My chest is sore

August 20, 2007

Tonight’s session – with a slightly late start – began with timing or calling time on various beats whether it’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or one of those -and (e.g. 4-and and 8-and) beats or calling some combinations (1,3,5,7 or 2,4,6,8 or 2,4,4-and,6,8,8-and, etc). People of different musical background would have differing level of difficulty with Salsa music timing, but the solution likely is the same for everyone – a lot of active listening to many different songs of many variety.

The isolation segment went back to basics. It was more about making adjustments to make sure the movement exercises were done more properly. One would think that this might have made the session less intense. Not so. I was getting exhausted and sore especially doing chest movements. Right now I would say that I find some aspects of neck movements most difficult (I’m not sure if I want to try hard to get better at this because the idea of neck injury scares me too much). I would rate chest movement as the next most difficult, followed by shoulders, then feet, then hips. I’m not completely sure but I imagine moving hips is one of the easier ones for everyone. If it weren’t for the fact that Sergio doesn’t think I don’t have weight transfers and such down pat, I would have said that feet is easy. As it is I have no idea how my feet are doing – just no idea what kind of assessment would be reasonable. Umm. My chest hurts as I type.

There were too many shines. The ones I remember are as follows.

2 L cross over R with 1/4 turn clockwise
3 R in place
4 L backwards charge with 1/4 turn counterclockwise and doing a Cha Cha chassis with…
5 L ending slightly ahead of R
6 R behind L closer
7 L slightly forward
8 Cha Cha chassis with…
1 R foot
2,3 forward basic

1,2,3 forward basic
4and5 Cha cha chassis
5and R foot quick in front of L
6 R foot back in place
6and L foot quick in front of R
7 L foot back in place
8and1 Cha cha chassis
2,3 forward basic

There was a third one but I was feeling a little too overloaded.

6,7,1,2,3,5 CBL and switch to R-R
6,7,1,2,3 prepare and lead follower to single right turn (clockwise) stationary
5,6,7 step to L with R foot on 5 and proceed to do a walking turn counterclockwise getting to or near CBL position with only L-L connection left intact
1,2,3 lead follower into travelling counterclockwise turn (follower slightly facing away from leader on 2 with leader’s free R hand on follower’s back (for some signalling purpose?) before leading counterclockwise turn on 3
5 L-L is brought close to leader at about his L shoulder as leader turns (swivel turn on R foot – I was getting confused by the distance issue here – perhaps needlessly … I was probably turning way too late – not exactly sure where but I usually ended up a beat or two slow by the end)
6 continue to turn clockwise… only need be turned full by now to face follower – on L foot now – there’s also a brief disconnect and reconnect with L-L
7 on R foot now with another half turn clockwise switching to R-L low
1 possibly CBL position or maybe not – getting ready to lead follower to a free travelling counterclockwise turn