As Sandra Sees It
Sandra comments from her vast experience on dancing, development of dancing, appreciation of dancing and of dancers
Sandra comments from her vast experience on dancing, development of dancing, appreciation of dancing and of dancers
Notes
(continued from Phil e DanZnewZ, Jan. 15, 2020)...the instructions or hints, they just want to see the moves. That's not the best way to get the best value for your notes.
Using a notebook where you write down sequences, timings, things to remember is way more efficient than your cellphone when it comes to remembering what's important. Of course that requires knowing the terminology. I have the children's new competition gold tango written down. Takes 2 or 3 seconds to see the whole thing. In order to reference a video first you have to find the phone; make sure it's fired up; find the app; find the correct video;get it started, stand there and watch it in real time; figure out the names of the moves....I'm much too impatient to spend that time and effort when I could use just 3 seconds to open a book and another 3 seconds to see it all written.
In our Universal Ballroom Center classes I like to provide notes. It gives dancers something tangible to follow; it emphasizes the value of terminology; it proves that dancers are learning standardized material they can trust to give them an adequate foundation for social dancing and maybe competition dancing in their dance future. It takes time, effort and expertise to provide notes to dancers. Does you teacher have the expertise and level of interest to make good, readable and usable notes that help you remember what you and your fellow dance students are learning? Do you know how to make notes of your dance training?
Making the Most of Opportunities
At our dance school, children grow, learn, do things with their developing dance skills, and then they graduate high school and leave. Sometimes they only get to 11th grade, and then the pressure to do school activities and get high grades, do community service, do training for SAT's takes over their time and energy, and they have to drop out of dance. I always feel disappointed that this activity isn't seen or appreciated for its value in learning, being fit, being mannerly, being a good team player, exploring creativity, understanding artistic structure and relationships between music and movement, movement and space, appearance and feeling.
Having one's parentts' support for activities where skills are not measured by school authorities in a standard way is a real gift. It is important to me as a parent and as a person who uses dance as my personal favorite recreation, to see young people dance as a physical activity and also as an activity that requires and encourages mental discipline.
Have been thinking about how little attention I paid for a couple of years in college. Music theory, history, art, contemporary (which used to be called 'modern'), jazz, musical theater, tap, Spanish, Japanese, Indian, make-up, lighting, set design, acting, costume design, history of costumes were all important, but my heart and mind were always into classical ballet.It gave a thrill that was addictive. It took a lot of effort to be involved and thoughtful about anything else. Had a course in something, maybe psychology, that said the human mind was the least explored and understood aspect of human life--that was 50 yrs ago, so I am certain that has changed--and that mental determination was a huge factor in success in any endeavor. I decided to make more effort to be better, learn more, be disciplined, use self motivation, get great grades, take a heavier course load. Within weeks a change started to show. All the staff noticed. I got great roles in casting and the opportunities to be included in interesting and exciting things multiplied. It was like someone threw a light on my dance life and I could see more clearly. I always wonder if having 'seen that light' at an earlier age would have improved my life or sent me on a bad path. Then I think about the path I have been on. I wouldn't trade it. No way.
Here's What's Important For YOUR Showcase
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Nov. 18)....to position with your partner and position in the room. Do you know your part well enough to help your partner or are you completely depending on your partner?
Second: Look good. Are your shoes polished? Are your pants the correct length? Is your costume too see-through? Are you following directions for your outfit and your grooming? Did you practice in your outfit? Is your headpiece likely to fall off? Do you put yourself in character from the moment the audience sees you until the moment they no longer see you?
Third: Did you polish the routine? Did you have it worked out and memorized early enough to have a third eye look at the details and point out omissions and suggestions for improvement? Are you making an effort to present a memorable performance?
Fourth: Sell it! Or as Nigel says, "Bring it!" Are your back-up dancers or your partner upstaging you? Is he or are they dancing with more precision, more energy, more expression? Do you show and use the physical connection with your partner or do you just sort of touch each other? Will you keep your routine in your repertoire or will you dump all thought about it once you have performed it one time? Are you satisfied with just going through the motions? Is that worthy of your audience? Is that worthy of your teacher or choreographer or/and the person who edited your music and the people who support your dancing by coming to see you or by transporting you to and from lessons?
Fifth: It isn't over when you are done your performance. A dance routine is like a vacation; there are three parts: 1-thinking and preparing, 2-doing, and 3-remembering and maybe re-doing the performance. Think about the value and purpose of your dance; make it count; think about how you want to remember the experience 10 years from now. Show us all that you love dancing and that you enjoy learning and doing.
Dancing Outreach
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Nov. 14)
Mechelle Faria started the ball rolling for our dancers to perform outside the studio. It can make a difference to people who don't get out much to have something interesting and unique to break up their day. We will do a Holiday performance at Spring Hill Retirement Facility on Friday, Dec. 20, 5:30pm. Residents will be going in and out of the dining hall and some will be relaxing in the beautiful lobby. I know they will all be excited to see us dancing in the elevated foyer.
Some performances are confirmed. Some are not. If you wish to be included, let me know.
We have a contest for youth. Write an essay explaining the value of doing these performances. Remember the value is on both sides--spectators and performers. Prize will be a $100 gift certificate for Dress4Dance. I am soliciting prizes for 2nd and 3rd places. If you want to support young people learning to dance, learning quality technique, learning about dance and movement's relationship to music, consider contributing a prize.
What I See, What I Feel
(from Phil E DanZnewZ, Nov. 7)
...more. It represents connections between me and many other people. A lot of dancers have had tremendous security and support by being part of our school. It's been a lot of years since I searched for a building to consolidate all the lessons that were going on every week. At one point in time, we were doing lessons in 8 separate locations. It was not practical, nor fun, to spend so much time in the car when what we really wanted to do was dance.
I think about how fortunate the physical studio situations have worked out for me. How many dancers have a space like this with this kind of intimate operation that can persevere over decades without sales or/and staff? How many teachers get to do this much that is personal and creative?
Along with all the wonderful things about how we are able to continue special and unique activities, there are obligations and complications. The biggest complication is fitting it all in every week. Besides fitting in the lessons, there is taking care of the space, and preparing for what's next.
Coming up are the Starliters showcase, Nov. 16, wheelchair edit sessions, Nov. 17 & 23, our Christmas showcase rehearsal and buffet, Dec. 7, The Christmas Recital, Dec. 14, an outreach performance, Dec. 20.
Harrisburg Competition
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Oct. 9)
We really had a good experience at the recent competition, PA Ballroom Scrimmage. The photographer put up 5 poster size pictures of competitors from last year and displayed them right at the entrance to the ballroom. Three of those pictures were of Jim, Terry, and I. That was a nice surprise and a good start to the day. Everything about the competition day that counted was GREAT.
