February Round-Up

I've gotten very lazy at writing up posts. If my voice was a lot more exciting I might have just uploaded the discussions I've had on the dancing I've done. It's not though.

I've been recording my moves as audio which allows me to replay them on my iPod before going to a dance. This has benefits from having them written down (in the fact that I can listen to them while walking) but there is something about writing a move down that makes it easier to understand. I suppose video would be the best media; though saying that I've never really watched the BFG routines I have.

Who said I don't just write any thought that comes into my head down?

As with the previous few I'm not writing the moves I did down. If someone was actually interested in them let me know.

Tango on the 5^th

Started my first Tango class. It was quite different from the other dances I've currently been doing. A lot more focus on weight distribution (for obvious reasons) and we were taught some very basic things such as walking. The key element to Tango appears to be a very strong torso lead and, when walking, traveling through the centre point of your axis. It doesn't really feel like dancing yet so I'm hoping to progress to a stage where it feels it does.

Ceroc on the 7^th

Quite an average night at Ceroc; this one. The music was a little average and I had difficulty really getting into the dances. A shame after the delightful time I had on Thursday.

West Coast Swing on the 8^th

I had a wonderful night at WCS tonight. Really lovely music; lots of nice dances that though might have been simplistic really felt like they flowed. My brain began to do the steps without me needing to be actively aware of it. Certainly hoping for more nights like this one (unlike the next one).

Ceroc on the 9^th

Another fairly average night at Ceroc. It all started out quite well but I think I started losing energy towards the end which didn't help. Had a go at following which was good fun though I found it very difficult and it does imply that it might just be me anticipating my regular lead more; I'm not sure.

Valentine's Day Ceroc

Tonight was a little better than the last couple. I had quite a few good dances; it was good being a little selfish and getting quite a few dances with my girlfriend. Saying that the evening was quite quiet so I got to dance with most of the women there. One woman seemed a little surprised that I was asking her to dance; I'm a little worried that that's a sign I'm becoming a Hotshot but she didn't seem to imply it that way... it was more a pleasant surprise. I did some double trouble as well; which was a bit of a shame as I would have liked to dance with both women separately (well I did have quite a few dances with one of the women; but none with the other :'( ). At the request of the teacher I wore a pink T-shirt which she did comment on, from the stage, in front of the class, which got me a little embarrassed. The music tonight could have been better but it was alright. I was hauled up for Now That I Can Dance by someone before I could escape. On that note I've discovered I love Chains by, the same artist, Tina Arena; it's a divine WCS track.

West Coast Swing on the 15^th

Unfortunately not as good a night as last week. The music seemed a bit trickier, but I think I was just less on form, most of my dances didn't really flow and that was at no fault to my partners. It did feel like a bit of a step back and definitely not the week that I wanted to finally get a dance with the teacher. Still I'll definitely stick at it; I just need to be more in the zone. At the end of the class the music went a bit crazy and we had Ceroc, Cha-Cha and a variety of stuff that was interesting to dance to.

Tags: Ceroc, Tango, WCS

Thursday Night Wholesome Goodness

I had some utterly wonderful dances tonight. I felt I might have been a little selfish, as I had multiple dances with a few of the women I was really enjoying dancing with, but it was working so well that I didn't want to leave. I had a bit of practice on a few moves that I enjoy doing. Most of the time they worked; which was just fab. The intermediate routine was good as well; it had a lot of moves flowing from another which I think is good practice for freestyle showing how you can break down a move and chain one move straight on from another. I haven't written the moves (I did voice record them; but I'm not taking up Podcasting :p). If you are interested in the moves we did (or at least my scribble about them) let me know. I figure most people skip that stuff anyway.

Tags: Ceroc

WCS Wednesday

Another night at West Coast Swing and though I'm still frequently getting things wrong and finding it difficult to make the moves flow I'm still enjoying myself. Most of my brain is still focusing on making my footwork match the timing of the song and I found out a bit more about the lead/follow connection techniques along with the fact that it's more a slinky dance and therefore there is a lot less hip movement :(.

We did a lot of moves tonight though I'm still sticking with a lot of sugar pushes before doing anything and my "other moves" are quite far between. When I tried linking moves without sugar pushes they generally went wrong. I'd write up the moves but there was quite a lot and I just voice recorded it. If you are really interested I'd be happy to give a go at writing them up.

Tuesday Blues... In a Good Way!

The DJ started by impressing me with his set between the beginners and intermediate class by playing a set consisting mostly of blues. His set didn't quite maintain that for the rest of the evening but was really good never-the-less. Anyway the music and my partners so picked up the night to be a wonderful evening. I had a lot of enjoyable dances where we played with the music a lot. Did a spot of double trouble and swapped leads with a lovely partner which was great fun.

I've got a good hold of double spins now and can generally do them every time I feel inclined (and sometimes when I'm not really initially wanting to). However I am beginning to worry that I'm often not there to take my partner's hand when she comes around and I think that might be effecting the quality of our dance.

Moves:

• Arm Wrap into Neck Break. Start with both hands held; take your right and wrap it so that the woman's arm is under yours and her arm is between your arm and your body. Place her hand on your (right) shoulder and take her to your right facing in the same direction as you as you take her right hand in your right at her right shoulder. Wrap her into you and then double turn her (in one count) around to face.


• First Move Underarm Mambo Walk. First move, as you push her out turn to face (left foot forward) and keep a high frame with the right and the left hand low. Lift your right to take her under your arms and guide with the left. As she is going under your arms step back with the left (where back is in relation to her so 90° to your original position). Then step back right, then left and move into a mambo step for four beats (your right arm is crossed with hers, kinda like what you might have on Sunday stroll, apparently). Bring her in-front of you with the right for a spin. As she spins take her right arm with your left (for a Ceroc Spin) and spin her the other way. Catch, return and go into a double handed hold.


• Slow Walk Push Spin. Double handed. Pull down towards your right hip with both hands taking the woman past you, raise your hands to turn her behind you so that your hands are crossed. Slow walk her forward past you (for 4 counts) as she comes past take your left hand up her left to her left shoulder as you turn her around. Take her right hand into a push spin and push return her (taking the left hand up to put her into a turn). I've done the latter half of this move before.

Tags: Ceroc

Edinburgh Party 7

Arrived just in time for the fun class at the Edinburgh party night. I wasn't going to do the class but the teacher pointed out there was only one woman extra so I thought I'd balance the numbers. As they were on the second move I played a quick catch-up. There were a few women in the class where the party night was their first night. I can't imagine the evening being easy for them (and I had a dance later with a few of them) as it seems they really were starting at the deep end.

I never really enjoyed the music for much of the night. There was a lot of fast stuff (especially earlier on) without any slow, or even average, tempo stuff. There also was a lot of tracks where there wasn't really a chance to play with the music much. I found it, as a result, difficult to really get into it during the earlier part of the evening (that's not to say it was just the music but it was a factor) and I only had a few good dances during the first half of the night. Later on the evening picked up a lot though and I had a lot of really good dances; only wish I could have been in that zone earlier.

During the evening I had a double trouble dance that went well (ish). Another double trouble dance (to Now That I Can Dance) which didn't go smoothly but I found hilarious and made me almost enjoy dancing to that song. I also followed (and led for a short while) Ducasi; he led really well and found it much easier to follow him that most of the people I've had lead me.

It wasn't my best party night ever but it was good fun.

Tags: Ceroc