Ceroc Party Number 4

Well a write up of the BFG is coming. I've voice recorded them at the moment so I don't forget them. My fourth party representing my fourth month of dancing, pretty much, as well. Unfortunately it wasn't the best party nor did I think I was particularly on form. The night started badly when in my second dance I nearly dropped someone; now I know that it happens and I didn't actually drop her but it still made me a little on edge. However as I try not to make drops a large part of my dance anyway then my lack of desire to do them didn't really affect my night that much. I think generally I just had difficulty concentrating and it took me quite a few dances before I felt more on form. Saying that I did have one woman mention I had a reputation (which was good apparently :D) as I asked her to dance. The music was very much what I've come to expect from an Edinburgh party night; I like a lot of the tracks but I felt there could have been some new stuff thrown in. Tried a bit more double trouble too and that seemed to go quite well; I ended up double troubling on the last track (excluding the twilight dance) and felt quite good at the end. So started bad and progressed to better throughout the night. I had a very good time post party as well :).

Tags: Ceroc

Such a Late Post :D

I can't even remember this evening given the fact I'm writing it a month later however I did take notes on the moves.

Not a great lineup of moves this evening. One isn't lead-able in freestyle and the last one was tricky and I'm not convinced about how much time was spent on it compared to how much time should have been spent on it.

• Clothesline Let Go Thing. Start by signaling by doing a clothesline with right arm (left handed move). Left hand to left shoulder with lady stepping to right. Pivot with left foot throwing the lady out and then click your fingers over your head. Then pivot back as she pivots forward and click your hands behind your back. Then spin and catch. Not that most of the move involves no contact. She needs to know the move to do the pivot and I expect by the time she has worked it out the move will be over.


• First Move Lunge Log Step. First move out then twirl her once go into a ballroom hold for a brief lean then push her our and lead her into a log step then twirl her out.


• Open Hold Mambo Turn. Step into a open hold (both hands out to your sides). Mambo step then pivot her around as she goes down on one foot using the momentum to carry her around as you step over her outstretched foot and bring her back up. Exit out with a return.

Tags: Ceroc

BFG Blues :(

Went to ceroc tonight and really did have some great dances. I feel it is important to mention that before going on to say that I was hoping I improved a little more. When I was dancing on Sunday (at the BFG which I will finish writing about) I felt there were only a couple of dances that went wrong and so many that just felt so right. Maybe it was the music or atmosphere. Maybe my sleep deprivation just made me think everything was great. I suppose my biggest disappointment in myself is that I had the best dance with someone from Edinburgh on Sunday and I was really hoping for that same feeling tonight. Though the dance wasn't bad; it just wasn't... that. Also someone commented that I was rushing the moves by half a beat; some times just not completing the moves on the beat etc. I shall work on this; I think it is, as she said, that I'm thinking about getting into the next move rather than that pause. Anyway met a couple of first time people that had a fantastic following skills; though they were a bit uncertain I still lead them through a few intermediate moves. Hope both of them return.

• Twirl Wrap Walk Spin Thing. Do a two handed travelling twirl past your right hand side and turn and face the woman. Take your right hand up turning the woman's back to you and taking both hands to her shoulders (so her arms are crossed in front of her). Slide your hands from hers to her shoulders and pivot her right then left then right before spinning her out.


• Pretzel Walk with Barrier. Start a Pretzel when you lift the right take it to your shoulder as you pivot clockwise (180 degrees?) then take your lowered left hand to the lady's far shoulder before doing a walk around and sliding the left hand into the lady's left. Guide her to your right side and kept hold so she forms a barrier then spin her out of that and catch right.


• Return Lasso Dip. Right hand. Return her as you do take her hand down to her left side causing her to spin; move in and wrap her arm around your neck and take a standard seducer stance and lower her then correct. Spin her out.

I suppose it could also be factors outside of dancing that have actually affected my night. It hasn't been a good week so far.

Tags: Ceroc

Why Was It So Warm?

This is what you get for writing a Thursday post on a Monday. You've forgotten much of the event. As a result it is just a list of moves being, as it was, overshadowed by the BFG (write up coming).

• Start a basket (another basket variant!) and step as usual then push the woman to the left using the right arm turning her at taking your left to her left shoulder. Take your right up to twirl her clockwise (?) as you twirl behind her (so traveling). You basically then rotate her into another basket. Exit like the end of a Wurlitzer.


• Start a Sway but walk her backwards for a couple of counts. Then still walking her let go with left and take your right into a half nelson before ducking forward underneath it. Take your hand out in front while taking her other hand. Do some cross step log walk before taking hands high and into an Accordion. Double handed return. Drop the left.