What counts most is the dancing. Was it perfect? NO. Were we completely happy about everything we did? NO. Did we get compliments from strangers and other dancers? YES. Did the judges do the usual and go out of their way to express their positive reactions? YES
So what are the requirements to make us basically pleased with the dancing?
Once, a dancer said, "There's no point in going to the competition." That remark revealed either a lack of understanding of how setting goals and targeting a certain event can push a dancer to achieve something close to his or her potential.
For a senior citizen, preparation for a competition means you buckle down and be sure your control your memory to get your routines right and to fulfill your teacher's expectations. Working out, doing rounds, watching your diet, getting good rest, are all going to help you maintain stamina through the hard parts of a competition.
First thing is always to GET IT RIGHT. Sometimes it takes a lot of repetition to finally get it right. Then you can get to the good part--making it worth watching.
What are some ways to know you produced some dancing that is worth watching? You're going down the LOD and a stranger is videoing you and your partner. That's confirmation you've got it right and you got it to the point of being worth watching.
Her's another: a judge follows you into the hallway. "You're my dance hero. You look so sophisticated and elegant. And your students are SO WELL PREPARED!"
That's my job. When you are a student at Universal, I will help you learn how to stand out in all the best ways!stand out.
House Poor
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Aug. 17) We are all proud of our recital. No, we didn't do full songs for every dance (my personal taboo). Instead we did a LOT of new stuff and a lot of variety, We learned how to use variety in a dance creation, we dealt with pressure to learn fast and to remember a volume of material with minimal repetition, we worked with props (downfall of a lot of dancers), we kept going when we were tired, we helped each other learn and do.Used to hear adults say stuff about being 'house poor.' So let's say we build a gorgeous house, landscape it, paint it just the right colors for the surroundings. But it's not a home. We didn't furnish it, we didn't give the inside the 'touch.' The washing machine isn't hooked up. We are using lawn furniture in the living room and air mattresses in the bedroom. It's just a house. Could be a great home but it isn't finished. Well we know nothing ever gets completely finished, but you get the point. The house is built and it's standing there ready for someone to work on it. It's just starting to become a place to live that reflects and soothes us.
A dance is like that. You can get it done-and it should finish at the end of the song, but until the timing is right, the lines are complete, the details are polished, it isn't finished and like the unfinished house, it isn't ready to show to guests. Well maybe if the guests know you are just sharing a preview of your house or your dance. They understand this is just a start and they appreciate your enthusiasm for what it might become. In that case, it's acceptable to compromise the requirement to finish everything.
What are the circumstances that excuse a dance from having a conclusion or/and not being polished?
Hey, Sandra, What Did You Think About MY Showcases?
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Aug. 26)
Verbal , "Just wonderful! Every one was a GEM!"
Non-verbal, "You didn't have many bonafide entrances; you only actually finished one dance out of about a dozen...What's with all the fading of the music?."
So what should a showcase be? As I see it, a lot of things:
Why should dancers do showcases?
How About Your Head?
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Aug. 4, 2019).....
I used to use Picture It to fix photos before I put a photo in the newsletter. A woman remarked a photo of her and her husband looked so fabulous since he wasn't doing his usual looking downward. I had taken his head off and put it back on at a better angle. Not everyone would do that for a photo, but it made such a difference it was worth the time and trouble for me to do that so they both looked good. Or, he could have tried to fix his carriage, but either it was too difficult or he didn't believe it mattered that much.
What is the purpose of the 'head?' It contains your brain. It contains your main senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell. It's an important communicator of your feelings through facial expression. It's on TOP and IN THE MIDDLE since it's so important. It contains the main thing that makes you recognizable, your face. This is my personal observation; I am not trying to be too scientific.
In dancing, the head is often disregarded. People focus on where to stick their feet. Beginners usually look down, dropping their heads to ensure their left foot step is being taken with their left foot. Intermediate dancers focus on their contact points so they can get the lead/follow working. Advanced dancers sometime become what dance teachers and judges call 'choreography whores.' It's not meant to be a nice term. It is meant to convey the idea that this kind of dancer is self-indulgent and is missing the point of what good dancing is supposed to be. I haven't used that term out loud, but I have allowed it to be part of my mental observations when I watch dancers doing material that they can't keep in time or in balance.
Audiences look at your face, also contained in the head. They decide about how you must feel about your dancing according to your facial expressions.
Your partner senses imbalance caused by the weight of your head being in the wrong place.
I measured the height and width of my own head: 13" x 7" . My arms are 27" x 3.5". The visual volume of the head is about equal to that of an arm. If you think of the head as being a third arm, in the middle and on top, its position and movement take on and require more importance, thought and effort.
Now why is it so challenging to get the head positions sorted out? Because we are so accustomed to moving the head in reaction to sound, not movement. We are so accustomed to never thinking about the head position unless we are posing for a photo. If you think of every beat in a dance as being a 'stop action' photo, you will be more appreciative of the importance of the head position. It should be part of the picture and it should be part of the balance.
I don't have use of Picture It anymore, so if we use your dance photo in our newsletter, your head will be exactly where you put it.
How's your head? Where is it now and where's it going on the next beat?
Story of Eights
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, July 24)
I like to have a theme. We can all agree that the lessons should be 'student oriented' not 'teacher oriented' but the teacher likes to have a theme so the students get to have it too. I think they like it and I believe it helps them understand more about dancing.
One summer, the Tuesday Advanced Amer. Smooth Class did foxtrot. The theme was to do American style figures that were also international style figures. That meant we did no releasing of partners from dance frame.
Another time we had a theme of Whoops! Let's Go the Other Way. We also had a theme of all kinds of swivels in swing one year. You'd be amazed the variety for one move. Another group class had the theme of all mirror image figures.
Currently, we have a group class working on swing. The theme is to keep everything going to eight counts. It's a little tricky; it's a brain puzzle to make
The dancers in that class really impress me. They dance hard right to the end and I get to see them improve constantly. Is the improvement really dramatic? Do they show up at the local dance venues and suddenly everyone remarks on how breathtaking their dancing became since last week? Probably not, but improvements in small increments is still improvement and we can always appreciate moving in the right direction.
What's the Point?
(Phil e DanZnewZ, July 17)
When I was studying really intensely to prepare for a WDSF Certification Exam a couple of years ago, and then received the certification, (with VERY high marks, have to brag), a dancer at our school asked."So now what? What's that going to do for you?"
It was a perfectly reasonable question.
When you are a single woman, in a business that is based on women taking lessons with men, you need to do more. You have to know more to capitalize on QUALITY and VERSATILITY; otherwise, your gender situation will limit your ability to stay on top or even in the business at all.
