August 31, 2006
Advanced with Sally assisted by Lindsey
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hold prepare and lead follower into a stationary double or triple turn ending with elbow-to-elbow (with slight change of hand position on the final turn) connection
1,2,3,5,6,7 Copa start with R-R going over follower’s head – lead follower into 1 1/2 counterclockwise Copa turn with over and under to get R-R behind follower’s L waist end with L hand showing in front of follower’s face to make L-L connection fairly early
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader turns full clockwise with L-L high (temporarily disconnecting R-R) and lead follower into stationary clockwise turn with all connections intact
1,2,3,5,6,7 crossed hold L-L on top, L-L hat for leader as leader gets into CBL position and reconnecting L-L underneath R-R and lead follower into 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 traveling clockwise turn touch-and-go (to end with crossed hold L-L on top)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader turns 1/2 counterclockwise with L-L going over his head on 1,2,3 – then leader turns further 1/2 counterclockwise (minimize traveling) with 5,6,7 with emphasis on leading follower forward on 5 (I preferred slight pull with R-R) to effect or lead follower to do her CBL finish while R-R goes over leader’s head
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower and free hand goes to follower’s L shoulder while L-L hold is switched (make it so that both fingers are pointing up and convenient for blocking move) – lead follower forward on 5 and absorb/block her momentum and lead her back into counterclockwise turn with L-L going for an unusual neck wrap (also change hold if possible here so that leader’s palms are facing follower’s neck with thumbs down) and leader positions himself to R of follower
1,2,3,5,6,7 stay in CBL position and unwrap follower with 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 clockwise traveling turn
I daresay Sally was quite pleased with my lead today although she still managed to make suggestions here and there.
Ivan arrived early (before the start of the second hour of classes) and was available for chat. Among other things, we talked about state of CBL style Salsa in Cambridge (e.g. No one except Johnny did CBL when Ivan arrived, which drove Ivan to go to London twice a week regularly. Even when I first learning Salsa in Cambridge, it was difficult to find many good partners for CBL. Now, it’s a lot easier although you still need to overcome quite a bit of barriers such as Club Salsa simply not having enough space to accommodate large number of dancers. If there are many good or decent dancers, newcomers have little room to practice and get intimidated. If there are not any good/decent dancers, it’s difficult to progress. More often than not, less experienced dancers (especially followers) get picked on by Cuban style dancers, which does little to help them progress on CBL style.)
In an interesting coincidence, a pair of girls from the absolute beginner class decided to pick on us (I think Cyrille was their first choice, and I happened to be standing right next to him) for extra lessons. Cyrille bowed out, but I decided to give it a try. I think my earlier talk with Ivan was foremost in my mind, as well as some experiences I had in giving instructions at one-on-one level with a number of people in the past. Bailamos’s guide to learning Salsa also came to mind. I also thought I would risk being seen as giving these girls a lesson mostly because they are good-looking, etc, but decided not to worry about it. It looked like they were given instructions on Mambo basic, back basic and pivot turns (both leader’s and follower’s) in the class. I added cross body lead to their repertoire. I tried CBL with turns briefly before abandoning the idea. After these basics was to get them to dance in time to the music while doing those steps from various positions. I’m guessing that I spent about 3-4 songs on each of them. I don’t exactly have much hope that they will stick with it. I suppose it’s somewhat likely that they might show up for next couple of weeks – perhaps even couple of months. While survival rate for followers is somewhat better than it is for leaders, it’s not exactly great. I tried to warn them that it would take at least few months to get comfortable with CBL style Salsa (of course, a few months is in fact a gross underestimate if we are talking about getting to something like advanced social dancer level). Even if they stay around and become pretty good, I am sure that I won’t get many thanks for my sacrificing large chunk of the highest level CBL Salsa night in Cambridge.
I tried to catch up on my normal social dancing afterwards, but I fell rather short of my usual quota and didn’t even manage to ask let alone dance with several people.
I suppose I also “wasted” some time at the end trying a “simple” shine Sergio showed Lindsey and me. See below.
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic ending with R foot crossed in front of L foot on 7 with L arm pointing forward
1 L foot to side L with R arm pointing forward (L arm tucked in now)
3 L foot cross over in front of R foot with R arm still pointing forward
5 R foot to side R with L arm pointing forward (R arm tucked in)
7 R foot cross over in front of L foot with R arm in something like haircomb (not quite) like movement
1 start of broken left with R arm coming down and pointing forward
2,3 continue with broken left
4 shoulder isolation movements
5,6,7 finish broken left turn
[Note: I think a good starting exercise may be to practice doing forward and back basic with R arm pointing forward on 1 and 5 and L arm pointing forward on 3 and 7. For me, this arm movement is exact opposite of what I am used to doing.]
I also spent some part of the second hour playing with follower’s footwork. Some minor footwork adjustments suggested by Sergio made staying in balance even easier (I didn’t think it was terrible to begin with). No real practice though.
Other items. Sam’s back and complained of getting dizzy couple of times (but she seemed to enjoy my leading more than ever). Sally played El Quinto de Beethoven – Cesta All-Stars/Charlie Palmieri version (as opposed to Markolino Dimond/Frankie Dante); apparently this track did not sound exactly like the one she heard elsewhere. Lindsey challenged me to do a triple, which I complied awkwardly with cheating. No debut of the penguin or the mime yet.
Neither unique nor the earliest
August 30, 2006
I knew for quite some time that I was not alone in blogging about Salsa. What I didn’t know for a fact was that there are some Salsa blogs written by normal Salsa dancers long before I started my blog in the UK - Cardiff in this case. One of the posts that caught my attention was "How to learn Salsa" written about two weeks after I started my first ever Salsa lesson.
I knew for quite some time that I was not alone in blogging about Salsa. What I didn’t know for a fact was that there are some Salsa blogs written by normal Salsa dancers long before I started my blog in the UK - Cardiff in this case. One of the posts that caught my attention was "How to learn Salsa" written about two weeks after I started my first ever Salsa lesson.
With Scala-induced exhaustion setting in
August 28, 2006
Intermediate with Tiz
1,2,3,5,6,7 open hold Copa over and under so end with L-R behind follower’s L waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and unroll follower (follower does 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn – L-R is brought up on 6 if safe for follower of course) with leader turning clockwise to face away from follower with drop catch to end R-R by leader’s R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower forward on leader’s R side offering L hand to connect L-L and R-R going over follower’s head and double windmill-like motion (or perhaps I should call it windmill with R-R and over and under with L-L) to bring L-L behind follower’s R waist with leader turning full clockwise in switching to R-L
1,2,3,5,6,7 back basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 half left turn (like broken left) for leader on 1,2,3 while leading follower to turn about 1/4 counterclockwise while switching to L-L (at this point the couple is back-to-back) and lead follower to continue turning a traveling counterclockwise double turn overall with an over and under move with L-L ending across follower’s stomach on her R side (it should go without saying that the lead for followers turn should be smooth and continuous (i.e. no pause) throughout)
There was no exit move taught in the class, which was not a problem for me. The first three moves were quite familiar because I have seen all of these moves (in fragments) at least twice previously. Because there was a shortage of followers in the class, I spent my extra time practicing follower’s role for much of the first hour. Possibly my biggest contribution to the class was to get Tiz to say, “Never use thumbs.”
