not especially pleased, Tamambo came around and told me to stop thinking and start dancing. Nice try. The trouble was that there never were very many people I felt like asking for a dance, and by this time I had either (1) danced with them but did not enjoy the experience enough to inspire me to ask them again, (2) asked them once or twice already and had been rejected and had no desire to ask them again – possibly ever again, (3) did not bother asking them because they looked like Mafia supplicants or because they were teachers or performers. So I decide that the most palatable option was to try asking one of the teachers or performers. I don’t think I was ever apprehensive about asking teachers for dance but I had never felt the need to ask them at SOS. Unfortunately this did not work out either – they either got asked first or were in deep conversation and obviously done for the night or had collapsed to the floor in sheer exhaustion (By the way the one who decided to lie down on the ground was my primary “target” until I saw how tired she looked.)
There was a show by Tamambo and (presumably) his regular dance partner. It was okay. I was more struck by another couple dance on the dance floor without fanfare later in the evening. I turned to Liam to ask him what he thought of this couple’s dance but he apparently wasn’t watching. Later in the evening, the guy was revealed as Laith Sami, who is producing a Salsa musical called Land of the Apes opening later this week. Laith wasn’t the only outside performer to stop by SOS tonight but he certainly was the flashiest.
I think at least a small part of the problem tonight was that SOS tonight had large number of intermediate-student-level (or worse) followers, rather small number of good followers (I could call them middle class as this is usually the largest proportion of people showing up at SOS), and usual number of teachers and performers and their thralls. At one point, I saw maybe 20-30 men standing around not dancing while the number of women standing around was about 3-4. Another major factor was the small dance floor (only about twice the size of main (lower) floor at Club Salsa) and people there not being used to dance in crowded conditions (I might add that it was not very crowded by the Club Salsa standard).
Of my last five trips to London including three excursions to SOS, I was pleased with only one. Unbelievable! One very good trip. Two underwhelming trips. Two nightmarish trips. Tonight was the worst. Maybe I'm going to SOS too often nowadays. I think I may not go back to SOS until they are back at Mary Ward Hall.
Half the drive was spent complaining about how bad the evening turned out. Sean agreed with me that last night at Club Salsa was much better than tonight at SOS. When I got on M11, I told Sean to come up with a new topic because takling about SOS was beginning to get depressing. From the latter half of the drive, one of the more amusing tidbits I learned about Sean – his birthday is one day after mine and is two days before Enrique’s birthday (if Enrique was being completely accurate the other day).
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