• Lean Dip. Like last time; sort of we offered the left hand and moved straight into a first move in this variant.

Tags: Ceroc

Salsa and Chips

Well my third week of Salsa in my current class. Unlike last week were we didn't really learn anything in the way of moves we learned quite a few this week. Since there is a long intermediate class after the beginner and nothing for us beginners to do but watch or (yeah right :)) chat then I didn't wait around for freestyle. As such I didn't really get to practice any moves or enjoy a freestyle :(.

We worked on a cross body double twirl for the woman which is lead like a cross body lead except without a frame take the hand high and twirl her around using the raised hand pushing away; moving her past you and moving in to meet her. That's done on beats 5-8. We then did a right turn for the guys directly leading to a right turn for the woman then another cross body twirly move using the right hand to right hand. Then; still right handed we did another right spin for the guy swapping to left; moving left to a half nelson behind the back (this is on beats 1-3) and then on beats 5-7 bend down taking your hand around your back (you should have your right hand inside this; trapped when you start it) and drop the lady's hand on your shoulder; collect and move into a framed stance with a mambo step. It was a good routine I just wish I could have practiced it :(.

Tags: Salsa

Venue Chaos

Tonight the venue was in a bit of disarray. The taxi dancer was also the venue manager which meant that she couldn't take the beginner revisited class during the intermediate. The beginner class went on past what would be freestyle and into intermediate. The intermediate class went on well past half nine. Furthermore the beginners couldn't do the revisited class until after the intermediate class. I was tempted to offer to taxi but, again, it would be on my own and I don't think I'd be very good (there would be a way to find out though). Had some good dances and noticed that there are some really good beginner followers out there. Danced with my ickle sister and one of my long term friends in some double trouble which was good fun even though I was making up most of it. Being super busy with women I didn't get the chance to dance with half of the people I wanted to including a big bunch of beginners which I really wanted to. Seriously I should give this taxi thing a go.

Beginners moves :).

• Catapult Trickster. Start the catapult; move forward under tension. Take the right hand over your head and the left hand at the woman's left hip. Twirl her in front but as her back is turned use your thumb (!) on her right hand to stop her and take her hands back as if she was leading a catapult. Take your right hand out and over her head bring your left hand in front of you. Twirl in front of her with your right hand high then take both hands behind you as you move into the catapult under tension position. From there exit as a catapult.


• Basket Case. Start the Basket but on the step back release with the left hand and put that to her right shoulder. Step her forward using the right and then spin anticlockwise using the left. Step to her left and put your right hand (flat hand facing down) to guide her forward before turning her to face and taking with the left.


• Same tango style first move thing that we've done previously. Still bad at it; still love it.

Tags: Ceroc

Ceroc On A Thursday

Why not leave the post till super late again? It was stupidly busy tonight. There was probably as many women as last week and then more men had turned up to make it so packed that you could hardly move on the dance floor. It was an enjoyable night with some enjoyable moves. I can't believe that we still consider the In-and-Out as a move. I suppose the other three basic moves were quite complex but they could have at least done a Sidestep or something. Intermediate moves were really good.

• Basket. Drop left and begin unwrapping with right hand swapping the woman's hand to your left and turning her clockwise one and a half times. As she comes around move into an Accordion (with right hand low). We just turned once and dropped the left.



• Get ready with the Yo-Yo offering left hand behind back. Woman takes left as you push her out. Step to the right while raising the right hand (keep left low) and pull the woman left at the same time. Guide the woman forward with left turning her clockwise (for one and a half turns) taking her left hand into a half nelson and her right into a lady comb. Walk her past your left hand side letting go of the left as she moves past and turning her half a turn (clockwise?) using the right. Hopefully her hand is still in the half nelson behind her back as you keep your left hand in contact with her and collect her hand as soon as you can. She is now facing again where you can repeat the lady comb and walk her forward to the left. When you tire of this you quickly spin and a half her and return.



• Start a catapult but as the woman is behind take the right hand out to the right side (behind you) and take her into a lady spin moving quickly in to take her upper back in your left hand and your right on her hip while she takes her hand behind your head. Go for a quick dip/seducer then correct and spin using right. Catch left and return.

Tags: Ceroc

Salsa Wednesday

Right salsa it is. First of I found out that we are doing New York (Cross Body) style of salsa. Given that I don't know anything about the Cuban style that's popular I'm not really sure where the differences are. Anyway first they teach an interesting dancers frame (higher arms elbows out) and leading with the shoulder for a spin. Apart from my lack of balance I was finding I could project myself through a double spin occasionally. Had totally forgotten the left hand turn from last week. I think the key point being that I kept trying to put a spin into it (there really is only a pivot). I probably asked less people this week than I did last being content to chat to people. I really should have danced with more people though. At times I also find trying to get the correct beat in the music difficult and in moves that are prone to falling out of beat I often don't correct. I'm also prone to rushing through the silent beat as well.

