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HOW TO BE A BETTER DANCER: Learn Footwork, the Art of “Solo” Dancing

11/29/2016

Some of you were probably hoping that this wouldn’t be on the list of “HOW TO A BETTER DANCER”. Pero si, it’s definitely on the list. Some of the most admired Latin dancers in the world can throw down and burn the floor with funky, sexy, playful and always musical footwork (otherwise known as "shines" in salsa and cha cha). Needless to say, their talents go beyond just turn patterns. While partner connection is the essence of the Latin dances, evolution has brought other elements that allow for individual freedom of expression.

If you’re thinking “I hate shines!”, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to step up your game, have more fun, and become a more well-rounded dancer!

Coming from an urban dance background, “solo” dancing not only taught me HOW to move, but also WHEN to move, and have the confidence to go for it! So naturally, coming into the Latin dance scene, it wasn’t as scary to learn footwork. But for the millions of people whose first ever dance steps were to Acid (which I still love by the way) or some super slow salsa/cha cha/bachata, dancing on their own isn’t what they signed up for. And for as long as possible, they avoid doing it AT ALL COSTS. Eventually though, it creeps up on you... eventually you'll encounter some really awesome dancers who enjoy a balance of partner work AND time to shine on their own.

By the way "on your own" doesn't mean you forget about your partner! On the contrary, it's an opportunity to groove together without actually holding onto each other. You have both hands available, you can move around each other freely, you can play with hair, jackets, arms, legs, drops... when you can both connect to each other AND the music without a physical lead/follow, it can feel pretty awesome :)

TOP 5 REASONS PEOPLE AVOID SHINES

“I’m afraid”/“I feel naked when I’m dancing on my own.” This one isn’t so hard to understand…many feel self-conscious about how they look when making up their own stuff.
“Isn’t Latin dancing about partner work?” For the most part it is… As mentioned above, the dances have evolved to include solo work or adding footwork to partner work as different ways to express musicality and connection.
“I don’t know when to do it.” When a dancer hasn't yet developed an ear for musicality, what you do, and when you do it might just be totally random. So at first your try it "whenever" even if it isn't particularly musical. Gotta start somewhere - and that's just to try it.
“I feel awkward and uncoordinated dancing on my own". For those who didn't grow up listening to Latin music and dancing with your family at gatherings, Latin movement may not be so natural. The coordination, believe it or not is very natural. Remember that these dances were made on the streets!
“I blank out when I'm left alone and can’t remember what I learned from class.” This is just for lack of practice.. or more accurately, avoiding practicing what you hope you never have to use. Except you can't avoid it.

So let’s try looking at footwork in a different way… If you knew it could help you be a better dancer, would you do it?

8 Ways Foot work/Shines (“solo dancing”) can help you improve your dancing

CONFIDENCE TO DANCE WITHOUT PARTNER: One of the greatest benefits learning footwork is overcoming your fear of breaking OUT of partner work and dancing on your own! Dancing is a mental challenge and a physical one. And gaining confidence to dance on your own is like taking the training wheels off your bike. Once their off, the world is yours!
TIMING: Dancing is about connection. Whether we're talking about partner connection or musical connection, it’s always important to connect to the rhythm and pace of the music. Learning to match your footwork to the beat of the music is a fundamental skill that you typically learn before you attempt dancing with another person. Practice footwork to help drill solid timing and develop the skill of connecting with the beat of the music. Learn to speak the same language first (same timing, coordinated stepping) and your on your way to smooth dancing.
QUALITY OF STEPS – Many dancers think that just "doing the steps" is good enough. In reality, HOW you do your steps becomes more important… how you transfer your weight, how you coordinate your body with your steps. So not is it only a no-no to be late for class (don’t get me started..), don’t come late to class with the intention of missing the footwork warm up because you’re missing out on an important element of your dance training!
SPEED (FAST, SLOW & IN BETWEEN): It takes energy to move body across a floor quickly and on time. And it’s also challenging to take sllllooooooow controlled steps. It starts with your centre and then your feet. Learning to adapt to the different speeds and moods of music takes focused practice. Learning footwork can help challenge your ability to move at different speeds in ways that are controlled and on time.
AGILITY: Great dancers make quick directional changes look easy. Until you try it yourself and realize that it takes a heck of a lot of balance, centering, and clear intention to change directions quickly. Learn and practice a footwork combo that incorporates quick directional changes and be an agility champ!
BALANCE & CENTERING: In partner work, many new dancers and even experienced dancers depend on their partner for balance. And while you may think I’m talking about followers, this goes for you too leaders! If you struggle with spins/turns (which is a tough skill to master), or keeping your balance within partner work, it’s time to practice that stuff on your own. Practice at home, practice at the club on the sidelines, take advantage of the “solo” time on the dance floor
DEVELOP YOUR OWN RHYTHMIC STYLE: Once you’ve learned a bunch of footwork, with practice, you’ll develop a rhythmic style to your dancing. It may be intentional or it may sneak up on you one night at club. Rhythm is part of musicality and every experienced dancer has developed his or her own flow that they express both within partner work and when they seize opportunities to do it on their own.
MUSICALITY: Some of the most musical dancers in salsa, bachata and cha cha are not only comfortable dancing solo, they are liberated by it. Latin music has such a variety of sounds, instrumentation, moods, flavour… Dancing on your own can give the opportunity to explore the nuances of each song without the added challenge of leading or following. The horns, the baseline, the percussion, the piano melody, the vocals, the breaks….. it takes time to master moving to those musical elements. And the better you are at doing it on your own, the more comfortable you’ll be to incorporate into your partner work. So work on YOU and you’ll have much more to give to your partners.

