February 5, 2006
Workshop 5 – Turn patterns for on-2 Improvers (Lee & Shelley)
I was about 1/2 hour late to this class. This was a nice small class. I only with I was there from the beginning. This was exactly the type of meat and potatoes type of class I was hoping for.
Routine done was something like, basic, cross body lead, cross body lead, simple anti-cross body lead (Johnny & Serap’s definition) followed by leader’s pivot turn, cross body lead ending with 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn for follower, basic, preparation for double turn (both hands going to R, then to L, then to R, then lead it with either hand), and Copa.
Workshop 6 – Shines for on-1 Advanced (Gormack with Nicky)
Tony Lara was ill so a substitute was called. I couldn’t get any detailed information from Claudia later except that he was in bed.
So I guess advanced level shine is more difficult than what I am used to at SOS level 3. I’m not counting Mushi’s shine class from last night because I’m now thinking that I got little out of it mainly because I really didn’t like his teaching style.
1-8 basic
1 L foot forward
2&3 R foot kick and land approximately in original position and step on L foot with ~1/4 turn clockwise
4 weight on R foot
5 L foot on toe (slightly behind R foot but not crossed over)
6&7 L foot kick and land approximately in original position and move R foot to normal position with weight transfer to R foot
8 L foot on toe cross behind R foot
1 L foot to forward and slightly to L
2 R foot slightly to L to close gap a little
3 L foot slightly to L and widening gap a little
4 R foot slightly to L and close gap a little
5/6 raise L foot and use it to turn 1/2 counterclockwise
7 L foot cross over in front of R foot
8 R foot placed to normal standing position
1 L foot in front in heels
2,3 R foot small hops (x2) to R
4 L foot on toe with weight on it
5 R foot cross over in front of L foot
6 L foot cross behind to wide L on toes
7 weight on R foot? adjust L foot? (I was skipping these details as I was concentrating on preparing for the turn on 8)
8 R foot to normal standing position as ~3/4 clockwise turn is made to get back to facing follower
1 R leg swing from outside-to-front-to-inside
2 L leg swing from outside-to-front-to-inside
3 R leg swing from outside-to-front-to-inside
4 L leg swing from outside-to-front-to-inside
5&6 R foot kick and land and L foot forward with R foot following (on toes) behind to cross behind L foot – weight is on L foot
7&8 R foot back and L foot toe cross over in front of R foot on toes – weight is on R foot
1,2,3 essentially pivot turn (full clockwise) landing with L foot some distance behind R foot (toes pointing 10 o’clock?) with optional hip movement
5,6,7 essentially back basic with R foot, L foot, R foot
1,2,3 L foot slide to cross over in front of R foot, slide long to L and then to cross over in front of R foot (weight on R foot whole time)
4 L foot slide long to L and transfer weight to L foot
5,6,7 R foot slide to cross behind L foot and then slide to R and slide back to cross behind L foot
8 transfer weight to R foot?
1 L foot on toes (or heels) body turned to 1/4 counterclockwise
2 L foot on heels (or toes) with slight backward movement
3 L foot on toes (or heels) with slight backward movement
4 L foot on heels (or toes) with slight backward movement
5 lift L foot
6 L foot step back behind R foot
7 weight on R foot
8 turn around 1/2 counterclockwise – now L foot is ahead of R foot
1 weight on R foot
2 L foot slightly back and on toes
3 L foot back behind R foot
4 R foot on toes
5 weight on R foot
6 L foot forward ahead of R foot
7&8 R foot on toes slightly crossed behind L foot and then to normal standing position with weight transfer followed by L foot on toes cross over in front of R foot
1 L foot to basic with 1/4 turn counterclockwise to face follower again
Workshop 7 – Shines & Body movement for on-1 Improvers (Susana Montero)
Susana talks a lot, but I don’t mind this at all because she’s giving out tons of detailed information. About half of the class time was spent on body movement exercise with emphasis on chest with a bit of shoulder movement (generally rolling backwards). Some exercises while standing and while doing salsa steps (side-to-side and forward-and-back) were talked about. The shine part was supposed to be an exercise for body movement more than as a regular shine for club use. Slightly different versions of the shine was talked about for leader and follower use.
1-8 basic
1 L foot cross over in front of R foot
2 R foot straight back
3 L foot slide back (still crossed over)
5 R foot cross over and point to L so that body turns 1/4 clockwise while still facing follower – L hand on trousers and R hand behind at a higher elevation (keep it up til 7/8)
7 L foot forward and back to facing follower normally
1 R foot in front on heels (weight on L foot from 1-2)
2 R foot cross over in front of L foot on toes
3 R foot back to position on 1 but with weight transfer to R foot
4 turn 1/4 counterclockwise
5 L foot in front on heels (weight on R foot)
6 L foot cross over in front of R foot on toes
7 L foot back to position on toes
1 turn 1/4 clockwise to face partner and forward basic with L foot
Workshop 8 – Turn patterns for on-2 Improvers (Mushi)
This was my second workshop class with Mushi. I hated this one as much as I hated his Shines & Styling class. He talks a lot, but most of it is junk merely designed to get people to laugh. For me, it’s merely distracting. He also did way too much showboating and not enough teaching. Supposedly this class was exactly the same as his on-1 improvers class except on different timing. The class was much larger. A basic in the beginning would have been really useful.
Routine done was cross body lead, body roll followed by straight walk back with turning follower around into cross body position for ladies styling, cross body lead with leader turning clockwise and changing to R-R, Copa, cross body plus (Sacuye’s definition – see below), cross body lead (with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn?), cross body plus. I’m not totally sure about it. I was too annoyed with the class (mostly with the teacher) so my concentration was less than average.