When I decided to do some pro-ams with some of my favorite partners at Universal Ballroom Center, a very high level judge in the world arena asked, "Why you do that? You really want to do that? I can't believe you going to do that. I wouldn't!"
It's another perfectly reasonable question/statement.
When you love dancing and teach dancing; you should be able to dance; you should love to dance; and you should use that love to motivate yourself to maintain some level of skill and ability. It enhances your QUALITY as an example and your VERSATILITY as a teacher.
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Sandra has everything she ever wanted--So what could she possibly want next?
(from June 24, Phil e DanZnewZ)
I have had a studio since 1974. That's 45 years of doing a good job of bringing people who want or need to dance towards their own personal potential and/or goals. Plus, I am having a ball doing exactly what I love to do.
The school was originally just a dance school with exercise classes, jazz, private lessons in ballet, jazz, tap, minimal ballroom. Then for several years there was mostly hustle, aerobics and circuit weights to music, formation and practicing. Then for a long period of time, the biggest thing was competition and teacher training. Along came salsa and woah! dancing became a big draw to the general public.
Eventually, I got very engrossed in wheelchair dancing, wrote that book, did choreogrpahy for a performance company, TLC and BBC. I wanted to do something big with it, but an important person at the head of a chain school said this activity was 'before its time.' That same chain school is now promoting wheelchair dancing. The CEO was right--I was doing wc before its time.
The most exciting thing that happened since then was the new WDSF curriculum being adopted by a large dance organization. I was so excited by this new type of responsive and sensible structure for medal level dancing, that I organized a teachers' workshop and intended to do it on a regular basis, but my enthusiasm was not met with much endorsement, so we do this in an isolated way in our school. No one else is promoting and selling this curriculum as far as I know. What a missed opportunity for the dance world.
What should be different to make Sandra happier with her dancing school? #1 Everyone who brings a wedding song that doesn't appeal to me should be taught by someone else. #2 Someone should be returning calls and keeping track of lessons and payments who is GOOD at it-I am not because I only care about the dancing. #3 Dancers should practice and attend rounds. #4 The building needs sprucing. #5 The studio should be more involved in the community. #6 Anyone doing any dancing event in the Philadelphia/SouthJersey area will immediately think of including me. #7 The studio should expand into performing arts: musical theater, hip hop, tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary.
To Dance or Not to Dance
(from June 11 Phil e DanZnewZ).....
Why do we love dancing so much? Why is it a continuing activity, one people stay with for years? What is it? Why are UK doctors writing prescriptions for people to dance? (it is true).
Dancing gets you up. Music gets you going. Partners make it exciting and social. New material makes it unpredictable.
Now let's be negative. If youwere to give up dancing, what would make you do so?
Getting It Done
Our ambitious plan was to have many showcase numbers and to have all the dancers who were ready to participate, lots of variety in roles and musical interpretation.
The second part of 'ambition' in the plan was to get it done quickly and to plan three full dances with back-up dancing and partner exchanges with less than two hours for each group to work with Brian Fortuna, who would be a main character and partner for Maya, Angelina, Olga & Caroline. In the end, for practical reasons that had only to do with limited time, we dropped one group number and one solo, but we still have the 3 big solos with Brian and the back-up dancers.
Here's how I see it: JUST GET IT DONE. Don't mess around too much, don't change the subject during the work time, MIND THE SCHEDULE, don't let your ego interfere with or go against the boss's vision. Make your creative contributions, (everyone had plenty of opportunity), remember your choreography, make all your musical cues, support the other dancers and your partners. When you see things developing and looking more interesting for your audience, say so, and share your impressions.
Just Have Fun
Is that akin to the pursuit of happiness? What provides a person a sense of happiness when it comes to dancing? What's "FUN" in....dancing? I think there is a good list. Yours might not be the same.
Requirements: Reasonable or Ridiculous?
Is it required that one dance in time with the music?
There is a scene in the movie New York, New York, where the band is rehearsing and the drummer is out of time with the rest of the musicians. Now one would think the percussionist would be leading the tempo of a song, but evidently, this guy just was not up to the job.
He was fired on the spot. Reasonable? Ridiculous? It was ridiculous for this drummer to not do what was REQUIRED of him. It was REASONABLE for the band leader to fire him.
There was a female dancer in Jordan Ballet who was an exceptional dancer as far as movement skills were concerned. Plus she was cute as anything with a beautiful body for stage dancing. She had extension, balance, oodles of strength (she could jump as high as the male dancers). Sad news is that in the corps, dancers were REQUIRED to stay synchronized. She could not keep time with the music. She would be on the way up while everyone else was landing or vice versa. The director could have taken her out of the corps and made her into a soloist (not fair to the other dancers in the corps de ballet). Then he would have had to watch her make her partners confused. Can you imagine a boy getting ready to do a lift and the girl does the prep too early or too late? In the end she was expelled from the program.
So what? YOU SHOULD MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO STAY WITH THE MUSIC. It makes a positive difference for your partners. It is good manners and it improves interaction and interpretation. That is part of why tempi are important. That is why timing and rhythm are ALWAYS emphasized at Universal. That is why musicians usually learn ballroom dancing pretty easily.
Would You Like to Learn How to Dance?
There was a man who worked at our local CVS. I said to him, "Would you like to learn how to dance?" He said, "I can't dance. Look at me; I'm in a wheelchair!" I had an answer for that, "You use the chair to get from here to there, you can use it on the dance floor too." He sort of started to get the point. He said, "You know, my wife would really love that."
Sandra Fortuna did the FIRST teacher training, organized performances, TV choreography, published charts for wheelchair dancing in USA & Canada. It's quite a story and is continuing through her students who have started their own foundations and are writing movies about wheelchair dancing.
He never took up the dancing. Maybe his excuse was more valid than other people's. Maybe I should have asked him over and over.
Most important celebrations include food, drink, music and dancing. Enjoying food, drink is easy. Enjoying the music fully involves dancing. Most people are too self-conscious to dance without knowing the language of dance.
Why don't people want to learn to dance?
The beauty of taking up ballroom dancing is that a new dancer learns a new activity, one that is PROVEN to support brain health and to ward off dementia.
Another thing that is great, is going out after work to get your dance lesson gives you something you will look forward to doing all day. And dance lesson nights keep you off the couch and away form TV and the internet. Is also keeps you out of the mall, so $10 is a very very good deal.
Dancing with other dancers in your class gives you a fun way to interact with a whole new set of interesting people. Some will be better at dancing than you are, and will help you feel good about dancing. Some will not be as good as you are and will give you the opportunity to help them.
If you are still worried about spending too much or even a lot of money on dancing, remember not all schools wrap up their customers in contracts and expensive trips. Some allow you to choose activities and some don't pad the bill at all. As interesting and healthful, clean activities go, YOU CAN'T BEAT DANCING!