Put that all together and you've just stepped up your dance game both technically and artistically. Challenge yourself with a footwork class by an instructor with great musicality and great teaching ability – whether in salsa, bachata or cha cha. Be not afraid.. embrace the challenges and look forward to the rewards to come!

Author

Caryl Cuizon, iFreeStyle.ca Co-founder.

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From "Wall Flower" to "Dancing Machine" – HOW TO GET MORE DANCES

11/25/2016

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This blog, originally posted back in November 2007, is dedicated to an iFreeStyle student and friend who, like many shy intermediate salsa, bachata and cha cha dancers wanted to know how to “crack the code” on how to get more dances… This one is for you! Enjoy my friend and I hope it helps!

If you’re SHY or NEW to the Latin dance community in your city, it may be scary to ask complete strangers to dance. You might be a beginner (stay tuned for more on that), or you may have been dancing for a while and you don’t understand why experienced dancers aren’t asking you to dance. We all have some insecurities and fears of rejection, but know this… rejection has happens to EVERYONE. The best of the best dancers out there were obviously NOT the best when they started. You’re not alone. And there’s ways to get out of the barren dance experience.

It’s partly a numbers game… The nature of partner dancing requires some sort of explicit or implicit invitation to dance. Many times in one night. Sometimes the answer is “yes”, sometime “no”, or sometimes “later”. We put ourselves out there and rejection is a real possibility. The frequency of this invitation also invites more opportunities for “no’s” and yeah, that might not sound very encouraging. If you want to be a dancing machine instead of a wallflower, prepare to put yourself out there. It’s going to take some courage and know-how to maneuver your way to success, but chances are good that results will come fairly quickly if you give these tips a try.

These 10 tips on HOW TO GET MORE DANCES (applies to both men and women :)

Smile :) This seems pretty basic, but many people don’t realize that they might have a miserable look on their face – frowning, angry, bored, blank… Someone who wants a fun dance is looking for someone who looks happy and fun. Check your misery, diva attitude and stress at the door and get ready to have a good time!
Show welcoming body language. Uncross those arms, face the dance floor, pay attention, stand up, put your drink down… Like #1, your body language can either say “I love dancing!” or “stay away from me”. Be yourself and show your happy, fun loving personality - we're drawn to people with a positive outlook and vibe!
Easy Access (to the dance floor, that is). Be near the perimeter of the dance floor (not ON the dance floor unless you want to get smacked in the head or irritate those dancing). Unless you’re one of the top dancers, most people aren’t going to travel to the other side of a room, behind the plant, or reach across a table to ask you to dance, especially if the person is shy or afraid of getting a “no”. So, make yourself available. Easy access, in this case, is a good thing.
Dance on the sidelines: If you’re not dancing with a partner, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dance or enjoy the music. Many experienced dancers look out for people on the sidelines who show a good sense of rhythm and are enjoying the music. So why not do a bit of advertising? Move to the music and show them you can groove!
Be gracious while you are dancing. Many people pre-select their next dance based not only by dance ability, but also attitude and how they observe people treating his/her partner on the dance floor. There have been many AWESOME leaders I’ve seen on the dance floor who make their partner feel inferior, and that is a BIG TURN OFF. Also, ladies are notorious for giving that dreaded “bored” look. This is a guy’s worst fear. Keep in mind that people may be watching, and a bad attitude towards other people could lose your ticket to a dance with someone awesome, and even worse all of his/her friends.
Thank you partner after each dance. It’s just common courtesy to thank your partner for sharing 3-5 minutes of dancing together. You’ll likely be more memorable and perhaps get an invitation to dance again later.
Put together the best you. Okay, many of you are not going to like this one because it seems shallow. Hear me out…If you put together a great outfit, shoes that look good and feel good, nice hair, smell good… you’re likely going to feel more confident. And people are naturally more attracted to confidence. This doesn’t mean look slutty, or that you need a million $$ outfit with dark shades in a nightclub to look cool. Jut present the best you possible. And when you can back up that up with confident dancing, you’ll be on your way to super-dancing-machine status.
Go out dancing more often. When dancers see you out regularly, they start to recognize you as someone in the community. People naturally connect with people who enjoy similar things. With each new dance, you’ll meet new people and even develop a “favourites” list! Those people know people who know people. It’s networking. Soon you’ll have a new group of dance friends who you can enjoy dancing with on a regular basis. Success!!
Share. If you’re out with your friends, make it a point “share” favourite dancers with each other. You’re getting the endorsement from your friend that you’ll probably enjoy the dance. And it helps to grow your network of people to dance with.
****Be proactive & just ask. This is by far, the easiest and fastest way to transform that barren dance experience to an oasis of dance filled nights. If you want to dance with someone, ASK. Simple. Take control of the situation and go ask them yourself (nicely, of course). And ladies, it’s equal opportunity in the dance world. Gone are the days when men do all the asking (although it’s still nice when he does). So unless you like being a spectator all night, learn to get over it and just ask!