Workshop 9 – Turn patterns for on-1 Advanced (Sacuye)
open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with full traveling counterclockwise turn ending in wrap (L-R high and R-L low)
1,2,3 bring follower back and get ahead of follower from her right (R-L wrapped around leader on his front L waist and L-R above leader’s L shoulder)
5,6,7 step to R and back and turn full counterclockwise (end with L-R behind leader’s R waist and R-L above leader’s R shoulder)
1,2,3 open break and get into back-to-back position
5,6,7 not sure here – R-L ends with neck wrap and L-R in a waist wrap? – this may have been done by bringing R-L around behind leader’s head as follower is turned around clockwise with R-L pointing down
1,2,3 preparatory steps – let go R-L
5,6,7 unwind follower ending with L-L (?) behind follower’s R waist (L-R could be let go during middle for leader’s free turn)
1,2,3 this was called enchufe – open break and exchange positions and face each other (L-L (?) only and ends high)
5,6,7 leader turns full clockwise stationary (with optional hand switches – but still ending with L-L connection)
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-L hat for leader and cross body plus (change the line during 1,2,3 and finish with normal cross body and ending with open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 Tango step? can be done with both connections made – open break and come together with leader on L side of follower with arms outstretched on 3, turn around on 4 (or 5?) with arms still outstretched – R-L is disconnected and L-R is used to lead follower back into 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 end with cross body plus
Brit Salsafest 4 – After the workshop
February 4, 2006
The reputation Blackpool has for being a party central for lads and hen nights seems well justified. On my way to dinner, some drunk lads accosted and asked me if I played for Manchester United. On my way back to the hotel after the night of dancing, another drunk group asked me whether I knew of or made a good chicken curry. I was warned about this sort of thing at my workplace so I wasn’t surprised. As my colleagues said, it’s not the most romantic place in the world.
Dinner was with a large contingent of Cambridgeshirers. The group did not stay together very long though. When I found myself back to the Winter Gardens, I joined yet another large Cambridge group at the top of the queue for the Empress Ballroom; I had a mistaken idea that the venue (or at least one of them) would open at 7:30 PM. Being early did allow me to grab a chair at the balcony for the show. Unlike others in this second group, I chose to and managed to get in some 5 warm up dances before the show started (before I got cold again).
Tonight’s shows were on the average much more impressive than last night’s shows. Tropical Gem was the big highlight – they have such scary machine-like precision. Swing Guys, who closed the show, were also a great fun. I enjoyed Salsa Dance Squad, but one sitting next to me was bothered by their music. Sacuye seemed to get fair bit of response to their humor from the audience. Leon Rose & Susana Montero apparently cancelled or postponed their performance or switched their time slot with Iris & Osbanis. From distance, it was difficult to get a good look at body movements of Juan Matos, Osbanis, Hacha Y Machete, etc.
Paul Young really talks too much. While it makes perfect sense to acknowledge other people, the way he does it feels very self-promotional and it really drags on. The amount of space dedicated to VIPs for tonight’s show seemed a little excessive too.
Dancing was pretty good tonight – possibly higher in level on average compared to last night but the many of the dances were more difficult to pull off well because I was feeling tired so much of the time. I probably had 25-35 dances from 9 PM to 2 PM.
I’m told that this congress is considered to be a friendly one. I like it a lot on the whole. Many former complete strangers indeed have acted very friendly towards me. Many one-time acquaintances seemingly have become familiar friendly faces. Is it strange that I sometimes feel as if I am treated as if I’m invisible or even persona non grata from people who have known me for quite some time while seemingly being accepted as a part of the group instantly by others? Maybe it helps that I’m not a close neighbor and that there’s no pre-existing baggage.
I was photographed by someone I didn’t expect – possibly for an expected reason. Hmm.
The reputation Blackpool has for being a party central for lads and hen nights seems well justified. On my way to dinner, some drunk lads accosted and asked me if I played for Manchester United. On my way back to the hotel after the night of dancing, another drunk group asked me whether I knew of or made a good chicken curry. I was warned about this sort of thing at my workplace so I wasn’t surprised. As my colleagues said, it’s not the most romantic place in the world.
Dinner was with a large contingent of Cambridgeshirers. The group did not stay together very long though. When I found myself back to the Winter Gardens, I joined yet another large Cambridge group at the top of the queue for the Empress Ballroom; I had a mistaken idea that the venue (or at least one of them) would open at 7:30 PM. Being early did allow me to grab a chair at the balcony for the show. Unlike others in this second group, I chose to and managed to get in some 5 warm up dances before the show started (before I got cold again).
Tonight’s shows were on the average much more impressive than last night’s shows. Tropical Gem was the big highlight – they have such scary machine-like precision. Swing Guys, who closed the show, were also a great fun. I enjoyed Salsa Dance Squad, but one sitting next to me was bothered by their music. Sacuye seemed to get fair bit of response to their humor from the audience. Leon Rose & Susana Montero apparently cancelled or postponed their performance or switched their time slot with Iris & Osbanis. From distance, it was difficult to get a good look at body movements of Juan Matos, Osbanis, Hacha Y Machete, etc.
Paul Young really talks too much. While it makes perfect sense to acknowledge other people, the way he does it feels very self-promotional and it really drags on. The amount of space dedicated to VIPs for tonight’s show seemed a little excessive too.
Dancing was pretty good tonight – possibly higher in level on average compared to last night but the many of the dances were more difficult to pull off well because I was feeling tired so much of the time. I probably had 25-35 dances from 9 PM to 2 PM.
