There Are No Such Things As Steps

In our very first classes we are often taught by reproducing a series of 'steps' demonstrated by our instructor.

We are given the essential building blocks of a movement in the most basic form possible. This is great -for a very limited time. In fact, the usefulness of step-based instruction pretty much ends with the basic step. Note the word basic.

In Salsa, once your body has accepted the idea of '3 steps and a slowed weight shift' it's time to start thinking in terms of movements, and not steps.

Let's examine the existing schema in place regarding steps.

Your first baby steps were clumsy.

Stair steps are jagged.

Steps in general, lack gradient.

Is it beneficial to think of any kind of dance as a series of steps? Perhaps the hokey pokey.

Now what comes to mind when thinking about movement?

I think all of us could benefit by a small shift in thinking. Let's totally reframe our idea of dance.

Thinking of dance as a series of movements will create an entirely different feel for your lead/follow.

Follows especially, when you think steps, you feel like steps. If steps are what is going through your mind, your lead will feel every single step as well.

When a follow focuses on her movement, she feels like movement. Dancing with follows, I can immediately tell whether they focus on steps or movement. This way of thinking is difficult to teach, but easy to accept and absorb if you truly want to improve.

When a lead becomes focused on his movement, he is no longer staring at the stars, counting in his head, because he has accepted that he knows how to walk and doesn't need to focus consciously on where his feet are on any given count.

Step-based instruction is a tool for teaching the most basic movements of any dance. Think of it as the 'training wheels'.

Once you get the hang of riding a bike, the two extra wheels create unnecessary friction and only serve to slow you down.

I say we ditch the training wheels.

Eduardo

http://www.pasodancestudios.com

Now Is Not The Time To Think

On what count do I prep on?

When do I step forward?

What direction do I walk here?

What turn pattern do I execute next?

All of these are good questions to ask.

Good questions to ask during training. Bad questions to ask when dancing.

When you are dancing we should try our best to shut off our minds and let our 'animal instincts' take over. This is the only way to access the raw human emotion that all of us have inside waiting to be expressed.

When is the last time you thought about absolute nothing but feeling the music? The next time you dance, pay attention to your thoughts and notice how often you think out steps. First, you need to be aware that you are actually thinking before you can shut it off!

Drill. Train. Refine. The Paso way, right?

But when you are embracing your partner and the music is pulsing, allow your body to go on complete autopilot and do what it was taught to do.

Eduardo

http://www.pasodancestudios.com

Dance as a massage

Massages feel good.

Common sense, right?

Observing one of our dancers today, I couldn't help but notice his movement was missing a sort of deliberate quality. It was loose, but too loose. In fact, a lead that lacks any tension at all doesn't feel too good.

We say to be loose. We say to not be tight. Have you ever told your student to massage, during his or her dance?

Massage the air around you. Massage your partner through your lead. Most of us have existing schema in place regarding the nature of a good massage.

Slow..deliberate..possesses a direction and purpose.

A good massage shouldn't feel 'random' or jerky.

Neither should a good lead. Try implementing this visualization with your students to enact powerful changes in their movement.

As a student of dance, we should add a 'massage lead' to our repertoire of textures. Imagine if your lead or movement felt like this.

Would you ever have a hard time finding a partner?

http://www.pasodancestudios.com