These tips are doable, right? Ultimately, pro-active people get more out of life. So don’t wait. Ask. Give some or all of these tips a shot and see how it goes. Take charge of your night and you may just kick yourself in the butt for allowing yourself so many dance-less nights… Go get’em. Have fun!

Author

Caryl Cuizon, iFreeStyle.ca co-founder.

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Top 10 Reasons to dance SALSA!

11/9/2016

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(originally posted 2007)

If you're considering learning to dance salsa, there's a lot of reasons to take the plunge and just do it! Salsa dancing is one of the most social dances in the world...it's a style of dance accessible by people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, professions. And if you think you can't dance, think again...!

Here's our TOP 10 reasons why people love to dance salsa...

If you thought club dancing was fun, multiply that fun factor by a zillion. There's a reason for the term "salsaholic"... You just won't be able to resist it!
Salsa dancing gives you the opportunity to meet A LOT (like a lot) of people who love dancing too. Whether you are shy or really outgoing, salsa dancing offers a place for you to connect with tons of people you may never have met .
The music is infectious... With so many influences in salsa music (jazz, afro, urban, folkloric), there's so much variety. It's tough to get bored of salsa music because there's always something to fit every mood!
Salsa dancing offers a great night life! Spice up your date night, create new friendships and maybe meet a new love?
It's a way to de-stress from day to day chaos (without alcohol). Salsa music can move your soul and inspire you to let loose and be creative. Save $$ on drinks and still have a blast!
A big attraction for many people is that salsa is not only cool, but super sensual (if you want it to be, of course). We all have a desire for connection, so some no-strings-attached dances with a few dozen partners a night could be just what the doctor ordered :)
You'll get exercise and won't even realize it. Salsa can be fast, slow, mid tempo...but in all cases, it's the kind of dance that keeps you on your toes! Why not get a workout AND have fun?
Salsa is meant to be danced socially. What you can learn in the classroom ca actually be put into practice at the clubs immediately! You won't have to wait years to start enjoying it.
You learn a new skill to keep your mind and body challenged.
Take your dancing anywhere in the world.. Just about every major city in the world has a salsa dance community. You never have to search too hard to find something to do on a vacation, business trip, or long weekend... salsa is awaiting!

Let the fun, experienced instructors at iFreeStyle.ca Latin Dance School take you on a salsa journey that you only wished you started sooner! We offer 6-week group lessons, drop-in classes, workshops, performance classes and private lessons.

View class schedule

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iFreeStyle.ca Dance Blog

HOW TO BE A BETTER DANCER: Learn Footwork, the Art of “Solo” Dancing

Author

From "Wall Flower" to "Dancing Machine" – HOW TO GET MORE DANCES

Author

Top 10 Reasons to dance SALSA!

Author

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iFreeStyle.ca Dance Blog

HOW TO BE A BETTER DANCER: Learn Footwork, the Art of “Solo” Dancing

Author

﻿From "Wall Flower" to "Dancing Machine" – HOW TO GET MORE DANCES

Author

﻿Top 10 Reasons to dance SALSA!

Author

Archives

Categories

Connect with us!

Studio Location

Quick links

My Account

From "Wall Flower" to "Dancing Machine" – HOW TO GET MORE DANCES

Top 10 Reasons to dance SALSA!