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to a single stationary clockwise turn with both connections intact
1,2,3,5,6,7 Copa start with L-R going over and fake and bring follower to step back together on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 Mambo jazz followed by lead follower into 1 1/2 traveling clockwise turn with leader turning 1/2 counterclockwise to end with drop catch to R-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower forward with R-R going over and resting just above her R shoulder with L-L brought up to her L shoulder – lead follower to do a cross walk with a slight twist to R on 5, to L on 6 and to R on 7 (with both connections – this like most things is tension based… perhaps more so than usual)
1,2,3,5,6,7 slight twist to L on 1 (think of it as leading slave shine for follower) and bring follower to straighten on 2,3 with L-L brought up and lead follower into a stationary 1 1/2 clockwise turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 forward basic into CBL as L-L hat is made, CBL for follower while leader turns 1 1/4 counterclockwise (using R foot crossing over technique on 5)
Nice review. It should be interesting to see how challenging it would be to try to lead some of the trickier moves on unsuspecting followers. Sad but probably true – I probably have better chance of following these moves than a third of the followers in class and possibly nearly half of the followers in social setting.
Instructors today were Joe (with his voice breaking from tiredness?), Tiz and Aiste. Tiz and Aiste must have been dancing together for quite some time, and their repertoire is quite varied and extensive. Watching them dance together, I wondered how much of their material is choreographed rather than being widely leadable.
Sometimes I suspect that some people attend these classes with little intention of using what they learned on the dance floor during social dancing. For many, taking part in classes seems to be the main social activity and entertainment.
It was somewhat quieter than usual because the Salsa team people were all off to Hitchin for some Salsa BBQ benefit event. I only saw one other person among people who attended the Scala last night. There was one new fairly experienced follower to couch their absence somewhat; I don’t know if this is someone just passing through. I was tired yet managed to stay until shortly past 11 PM.
Intermediate with Tiz
1,2,3,5,6,7 open hold Copa over and under so end with L-R behind follower’s L waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and unroll follower (follower does 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn – L-R is brought up on 6 if safe for follower of course) with leader turning clockwise to face away from follower with drop catch to end R-R by leader’s R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower forward on leader’s R side offering L hand to connect L-L and R-R going over follower’s head and double windmill-like motion (or perhaps I should call it windmill with R-R and over and under with L-L) to bring L-L behind follower’s R waist with leader turning full clockwise in switching to R-L
1,2,3,5,6,7 back basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 half left turn (like broken left) for leader on 1,2,3 while leading follower to turn about 1/4 counterclockwise while switching to L-L (at this point the couple is back-to-back) and lead follower to continue turning a traveling counterclockwise double turn overall with an over and under move with L-L ending across follower’s stomach on her R side (it should go without saying that the lead for followers turn should be smooth and continuous (i.e. no pause) throughout)
There was no exit move taught in the class, which was not a problem for me. The first three moves were quite familiar because I have seen all of these moves (in fragments) at least twice previously. Because there was a shortage of followers in the class, I spent my extra time practicing follower’s role for much of the first hour. Possibly my biggest contribution to the class was to get Tiz to say, “Never use thumbs.”
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to a single stationary clockwise turn with both connections intact
1,2,3,5,6,7 Copa start with L-R going over and fake and bring follower to step back together on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 Mambo jazz followed by lead follower into 1 1/2 traveling clockwise turn with leader turning 1/2 counterclockwise to end with drop catch to R-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and bring follower forward with R-R going over and resting just above her R shoulder with L-L brought up to her L shoulder – lead follower to do a cross walk with a slight twist to R on 5, to L on 6 and to R on 7 (with both connections – this like most things is tension based… perhaps more so than usual)
1,2,3,5,6,7 slight twist to L on 1 (think of it as leading slave shine for follower) and bring follower to straighten on 2,3 with L-L brought up and lead follower into a stationary 1 1/2 clockwise turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 forward basic into CBL as L-L hat is made, CBL for follower while leader turns 1 1/4 counterclockwise (using R foot crossing over technique on 5)
Nice review. It should be interesting to see how challenging it would be to try to lead some of the trickier moves on unsuspecting followers. Sad but probably true – I probably have better chance of following these moves than a third of the followers in class and possibly nearly half of the followers in social setting.
Instructors today were Joe (with his voice breaking from tiredness?), Tiz and Aiste. Tiz and Aiste must have been dancing together for quite some time, and their repertoire is quite varied and extensive. Watching them dance together, I wondered how much of their material is choreographed rather than being widely leadable.
Sometimes I suspect that some people attend these classes with little intention of using what they learned on the dance floor during social dancing. For many, taking part in classes seems to be the main social activity and entertainment.
It was somewhat quieter than usual because the Salsa team people were all off to Hitchin for some Salsa BBQ benefit event. I only saw one other person among people who attended the Scala last night. There was one new fairly experienced follower to couch their absence somewhat; I don’t know if this is someone just passing through. I was tired yet managed to stay until shortly past 11 PM.
Three musketeers plus one ride to the Scala
August 27, 2006
Until Friday I was increasingly becoming unsure whether I would go to the Scala. Tide turned after Cyrille talked to me about going, and after some texts, etc our group was four with Sergio and Zhenzhi joining us. We met and left Cambridge shortly after 10 PM.
As expected, Scala was close to full by the time we arrived. I/We were greeted by friends and friend of friends, etc. There was some room on the stage but the main floor was packed and full of people unaware of their neighbors and taking up large amount of space. The floor quality was also poor - dirty and scummy. After two quick dances (or even before that), I was saying, “I hate it already.” There was a disagreement between what is 1 and 5. I thought I was right, but then again I almost always think I am right.
Because both Cyrille and Sergio expressed desire to leave early before the start of the trip, I naturally thought that was what was going to happen. Thus I kept a relatively low profile. I think I danced maybe two more times before the first set of performances.
Brazilian Lambazouk dance did not grab my attention – it seemed that the biggest requirement for the performers was that they have marvelous physique. I felt that watching the female performer for the same (it felt that way too much at times!) dance from last night was akin to watching a Barbie doll dance. Compared to them Salsa dance performers are mostly fat, old, ugly or scrawny – nothing special to look at when they’re not dancing.
I had two more dances between the first and second set of performances. One was to Periodico De Ayer (Hector Lavoe).
Sergio and Liam wanted to see a friend of theirs in performance (I think one of Manhattan Mambo Dancers) and wanted a better spot to watch it. I lost sight of them and ended up with the worst spot in the house – joined by Cyrille.
Another Brazillian dance – nice physique and uninspiring dancing again - yawn. A group from Dublin (Fusion Dance Company) drew some loud cheers (presumably because the girls were exceptionally cute by Salsa performer standards) – I was mainly amused to note that I danced with half of them last night at the Rocket. Sergio's comment about them later was, "It looked like they practiced a lot." Lee and Shelley – I like these guys, but it was difficult to see much of the action. They are popular here and seem quite down to earth and approachable in my opinion. Continuing on lookism topic (snark), I seem to recall hearing comments like Lee is the pretty one. I think Lee and Shelley’s piece was set to Cuban Fantasy, but I’m not sure which artist.
Tracy found me wandering around before the second set of performances and had me for couple of dances. The second one was really nifty because we found unexpectedly large amount of space (in straight line where 2 1/2 couples could have danced comfortably in and on the main floor no less) – I have never seen that at the Scala. It was fun making use of all that space and the music suited very well – I think people sitting in front of us were entertained. Next song was Descarga Cubana (Cachao), and I danced with one of the former spectators.
Third set of performances was notable for wisecrack comments.
Quote of the Day 1 – “My grandpa never wore those clothes.”
Quote of the Day 2 – “They are massacring whole eras of music. They are massacring whole genre of music.”