I’m told that this congress is considered to be a friendly one. I like it a lot on the whole. Many former complete strangers indeed have acted very friendly towards me. Many one-time acquaintances seemingly have become familiar friendly faces. Is it strange that I sometimes feel as if I am treated as if I’m invisible or even persona non grata from people who have known me for quite some time while seemingly being accepted as a part of the group instantly by others? Maybe it helps that I’m not a close neighbor and that there’s no pre-existing baggage.
I was photographed by someone I didn’t expect – possibly for an expected reason. Hmm.
Brit Salsafest 3 – First day of workshops
February 4, 2006
Morning workshops were alright. Afternoon workshops were horrible. Part of the reason for this may have been overcrowding in the afternoon workshops. [Or it might have been due to lack of food - added after dinner]
Workshop 1 – Intro to On-2 for Intermediate dancers on-1 (Michael Pottinger)
I was a little surprised to learn that they started the class by doing follower’s timing. I would have thought that this would make it even more difficult for leaders, but I found one follower saying that they had a more difficult job. I didn’t understand her reasoning behind this.
basic forward and back (followers timing)
1 R foot step slightly forward (overtake on once you get going)
2 L foot forward
3 weight on R foot
5 L foot back (further behind L foot) – there is less of a pause on 4 though
6 R foot back
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot overtake L foot (and repeat)
basic back to back (followers timing)
2 L foot backwards (so for leader starting back-to-back, this move should be initiated with his R foot rather than L foot as is done in on-1)
3 weight on R foot
5 L foot together (again note there being less of a pause on 4)
6 R foot backwards
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together
Conversely, going back to forward and back, leader should start new move using his R foot.
Side to side basic (followers timing)
2 L foot to side L (leader initiates side-to-side starting with his R foot once again)
3 weight on R foot
5 L foot together
6 R foot to side R
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together
Pivot turn (followers timing)
2 L foot forward
3 start turning with R foot pointing backwards
5 finish turning and regain balance if needed
6 R foot backward
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together
Changing directions.
I’m not going to bother with this one because I’m not sure what it is really useful for. I’m also going to skip one other footwork involving inside-to-outside slides.
Pause and go (or something like it… recorded below is a double pause and go version – again follower’s timing)
2 L foot forward
3 weight on R foot
5 L foot back together (slightly overtake)
6 R foot back
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together (I found it easier to not place weight on this foot)
2 R foot back
3 weight on L foot
5 R foot together (again placing no weight might be good idea here)
6 R foot back
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together (overtake)
They did not cover leader’s timing until they got into partner work. This resulted in surprisingly few difficulties for the class.
Cross body lead
6 L foot forward
7 R foot in place (could start turning)
8/1 L foot together as leader is positioned into cross body position (equivalent to 3/4 on-1)
1/2 follower is led forward and any turn is initiated after follower gets across leader
5 feet together facing follower
6 L foot forward
There was a pivot turn done immediately after cross body lead too. I won’t bother recording this as I don’t think it needs any more explanation.
It was amusing to see the instructor get confused with his on-2 timing now and then.
Workshop 2 – Shines for Intermediate on-1 (Neeraj Maskara)
I think 70-80% of the class was made up of followers. Strange. Style of shine was slightly different than the ones from SOS, but I thought it was pretty nice.
1,2,3,5,6 basic
7 R foot slide wide to R
1 weight on L foot (initiate hip swing clockwise starting from L)
2 weight on R foot
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot
5 L foot back in position as was in beat 1
6 weight on R foot (swing)
7 weight on L foot (swing)
8 R foot cross over in front of L foot
1 L foot to side L
2 weight on R foot (swing)
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot
5 L foot back in position as was in beat 1
6 weight on R foot
7 L foot cross over in front of R foot while turning 1/2 clockwise
8/1 continue turning 1/2 clockwise into Suzy Q
2 Suzy Q
3 Suzy Q
5 R foot slightly to forward R
6 weight on L foot
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot
1,2,3,5,6 basic (starting with L foot crossing over in front of R foot on 1)
7/8 kick with R foot and L foot on heel in front pointing to R then to L
1 L foot to side L
2 R foot cross over in front of R foot to L
3 L foot cross over behind R foot to L back into normal position
5 weight on R foot
6 kick to R with L foot and back in place
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot
1 basic forward starting with L foot crossing over in front of R foot on 1 – it might be better to start with a full basic to start with
2 R foot cross behind L foot
3 R foot to R into normal position
4 L foot swing motion to help turn 1/2 counterclockwise
5 weight on L foot
6/7 side football kick with R foot to turn 3/4 counterclockwise
8 on heels to turn 1/4 clockwise
1,2,3 all the time forward basic
5/6 R foot cross over behind L foot and initiate 5/8 counterclockwise turn
7 R foot back
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic (starting with L foot crossing over in front of R foot while turning 1/4 clockwise)
No real lunch break was done. Too bad – now I’m really hungry (as of ~5 PM). I hung around with some London crowd after failing to get any of the Cambridge crowd into taking any action.
I considered doing Bachata workshop until seeing that the class was going to be very full. So I turned around and went to another workshop. Big mistake.
Workshop 3 – Turn patterns Intermediate on-1 (Super Mario)
I estimate that of 30 or so followers I met in this class, maybe 3 were capable of learning the routine. After 5-6 followers and two elbows in the face, I was getting leery. This was followed by a stretch of 7 or so followers who couldn’t spin fast enough and couldn’t avoid self-leading when I tried to place a basic in to get back into correct timing. I did get a very welcome but a very short break with a familiar and very capable follower. Unfortunately, another 7 or so completely hopeless followers came next.