Life's Too Short To Dance With Ugly Men.(from April 14, Phil e DanZnewZ)
You've probably seen the little plaque in the studio that says, "Life's too short to dance with ugly men." I think it's funny, but what I really think is life's too short to discount any good partner just on the basis of looks.
It's like that other one, "Dance like no one is watching!" On no! Please try to dance like everyone is watching; they just might be! Then maybe some of you think, "Only dance with partners who can make you look good," and its twin, "I'll just sit here and wait my turn to dance with the teacher."
I LOVE dancing. Always have, always will. Must admit that sometimes I get tired of some of the stuff that goes with it: Picking up the trash, putting out the trash, dust mopping the floor every day, vacuuming all the rugs every day, changing the lightbulbs, picking up the dead mice, dealing with the music machines....you get the idea.
Then the music comes on and the dancers take their places and the rest of it doesn't matter for a little while.
Are Men Different?
(from April 8, Phil e DanZnewZ)
Silly Question. That's part of what makes women like men. That's why we like to dance with men.Then again...oops, that's another whole big subject...
Do men like to dance with women? Yes, but only if the man knows (or at least thinks he knows) how to dance since impressions are important in life and on the dance floor.
How can a man be a man on the dance floor?
The list could go on. There are plenty of things beyond the music and the space that will affect any and all partner dances: tradition, culture, priorities relative to music and the facts of whether the dance is for show or for social purposes....each of these is another whole big subject. We'll have more of As Sandra Sees It.
What's the Point of a Dancer Working on Fitness Level?
(from our April 1, 2019 newsletter, Phil e DanZnewZ)
Did 40-some dances in a row at a competition yesterday. Did not feel any fatigue whatsoever. Did slip a few times on the slick floor, but that didn't have anything to do with fitness.
How fit does one need to be?
I was not really well prepared for the competition, but I was prepared enough to get through it OK. I probably looked OK for my age and I certainly enjoyed the feeling of not being physically and aerobically stressed.
Didn't take much. Maybe 5 times (some weeks more and some less) a week of 20-30 minutes on a treadmill, or/and arc or elliptical or/and recumbent bicycle at anywhere between 115 and 130 heart beats a minute.
Next thing is to work on strength and flexibility. Will I get far? Maybe not, but I can accept that the result might not be stellar. I can't accept my own expectations without putting forth an effort at attaining a goal. If a judge were to say, "Wow, you can still dance," that would be a nice compliment and would go a ways in terms of encouragement.
Didn't happen at this event, so it is time to set a higher goal. Anyone want to join in?
Good Enough, A Little Better
(from our March 26, 2019 newsletter, Phil E DanZnewZ)
So you are that kind of person. You want the best, you want to do more to get more, you are willing and able to make extra effort for better results and more pleasure.
It could be relative to your clothes-maybe you shop at Goodwill and just want to save money. Or maybe you shop at Nordstrom's and scour the racks on a regular basis looking to score something very special. Or maybe you scour the racks, find a few things, get them tailored to fit perfectly, sew the hems with an expert blind stitch at the perfect length, have them professionally pressed.
Dancing can be like that. You can spend $10 a week and learn enough to get by. Or you can add in some private lessons where you tell the teacher what your ideas are and maybe you make progress. Or maybe you let the teacher guide you towards some attainable and tangible goals. Or maybe you attend class, take a private lesson (with the teacher in charge), plus you practice on your own, so you know what you are trying to do. Maybe you do all those things and you wear a special outfit to dance (to enhance the atmosphere and sense of being serious about being a dancer), and you try to be as good as you can. Maybe you even try to become as good as possible by doing what professional dancers do: learn the counts, learn the names of the figures, work on your fitness level.
What, try to be as good as you can? How good can you be if your partners aren't able to do very much? If you can't change the pool of partners you can dance only with certain partners (we all see that), or you can ignore the partner and just keep going with your efforts and thoughts directed away form the partner and targeted towards your own ability and skills. Is that possible? Is it practical? Is it nice?
Is it possible? One time I was dancing with a man who dances his rock step on the 2, 3 of the music. You might think that is great, but the dance was SWING! Decided to just do the rock on the correct beat just to see how long it took for the man to get the hint and take the bait. He did not. But the experiment was under way and I stuck with it. Is it nice? It wasn't very nice to make it a point to dance the rock step on a different beat than the leader was using. Then again, he didn't notice he was on the wrong beat, and he never noticed that we were out of sync with each other. And it was an experiment, so that's the justification.
(continued from Phil e DanZnewZ, Jan. 15, 2020)...the instructions or hints, they just want to see the moves. That's not the best way to get the best value for your notes.
Using a notebook where you write down sequences, timings, things to remember is way more efficient than your cellphone when it comes to remembering what's important. Of course that requires knowing the terminology. I have the children's new competition gold tango written down. Takes 2 or 3 seconds to see the whole thing. In order to reference a video first you have to find the phone; make sure it's fired up; find the app; find the correct video;get it started, stand there and watch it in real time; figure out the names of the moves....I'm much too impatient to spend that time and effort when I could use just 3 seconds to open a book and another 3 seconds to see it all written.
In our Universal Ballroom Center classes I like to provide notes. It gives dancers something tangible to follow; it emphasizes the value of terminology; it proves that dancers are learning standardized material they can trust to give them an adequate foundation for social dancing and maybe competition dancing in their dance future. It takes time, effort and expertise to provide notes to dancers. Does you teacher have the expertise and level of interest to make good, readable and usable notes that help you remember what you and your fellow dance students are learning? Do you know how to make notes of your dance training?
Making the Most of Opportunities
At our dance school, children grow, learn, do things with their developing dance skills, and then they graduate high school and leave. Sometimes they only get to 11th grade, and then the pressure to do school activities and get high grades, do community service, do training for SAT's takes over their time and energy, and they have to drop out of dance. I always feel disappointed that this activity isn't seen or appreciated for its value in learning, being fit, being mannerly, being a good team player, exploring creativity, understanding artistic structure and relationships between music and movement, movement and space, appearance and feeling.
Having one's parentts' support for activities where skills are not measured by school authorities in a standard way is a real gift. It is important to me as a parent and as a person who uses dance as my personal favorite recreation, to see young people dance as a physical activity and also as an activity that requires and encourages mental discipline.