Crowding problem became considerably lighter after the last set of performances. It was also past 2 AM, so I thought the call for return home might come at any time. I was now in watching people dance mode – mostly people I know (one of whom gave me a friendly wink while dancing – cute). Liam’s dance with one of the Manhattan Mambo Dancers was quite cool also.
After one more dance, I went for a long stretch without one. This break was broken eventually when El Quinto De Beethoven (Markolino Dimond & Frankie Dante) came on – I thought the DJ might have done something to the song but I am not certain. I tried dancing once again on the main floor thinking that the crowding was not as bad – wrong. One time I tried this I was blocked from all ends thus making even simple CBL difficult. I fled back to the stage where I spotted yet another one of the Fusion dancers from last night – so now I have danced with 2/3 (or 4) of them. In the end, I had at least 16 dances – a lot more than I expected and many of them much better than I expected. Also it was past 4 AM by this time. We eventually made for the door around 4:30 AM where another Cambridge folk (William?) hitched a ride with us.
The only other (slightly surprising) bit was that I was stopped briefly by Lee for a short chat as we were leaving - just small talk about the night, etc. I talked about having been in a difficult spot to watch his performance. Just slightly surprising because I don’t know him very well at all – I might have had a short chat or two with him at the BritSalsafest but nothing since until now. I guess he’s just a naturally friendly guy. I had my glasses on too.
Probably the most amusing bit of conversation on the return trip involved baby food. Too much shop talk otherwise. Cyrille was knocked out cold within seconds of departure. Zhenzhi fell asleep too.
It was surprisingly pleasant night dancing-wise. I wouldn't call it great but having gone with low expectations probably helped.
Until Friday I was increasingly becoming unsure whether I would go to the Scala. Tide turned after Cyrille talked to me about going, and after some texts, etc our group was four with Sergio and Zhenzhi joining us. We met and left Cambridge shortly after 10 PM.
As expected, Scala was close to full by the time we arrived. I/We were greeted by friends and friend of friends, etc. There was some room on the stage but the main floor was packed and full of people unaware of their neighbors and taking up large amount of space. The floor quality was also poor - dirty and scummy. After two quick dances (or even before that), I was saying, “I hate it already.” There was a disagreement between what is 1 and 5. I thought I was right, but then again I almost always think I am right.
Because both Cyrille and Sergio expressed desire to leave early before the start of the trip, I naturally thought that was what was going to happen. Thus I kept a relatively low profile. I think I danced maybe two more times before the first set of performances.
Brazilian Lambazouk dance did not grab my attention – it seemed that the biggest requirement for the performers was that they have marvelous physique. I felt that watching the female performer for the same (it felt that way too much at times!) dance from last night was akin to watching a Barbie doll dance. Compared to them Salsa dance performers are mostly fat, old, ugly or scrawny – nothing special to look at when they’re not dancing.
I had two more dances between the first and second set of performances. One was to Periodico De Ayer (Hector Lavoe).
Sergio and Liam wanted to see a friend of theirs in performance (I think one of Manhattan Mambo Dancers) and wanted a better spot to watch it. I lost sight of them and ended up with the worst spot in the house – joined by Cyrille.
Another Brazillian dance – nice physique and uninspiring dancing again - yawn. A group from Dublin (Fusion Dance Company) drew some loud cheers (presumably because the girls were exceptionally cute by Salsa performer standards) – I was mainly amused to note that I danced with half of them last night at the Rocket. Sergio's comment about them later was, "It looked like they practiced a lot." Lee and Shelley – I like these guys, but it was difficult to see much of the action. They are popular here and seem quite down to earth and approachable in my opinion. Continuing on lookism topic (snark), I seem to recall hearing comments like Lee is the pretty one. I think Lee and Shelley’s piece was set to Cuban Fantasy, but I’m not sure which artist.
Tracy found me wandering around before the second set of performances and had me for couple of dances. The second one was really nifty because we found unexpectedly large amount of space (in straight line where 2 1/2 couples could have danced comfortably in and on the main floor no less) – I have never seen that at the Scala. It was fun making use of all that space and the music suited very well – I think people sitting in front of us were entertained. Next song was Descarga Cubana (Cachao), and I danced with one of the former spectators.
Third set of performances was notable for wisecrack comments.
Quote of the Day 1 – “My grandpa never wore those clothes.”
Quote of the Day 2 – “They are massacring whole eras of music. They are massacring whole genre of music.”
Crowding problem became considerably lighter after the last set of performances. It was also past 2 AM, so I thought the call for return home might come at any time. I was now in watching people dance mode – mostly people I know (one of whom gave me a friendly wink while dancing – cute). Liam’s dance with one of the Manhattan Mambo Dancers was quite cool also.
After one more dance, I went for a long stretch without one. This break was broken eventually when El Quinto De Beethoven (Markolino Dimond & Frankie Dante) came on – I thought the DJ might have done something to the song but I am not certain. I tried dancing once again on the main floor thinking that the crowding was not as bad – wrong. One time I tried this I was blocked from all ends thus making even simple CBL difficult. I fled back to the stage where I spotted yet another one of the Fusion dancers from last night – so now I have danced with 2/3 (or 4) of them. In the end, I had at least 16 dances – a lot more than I expected and many of them much better than I expected. Also it was past 4 AM by this time. We eventually made for the door around 4:30 AM where another Cambridge folk (William?) hitched a ride with us.
The only other (slightly surprising) bit was that I was stopped briefly by Lee for a short chat as we were leaving - just small talk about the night, etc. I talked about having been in a difficult spot to watch his performance. Just slightly surprising because I don’t know him very well at all – I might have had a short chat or two with him at the BritSalsafest but nothing since until now. I guess he’s just a naturally friendly guy. I had my glasses on too.
Probably the most amusing bit of conversation on the return trip involved baby food. Too much shop talk otherwise. Cyrille was knocked out cold within seconds of departure. Zhenzhi fell asleep too.
It was surprisingly pleasant night dancing-wise. I wouldn't call it great but having gone with low expectations probably helped.
What if the best has come and gone?
August 26, 2006
As I started my drive toward London on M11, I wondered if it’s possible that I would soon lose interest in Salsa or if such process has started already. I felt that I might be making a mistake in going to a London Salsa event – in a manner unlike my last London trip last weekend. I wasn’t sure what I wanted – Something new? Something familiar? Nice dancing? Fun socializing? Et cetera.
I must have arrived shortly after 11 PM. I saw that the downstairs Salsa room (Cuban) was fairly empty and that the upstairs Salsa room (CBL) was also sparsely populated although with more people. I also saw quite quickly that there were not many people I knew well from the London scene.
Meanwhile, there was a very large number of teachers, performers, etc. Teachers and performers I recognized tonight included in no particular order Leon Rose, Tamambo, Laith Sami, Mauro & Eva, Tiz, Aiste, Mushi, Emma Moore, Katrina Wiklund (and presumably Alex Amoroso), Mel C, Lee (and presumably Shelley). In addition, there were people from 3 shows I watched around 1 AM (and none of whom I would have recognized as teachers or performers prior to it – or afterwards in some cases) as well as people from 4 shows that must have happened before I arrived. Considering that the total number of people was rather small, it may be reasonable to guess that at least quarter of the couples on the dance floor included at least one teacher/performer.
The sound system upstairs was disappointing once again. I wonder if they will ever get it right. I wonder if I have the patience to wait for them to fix it. The sound system at the Rocket supposedly was never a strong point (according to Sean). Maybe the acoustics is just poor. What a waste of a very expensive sound system!
