Non-Ceroc Post (Just Kidding)

Tonight was excellent. Like most Thursday it was really busy. Also the music often seemed really, really, quick which was difficult to keep up with. I had many really great dances and it was just outright good fun. With all the extra women being rotated and retaught the beginners class ran quite late but it did help me learn the moves...

Beginners was Octopus, some Shoulder Slide thing (might have been called the shoulder slide), Catapult and the Comb. Out of those I hadn't done the shoulder slide (which basically involved a left handed move; move lady to right will turning anti-clockwise with her right hand on your shoulder; letting her hand run down your back and turn and catch with the right) and the catapult (which is a right handed move which throws the woman underarm behind you then lean forward catching with left hand as well move her to left side and then spin with left hand catching with right). They weren't too difficult; though, in freestyle, I kept missing the best point to do a catapult.

Intermediate were some of the most difficult I have done yet. They were quite long but all-in-all very good fun to execute.

• First Move Turn Round? - Start with the First Move then move out adopting a stance similar to of the other variants done before. Twirl woman twice in front not removing right hand from waist (just allowing it to flow around her) then move around her basically still in the first move hold pivoting her on the spot (for 270 degrees) then perform the same outward small steps for the woman as the one seen in this post. Then twirl her just once and step back.


• Move into a Basket and do the step back and forwards. Rather than uncoiling though turn the woman and yourself 180 while still keeping hands at hips (so the lady is now on the left). Then do a lean right; correct and then, while still holding on to her hands move her in front and then to the right. Then release with the right hand while pulling her with the left into a counter-clockwise spin at the same time move forwards and spin yourself clockwise and catch with the right.


• Catapult Steps into Lambada Drop - Start a Catapult but don't offer left hand, instead move back and wrap it around her to her right hand side of her waist moving along side her. Then take a step with the right foot out to the side; then the left; then the right (she does the same; so you move along the dance-floor). Then you use the left arm to wrap her in to face you; she brings up her left leg to waist level which you grab with your right while keeping your left on her back, then you drop her backwards using the right hand as support. That part of the move is called the Lambada. Anyway it isn't over yet. Bring her back up release her leg and pull her back to the left hand side; then bring her back to centre swapping hands to your right hand on her back then moving her to the right hand side. Finally put your left hand at shoulder height and move her back into touching that with her right. This basically moves you back into the first move with a strong stance so you can proceed with the first move here again if you want to. Otherwise twirl her and step back for a standard return.

Right well that was it; I found trying to keep the rotation in the first move short enough to fit in the time given was difficult. Other than that, though very difficult, I did like all the moves tonight (maybe the First Move the least). The last one really isn't suited to a busy dance floor at all as it takes up way too much space.

I left the hall with lots of energy still and danced all evening so I'm really happy.

Tags: Ceroc