Have been thinking about how little attention I paid for a couple of years in college. Music theory, history, art, contemporary (which used to be called 'modern'), jazz, musical theater, tap, Spanish, Japanese, Indian, make-up, lighting, set design, acting, costume design, history of costumes were all important, but my heart and mind were always into classical ballet.It gave a thrill that was addictive. It took a lot of effort to be involved and thoughtful about anything else. Had a course in something, maybe psychology, that said the human mind was the least explored and understood aspect of human life--that was 50 yrs ago, so I am certain that has changed--and that mental determination was a huge factor in success in any endeavor. I decided to make more effort to be better, learn more, be disciplined, use self motivation, get great grades, take a heavier course load. Within weeks a change started to show. All the staff noticed. I got great roles in casting and the opportunities to be included in interesting and exciting things multiplied. It was like someone threw a light on my dance life and I could see more clearly. I always wonder if having 'seen that light' at an earlier age would have improved my life or sent me on a bad path. Then I think about the path I have been on. I wouldn't trade it. No way.
Here's What's Important For YOUR Showcase
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Nov. 18)....to position with your partner and position in the room. Do you know your part well enough to help your partner or are you completely depending on your partner?
Second: Look good. Are your shoes polished? Are your pants the correct length? Is your costume too see-through? Are you following directions for your outfit and your grooming? Did you practice in your outfit? Is your headpiece likely to fall off? Do you put yourself in character from the moment the audience sees you until the moment they no longer see you?
Third: Did you polish the routine? Did you have it worked out and memorized early enough to have a third eye look at the details and point out omissions and suggestions for improvement? Are you making an effort to present a memorable performance?
Fourth: Sell it! Or as Nigel says, "Bring it!" Are your back-up dancers or your partner upstaging you? Is he or are they dancing with more precision, more energy, more expression? Do you show and use the physical connection with your partner or do you just sort of touch each other? Will you keep your routine in your repertoire or will you dump all thought about it once you have performed it one time? Are you satisfied with just going through the motions? Is that worthy of your audience? Is that worthy of your teacher or choreographer or/and the person who edited your music and the people who support your dancing by coming to see you or by transporting you to and from lessons?
Fifth: It isn't over when you are done your performance. A dance routine is like a vacation; there are three parts: 1-thinking and preparing, 2-doing, and 3-remembering and maybe re-doing the performance. Think about the value and purpose of your dance; make it count; think about how you want to remember the experience 10 years from now. Show us all that you love dancing and that you enjoy learning and doing.
Dancing Outreach
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Nov. 14)
Mechelle Faria started the ball rolling for our dancers to perform outside the studio. It can make a difference to people who don't get out much to have something interesting and unique to break up their day. We will do a Holiday performance at Spring Hill Retirement Facility on Friday, Dec. 20, 5:30pm. Residents will be going in and out of the dining hall and some will be relaxing in the beautiful lobby. I know they will all be excited to see us dancing in the elevated foyer.
Some performances are confirmed. Some are not. If you wish to be included, let me know.
- Kaelan, piano, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
- Valerie, piano, Dreidel
- Jaiden and Julia, piano, Carol of the Bells
- Jaiden and Julia, piano, an original, Enchanted Forest
- Kaelan and Valerie, Espani Cani
- Jack and Valarie and Company, Always Remember
We have a contest for youth. Write an essay explaining the value of doing these performances. Remember the value is on both sides--spectators and performers. Prize will be a $100 gift certificate for Dress4Dance. I am soliciting prizes for 2nd and 3rd places. If you want to support young people learning to dance, learning quality technique, learning about dance and movement's relationship to music, consider contributing a prize.
What I See, What I Feel
(from Phil E DanZnewZ, Nov. 7)
...more. It represents connections between me and many other people. A lot of dancers have had tremendous security and support by being part of our school. It's been a lot of years since I searched for a building to consolidate all the lessons that were going on every week. At one point in time, we were doing lessons in 8 separate locations. It was not practical, nor fun, to spend so much time in the car when what we really wanted to do was dance.
I think about how fortunate the physical studio situations have worked out for me. How many dancers have a space like this with this kind of intimate operation that can persevere over decades without sales or/and staff? How many teachers get to do this much that is personal and creative?
Along with all the wonderful things about how we are able to continue special and unique activities, there are obligations and complications. The biggest complication is fitting it all in every week. Besides fitting in the lessons, there is taking care of the space, and preparing for what's next.
Coming up are the Starliters showcase, Nov. 16, wheelchair edit sessions, Nov. 17 & 23, our Christmas showcase rehearsal and buffet, Dec. 7, The Christmas Recital, Dec. 14, an outreach performance, Dec. 20.
Harrisburg Competition
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Oct. 9)
We really had a good experience at the recent competition, PA Ballroom Scrimmage. The photographer put up 5 poster size pictures of competitors from last year and displayed them right at the entrance to the ballroom. Three of those pictures were of Jim, Terry, and I. That was a nice surprise and a good start to the day. Everything about the competition day that counted was GREAT.
What counts most is the dancing. Was it perfect? NO. Were we completely happy about everything we did? NO. Did we get compliments from strangers and other dancers? YES. Did the judges do the usual and go out of their way to express their positive reactions? YES
So what are the requirements to make us basically pleased with the dancing?
- Minimal issues with timing
- improved posture
- improved confidence
- good leg action
- proper footwork
- getting it right
- good stamina
- few floorcraft issues
Once, a dancer said, "There's no point in going to the competition." That remark revealed either a lack of understanding of how setting goals and targeting a certain event can push a dancer to achieve something close to his or her potential.
For a senior citizen, preparation for a competition means you buckle down and be sure your control your memory to get your routines right and to fulfill your teacher's expectations. Working out, doing rounds, watching your diet, getting good rest, are all going to help you maintain stamina through the hard parts of a competition.
First thing is always to GET IT RIGHT. Sometimes it takes a lot of repetition to finally get it right. Then you can get to the good part--making it worth watching.
What are some ways to know you produced some dancing that is worth watching? You're going down the LOD and a stranger is videoing you and your partner. That's confirmation you've got it right and you got it to the point of being worth watching.
Her's another: a judge follows you into the hallway. "You're my dance hero. You look so sophisticated and elegant. And your students are SO WELL PREPARED!"
That's my job. When you are a student at Universal, I will help you learn how to stand out in all the best ways!stand out.
House Poor
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Aug. 17) We are all proud of our recital. No, we didn't do full songs for every dance (my personal taboo). Instead we did a LOT of new stuff and a lot of variety, We learned how to use variety in a dance creation, we dealt with pressure to learn fast and to remember a volume of material with minimal repetition, we worked with props (downfall of a lot of dancers), we kept going when we were tired, we helped each other learn and do.Used to hear adults say stuff about being 'house poor.' So let's say we build a gorgeous house, landscape it, paint it just the right colors for the surroundings. But it's not a home. We didn't furnish it, we didn't give the inside the 'touch.' The washing machine isn't hooked up. We are using lawn furniture in the living room and air mattresses in the bedroom. It's just a house. Could be a great home but it isn't finished. Well we know nothing ever gets completely finished, but you get the point. The house is built and it's standing there ready for someone to work on it. It's just starting to become a place to live that reflects and soothes us.