They did do a good job at telling you about using the balls of your feet rather than heels and how to distribute your weight; frame technique and such. Even if I can't, at the end of it all, still get that salsa feel I think I'll still walk away feeling that I've learnt a lot. They teach a good grounding in the theory of dance :D.

Anyway we did a cross body lead which involved using the first part of a left turn but stepping out to the side creating a gap for the woman to walk through. Guide her with the frame (so pushing on her high back and pulling with your left hand) then turn her to face and move back into "the line". Revisited some of the stuff from last week. I also lead a left turn using the ladies left hand and a right handed turn for the lady where you break her turn with a flat right hand (to her left) and turn her around for a left hand turn. The intermediate class did a multiple cross body lead that I tried to shadow with a friend. Basically its the cross body but rather than pivot to face your partner you pivot to the other side and keep an open line so you can cross lead your partner again then do the same again (you are transfering momentum at this stage) and release into an open hold. I'd say that I successfully did it about 25% of the time :(.

Tags: Salsa

Not A Great Dancing Evening

Something wasn't quite right last night. I'm not sure if I just wasn't focused or it was the miserable weather (yes; I'm aware it is indoors) but I didn't feel particularly on form. This especially was true during class where I was hopeless with one of the moves which is the first time, in a while, where I've struggled with an intermediate move to the extent that I was prepared to give up on it. This was particularly crippling as I didn't actually think the move was that difficult maybe just to much unnatural feeling movements. I managed to mess up the second move for a while but then I realised I was offering my right hand; doh.

Despite not feeling on form I did have a surprising number of good dances. I was also snatched up by a few women for dances too which always feels good :D. So despite feeling like I was struggling and wasn't dancing at my best I did have a good time. Just hope my partners found it enjoyable too.

• Armjive into Teapot except try and get the woman's left arm into a half nelson. Then pull with left hand drawing her to your left as you lower this hand and move into a half nelson with left behind her back and right in a half nelson behind yours. You then turn anticlockwise and duck under your arm to come out in front of her taking right hand between you and then high to unwrap her (still with both hand). Lower right step back and return dropping right for a left to right hold.


• Sidestep Flamenco Walk. Liked this one. Start with a Sidestep then pull the woman past you to your right hand side. Put your left hand on her shoulder and run it down her left arm (as she'll be naturally inclined to take a right to left normally). You end up with a left to left hand hold. Raise your hand and take her into a traveling twirl putting right hand on her waist (her left side) and move right hip to her right hip and walk around with the left hand high (same as a technique done in a catapult a while back). Let go with left but keep walking with right at hip then spin her out of it.


• I'm not sure why I had so much difficulty with this move but I did; it really consists of two independent parts and the second part (from leading the woman forward with arms crossed) I was ok with and I liked it. Start both hand hold take left hand over right turning clockwise 180° taking your left to your right shoulder. On the next count take your right high and behind you turning the woman anticlockwise and yourself clockwise while transferring your hand from your shoulder to hers. Take the right that you were raise as you turn her away from you (so you are behind her) over her head and to her waist. Then take your left from her shoulder down so she has her hands crossed in front of her. Then raise both hands high turning her (clockwise? or was it a return) resulting in your hands being crossed. Walk her to your right hip then raise hands turning her putting her left hand on her right shoulder and continue to turn to face with her right hand flat. Gently push spin this unraveling her taking her left high and allowing her to quickly twirl under than. Step back and your into a normal left to right.

Tags: Ceroc

Missing Dances

Another stupidly busy Thursday. Once again meaning that there was so many people I didn't get to dance with and I came away feeling guilty again. There were a couple of girls I was really looking forward to dancing with but we never got the chance. Then afterwards they were talking with me about when we'd next be available. I asked if they were going to the salsa club (since both of them know a little salsa) and I'd dance a bit of salsa with them there. But somehow I missed them there and felt really bad. I'm hoping that I get dances with the both of them in the near future.

I did see a few people from my salsa class there and had a dance with one of them which was really good fun.

Tonight's playlist was fab. Maybe I was just in the mood to dance but what the teacher was playing tonight really worked for me. It still had his own slant towards fast tunes but he's added a few in there that I really liked and kept much of the good old stuff too. We had quite a bit of old skool Rock and Roll which I found really enjoyable for a change. Still hoping that Tiggerbabe finds the time to do a few sets in Edinburgh.