More familiar faces arrived later – although not very many – some from LDA and some from Cambridge (about half dozen from each). Many people are supposedly at the Colloseum (it seems to be the main competition for the Rocket – possibly with more people in attendance consistently). The Rocket is having hard time attracting many people.
I certainly did not think I was any better than 50th percentile at any time I was dancing tonight. It has been a while since I felt I was below average in the room, and I would have to say that I found the feeling unnerving. It could be nothing but my imagination, but I wondered if some of my dance partners felt more nervous or less sure of themselves than usual. I might have felt more conscious of mistakes major and minor and let them have more lasting effect on the evening than usual too. Having a less than completely enthusiastic attitude from the outset cannot have helped matters either.
My confidence certainly waxes and wanes over time – this is one of those times of dips. In the past I would have recover confidence by adding several new interesting moves. Now I begin to wonder if time is running out on such method of recovery considering that I see less value in leading complex moves after moves (and possibly becoming rusty with less used moves). In the past I would also take no more than few weeks to become supremely (and perhaps irrationally) confident again. It would seem that such thing is less likely this time, but perhaps I always thought the same whenever I was going through a down phase?
Generally speaking I don’t derive much pleasure from dancing with people who are or who think they are much better than me. Often I get nervous and become less confident. I usually avoid asking teachers or performers for a dance – often because I assume that they get plenty of dances (and become tired of) with people they perceive as not as good (or to put it nicer – still have much to learn). I may think the same of people who I think are “superstar” groupies. I suppose this hesitation lessens as I get to know to the person better and a certain level of trust and understanding develops. I cannot think poorly of “groupies” because most people gravitates toward people who stand out and want to become friends with "cool people"; I know I must do it with some people while sometimes other people do the same with me. Usually I think I’m probably right about not asking certain type of people (and thus am avoiding getting a no for an answer or having a lousy dance to avoid bruising my ego), but I am sure I am wrong sometimes. The best are the ones I liked instantly and was liked back in return from the earliest moment – they’re rare and wonderful.
The ramblings in the previous paragraph were inspired primarily by dancing with a fairly prominent teacher/performer tonight.
Am I becoming dependent on having good social backups at these Salsa events? Last night was mostly about socializing and it worked out well. Socializing part “rescued” SOS trip last weekend. Weird - because I used to thrive on going to a completely new scene (with caveat that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to go to a London event without seeing a very large number of recognizable faces (but not necessarily friendly and certainly not intimately familiar – by this I mean people I recognize but have not danced with before or in rare cases had very poor dances with)). Would I no longer consider a Salsa night a great night unless the social aspect was pretty good as well as dancing (or unless the dancing was out of this world)?
Is my expectation that things should always get better (with hard work, etc) going to ultimately disappoint? Should I be remembering the words “You only live once…”?
They closed the upstairs room at 2 AM once again (even though it was probably more crowded than ever at the time of closing). I stood around for about 10 minutes after coming downstairs but did not feel inspire to stay. After all, I might want to conserve some energy for tomorrow at the Scala.
Based upon sound quality and lack of people (floor was fine for me although I heard some complaints about it being too slippery), I wonder if I would want to come back again. It’s certainly no better than going to SOS (with caveat that my last SOS outing rated no better than just okay – like the Rocket tonight – and that much of the negativity may have been in my mind preceding the start of the evening).
I should end noting that it was far from a disaster. I did have some dances that I enjoyed a great deal. I would guess that at least 2 or 3 dances if not more ended with me and my partner feeling pretty good.
As I started my drive toward London on M11, I wondered if it’s possible that I would soon lose interest in Salsa or if such process has started already. I felt that I might be making a mistake in going to a London Salsa event – in a manner unlike my last London trip last weekend. I wasn’t sure what I wanted – Something new? Something familiar? Nice dancing? Fun socializing? Et cetera.
I must have arrived shortly after 11 PM. I saw that the downstairs Salsa room (Cuban) was fairly empty and that the upstairs Salsa room (CBL) was also sparsely populated although with more people. I also saw quite quickly that there were not many people I knew well from the London scene.
Meanwhile, there was a very large number of teachers, performers, etc. Teachers and performers I recognized tonight included in no particular order Leon Rose, Tamambo, Laith Sami, Mauro & Eva, Tiz, Aiste, Mushi, Emma Moore, Katrina Wiklund (and presumably Alex Amoroso), Mel C, Lee (and presumably Shelley). In addition, there were people from 3 shows I watched around 1 AM (and none of whom I would have recognized as teachers or performers prior to it – or afterwards in some cases) as well as people from 4 shows that must have happened before I arrived. Considering that the total number of people was rather small, it may be reasonable to guess that at least quarter of the couples on the dance floor included at least one teacher/performer.
The sound system upstairs was disappointing once again. I wonder if they will ever get it right. I wonder if I have the patience to wait for them to fix it. The sound system at the Rocket supposedly was never a strong point (according to Sean). Maybe the acoustics is just poor. What a waste of a very expensive sound system!
More familiar faces arrived later – although not very many – some from LDA and some from Cambridge (about half dozen from each). Many people are supposedly at the Colloseum (it seems to be the main competition for the Rocket – possibly with more people in attendance consistently). The Rocket is having hard time attracting many people.
I certainly did not think I was any better than 50th percentile at any time I was dancing tonight. It has been a while since I felt I was below average in the room, and I would have to say that I found the feeling unnerving. It could be nothing but my imagination, but I wondered if some of my dance partners felt more nervous or less sure of themselves than usual. I might have felt more conscious of mistakes major and minor and let them have more lasting effect on the evening than usual too. Having a less than completely enthusiastic attitude from the outset cannot have helped matters either.
My confidence certainly waxes and wanes over time – this is one of those times of dips. In the past I would have recover confidence by adding several new interesting moves. Now I begin to wonder if time is running out on such method of recovery considering that I see less value in leading complex moves after moves (and possibly becoming rusty with less used moves). In the past I would also take no more than few weeks to become supremely (and perhaps irrationally) confident again. It would seem that such thing is less likely this time, but perhaps I always thought the same whenever I was going through a down phase?
Generally speaking I don’t derive much pleasure from dancing with people who are or who think they are much better than me. Often I get nervous and become less confident. I usually avoid asking teachers or performers for a dance – often because I assume that they get plenty of dances (and become tired of) with people they perceive as not as good (or to put it nicer – still have much to learn). I may think the same of people who I think are “superstar” groupies. I suppose this hesitation lessens as I get to know to the person better and a certain level of trust and understanding develops. I cannot think poorly of “groupies” because most people gravitates toward people who stand out and want to become friends with "cool people"; I know I must do it with some people while sometimes other people do the same with me. Usually I think I’m probably right about not asking certain type of people (and thus am avoiding getting a no for an answer or having a lousy dance to avoid bruising my ego), but I am sure I am wrong sometimes. The best are the ones I liked instantly and was liked back in return from the earliest moment – they’re rare and wonderful.
The ramblings in the previous paragraph were inspired primarily by dancing with a fairly prominent teacher/performer tonight.
Am I becoming dependent on having good social backups at these Salsa events? Last night was mostly about socializing and it worked out well. Socializing part “rescued” SOS trip last weekend. Weird - because I used to thrive on going to a completely new scene (with caveat that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to go to a London event without seeing a very large number of recognizable faces (but not necessarily friendly and certainly not intimately familiar – by this I mean people I recognize but have not danced with before or in rare cases had very poor dances with)). Would I no longer consider a Salsa night a great night unless the social aspect was pretty good as well as dancing (or unless the dancing was out of this world)?
