Tips for Beginners

ashishsax Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:36 pm

Tips for Beginners

Listen to the music.

Every social dance in the world was
inspired by music that made people want to move, and most cite music as one of
the aspects of dance they find so exciting. The most enjoyable dancers know the
music so intimately that they are able to express it with their bodies. Even at
the beginning level, it is crucial to become familiar with the rhythm. The
rhythm is the common language that allows you and your partner to communicate
and dance together.

The best way to feel the music when you dance is to
listen to that type of music as often as you can. Get a danceable CD from your
instructor, the bookstore, or online, and listen to it in your car, at home, and
while you work out. A great way to get the music into your body is to practice
the basic steps of the dance to music at home. Walk around the room to the beat
without any patterns or moves. If you practice this often enough, you will be
better able to feel the music when you dance and will catch on to more complex
moves, syncopations, and concepts much quicker.

Don’t look down.

It is natural to want to look at your feet when you are learning a
new dance. However, this is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to learning and
developing muscle memory. Dancing is not about seeing, but about feeling and
enjoying. It is important to be able to feel the movements in your body instead
of relying on visual cues alone. In fact, advanced dancers in any social dance
are able to lead and/or follow a great number of moves and patterns with their
eyes closed.

So where do you place your focus, if not on your feet?
First, focus on the dynamics of the steps: feel the shifting of weight that
takes place, the changes of direction, the patterns that make up the dance.
Second, pay attention to your relationship with your partner in the basic
movements of the dance and how the man and the woman complement each other with
their steps. Third, listen to the music and feel how it expresses itself in your
body. And finally, it’s your dance! Let your mind wander where it will during
the dance. Notice everything about how you feel, how your partner feels, how the
music feels. Everyone finds something different in the dance; the most important
thing is to experience it fully in whatever form it may take.

Dance with different people.

If you are learning to dance with a spouse or
friend, it is tempting to dance with just that person. There is a degree of
safety in dancing with someone you know and feel comfortable with. However, it
is best to dance with many different people, especially when you are just
starting to learn the dance. Everyone leads and follows differently, and dancing
with other people will show you different ways of communicating with a partner
and interpreting the music. Oftentimes people get used to certain partners and
begin to develop “signals” that tell the other person when to lead or follow a
certain move. Dancing with different people will force you to truly feel the
lead or follow and engage in a conversation.

Beginners are often concerned that they will end up dancing with someone who is
either very unsure of their steps or the music, or someone who is much more advanced
than they are.
However, both of these situations are an opportunity for learning that you will
not find if you dance with only one person. Dancing with someone that you may
consider “boring” to dance with is a great opportunity to practice your
technique, focus on the music, and learn how to be a sensitive leader or
follower. Dancing with someone who is very advanced, on the other hand, offers a
great opportunity for you to keep the rhythm regardless of the moves you are
doing, focus on the technique and connection that will allow you to lead and/or
follow well, and do moves that you might not be able to do with your regular
partner. Focus on each dance as a conversation with your partner and the music,
and make each dance an opportunity for learning.

Relax and enjoy!

I once read that there are two qualities that distinguish a truly
enjoyable dancer from the rest of the pack: musicality and connection. It is
encouraging to know that regardless of the number of moves you have in your
repertoire, you can have an enjoyable dance with anyone if you are attentive and
responsive to your partner and the music. And of course you will be enjoyable to
your partner if you are in the moment and absorbed in that particular dance with
that particular person to that particular music. So relax, and enjoy!

This article is from the Joy in Motion
website..
(Link to the article..).

HANA (Bhawana Ahuja) Wed Sep 03, 2008 3:17 pm

very nice article

Guest Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:45 pm

Very informative and really well written article!

I would also add:

Look into your parter's eyes and have visual conversation with each other. This really helps to understand if the girl is getting bored, is tired or wanting to exit from a Wallshine!

baby Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:29 pm

Hey this article is very informative.

and Ajay even your statment is true looking into the partners eyes not only help us communicate what we want to do next but also creates a very good chemistry and style inshort "ADDA" wherein the people watching you get amazed.

AnandMajumdar Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:05 pm

hi kainath,

there is probably some flash animation or image that u are trying to put at the end of your messages which is not showing up correctly..

Smile

anand

baby Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:29 pm

Hi Anand,

I guess during the time of updating my profile, I had an option wherein I could opt for flash msg, but I guess its not showing up

Will check on that.

Thanks
Kai

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Tips for Beginners

Tips for Beginners

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