I also got a compliment on the way I clearly lead the Man Spin. Yeay!

Catapult, Step Across, First Move and, Shoulder Slide. Then intermediate which I had quite a bit of difficult with even though I had lots of practice as they had to move a billion women on or something.

• Start with Basket. As you come out of it take your left to her right shoulder then lift right over her head as you turn away from her place your right on your left shoulder and then; your left on your right so you have your hands crossed in front of you and your partner facing your back. Let go with with both spin to face with her left hand still on your shoulder and taking her right in your left (quickly) and right on her hip and move into a mambo step (start forward) for a few before pulling her past into a turn then return and (in this case) manspin to get to right.


• Bring the woman past with the right while swapping hands behind your back (so you turn away from her). Take your left hand out with your back is turned to her so she has her back turned to you as well. Spin her but keep hold and put your right hand on her shoulder to stop her spin. Push her firmly but gently back out into the previous position. Spin as normal catching right.


• Move into a Sway. Execute the Sway as normal. When coming out of it nudge the woman forward keeping hold of both hands resulting in the sort of tension position a woman would see in the Catapult except with really weird arm position move forwards changing to a flat to flat hand (with your hands upwards) bringing your hands in a position to the side and just underneath of her breasts. Step back and begin to squat on your knees while she moves into a Drop Kick. Correct and turn out right-to-right (in this case we did a quick hand swap to left).

Tags: Ceroc

Salsa Is Not Ceroc

I've got a backdated ceroc entry nearly ready to go. That will appear before this post.

Went to a Salsa class tonight which I'm trying out for a while. Went to the absolute beginner's class even though I have done some salsa before. Last time I stated that I did enjoy my dances even though they felt as hopelessly limited as my Ceroc did when I started that. Well this time it was worse. There were lots of very experienced dancers there tonight and I felt that I gave them some really dull dances. I also found some of the music a little challenging to pick up the beat on. Like the first time I went I still had a little difficulty not trying to start something else on the 4^th beat. Anyway even though I danced a little ceroc at one stage (only because the woman was interested) I'm still looking forward to giving it another go.

Moves; like the last time. On twirling a woman you take your left hand left, right then up (on each beat) to indicate she should go into a spin (it feels a bit like trying to execute an uppercut on Streetfighter) where she'd perform a right spin which consists of a step forward (left foot) pivot on both feel to face the other way (second beat) and then push with the left foot spinning 180° on right to face partner. We also did a spin as a man that when stepping back on right (5th beat) you pivot on both feet swapping the woman's hand to your right hand behind you then spin clockwise to face. We also did the Mambo step with a high frame with right hand on shoulder blade and left in a ceroc like hold. Finally we also did a left turn which takes a full eight beats. Start left forward; tap right; left back to behind the right and at an 90° to the left. Cross step the right over the left to turn away; tap left and straighten it (to be able to put your weight on it); spin using left foot 180° to face partner.

Tags: Salsa

Another Note Post

It was an enjoyable night though I did seem to be settling into doing the same moves rather than using many of the other moves that I've learned. I shall work harder on using the moves I've pushed aside. Quite a lot of new women tonight and I enjoyed dancing with them.

Firstmove Push Spin, Yo-Yo, Comb, Step Across.

• Left hand. Traveling twirl the woman past you and take her hand in a wide circle to the right turning it behind her (in a half nelson) and causing her to turn her back to you. Both of you walk forward for a count. Pull down and out with her hand causing her to turn to face. Twirl her past and repeat. Twirl her past again to exit the move.



• Pretzel. Since I don't think I've ever done a Pretzel in class even though I do them fairly often. Offer right hand at waist level behind back. Woman takes this hand. Move back-to-back lowering left hand and then raising right moving the woman to your right. Draw right hand slightly around and turn to your right to face your partner. Lead her forward with left turning your back to her to turn to your left. Take her out and around anticlockwise.



• Flingy Flung. Wurlitzer start. Upon pushout continue to face partner; spin her into her own arm until she has her back turned. Put your left hand on her left shoulder causing her to stop. Lightly push outwards causing her to spin away again (still holding on). Flick her hand down and forward causing her to spin (again) and catch right to right.



• Right handed push in and out as a filler.



• Offer left hand above right she takes. You twirl both hands about her head until she comes around to face then you then keep turning her turning yourself in the same direction taking hands over heads so both your and her left hand is on her left shoulder and your and her right hands are on your right. Drop your left to the woman's upper back (between shoulder blades). Drop right and take woman's left hand in right. Dip her back as you lean on your left knee (for possible support). Raise and use right to turn her one and a half times moving to a lady spin and spin her.

Tags: Ceroc