Is my expectation that things should always get better (with hard work, etc) going to ultimately disappoint? Should I be remembering the words “You only live once…”?
They closed the upstairs room at 2 AM once again (even though it was probably more crowded than ever at the time of closing). I stood around for about 10 minutes after coming downstairs but did not feel inspire to stay. After all, I might want to conserve some energy for tomorrow at the Scala.
Based upon sound quality and lack of people (floor was fine for me although I heard some complaints about it being too slippery), I wonder if I would want to come back again. It’s certainly no better than going to SOS (with caveat that my last SOS outing rated no better than just okay – like the Rocket tonight – and that much of the negativity may have been in my mind preceding the start of the evening).
I should end noting that it was far from a disaster. I did have some dances that I enjoyed a great deal. I would guess that at least 2 or 3 dances if not more ended with me and my partner feeling pretty good.
On the eve of Latinfest weekend
August 25, 2006
Cyrille asked, "Are you going to be here tomorrow?"
I thought for a second and replied, "Sure. If you are, why not?" At least I would have someone I can hang out with.
That was last night. As I made dinner, I thought to check and make sure he will hold his part of the bargain. He replied, "Yes we're going later."
We in this case turned out to be Cyrille, Euvian, Zern and a friend of Zern. No doubt some people were absent because of the Latinfest workshops. Cyrille et al also tried to get Sergio to show to humorous effect.
It would be fair to say that Euvian was the busiest one amongst us. Cyrille probably danced non-Salsa more than Salsa, but probably had more dances than me nevertheless. I had 4 dances between 11 PM and 1 AM - just enough to get noticed. I also thought that I should perhaps try to get better with Bachata (mmm…) and Merengue (urrr…) for nights like this.
No Johnny & Serap tonight - apparently they are on a vacation.
As far as I am concerned tonight met and arguably exceeded my expectations so I have nothing to complain about.
This weekend should be busy. I probably will go to the Rocket by myself, but I should have Cyrille for company (and possibly Sergio) for Scala. Euvian, Rajiv and many others from Cambridge probably will meet us there, and there should be someone from Cambridge everywhere I turn Sunday night. Not Zern though - he'll be in Spain (incidentally, he's getting quite good very quickly… as Sergio said the other day, he has good attitude for it, and it also helps a great deal that he's found himself a nice network of friends in the scene).
Quote of the Day - "I thought Cuban style Salsa dancers danced to have fun! … But I must say that it looks quite ballroom-y for Cuban."
Exchange of the Day - Q. "Is it any good?" A. "Yes, San Miguel is very good."
Word of the Day - "Chinese Style"
Whatever it means.
Cyrille asked, "Are you going to be here tomorrow?"
I thought for a second and replied, "Sure. If you are, why not?" At least I would have someone I can hang out with.
That was last night. As I made dinner, I thought to check and make sure he will hold his part of the bargain. He replied, "Yes we're going later."
We in this case turned out to be Cyrille, Euvian, Zern and a friend of Zern. No doubt some people were absent because of the Latinfest workshops. Cyrille et al also tried to get Sergio to show to humorous effect.
It would be fair to say that Euvian was the busiest one amongst us. Cyrille probably danced non-Salsa more than Salsa, but probably had more dances than me nevertheless. I had 4 dances between 11 PM and 1 AM - just enough to get noticed. I also thought that I should perhaps try to get better with Bachata (mmm…) and Merengue (urrr…) for nights like this.
No Johnny & Serap tonight - apparently they are on a vacation.
As far as I am concerned tonight met and arguably exceeded my expectations so I have nothing to complain about.
This weekend should be busy. I probably will go to the Rocket by myself, but I should have Cyrille for company (and possibly Sergio) for Scala. Euvian, Rajiv and many others from Cambridge probably will meet us there, and there should be someone from Cambridge everywhere I turn Sunday night. Not Zern though - he'll be in Spain (incidentally, he's getting quite good very quickly… as Sergio said the other day, he has good attitude for it, and it also helps a great deal that he's found himself a nice network of friends in the scene).
Quote of the Day - "I thought Cuban style Salsa dancers danced to have fun! … But I must say that it looks quite ballroom-y for Cuban."
Exchange of the Day - Q. "Is it any good?" A. "Yes, San Miguel is very good."
Word of the Day - "Chinese Style"
Whatever it means.
Hmm... I'm getting better at this...
August 24, 2006
Advanced with Sally and Chris
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into double hammerlock turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 Copa start with both hands ending ahead of follower – leader steps into follower’s previous spot on 5 facing away from follower and turn full counterclockwise (R-L is briefly disconnected low during the turn while L-R goes high-low-high-low so that the hold is crossed behind leader at below waist level on 7/8
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower under arm on 1,2,3 and lead follower back into traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn over and under with L-R (R-L is disconnected) – L-R ends behind follower’s L waist (follower can style with arm here)
1,2,3,5,6,7 show R hand in front to reconnect by 3 so that follower can be led into 1/2 clockwise turn on 4 (try to bring L-R high and close to follower’s head in near pizza waiter position early – Jane) – lead follower back into traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with L-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader turns full clockwise on 1,2,3 with switching from L-R to R-R – step back on 5 as R-R is pointed downward and slightly to R then use R-R to lead follower into traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn over and under to end R-R behind follower’s L waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 backward step on 1 and into CBL (more of open type) and lead follower into free traveling 1 1/2 clockwise turn
It seems like the practice music is being speeded up a little. It was something I started noticing last couple of weeks. Now I would call it a definite trend. Of course, "Thinking of You" at normal speed is a fairly slow song – albeit a little faster than "Acid."
Chris was free during the second hour, and we talked about teaching, social dancing, Salsa in London and elsewhere, and joys of anonymity.
I tried giving myself a small challenge by doing warm-up on follower's timing. I also tried some other common follower's steps but did not get any meaningful practice otherwise. It's a good exercise and learning experience exchanging places.
Anastasia asked about the clave. Next song had a fairly obvious one.
It was another big dancer’s night with some surprising no-shows as well as a few people who elicited a thought, “hmm… where did they come from?” It made for nice dancing (aside from energy issue) and watching.
The best dances for me probably came earlier in the evening in part because I ran out of energy early – probably stemming from the fact that all my usual meals before dinner (breakfast, lunch and a light snack) were all slightly smaller than usual. I guess I could say I bonked again. I better remember to eat better next week and not make it 3 weeks in a row (and perhaps eat something more substantial after the class and before the club). Dancing on fumes is very exhausting and seems to require extra time for full recovery.
Luis was entertaining. He commented that I was dancing faster and more and more like a Latino - whatever that means. He also was making suggestions left and right about prospective dance partners I should be dancing with as usual - sometimes to comical effects.
I was probably playing with music much more than usual by my Cambridge standard. Perhaps one of the more amusing examples came up when a problem with skipping CD (player) came up. Overall, a good number of songs led to interesting dances - hopefully not too whimsical and confusing for my partners.
Sergio was doing more teaching than usual - this time involving fair amount of partner work (to wrong music but still effective). I had an excellent view.
Quote of the day - "Do that again. That wasn’t a real kiss."
Cool.
