Danceblog: the return

The dancing lessons have stared again. Hurrah.

<lj-cut text=”Rumba (of which I found a video, yay; sadly I look nothing like the guy in it, boo), tango, waltz, reflections on being Batman”>Ballroom and Latin B (Clive)

Rumba
3 threes: now with video of good people doing it
Forward basic lowering left hand to lead lady to turn to her right at the end of the bar, leaving her with her back to you, place both hands on her shoulders.
Cucharacha to R, leading her to spin to L on the 1 beat and catching her shoulders again immediately (according to Clive it’s a cucharacha, the video has a back basic).
Diagonal step forward L, chucharacha, hinting at her to turn to her R at the end of the bar.
Back basic, end with her in single hand hold.

Thing with no name:
Forward basic ending with LF back.
Pivot half a turn on LF taking RF forward away from her (beat 2), pivot on RF half a turn landing on LF facing her (beat 3), back on RF and settle into hip (beats 4&1), taking handshake hold.
Rock forward onto LF (beat 2), back on to RF leading her across (lead RH down and to right) (beat 3), lunge into left leg pushing RH out to right to make her turn and lunge in opposition to you (her free left leg in front of your free right leg). Stick left arm out diagonally forward. Smile.
Back basic from there, leading her across you with right hand, changing to left hand as she passes, ending in fan position.

Three Alemanas – easy steps for the man, it’s all in the arms, see the video on Youtube.

The rest of the lesson was heels and toes and body rotation in foxtrot (where does one buy the book with this stuff in, anyway?), and the quickstep we did last term.

Ballroom and Latin C (Clive)

Tango

Link (QQ).
Chase: Forward L, through R, side L turning sharply back into close position, forward R outside partner, side L to back LoD, pivot on LF face LoD and small chasse, R, L, R. (S,QQQQ,Q&Q),
Whisk LF behind RF (S)
“GD Is My Bowling AlleyTM“: Forward R, side L turning to back LoD (in closed position), back R turning to diag centre, whisk LF behind RF (promenade position) (QQQQ). Repeat (QQQQ again).
Through RF, close LF to RF (closed position), lower into LF extending RF to side (QQS)
Recover slowly, drawling RF in, straightening left knee a bit (SS)
Close RF to LF and point LF to side (&S): this shouldn’t be a bobbing action, keep it grounded
Whirligig: side and forward L (S), through R turning R (Q), side and back L (Q), back R loosely crossing behind L (Q), twist turn for 3 quicks (QQQ), ending with RF free, RF forward around her to unwind her twist (7th quick), forward L (Q), forward R (Q), tap L (Q).
Closed promenade, SQQS

Must have been something else, too. What have I forgotten?

Dancesport B Modern (Bruce)

Mostly technique. What I remember:

Importance of keeping partner on your RHS in Viennese, stepping around her when going forward and taking small steps to allow her to go around you when going backward.

Lots of hold exercises, including making us put our coats on and position our arms so the fabric is stretched around the back of the coat, without allowing our shoulders to hunch. Importance of remembering you are Batman and your cape encloses the lady (make the hold big). The Five Points of Connection. The Noble Eightfold Path (just kidding).

Waltz stuff. Importance of lowering on the “ee” of three, like wot I don’t do, and also of not moving horizontally while lowering vertically. Importance of gradual rise (halfway up on 2, all the way on 3).

Fallaway and slip pivot: facing diag centre, forward LF, side RF, LF side under body (beats 1&2), rise on “oo” of two, slip RF past LF (now backing LoD) and pivot to L on it (now facing LoD), lowering as you do so (beat 3). Next step must be forward L down LoD (back R for lady), or you’ve not turned enough. The rise here feels to me like I’m pushing off the LF as I’m bringing the RF towards it, no idea whether that’s right but it seemed to be what he was doing. Corrections welcome.

4 Comments on "Danceblog: the return"


  1. “GD Is My Bowling AlleyTM” Sounds like a fallaway whisk, not 100% certain without seeing it. If it is, we’ve never had a problem with it at GD. Note that the woman should always be able to see in the forwards direction.

    Reply

    1. It’s a whisk followed by steps 2 and 3 of a promenade turn, ISTR (the one where the man usually steps in front of the woman and pivots, only in this case there’s another whisk instead of the pivot).

      Reply

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