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead into open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into stationary double clockwise turn ending in hammerlock
1,2,3 open break and bring follower around into a wrap (R-L on follower’s front L waist) while leader gets behind follower
5,6,7 bring follower straight back with R-L go around follower letting go L-R from her L with a counterclockwise turn to face her
1,2,3,5,6,7 into cross body position (toss L-R 45 degree away from leader on 2 to turn follower around slightly and make L-L connection on 3) – lead follower into traveling full counterclockwise turn stopping her turn with hand on her R shoulder with R hand
1,2,3 let follower go forward on 1 and back in place (slight clockwise turn towards leader with L-L) on 2,3 while readjusting R hand position on follower’s shoulder
4,5,6,7 using R hand on follower’s shoulder lead follower to turn counterclockwise stationary on 4!!! (I think this was meant to be a double turn with follower ending up facing back towards the new line)
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-L hat for leader and get into cross body lead position with normal hold, followed by leading 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn for follower with L-R high
1,2,3,5,6,7 pivot turn (clockwise full) for leader on 1,2,3 with L-R high – have palms facing away at the end of the leader’s pivot turn and lead follower into a stationary full clockwise turn on 5,6,7 ending in neck wrap facing each other and connect R-R at waist level
1,2,3,5,6,7 follower is turned around full counterclockwise stationary on 2 with R-R staying low – let go L-L and use R-R to lead follower forward on 5 and into a 1 1/2 traveling clockwise turn
There was a couple in front of me who were annoying me by not changing partners and creating additional confusion for followers to find me. I told them to move outside the circle but they simply moved away to a different part of the circle. I must have been wearing a very disgusted look by the end of the class because several people made comment to this effect. I also ran into the aforementioned London crowd, who advised to me to take only advanced classes and only with one trusty partner. Not a bad suggestion but not really workable this time around.
Next choice was between a Turn pattern on-2 improver class and Mens Shines and Styling. I think I made the wrong choice again.
Workshop 4 – Mens Shines & Styling (Mushi)
I left this class halfway through. It might have been from exhaustion and lack of food. It didn’t help that the crowd was getting larger (and taller). It was impossible for me to see the footwork from anywhere but the first few rows. I really couldn’t get the timing very well from Mushi’s descriptions, which I found a little murky. Breakdown of footwork and other body movements to timing was either weak or I just couldn’t concentrate anymore. Styling involved a lot of hand/arm movement, shoulder rolling, dipping down slightly, etc.
Some stranger I don’t recall seeing before stopped when we crossed paths to say hi and to tell me that she has to remember to get a dance with me tonight. Whoa! I’m pretty sure I didn’t dance with her last night and quite possibly any other time in the past. What happened? What made her say that? I did run into some more familiar faces (from my one trip to Bar Latina) and more people who claimed to remember me from my one trip to Ealing. I guess I am pretty easy to spot. I also have danced Salsa with at least 500 people by now in last 16 months (I don’t think it’s over 1000 but it might be close to 1000), and I certainly don’t remember faces of all of them.
Morning workshops were alright. Afternoon workshops were horrible. Part of the reason for this may have been overcrowding in the afternoon workshops. [Or it might have been due to lack of food - added after dinner]
Workshop 1 – Intro to On-2 for Intermediate dancers on-1 (Michael Pottinger)
I was a little surprised to learn that they started the class by doing follower’s timing. I would have thought that this would make it even more difficult for leaders, but I found one follower saying that they had a more difficult job. I didn’t understand her reasoning behind this.
basic forward and back (followers timing)
1 R foot step slightly forward (overtake on once you get going)
2 L foot forward
3 weight on R foot
5 L foot back (further behind L foot) – there is less of a pause on 4 though
6 R foot back
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot overtake L foot (and repeat)
basic back to back (followers timing)
2 L foot backwards (so for leader starting back-to-back, this move should be initiated with his R foot rather than L foot as is done in on-1)
3 weight on R foot
5 L foot together (again note there being less of a pause on 4)
6 R foot backwards
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together
Conversely, going back to forward and back, leader should start new move using his R foot.
Side to side basic (followers timing)
2 L foot to side L (leader initiates side-to-side starting with his R foot once again)
3 weight on R foot
5 L foot together
6 R foot to side R
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together
Pivot turn (followers timing)
2 L foot forward
3 start turning with R foot pointing backwards
5 finish turning and regain balance if needed
6 R foot backward
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together
Changing directions.
I’m not going to bother with this one because I’m not sure what it is really useful for. I’m also going to skip one other footwork involving inside-to-outside slides.
Pause and go (or something like it… recorded below is a double pause and go version – again follower’s timing)
2 L foot forward
3 weight on R foot
5 L foot back together (slightly overtake)
6 R foot back
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together (I found it easier to not place weight on this foot)
2 R foot back
3 weight on L foot
5 R foot together (again placing no weight might be good idea here)
6 R foot back
7 weight on L foot
1 R foot together (overtake)
They did not cover leader’s timing until they got into partner work. This resulted in surprisingly few difficulties for the class.
Cross body lead
6 L foot forward
7 R foot in place (could start turning)
8/1 L foot together as leader is positioned into cross body position (equivalent to 3/4 on-1)
1/2 follower is led forward and any turn is initiated after follower gets across leader
5 feet together facing follower
6 L foot forward
There was a pivot turn done immediately after cross body lead too. I won’t bother recording this as I don’t think it needs any more explanation.
It was amusing to see the instructor get confused with his on-2 timing now and then.
Workshop 2 – Shines for Intermediate on-1 (Neeraj Maskara)
I think 70-80% of the class was made up of followers. Strange. Style of shine was slightly different than the ones from SOS, but I thought it was pretty nice.