A dance is like that. You can get it done-and it should finish at the end of the song, but until the timing is right, the lines are complete, the details are polished, it isn't finished and like the unfinished house, it isn't ready to show to guests. Well maybe if the guests know you are just sharing a preview of your house or your dance. They understand this is just a start and they appreciate your enthusiasm for what it might become. In that case, it's acceptable to compromise the requirement to finish everything.
What are the circumstances that excuse a dance from having a conclusion or/and not being polished?
- The dancers are the creators so they can't really be the final eye (like at dance camp?)
- There is a time constraint (like at dance camp?)
- The dancers are dancing to DANCE, not necessarily to perform (like at dance camp?)
- The dancers have low expectations (like we sometimes do for beginners)
- The dancers are just getting a feel for something new - like when you try on a new style dress and just use your imagination for the accessories.
Hey, Sandra, What Did You Think About MY Showcases?
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Aug. 26)
Verbal , "Just wonderful! Every one was a GEM!"
Non-verbal, "You didn't have many bonafide entrances; you only actually finished one dance out of about a dozen...What's with all the fading of the music?."
So what should a showcase be? As I see it, a lot of things:
- it should be complete: beginning, middle, ending
- it should include material that can be used socially with one's dancer friends
- it should consider orientation
- it should not just stop to a faded piece of music
- It should respect the story, music or theme in costume choices
- it should use props if appropriate
- does it have to tell a story? NO! The dance figures can stand alone if they look connected to music and partner--still need beginning, middle and ending
Why should dancers do showcases?
- for the teacher, it's a goal to keep the dance students' interest
- for the teacher, it's a guarantee the dance student will not cancel the last few lessons before the showcase
- for the teacher, it's an opportunity and justification to really push for expression, effort, dedication and discipline
- for some teachers, (not this one), it's a reason to pad the bill
- for the dance student, it's a goal
- for the dance student, it's an event to get your friends interested in your favorite social activity
- for the dance student, it's like a trip. You have the anticipation, the event itself and the memories.
How About Your Head?
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, Aug. 4, 2019).....
I used to use Picture It to fix photos before I put a photo in the newsletter. A woman remarked a photo of her and her husband looked so fabulous since he wasn't doing his usual looking downward. I had taken his head off and put it back on at a better angle. Not everyone would do that for a photo, but it made such a difference it was worth the time and trouble for me to do that so they both looked good. Or, he could have tried to fix his carriage, but either it was too difficult or he didn't believe it mattered that much.
What is the purpose of the 'head?' It contains your brain. It contains your main senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell. It's an important communicator of your feelings through facial expression. It's on TOP and IN THE MIDDLE since it's so important. It contains the main thing that makes you recognizable, your face. This is my personal observation; I am not trying to be too scientific.
In dancing, the head is often disregarded. People focus on where to stick their feet. Beginners usually look down, dropping their heads to ensure their left foot step is being taken with their left foot. Intermediate dancers focus on their contact points so they can get the lead/follow working. Advanced dancers sometime become what dance teachers and judges call 'choreography whores.' It's not meant to be a nice term. It is meant to convey the idea that this kind of dancer is self-indulgent and is missing the point of what good dancing is supposed to be. I haven't used that term out loud, but I have allowed it to be part of my mental observations when I watch dancers doing material that they can't keep in time or in balance.
Audiences look at your face, also contained in the head. They decide about how you must feel about your dancing according to your facial expressions.
Your partner senses imbalance caused by the weight of your head being in the wrong place.
I measured the height and width of my own head: 13" x 7" . My arms are 27" x 3.5". The visual volume of the head is about equal to that of an arm. If you think of the head as being a third arm, in the middle and on top, its position and movement take on and require more importance, thought and effort.
Now why is it so challenging to get the head positions sorted out? Because we are so accustomed to moving the head in reaction to sound, not movement. We are so accustomed to never thinking about the head position unless we are posing for a photo. If you think of every beat in a dance as being a 'stop action' photo, you will be more appreciative of the importance of the head position. It should be part of the picture and it should be part of the balance.
I don't have use of Picture It anymore, so if we use your dance photo in our newsletter, your head will be exactly where you put it.
How's your head? Where is it now and where's it going on the next beat?
Story of Eights
(from Phil e DanZnewZ, July 24)
I like to have a theme. We can all agree that the lessons should be 'student oriented' not 'teacher oriented' but the teacher likes to have a theme so the students get to have it too. I think they like it and I believe it helps them understand more about dancing.
One summer, the Tuesday Advanced Amer. Smooth Class did foxtrot. The theme was to do American style figures that were also international style figures. That meant we did no releasing of partners from dance frame.
Another time we had a theme of Whoops! Let's Go the Other Way. We also had a theme of all kinds of swivels in swing one year. You'd be amazed the variety for one move. Another group class had the theme of all mirror image figures.
Currently, we have a group class working on swing. The theme is to keep everything going to eight counts. It's a little tricky; it's a brain puzzle to make
- the gazintas flow
- the timing stick to sets of 8 and still include variety of full beats contrasting with part beats
- the movement contrast go from circular to linear to stationary
- the steps be easy but tricky looking
The dancers in that class really impress me. They dance hard right to the end and I get to see them improve constantly. Is the improvement really dramatic? Do they show up at the local dance venues and suddenly everyone remarks on how breathtaking their dancing became since last week? Probably not, but improvements in small increments is still improvement and we can always appreciate moving in the right direction.
What's the Point?
(Phil e DanZnewZ, July 17)
When I was studying really intensely to prepare for a WDSF Certification Exam a couple of years ago, and then received the certification, (with VERY high marks, have to brag), a dancer at our school asked."So now what? What's that going to do for you?"
It was a perfectly reasonable question.
When you are a single woman, in a business that is based on women taking lessons with men, you need to do more. You have to know more to capitalize on QUALITY and VERSATILITY; otherwise, your gender situation will limit your ability to stay on top or even in the business at all.
When I decided to do some pro-ams with some of my favorite partners at Universal Ballroom Center, a very high level judge in the world arena asked, "Why you do that? You really want to do that? I can't believe you going to do that. I wouldn't!"
It's another perfectly reasonable question/statement.
When you love dancing and teach dancing; you should be able to dance; you should love to dance; and you should use that love to motivate yourself to maintain some level of skill and ability. It enhances your QUALITY as an example and your VERSATILITY as a teacher.
.
Sandra has everything she ever wanted--So what could she possibly want next?