Advanced with Sally and Chris
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower into double hammerlock turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 Copa start with both hands ending ahead of follower – leader steps into follower’s previous spot on 5 facing away from follower and turn full counterclockwise (R-L is briefly disconnected low during the turn while L-R goes high-low-high-low so that the hold is crossed behind leader at below waist level on 7/8
1,2,3,5,6,7 bring follower under arm on 1,2,3 and lead follower back into traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn over and under with L-R (R-L is disconnected) – L-R ends behind follower’s L waist (follower can style with arm here)
1,2,3,5,6,7 show R hand in front to reconnect by 3 so that follower can be led into 1/2 clockwise turn on 4 (try to bring L-R high and close to follower’s head in near pizza waiter position early – Jane) – lead follower back into traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with L-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader turns full clockwise on 1,2,3 with switching from L-R to R-R – step back on 5 as R-R is pointed downward and slightly to R then use R-R to lead follower into traveling 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn over and under to end R-R behind follower’s L waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 backward step on 1 and into CBL (more of open type) and lead follower into free traveling 1 1/2 clockwise turn
It seems like the practice music is being speeded up a little. It was something I started noticing last couple of weeks. Now I would call it a definite trend. Of course, "Thinking of You" at normal speed is a fairly slow song – albeit a little faster than "Acid."
Chris was free during the second hour, and we talked about teaching, social dancing, Salsa in London and elsewhere, and joys of anonymity.
I tried giving myself a small challenge by doing warm-up on follower's timing. I also tried some other common follower's steps but did not get any meaningful practice otherwise. It's a good exercise and learning experience exchanging places.
Anastasia asked about the clave. Next song had a fairly obvious one.
It was another big dancer’s night with some surprising no-shows as well as a few people who elicited a thought, “hmm… where did they come from?” It made for nice dancing (aside from energy issue) and watching.
The best dances for me probably came earlier in the evening in part because I ran out of energy early – probably stemming from the fact that all my usual meals before dinner (breakfast, lunch and a light snack) were all slightly smaller than usual. I guess I could say I bonked again. I better remember to eat better next week and not make it 3 weeks in a row (and perhaps eat something more substantial after the class and before the club). Dancing on fumes is very exhausting and seems to require extra time for full recovery.
Luis was entertaining. He commented that I was dancing faster and more and more like a Latino - whatever that means. He also was making suggestions left and right about prospective dance partners I should be dancing with as usual - sometimes to comical effects.
I was probably playing with music much more than usual by my Cambridge standard. Perhaps one of the more amusing examples came up when a problem with skipping CD (player) came up. Overall, a good number of songs led to interesting dances - hopefully not too whimsical and confusing for my partners.
Sergio was doing more teaching than usual - this time involving fair amount of partner work (to wrong music but still effective). I had an excellent view.
Quote of the day - "Do that again. That wasn’t a real kiss."
Cool.
Final week of second LDA cycle
August 22, 2006
LDA 3.3 week 6 with Mario and Kat Wiklund
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-L hold open break (forward basic is okay) on 1 and bring follower inwards to right and make L-R connection (offer L hand early - Donna?) – backwards step on 5 and keep connections low (and presumably past leader’s position) and lead follower into 1/2 counterclockwise turn (so this is very much like CBL footwork for follower) with all connections high to get around follower’s head and leader moves into follower’s previous postion and turn clockwise to face follower
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare (not much of preparation step is required though and certainly no last minute preparation as advised by Helen) and lead follower into stationary double turn (no touch-and-go here)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break (I think) and bring follower in on leader’s R and turning 1/2 counterclockwise starting on 2 (follower’s turn should end on 3, I think) – do a windmill like motion with R-L temporarily disconnected (actually keeping R hand on follower’s L forearm for much of this windmill motion, which is in full counterclockwise motion – leader is in something like CBL position during this windmill) – leader then steps into follower’s previous position with slight counterclockwise turn to face away from follower with keeping R-L low and L-R over leader’s head to above his L shoulder
1,2,3,5,6,7 step in place as L-R is brought down first then leader turns 1/2 clockwise while bringing R-L straight up (avoid any signal for turn here – bring it straight up and position it so that follower’s in pizza waiter position) – lead follower into single stationary clockwise turn (slow!) starting on 4 with R-L and catch follower’s R shoulder after a full turn with free L hand – let follower recover and lead follower forward (past leader on his R side) for 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn (again just like end of CBL except now under leader’s arm) leading with both hands – switch from R-L to L-L (leader could end facing away from follower once again although it’s not necessary)
1,2,3,5,6,7 into CBL position (may entail leader turning as much as 1/2 counterclockwise first to face follower) and establish R-R underneath L-L and lead follower into 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with R-R kept LOW (not sideways but keep it straight down during her turn – also keep the lead continuous and smooth, says Kat) – end with R-R supporting follower’s L arm in a lower than a pizza waiter position (similar to a position seen in week 6 of last session) – R-R is positioned behind follower’s L waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 could try what was done in last session (allow follower to step back on 1 then lead her into full stationary clockwise turn with L-L ending behind follower’s R waist and R-R in pizza waiter position) – what was done today was to lead follower into free clockwise turn (double, triple, whatever) – according to Kat, lead involved in this turn was extremely subtle – you can’t move any of the connections sideways (which will cause her to move towards it) – I think a slight downward lead is okay but even this should be minimal – end with L-L connection behind follower’s R waist
We had 11 men and 8 women today. I felt like I was always without a partner when a new part was being added. It caused a little anxiety but there was no ill effect, and I was able to replicate the moves reasonably and seemingly requiring only minor adjustments.
Once again I drew absolutely no corrections or comments from Mario about my lead. Then again aside from one or two instances in the first 6 weeks, Mario has done very little in terms of correcting my technique in person. Susana was more active in this regard, so without her most of the suggestions came from my classmates – Helen being the best example but not the only one. I guess Kat did a little but only at the end when I practically demanded that she find faults with the way I was leading the move.
I’m guessing that I won’t opt for a third 6-week course in a row. I might return at a later time, but I think my basketball buddies would really like to have me back for the Tuesday games as they have been struggling with getting enough people this summer. It sounded like level 4 may not start for at least two more cycles by the way. Even if I don’t come back, attending these classes have led me to become better acquainted with people based in London – in particular Helen, Justin, Imi, Tracy, Gin, Anna, Roger, Simon, Sean, Denis, Julian, Jana, Monica, Janet, Andrew, Donna, Che, Pablo (as well as others whose names I didn’t quite get to learn).
My journey back to Cambridge was delayed by one of those damned scheduled engineering works. In addition to a later departure time, we had to take a bus from Stevenage to Cambridge. I ran into Thomas at Kings Cross; he was returning from a work-related meeting in Wales. I learned that he is from Slovenia of all places! Much of the time on the train and bus was spent talking about my work and thread of inquiry stemming from my work; I would have been content to talk about his work or gossiping (which we did a little) but Thomas seemed more interested in talking about things related to my field of expertise instead. Woolly Mammoth was featured prominently.
[A side note: Although this never came up in my conversations with Thomas, I had done some reading on Slovenian and Croatian histories (which seemed to be written with propaganda in mind mostly against Serbia but also against each other) and about the life of Marshall Tito this afternoon. This was done on a whim earlier today; interesting coincidence!]