1,2,3,5,6 basic
7 R foot slide wide to R
1 weight on L foot (initiate hip swing clockwise starting from L)
2 weight on R foot
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot
5 L foot back in position as was in beat 1
6 weight on R foot (swing)
7 weight on L foot (swing)
8 R foot cross over in front of L foot
1 L foot to side L
2 weight on R foot (swing)
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot
5 L foot back in position as was in beat 1
6 weight on R foot
7 L foot cross over in front of R foot while turning 1/2 clockwise
8/1 continue turning 1/2 clockwise into Suzy Q
2 Suzy Q
3 Suzy Q
5 R foot slightly to forward R
6 weight on L foot
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot
1,2,3,5,6 basic (starting with L foot crossing over in front of R foot on 1)
7/8 kick with R foot and L foot on heel in front pointing to R then to L
1 L foot to side L
2 R foot cross over in front of R foot to L
3 L foot cross over behind R foot to L back into normal position
5 weight on R foot
6 kick to R with L foot and back in place
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot
1 basic forward starting with L foot crossing over in front of R foot on 1 – it might be better to start with a full basic to start with
2 R foot cross behind L foot
3 R foot to R into normal position
4 L foot swing motion to help turn 1/2 counterclockwise
5 weight on L foot
6/7 side football kick with R foot to turn 3/4 counterclockwise
8 on heels to turn 1/4 clockwise
1,2,3 all the time forward basic
5/6 R foot cross over behind L foot and initiate 5/8 counterclockwise turn
7 R foot back
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic (starting with L foot crossing over in front of R foot while turning 1/4 clockwise)
No real lunch break was done. Too bad – now I’m really hungry (as of ~5 PM). I hung around with some London crowd after failing to get any of the Cambridge crowd into taking any action.
I considered doing Bachata workshop until seeing that the class was going to be very full. So I turned around and went to another workshop. Big mistake.
Workshop 3 – Turn patterns Intermediate on-1 (Super Mario)
I estimate that of 30 or so followers I met in this class, maybe 3 were capable of learning the routine. After 5-6 followers and two elbows in the face, I was getting leery. This was followed by a stretch of 7 or so followers who couldn’t spin fast enough and couldn’t avoid self-leading when I tried to place a basic in to get back into correct timing. I did get a very welcome but a very short break with a familiar and very capable follower. Unfortunately, another 7 or so completely hopeless followers came next.
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead into open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into stationary double clockwise turn ending in hammerlock
1,2,3 open break and bring follower around into a wrap (R-L on follower’s front L waist) while leader gets behind follower
5,6,7 bring follower straight back with R-L go around follower letting go L-R from her L with a counterclockwise turn to face her
1,2,3,5,6,7 into cross body position (toss L-R 45 degree away from leader on 2 to turn follower around slightly and make L-L connection on 3) – lead follower into traveling full counterclockwise turn stopping her turn with hand on her R shoulder with R hand
1,2,3 let follower go forward on 1 and back in place (slight clockwise turn towards leader with L-L) on 2,3 while readjusting R hand position on follower’s shoulder
4,5,6,7 using R hand on follower’s shoulder lead follower to turn counterclockwise stationary on 4!!! (I think this was meant to be a double turn with follower ending up facing back towards the new line)
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-L hat for leader and get into cross body lead position with normal hold, followed by leading 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn for follower with L-R high
1,2,3,5,6,7 pivot turn (clockwise full) for leader on 1,2,3 with L-R high – have palms facing away at the end of the leader’s pivot turn and lead follower into a stationary full clockwise turn on 5,6,7 ending in neck wrap facing each other and connect R-R at waist level
1,2,3,5,6,7 follower is turned around full counterclockwise stationary on 2 with R-R staying low – let go L-L and use R-R to lead follower forward on 5 and into a 1 1/2 traveling clockwise turn
There was a couple in front of me who were annoying me by not changing partners and creating additional confusion for followers to find me. I told them to move outside the circle but they simply moved away to a different part of the circle. I must have been wearing a very disgusted look by the end of the class because several people made comment to this effect. I also ran into the aforementioned London crowd, who advised to me to take only advanced classes and only with one trusty partner. Not a bad suggestion but not really workable this time around.
Next choice was between a Turn pattern on-2 improver class and Mens Shines and Styling. I think I made the wrong choice again.
Workshop 4 – Mens Shines & Styling (Mushi)
I left this class halfway through. It might have been from exhaustion and lack of food. It didn’t help that the crowd was getting larger (and taller). It was impossible for me to see the footwork from anywhere but the first few rows. I really couldn’t get the timing very well from Mushi’s descriptions, which I found a little murky. Breakdown of footwork and other body movements to timing was either weak or I just couldn’t concentrate anymore. Styling involved a lot of hand/arm movement, shoulder rolling, dipping down slightly, etc.
Some stranger I don’t recall seeing before stopped when we crossed paths to say hi and to tell me that she has to remember to get a dance with me tonight. Whoa! I’m pretty sure I didn’t dance with her last night and quite possibly any other time in the past. What happened? What made her say that? I did run into some more familiar faces (from my one trip to Bar Latina) and more people who claimed to remember me from my one trip to Ealing. I guess I am pretty easy to spot. I also have danced Salsa with at least 500 people by now in last 16 months (I don’t think it’s over 1000 but it might be close to 1000), and I certainly don’t remember faces of all of them.
Brit Salsafest 2 – jumble of thoughts
February 3, 2006
The internet connection at the Carlton Hotel was strange. They told me that my room didn’t have wi-fi access but that I could use it in public rooms. However, I found out initially that I could use it in my room but not in the public area later. The hotel management tried to be helpful (they gave me three different accounts) but never found a satisfactory solution for the public area. No big deal for me as I managed to find a way once I returned to my room with some fiddling, but someone without some computer savvy might have struggled.