(from June 24, Phil e DanZnewZ)
I have had a studio since 1974. That's 45 years of doing a good job of bringing people who want or need to dance towards their own personal potential and/or goals. Plus, I am having a ball doing exactly what I love to do.
The school was originally just a dance school with exercise classes, jazz, private lessons in ballet, jazz, tap, minimal ballroom. Then for several years there was mostly hustle, aerobics and circuit weights to music, formation and practicing. Then for a long period of time, the biggest thing was competition and teacher training. Along came salsa and woah! dancing became a big draw to the general public.
Eventually, I got very engrossed in wheelchair dancing, wrote that book, did choreogrpahy for a performance company, TLC and BBC. I wanted to do something big with it, but an important person at the head of a chain school said this activity was 'before its time.' That same chain school is now promoting wheelchair dancing. The CEO was right--I was doing wc before its time.
The most exciting thing that happened since then was the new WDSF curriculum being adopted by a large dance organization. I was so excited by this new type of responsive and sensible structure for medal level dancing, that I organized a teachers' workshop and intended to do it on a regular basis, but my enthusiasm was not met with much endorsement, so we do this in an isolated way in our school. No one else is promoting and selling this curriculum as far as I know. What a missed opportunity for the dance world.
What should be different to make Sandra happier with her dancing school? #1 Everyone who brings a wedding song that doesn't appeal to me should be taught by someone else. #2 Someone should be returning calls and keeping track of lessons and payments who is GOOD at it-I am not because I only care about the dancing. #3 Dancers should practice and attend rounds. #4 The building needs sprucing. #5 The studio should be more involved in the community. #6 Anyone doing any dancing event in the Philadelphia/SouthJersey area will immediately think of including me. #7 The studio should expand into performing arts: musical theater, hip hop, tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary.
To Dance or Not to Dance
(from June 11 Phil e DanZnewZ).....
Why do we love dancing so much? Why is it a continuing activity, one people stay with for years? What is it? Why are UK doctors writing prescriptions for people to dance? (it is true).
Dancing gets you up. Music gets you going. Partners make it exciting and social. New material makes it unpredictable.
Now let's be negative. If youwere to give up dancing, what would make you do so?
- your partner dumps you
- your body lets you down
- your eyes betray you at night and you can't drive to attend classes and parties
- you move to a retirement community and they don't have dancing
- you get kicked out of your favorite dance club
- someone tells you you aren't good enough
- you don't get asked to dance and are too shy to ask other people for a dance
- you don't have the right shoes
- you don't have $10 for a lesson
Getting It Done
Our ambitious plan was to have many showcase numbers and to have all the dancers who were ready to participate, lots of variety in roles and musical interpretation.
The second part of 'ambition' in the plan was to get it done quickly and to plan three full dances with back-up dancing and partner exchanges with less than two hours for each group to work with Brian Fortuna, who would be a main character and partner for Maya, Angelina, Olga & Caroline. In the end, for practical reasons that had only to do with limited time, we dropped one group number and one solo, but we still have the 3 big solos with Brian and the back-up dancers.
Here's how I see it: JUST GET IT DONE. Don't mess around too much, don't change the subject during the work time, MIND THE SCHEDULE, don't let your ego interfere with or go against the boss's vision. Make your creative contributions, (everyone had plenty of opportunity), remember your choreography, make all your musical cues, support the other dancers and your partners. When you see things developing and looking more interesting for your audience, say so, and share your impressions.
Just Have Fun
Is that akin to the pursuit of happiness? What provides a person a sense of happiness when it comes to dancing? What's "FUN" in....dancing? I think there is a good list. Yours might not be the same.
- having a creative dance project that one can complete with satisfaction
- moving successfully through time and space in harmony with a partner and music
- creatively thinking about a picture, story or feeling and being able to depict it through movement
- knowing you and your partner can choose an appropriate plan, do the plan, fit the plan appropriately into a space
- get it right and dance with conviction and commitment
- impress a discerning audience
- do more than just 'get through it'
- have a formal entrance and exit and a complete presentation from entering the floor to exiting.
Requirements: Reasonable or Ridiculous?
Is it required that one dance in time with the music?
There is a scene in the movie New York, New York, where the band is rehearsing and the drummer is out of time with the rest of the musicians. Now one would think the percussionist would be leading the tempo of a song, but evidently, this guy just was not up to the job.
He was fired on the spot. Reasonable? Ridiculous? It was ridiculous for this drummer to not do what was REQUIRED of him. It was REASONABLE for the band leader to fire him.
There was a female dancer in Jordan Ballet who was an exceptional dancer as far as movement skills were concerned. Plus she was cute as anything with a beautiful body for stage dancing. She had extension, balance, oodles of strength (she could jump as high as the male dancers). Sad news is that in the corps, dancers were REQUIRED to stay synchronized. She could not keep time with the music. She would be on the way up while everyone else was landing or vice versa. The director could have taken her out of the corps and made her into a soloist (not fair to the other dancers in the corps de ballet). Then he would have had to watch her make her partners confused. Can you imagine a boy getting ready to do a lift and the girl does the prep too early or too late? In the end she was expelled from the program.
So what? YOU SHOULD MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO STAY WITH THE MUSIC. It makes a positive difference for your partners. It is good manners and it improves interaction and interpretation. That is part of why tempi are important. That is why timing and rhythm are ALWAYS emphasized at Universal. That is why musicians usually learn ballroom dancing pretty easily.
Would You Like to Learn How to Dance?
There was a man who worked at our local CVS. I said to him, "Would you like to learn how to dance?" He said, "I can't dance. Look at me; I'm in a wheelchair!" I had an answer for that, "You use the chair to get from here to there, you can use it on the dance floor too." He sort of started to get the point. He said, "You know, my wife would really love that."
Sandra Fortuna did the FIRST teacher training, organized performances, TV choreography, published charts for wheelchair dancing in USA & Canada. It's quite a story and is continuing through her students who have started their own foundations and are writing movies about wheelchair dancing.
He never took up the dancing. Maybe his excuse was more valid than other people's. Maybe I should have asked him over and over.
Most important celebrations include food, drink, music and dancing. Enjoying food, drink is easy. Enjoying the music fully involves dancing. Most people are too self-conscious to dance without knowing the language of dance.
Why don't people want to learn to dance?
- the word and the requirement 'learn' puts them off--might be difficult, might take effort, someone might tell them what to do and how to do it
- having to go somewhere can put them off--have to come home from work and then go somewhere for lesson
- having to deal with a partner--adjustments to partner's abilities, remarks, expectation
- expensive--having to pay $10 for a lesson whether you show up or not
- pushy teachers--some dance teachers are in the business of selling their students and getting them to do more than just dance
The beauty of taking up ballroom dancing is that a new dancer learns a new activity, one that is PROVEN to support brain health and to ward off dementia.
