Most intense session to date

August 13, 2007

This evening’s session was somewhat more intense and tiring for me than usual. Towards the end of the hour-long isolation sessions, I had to take a small sip of water. I don’t recall doing this in any previous session. I think some of the movements are becoming easier or at least not a complete mess of flailing of body parts. No doubt I would laugh at myself if I somehow keep up with this and get better. But then again, it is questionable if these sessions will continue without someone like Sergio to lead and make things more challenging – maintaining current level might be enough of a challenge.

Turning and spinning and keeping upright was a bit a challenge this evening. I thought I was just having a bad day, but in retrospect I think I was just low in energy – not enough food through the hours I spent awake. In fact by nine pm, I was feeling quite hungry. Perhaps this made the partner-work session seem more challenging. I don’t think the material was so challenging or foreign, but there seemed to be a lot of new-ish material. I think my grasp of the material is weaker than usual.

Something like a half-spot turn for follower

5,6,7 for follower is like Mambo basic (second half)
1,2,3 forward-forward-forward
5,6,7 sharp half turn clockwise (but in same momentum as before so that her center of gravity is transferred as if another step was taken) and then like second half of Mambo basic

Leader is thus doing at the same time…

5,6,7 basic (mirror of follower) – closed hold
1,2,3 back-back-back
5,6,7 leader gets into CBL position (as of next bar) and lead follower into the clockwise turn leading with R hand-arm on follower’s back to lead this (better make this sharp)
1,2,3 finish with CBL

I wonder if this move above would make less sense for On1 compared to On2.

This next part reminded me of “Adios con la hermana”

5,6,7,1,2 same as spot turn
3 raise R-L
5,6,7 walk underneath L-R and turning 1/2 counterclockwise on 5 and backwards charge for 6,7

Next part is quite baffling – I’m least sure about this part – probably full of errors

1,2,3 lead follower to a single clockwise turn two-handed (reconnecting with R-L first) – leader turns 1/2 counterclockwise after leading follower to turn (starting on 3? – I’m quite lost with leader’s footwork here – swivel turn? get L wrist about R forearm when turned??)
5,6,7 leader is half turned on 5 and toss follower’s L hand behind her R waist and turn ~7 to lead follower to
8,1,2,3 (?) to a double stationary clockwise turn – let go L-R and connect R-L behind follower’s R waist

A little better
5,6,7,1,2,3,5,6 Copa (keeping R-L straight – my note: it might help to step forward on 7 as well as staying in place on 6) – follower starts turning ~3 as in typical Copa and end with leader turning full counterclockwise (probably starting ~5)

Into somewhat murky waters once again
5,6,7 (finishing Copa) prepare to toss starting around 5 with the toss R-L over leader’s head coming on 7-8 or so and getting into CBL position
1,2,3 connect L-R to lead follower into free 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn

It seems like Sergio might be falling into a too many moves trap here. Because it seemed like some of the people are finding the material more or less doable (without really having mastered it – rather difficult to do with rather little opportunity for practice), he decided that the material was not challenging enough. While simply becoming acquainted with some of these foreign-seeming material could be useful, I really dislike having a very vague idea about how to lead these moves because I doubt I would be able to do them well unless I have a good mental picture of what I am supposed to do. I think the biggest problem is that there simply is not very much time left to do these classes. Then again, some others may have appreciated maximal amount of material.

Some private items. Group meeting in the morning – first presentation of screen results. Car battery was replaced in the afternoon. Curry for dinner with Sergio and Cyrille after the class with vacation plan in September as the biggest topic.