Registration process at the Brit Salsafest was a bit chaotic. It seemed that people who booked as a large group in advance got the shortest end of the straw; some of them ended up waiting over 30 min to get their wristbands because they seemed to insist upon everyone picking up their wristbands as opposed to group leaders getting the wristband for the entire group. I thought only the group leader needed to be present to pick up the wristband. In my case, I had been told to go to the helpdesk by e-mail on Wednesday whereas I was really supposed to go to the guest/artists line. In either case, picking up of my wristband was relatively straightforward and easy – perhaps too much so (I better not say why though).
Dinner was at a Tex/Mex place just outside the Winter Gardens with Johnny & Serap. Not exactly authentic, but I had pretty much expected this from Blackpool (actually it probably would have been like this everywhere in the UK). Johnny & Serap went back to the hotel after the meal while I decided to stay around in Winter Gardens.
I think I might have been a part of the third couple to get on the dance floor. My dancing was from about 9:40 PM to 2:20 AM. I probably had about 30-40 dances altogether; 4 or 5 by request. Everyone seemed friendly; Maybe 2-3 people said no to a dance presumably because they were total beginners. About 15% of my dances were with beginners, 75% of the dances were with people who ranged from a bit below my level to possibly just above my level, and 10% were with people who impressed the heck out of me. I thought the last 10% seemed friendly and didn’t mind dancing with me at all – one was gracious enough to give me compliments after completing a dance that she told me in advance probably will have to be cut short. In another case, my brain was fried by a maneuver that I never saw coming. Yet another was marred by an unexpected transition to cha cha cha. (Thanks DJ Mario. I didn’t enjoy being surprised tonight. Maybe I would be more receptive next time around AFTER I learn to dance cha cha cha properly on-2 as opposed to CDC ballroom cha cha cha on-1.) One other notable dance was with someone I mistakenly thought was from New York. She claimed to be able to dance on-2 only, so I tried a little to dance on-2 for my very first time with embarrasing results. By the end of the evening, I was a goner - some of the last dances were danced on fumes only. Even though I recall remembering dancing over 40 dances at Club Salsa once in December, I think the energy level of the two were quite different.
The shows were alright although the MCs talked too much. I was left cold by all non-couple performances – it could be about personal preference rather than dancers abilities. I enjoyed all performances done with one man and one woman. However, I might add that I am not all that impressed by good dancing by professional dancers or big-time teachers. I think it’s often more interesting and impressive to see a really good social dancing.
The main dance hall was great. The amount of space, especially before 11 PM, was amazing. Sound was pretty good although there was a major hiccup during the time when SuperMario was DJing.
It’s interesting to note that people I remember from SOS now think of me as being a familiar face here at Blackpool.
I can’t believe how blind I was. Now I know the identity of someone I should have known for a while now. One of the problems was that I misheard the name used for this person once. I’ll have to try to say hello when I get a chance.
I also got to meet another mystery person and friends. The mystery person turned out to be a complete stranger, but I remembered that I actually saw one of the friends several days ago as I was getting ready to leave the dance floor tonight.
If starting a blog that was supposed to be private but became overblown by forces beyond his control leads to excessive obsessive-ness about the subject of the blog, can I think of something else that someone might to that would indicate even a greater obsessive-ness? Let’s just say that I was suitably impressed.
The internet connection at the Carlton Hotel was strange. They told me that my room didn’t have wi-fi access but that I could use it in public rooms. However, I found out initially that I could use it in my room but not in the public area later. The hotel management tried to be helpful (they gave me three different accounts) but never found a satisfactory solution for the public area. No big deal for me as I managed to find a way once I returned to my room with some fiddling, but someone without some computer savvy might have struggled.
Registration process at the Brit Salsafest was a bit chaotic. It seemed that people who booked as a large group in advance got the shortest end of the straw; some of them ended up waiting over 30 min to get their wristbands because they seemed to insist upon everyone picking up their wristbands as opposed to group leaders getting the wristband for the entire group. I thought only the group leader needed to be present to pick up the wristband. In my case, I had been told to go to the helpdesk by e-mail on Wednesday whereas I was really supposed to go to the guest/artists line. In either case, picking up of my wristband was relatively straightforward and easy – perhaps too much so (I better not say why though).
Dinner was at a Tex/Mex place just outside the Winter Gardens with Johnny & Serap. Not exactly authentic, but I had pretty much expected this from Blackpool (actually it probably would have been like this everywhere in the UK). Johnny & Serap went back to the hotel after the meal while I decided to stay around in Winter Gardens.
I think I might have been a part of the third couple to get on the dance floor. My dancing was from about 9:40 PM to 2:20 AM. I probably had about 30-40 dances altogether; 4 or 5 by request. Everyone seemed friendly; Maybe 2-3 people said no to a dance presumably because they were total beginners. About 15% of my dances were with beginners, 75% of the dances were with people who ranged from a bit below my level to possibly just above my level, and 10% were with people who impressed the heck out of me. I thought the last 10% seemed friendly and didn’t mind dancing with me at all – one was gracious enough to give me compliments after completing a dance that she told me in advance probably will have to be cut short. In another case, my brain was fried by a maneuver that I never saw coming. Yet another was marred by an unexpected transition to cha cha cha. (Thanks DJ Mario. I didn’t enjoy being surprised tonight. Maybe I would be more receptive next time around AFTER I learn to dance cha cha cha properly on-2 as opposed to CDC ballroom cha cha cha on-1.) One other notable dance was with someone I mistakenly thought was from New York. She claimed to be able to dance on-2 only, so I tried a little to dance on-2 for my very first time with embarrasing results. By the end of the evening, I was a goner - some of the last dances were danced on fumes only. Even though I recall remembering dancing over 40 dances at Club Salsa once in December, I think the energy level of the two were quite different.