Another thing that is great, is going out after work to get your dance lesson gives you something you will look forward to doing all day. And dance lesson nights keep you off the couch and away form TV and the internet. Is also keeps you out of the mall, so $10 is a very very good deal.
Dancing with other dancers in your class gives you a fun way to interact with a whole new set of interesting people. Some will be better at dancing than you are, and will help you feel good about dancing. Some will not be as good as you are and will give you the opportunity to help them.
If you are still worried about spending too much or even a lot of money on dancing, remember not all schools wrap up their customers in contracts and expensive trips. Some allow you to choose activities and some don't pad the bill at all. As interesting and healthful, clean activities go, YOU CAN'T BEAT DANCING!
Life's Too Short To Dance With Ugly Men.(from April 14, Phil e DanZnewZ)
You've probably seen the little plaque in the studio that says, "Life's too short to dance with ugly men." I think it's funny, but what I really think is life's too short to discount any good partner just on the basis of looks.
It's like that other one, "Dance like no one is watching!" On no! Please try to dance like everyone is watching; they just might be! Then maybe some of you think, "Only dance with partners who can make you look good," and its twin, "I'll just sit here and wait my turn to dance with the teacher."
I LOVE dancing. Always have, always will. Must admit that sometimes I get tired of some of the stuff that goes with it: Picking up the trash, putting out the trash, dust mopping the floor every day, vacuuming all the rugs every day, changing the lightbulbs, picking up the dead mice, dealing with the music machines....you get the idea.
Then the music comes on and the dancers take their places and the rest of it doesn't matter for a little while.
Are Men Different?
(from April 8, Phil e DanZnewZ)
Silly Question. That's part of what makes women like men. That's why we like to dance with men.Then again...oops, that's another whole big subject...
Do men like to dance with women? Yes, but only if the man knows (or at least thinks he knows) how to dance since impressions are important in life and on the dance floor.
How can a man be a man on the dance floor?
- Take charge of deciding what should be next. Why him and not her? BECAUSE HE IS USUALLY FACING THE DIRECTION HE IS GOING PLUS IT'S TRADITIONAL
- Be assertive about space! A GOOD MALE DANCER TAKES THE RIGHT OF WAY AND STEERS THROUGH EMPTY SPACES; PAUSES WHERE APPROPRIATE; ASSUMES THE LADY HAS AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT IS NEXT ACCORDING TO THE SPACE AND TRAFFIC SITUATION
- Stand up but don't hold up your partner; LET HER HAVE A ROLE IN SUPPORTING, CREATING, BALANCING THE MOVEMENT
- Be considerate and responsive; A BRUTE WHO PUSHES HARD TO FORCE A LADY TO TURN FAST IS NOT CONSIDERATE OR RESPONSIVE
- Be on time; A PERSON WHO DOESN'T MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BE ON TIME FOR APPOINTMENTS REVEALS DISRESPECT AND A PERSON WHO DANCES OFF TIME REVEALS LACK OF INTEREST OR KNOWLEDGE OR BOTH. WHEN IT IS THE MAN WHO ISN'T ABLE TO STAY ON TIME, HE IS VERY LIKELY TO INFLUENCE A WOMAN WHO IS LIKELY SMALLER THAN HE TO GET OFF TIME TOO. NOW HOW DOES THE COUPLE STAY TOGETHER?
The list could go on. There are plenty of things beyond the music and the space that will affect any and all partner dances: tradition, culture, priorities relative to music and the facts of whether the dance is for show or for social purposes....each of these is another whole big subject. We'll have more of As Sandra Sees It.
What's the Point of a Dancer Working on Fitness Level?
(from our April 1, 2019 newsletter, Phil e DanZnewZ)
Did 40-some dances in a row at a competition yesterday. Did not feel any fatigue whatsoever. Did slip a few times on the slick floor, but that didn't have anything to do with fitness.
How fit does one need to be?
- One get can get away with lack of flexibility, but not with lack of stamina.
- One can get away with lack of strength, but not lack of coordination.
I was not really well prepared for the competition, but I was prepared enough to get through it OK. I probably looked OK for my age and I certainly enjoyed the feeling of not being physically and aerobically stressed.
Didn't take much. Maybe 5 times (some weeks more and some less) a week of 20-30 minutes on a treadmill, or/and arc or elliptical or/and recumbent bicycle at anywhere between 115 and 130 heart beats a minute.
Next thing is to work on strength and flexibility. Will I get far? Maybe not, but I can accept that the result might not be stellar. I can't accept my own expectations without putting forth an effort at attaining a goal. If a judge were to say, "Wow, you can still dance," that would be a nice compliment and would go a ways in terms of encouragement.
Didn't happen at this event, so it is time to set a higher goal. Anyone want to join in?
Good Enough, A Little Better
(from our March 26, 2019 newsletter, Phil E DanZnewZ)
So you are that kind of person. You want the best, you want to do more to get more, you are willing and able to make extra effort for better results and more pleasure.
It could be relative to your clothes-maybe you shop at Goodwill and just want to save money. Or maybe you shop at Nordstrom's and scour the racks on a regular basis looking to score something very special. Or maybe you scour the racks, find a few things, get them tailored to fit perfectly, sew the hems with an expert blind stitch at the perfect length, have them professionally pressed.
Dancing can be like that. You can spend $10 a week and learn enough to get by. Or you can add in some private lessons where you tell the teacher what your ideas are and maybe you make progress. Or maybe you let the teacher guide you towards some attainable and tangible goals. Or maybe you attend class, take a private lesson (with the teacher in charge), plus you practice on your own, so you know what you are trying to do. Maybe you do all those things and you wear a special outfit to dance (to enhance the atmosphere and sense of being serious about being a dancer), and you try to be as good as you can. Maybe you even try to become as good as possible by doing what professional dancers do: learn the counts, learn the names of the figures, work on your fitness level.
What, try to be as good as you can? How good can you be if your partners aren't able to do very much? If you can't change the pool of partners you can dance only with certain partners (we all see that), or you can ignore the partner and just keep going with your efforts and thoughts directed away form the partner and targeted towards your own ability and skills. Is that possible? Is it practical? Is it nice?
Is it possible? One time I was dancing with a man who dances his rock step on the 2, 3 of the music. You might think that is great, but the dance was SWING! Decided to just do the rock on the correct beat just to see how long it took for the man to get the hint and take the bait. He did not. But the experiment was under way and I stuck with it. Is it nice? It wasn't very nice to make it a point to dance the rock step on a different beat than the leader was using. Then again, he didn't notice he was on the wrong beat, and he never noticed that we were out of sync with each other. And it was an experiment, so that's the justification.