Quote of the day - "No worries. We are not going anywhere." - Mario
LDA 3.3 week 6 with Mario and Kat Wiklund
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-L hold open break (forward basic is okay) on 1 and bring follower inwards to right and make L-R connection (offer L hand early - Donna?) – backwards step on 5 and keep connections low (and presumably past leader’s position) and lead follower into 1/2 counterclockwise turn (so this is very much like CBL footwork for follower) with all connections high to get around follower’s head and leader moves into follower’s previous postion and turn clockwise to face follower
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare (not much of preparation step is required though and certainly no last minute preparation as advised by Helen) and lead follower into stationary double turn (no touch-and-go here)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break (I think) and bring follower in on leader’s R and turning 1/2 counterclockwise starting on 2 (follower’s turn should end on 3, I think) – do a windmill like motion with R-L temporarily disconnected (actually keeping R hand on follower’s L forearm for much of this windmill motion, which is in full counterclockwise motion – leader is in something like CBL position during this windmill) – leader then steps into follower’s previous position with slight counterclockwise turn to face away from follower with keeping R-L low and L-R over leader’s head to above his L shoulder
1,2,3,5,6,7 step in place as L-R is brought down first then leader turns 1/2 clockwise while bringing R-L straight up (avoid any signal for turn here – bring it straight up and position it so that follower’s in pizza waiter position) – lead follower into single stationary clockwise turn (slow!) starting on 4 with R-L and catch follower’s R shoulder after a full turn with free L hand – let follower recover and lead follower forward (past leader on his R side) for 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn (again just like end of CBL except now under leader’s arm) leading with both hands – switch from R-L to L-L (leader could end facing away from follower once again although it’s not necessary)
1,2,3,5,6,7 into CBL position (may entail leader turning as much as 1/2 counterclockwise first to face follower) and establish R-R underneath L-L and lead follower into 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn with R-R kept LOW (not sideways but keep it straight down during her turn – also keep the lead continuous and smooth, says Kat) – end with R-R supporting follower’s L arm in a lower than a pizza waiter position (similar to a position seen in week 6 of last session) – R-R is positioned behind follower’s L waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 could try what was done in last session (allow follower to step back on 1 then lead her into full stationary clockwise turn with L-L ending behind follower’s R waist and R-R in pizza waiter position) – what was done today was to lead follower into free clockwise turn (double, triple, whatever) – according to Kat, lead involved in this turn was extremely subtle – you can’t move any of the connections sideways (which will cause her to move towards it) – I think a slight downward lead is okay but even this should be minimal – end with L-L connection behind follower’s R waist
We had 11 men and 8 women today. I felt like I was always without a partner when a new part was being added. It caused a little anxiety but there was no ill effect, and I was able to replicate the moves reasonably and seemingly requiring only minor adjustments.
Once again I drew absolutely no corrections or comments from Mario about my lead. Then again aside from one or two instances in the first 6 weeks, Mario has done very little in terms of correcting my technique in person. Susana was more active in this regard, so without her most of the suggestions came from my classmates – Helen being the best example but not the only one. I guess Kat did a little but only at the end when I practically demanded that she find faults with the way I was leading the move.
I’m guessing that I won’t opt for a third 6-week course in a row. I might return at a later time, but I think my basketball buddies would really like to have me back for the Tuesday games as they have been struggling with getting enough people this summer. It sounded like level 4 may not start for at least two more cycles by the way. Even if I don’t come back, attending these classes have led me to become better acquainted with people based in London – in particular Helen, Justin, Imi, Tracy, Gin, Anna, Roger, Simon, Sean, Denis, Julian, Jana, Monica, Janet, Andrew, Donna, Che, Pablo (as well as others whose names I didn’t quite get to learn).
My journey back to Cambridge was delayed by one of those damned scheduled engineering works. In addition to a later departure time, we had to take a bus from Stevenage to Cambridge. I ran into Thomas at Kings Cross; he was returning from a work-related meeting in Wales. I learned that he is from Slovenia of all places! Much of the time on the train and bus was spent talking about my work and thread of inquiry stemming from my work; I would have been content to talk about his work or gossiping (which we did a little) but Thomas seemed more interested in talking about things related to my field of expertise instead. Woolly Mammoth was featured prominently.
[A side note: Although this never came up in my conversations with Thomas, I had done some reading on Slovenian and Croatian histories (which seemed to be written with propaganda in mind mostly against Serbia but also against each other) and about the life of Marshall Tito this afternoon. This was done on a whim earlier today; interesting coincidence!]
Quote of the day - "No worries. We are not going anywhere." - Mario
La Pantera Mambo & Merecumbe
August 21, 2006
Intermediate with Tiz
The main theme today was wrap (and check?). These served mostly as reminders and elaborations of moves I have seen before (and as such were extremely good).
1,2,3,5,6,7 open hold start with open break into CBL position with R-L hold only – lead follower forward on 5 with slight downward lead and bring R-L towards leader’s stomach (as if to impale himself) on 6 to lead follower into a wrap position – this ends with R-L across follower’s stomach on her R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 bringing follower backwards (possibly for exchanging places or simply reorienting/exchanging positions) involves for follower a step across to L on 1 and backwards on 2 thus the lead needs to be to get follower to move to her left on 1 then to bring her backwards on 2 (as opposed to yanking her backwards which is no good) – for this class follower was simply led back on 2,3 and end with back basic – leader could turn towards follower on 3 in this case
1,2,3,5,6,7 similar kind of wrap could be done with both connections intact – again start with open break and into CBL position but with both holds intact – even in this case all lead is done with R-L (and L-R should be almost all decorative and maneuvered to avoid hitting follower in the head – in this case L-R goes above and around follower’s head) with lead forward on 5 and impale-like lead on 6 for wrap with R-L across follower’s stomach on her R waist L-R on follower’s L side (just above shoulder level)
1,2,3,5,6,7 for this class, follower was led to L on 1 and backwards on 2 with leader taking follower’s position and ending facing her (same idea as previous move)
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hold with free L hand showing – open break into Copa with L-L connection made (R-R connection is broken and free R hand could go either to follower’s shoulder or hip with different ways of doing R-R leads) – lead follower forward on 4 (? weird…I think this might be 5… 4 might be more appropriate if it’s a fake – I’m not really sure) and into Copa turn (traveling counterclockwise) but with L-L low for wrap
1,2,3,5,6,7 follower is led to L on 1 and back to R on 2,3 and into stationary 1 1/2 clockwise turn on 5,6,7 with L-L kept low for at least first 1/2 turn (I guess this may feel different than some other methods I have seen in part because R hand is not used here) (ended with L-L hat for leader)
1,2,3,5,6,7 crossed hold L-L on top – open break start and into CBL position and same lead as before (result is traveling full counterclockwise turn for follower) with L-L ending just above follower’s L shoulder and R-R just above follower’s R shoulder (with R hand ending on follower’s R shoulder) and in continuous motion…
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to turn around 1/2 counterclockwise on 1,2,3 in place (it’s a continuous lead with constant pressure for forward and turning movement – and I think follower’s footwork reflects this – the idea here is to keep follower stationary) – in this case, we ended with leading follower into 1 1/2 traveling clockwise turn with L-L high
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hold – open break start into CBL position and lead follower into full traveling counterclockwise turn with same lead as before with R-R ending just above follower’s R shoulder (leader’s forearm is on follower’s R shoulder – also free L hand on follower’s L shoulder) and in continuous motion…
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to turn around 1/2 counterclockwise with leader positioned to R of follower and bring follower backwards on 5,6,7 with leader stepping forward and turning right (clockwise) with R-R high to face follower (could end with R-R hat for leader and continue to next move)
(continued from one of above)
1,2,3,5,6,7 hand toss on 2 to bring follower’s hands up and bring L hand to follower’s L waist across follower’s stomach on 3 – lead follower into traveling 1 1/2 clockwise turn (free turn) remembering that her turn does not start until 6 … I believe Tiz’s original intent was to finish this with around-the-world on next 1,2,3 with CBL finish)
I was almost 20 minutes late thus missed the shine section.