The shows were alright although the MCs talked too much. I was left cold by all non-couple performances – it could be about personal preference rather than dancers abilities. I enjoyed all performances done with one man and one woman. However, I might add that I am not all that impressed by good dancing by professional dancers or big-time teachers. I think it’s often more interesting and impressive to see a really good social dancing.
The main dance hall was great. The amount of space, especially before 11 PM, was amazing. Sound was pretty good although there was a major hiccup during the time when SuperMario was DJing.
It’s interesting to note that people I remember from SOS now think of me as being a familiar face here at Blackpool.
I can’t believe how blind I was. Now I know the identity of someone I should have known for a while now. One of the problems was that I misheard the name used for this person once. I’ll have to try to say hello when I get a chance.
I also got to meet another mystery person and friends. The mystery person turned out to be a complete stranger, but I remembered that I actually saw one of the friends several days ago as I was getting ready to leave the dance floor tonight.
If starting a blog that was supposed to be private but became overblown by forces beyond his control leads to excessive obsessive-ness about the subject of the blog, can I think of something else that someone might to that would indicate even a greater obsessive-ness? Let’s just say that I was suitably impressed.
Brit Salsafest 1 - the drive & the arrival
February 3, 2006
I departed at 12:55 PM from work with Johnny & Serap in tow. The drive was surprisingly smooth. After dropping off Johnny & Serap at their hotel, I was in my room in a separate hotel and was on the internet by 5:30 PM. The hotel (Best Western Carlton Hotel) seems reasonable by British standards. Hopefully the shower has a nice strong pressure. Hmm. I think I'll check right now. Check. Pressure seems okay. Hopefully the water temperature will be good in the morning.
I departed at 12:55 PM from work with Johnny & Serap in tow. The drive was surprisingly smooth. After dropping off Johnny & Serap at their hotel, I was in my room in a separate hotel and was on the internet by 5:30 PM. The hotel (Best Western Carlton Hotel) seems reasonable by British standards. Hopefully the shower has a nice strong pressure. Hmm. I think I'll check right now. Check. Pressure seems okay. Hopefully the water temperature will be good in the morning.
On the eve of Brit Salsafest
February 2, 2006
crossed hold L-L on top
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break on 1, leader gets around and behind follower on 2,3 (neutral lead to prevent follower from turning in any direction – I’m guessing slight forward on 2 is okay – both connections stay in front of follower), follower is led to right on 5 as leader starts moving to her left and follower is led backwards on 6 as leader gets into essentially cross body lead position by 7/8 (R-R needs to go over follower’s head)
[note: Sometimes I was doing a clockwise turn on 7/8 by mistake – this could be interesting also]
1,2,3,5,6,7 pivot turn for leader on 1,2,3 and basic back on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to turn clockwise full stationary on 1,2,3 – continue turning follower on 5 (decelerating??) in clockwise direction and stop her turn with L-L and lead follower into full counterclockwise turn on 6,7 (broken left turn?) (R-R could be let go on 4/5 for follower’s styling)
1,2,3,5,6,7 [at this point, we’re back to crossed hold with L-L on top] cross body lead finish with leading follower into a traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn [SOS technique would involve L-L going down on 5, coming back up on 6 with R-R following]
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower in to a touch-and-go double turn (clockwise) ending with L-L on top and leader turns half counterclockwise on 7/8 after follower is done with her turning to get into reverse Titanic
1,2,3,5,6,7 optional basic (more like an open break followed by in place while adjusting connections]
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower to leader’s R side with R-R going over follower’s head and then disconnected with leader’s R hand landing on follower’s R shoulder – lead follower forward on 5 and into a 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn while leader turns counterclockwise to get back into face partner again
Beginner class was humongous. I walked into it somewhat unaware of the fact that it was a beginner class, but I decided that I might as well stick it out once I was in it. Many more than usual beginners stayed behind for club hours too.
Main emphasis for dancing tonight was to try to give more room for follower to express herself. I’m not sure if it did much today but I imagine it will take time. I apparently nailed cross body lead with a turn in my first attempt in my dance with Sally; I don’t know if I kept it up afterwards. In my opinion, probably two other of my top three things to work on is cross body lead with turns (still not completely fixed) and posture.
Johnny showed up during the club hours. It looks like we (including Serap) will be traveling to Blackpool together. I hear Birmingham/Manchester region is hellish to drive through on a Friday afternoon.
My spare ticket will be going to a complete stranger based in London. I am told I might get a couple of drinks out of it – I wouldn’t care if I get nothing. Easy come easy go. I think perhaps it was for the best for me even though there may have been many people in Cambridge who might have appreciated a free ticket (some I hadn’t realized before tonight).
Bachata workshop planning will continue while I’m in Blackpool. Ivan gave me a nice gesture by making an announcement about it after the class.
I’m really digging shines right now.
crossed hold L-L on top
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break on 1, leader gets around and behind follower on 2,3 (neutral lead to prevent follower from turning in any direction – I’m guessing slight forward on 2 is okay – both connections stay in front of follower), follower is led to right on 5 as leader starts moving to her left and follower is led backwards on 6 as leader gets into essentially cross body lead position by 7/8 (R-R needs to go over follower’s head)
[note: Sometimes I was doing a clockwise turn on 7/8 by mistake – this could be interesting also]
1,2,3,5,6,7 pivot turn for leader on 1,2,3 and basic back on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to turn clockwise full stationary on 1,2,3 – continue turning follower on 5 (decelerating??) in clockwise direction and stop her turn with L-L and lead follower into full counterclockwise turn on 6,7 (broken left turn?) (R-R could be let go on 4/5 for follower’s styling)
1,2,3,5,6,7 [at this point, we’re back to crossed hold with L-L on top] cross body lead finish with leading follower into a traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn [SOS technique would involve L-L going down on 5, coming back up on 6 with R-R following]
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower in to a touch-and-go double turn (clockwise) ending with L-L on top and leader turns half counterclockwise on 7/8 after follower is done with her turning to get into reverse Titanic
1,2,3,5,6,7 optional basic (more like an open break followed by in place while adjusting connections]
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower to leader’s R side with R-R going over follower’s head and then disconnected with leader’s R hand landing on follower’s R shoulder – lead follower forward on 5 and into a 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn while leader turns counterclockwise to get back into face partner again
Beginner class was humongous. I walked into it somewhat unaware of the fact that it was a beginner class, but I decided that I might as well stick it out once I was in it. Many more than usual beginners stayed behind for club hours too.
Main emphasis for dancing tonight was to try to give more room for follower to express herself. I’m not sure if it did much today but I imagine it will take time. I apparently nailed cross body lead with a turn in my first attempt in my dance with Sally; I don’t know if I kept it up afterwards. In my opinion, probably two other of my top three things to work on is cross body lead with turns (still not completely fixed) and posture.
Johnny showed up during the club hours. It looks like we (including Serap) will be traveling to Blackpool together. I hear Birmingham/Manchester region is hellish to drive through on a Friday afternoon.
My spare ticket will be going to a complete stranger based in London. I am told I might get a couple of drinks out of it – I wouldn’t care if I get nothing. Easy come easy go. I think perhaps it was for the best for me even though there may have been many people in Cambridge who might have appreciated a free ticket (some I hadn’t realized before tonight).
Bachata workshop planning will continue while I’m in Blackpool. Ivan gave me a nice gesture by making an announcement about it after the class.
I’m really digging shines right now.
A blur of an evening
February 1, 2006
Most of the evening was spent trying to get people to sign up for the Tony & Claudia workshops, in particular for the Bachata workshop. Thanks to everyone who booked a spot. A surprising development thus far is that the numbers for Bachata is now quite uneven. I'm going to have to try my hardest to recruit more men Thursday night. I find this surprising because in November, there were many more men interested in improver Bachata workshop compared to women.
For those men who are being coy about committing, I am going to make a great effort to make the numbers even before Monday. If I somehow manage this, and more men show up withtout there being followers needing a partner, preference will go to people who booked in advance.
As for the rest of the evening, it was a strange blur. People appeared and disappeared in quick succession. There were strange sights and conversations that led to bizarre revelations. I felt like I was bobbing back and forth between being connected and disconnected with reality. I'm guessing that everyone else was the same while I was seeing certain things differently. I don't know for sure.
As for dancing (there wasn't that many), I simply tried to incorporate recent suggestions made from various critics - some with more success than others...
Most of the evening was spent trying to get people to sign up for the Tony & Claudia workshops, in particular for the Bachata workshop. Thanks to everyone who booked a spot. A surprising development thus far is that the numbers for Bachata is now quite uneven. I'm going to have to try my hardest to recruit more men Thursday night. I find this surprising because in November, there were many more men interested in improver Bachata workshop compared to women.
For those men who are being coy about committing, I am going to make a great effort to make the numbers even before Monday. If I somehow manage this, and more men show up withtout there being followers needing a partner, preference will go to people who booked in advance.
As for the rest of the evening, it was a strange blur. People appeared and disappeared in quick succession. There were strange sights and conversations that led to bizarre revelations. I felt like I was bobbing back and forth between being connected and disconnected with reality. I'm guessing that everyone else was the same while I was seeing certain things differently. I don't know for sure.
As for dancing (there wasn't that many), I simply tried to incorporate recent suggestions made from various critics - some with more success than others...
Sharp versus soft lead
February 1, 2006
The most important thing about leading is that the intent of the lead should be clear. Given that is there an inherent superiority of a soft lead over a sharp lead or vice versa? I have heard that less experienced follower generally need stronger lead although this does not seem universally true; I find that some newbie followers take very well to soft leads while some followers who have been dancing for a long time still seem to require fairly forceful lead. What is probably true is that as followers get better, they require (and I think often prefer) less forceful leads.
So is it best to use minimal possible force in leading while still being clear with the lead? If so, should leaders try to do is to learn to minimize forcefulness in their leads and perhaps even try to stretch the ability of their dance partner to become responsive to ever softer leads? Conversely, should followers try to recognize and distinguish ever finer differences in reading leads as part of their training to get better?
I thought I'm more likely to hear concurring or opposing views in a real forum, so I posted this question last night on the londonsalsa.co.uk forum. Go there to see other people's opinion this subject.
The most important thing about leading is that the intent of the lead should be clear. Given that is there an inherent superiority of a soft lead over a sharp lead or vice versa? I have heard that less experienced follower generally need stronger lead although this does not seem universally true; I find that some newbie followers take very well to soft leads while some followers who have been dancing for a long time still seem to require fairly forceful lead. What is probably true is that as followers get better, they require (and I think often prefer) less forceful leads.
So is it best to use minimal possible force in leading while still being clear with the lead? If so, should leaders try to do is to learn to minimize forcefulness in their leads and perhaps even try to stretch the ability of their dance partner to become responsive to ever softer leads? Conversely, should followers try to recognize and distinguish ever finer differences in reading leads as part of their training to get better?
I thought I'm more likely to hear concurring or opposing views in a real forum, so I posted this question last night on the londonsalsa.co.uk forum. Go there to see other people's opinion this subject.
Help
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.
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.
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