Not sure why, but the dancing tonight ended up being more satisfying in many ways than SOS last night. It could be that I was a little more focused and better tuned with the music tonight. This of course does not mean that I did not enjoy last night (far from it) or that tonight was an exceptional night (probably not true either). I just mean that I had more instances where I ended the dance thinking, “That was quite well done by my current standard.” or “That was one of my best dances with X, Y or Z.”
Quote of the day - "Sorry folks. I was playing it at -20%"
But it was still too fast. It was stopped after less than a minute. I Love Salsa - N'Klabe.
One detail about the Rocket and the Scala this coming weekend gave me a pause - 8 showcases at each event. Too many. Arguably 8 too many.
Intermediate with Tiz
The main theme today was wrap (and check?). These served mostly as reminders and elaborations of moves I have seen before (and as such were extremely good).
1,2,3,5,6,7 open hold start with open break into CBL position with R-L hold only – lead follower forward on 5 with slight downward lead and bring R-L towards leader’s stomach (as if to impale himself) on 6 to lead follower into a wrap position – this ends with R-L across follower’s stomach on her R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 bringing follower backwards (possibly for exchanging places or simply reorienting/exchanging positions) involves for follower a step across to L on 1 and backwards on 2 thus the lead needs to be to get follower to move to her left on 1 then to bring her backwards on 2 (as opposed to yanking her backwards which is no good) – for this class follower was simply led back on 2,3 and end with back basic – leader could turn towards follower on 3 in this case
1,2,3,5,6,7 similar kind of wrap could be done with both connections intact – again start with open break and into CBL position but with both holds intact – even in this case all lead is done with R-L (and L-R should be almost all decorative and maneuvered to avoid hitting follower in the head – in this case L-R goes above and around follower’s head) with lead forward on 5 and impale-like lead on 6 for wrap with R-L across follower’s stomach on her R waist L-R on follower’s L side (just above shoulder level)
1,2,3,5,6,7 for this class, follower was led to L on 1 and backwards on 2 with leader taking follower’s position and ending facing her (same idea as previous move)
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hold with free L hand showing – open break into Copa with L-L connection made (R-R connection is broken and free R hand could go either to follower’s shoulder or hip with different ways of doing R-R leads) – lead follower forward on 4 (? weird…I think this might be 5… 4 might be more appropriate if it’s a fake – I’m not really sure) and into Copa turn (traveling counterclockwise) but with L-L low for wrap
1,2,3,5,6,7 follower is led to L on 1 and back to R on 2,3 and into stationary 1 1/2 clockwise turn on 5,6,7 with L-L kept low for at least first 1/2 turn (I guess this may feel different than some other methods I have seen in part because R hand is not used here) (ended with L-L hat for leader)
1,2,3,5,6,7 crossed hold L-L on top – open break start and into CBL position and same lead as before (result is traveling full counterclockwise turn for follower) with L-L ending just above follower’s L shoulder and R-R just above follower’s R shoulder (with R hand ending on follower’s R shoulder) and in continuous motion…
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to turn around 1/2 counterclockwise on 1,2,3 in place (it’s a continuous lead with constant pressure for forward and turning movement – and I think follower’s footwork reflects this – the idea here is to keep follower stationary) – in this case, we ended with leading follower into 1 1/2 traveling clockwise turn with L-L high
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hold – open break start into CBL position and lead follower into full traveling counterclockwise turn with same lead as before with R-R ending just above follower’s R shoulder (leader’s forearm is on follower’s R shoulder – also free L hand on follower’s L shoulder) and in continuous motion…
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to turn around 1/2 counterclockwise with leader positioned to R of follower and bring follower backwards on 5,6,7 with leader stepping forward and turning right (clockwise) with R-R high to face follower (could end with R-R hat for leader and continue to next move)
(continued from one of above)
1,2,3,5,6,7 hand toss on 2 to bring follower’s hands up and bring L hand to follower’s L waist across follower’s stomach on 3 – lead follower into traveling 1 1/2 clockwise turn (free turn) remembering that her turn does not start until 6 … I believe Tiz’s original intent was to finish this with around-the-world on next 1,2,3 with CBL finish)
I was almost 20 minutes late thus missed the shine section.
Not sure why, but the dancing tonight ended up being more satisfying in many ways than SOS last night. It could be that I was a little more focused and better tuned with the music tonight. This of course does not mean that I did not enjoy last night (far from it) or that tonight was an exceptional night (probably not true either). I just mean that I had more instances where I ended the dance thinking, “That was quite well done by my current standard.” or “That was one of my best dances with X, Y or Z.”
Quote of the day - "Sorry folks. I was playing it at -20%"
But it was still too fast. It was stopped after less than a minute. I Love Salsa - N'Klabe.
One detail about the Rocket and the Scala this coming weekend gave me a pause - 8 showcases at each event. Too many. Arguably 8 too many.
A gratuitous trip to SOS
August 20, 2006
I told myself that I shouldn’t go this week about dozen times, but I couldn’t bear the idea of not being there for three weeks – at least not this week. I’m definitely not going next week because of the Bank Holiday.
I was socializing a lot more than usual both on and off the dance floor. I must have spent at least part of two songs talking to Liam about music (and also on the walk back to Kings Cross). Liam recommended Mambo Mongo (the album … which I had been considering getting for some time now), and a song called Vietnam Mambo (by Pucho and His Latin Soul Brothers).
I think I only danced with 13 people or so for total of around 16 songs (including some bits where I tried following). Possibly because I went with not much of dancing mood, I didn’t feel very light on my foot. I certainly didn’t think I was dancing better than last week. I’m also convinced that SOS works better for me as once a month outing (maybe once every 3 weeks if I were to really push it).
Songs of note (or ones I recognized and remembered): Los Rumberos – Markolino Dimond y Frankie Dante, La Llave & Besame Mucho – both by Grupo Latin Vibe. Also Un Amor De Una Noche - N'Klabe (I'm hearing this too often for my liking now). After SOS on the train: El Quinto De Beethoven – Cesta All-Stars.
I counted ten people associated with Cambridge. Like last week, I caught up with some of them on the train back to Cambridge.
Quote of the day – “You’re a handful. You like to cause mischief. You’re a troublemaker.”
I told myself that I shouldn’t go this week about dozen times, but I couldn’t bear the idea of not being there for three weeks – at least not this week. I’m definitely not going next week because of the Bank Holiday.
I was socializing a lot more than usual both on and off the dance floor. I must have spent at least part of two songs talking to Liam about music (and also on the walk back to Kings Cross). Liam recommended Mambo Mongo (the album … which I had been considering getting for some time now), and a song called Vietnam Mambo (by Pucho and His Latin Soul Brothers).
I think I only danced with 13 people or so for total of around 16 songs (including some bits where I tried following). Possibly because I went with not much of dancing mood, I didn’t feel very light on my foot. I certainly didn’t think I was dancing better than last week. I’m also convinced that SOS works better for me as once a month outing (maybe once every 3 weeks if I were to really push it).
Songs of note (or ones I recognized and remembered): Los Rumberos – Markolino Dimond y Frankie Dante, La Llave & Besame Mucho – both by Grupo Latin Vibe. Also Un Amor De Una Noche - N'Klabe (I'm hearing this too often for my liking now). After SOS on the train: El Quinto De Beethoven – Cesta All-Stars.
I counted ten people associated with Cambridge. Like last week, I caught up with some of them on the train back to Cambridge.
Quote of the day – “You’re a handful. You like to cause mischief. You’re a troublemaker.”
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