Category: How To Be A Better Dancer

HOW TO BECOME A BETTER DANCER: SOCIAL DANCING

1/25/2019

If you’re a Latin danceaholic, your first few experiences watching two people tear it up on the dance floor probably got you hooked. You might have been enticed by the sensuality, the rawness, the fun, the partner connection, the music, or simply how cool they looked…

“It looks like so much fun!”
“I love the music!”
“I NEED to know how to do this and impress my friends”
“If he can dance with so many hot girls, so can I!”
“Look at those awesome shoes! I want to dance in those shoes!”

So you started taking classes, picked up some moves from YouTube, tried club classes and left right after. But it wasn’t enough to get good. Why? Social dancing is simply an essential part of your dance training. Let’s say you’re not in it to be a professional dancer, so you’re not trying to “train”, you’re just in it for fun. Hopefully everyone is in it for the fun since most people don’t get paid to do it. HOWEVER, salsa, bachata and cha cha are primarily danced with a partner. Which means what YOU do affects someone else. If you’re off time, rough as a leader, lazy as a follower, YOU are affecting someone else’s experience. For that reason, it’s important to care about how YOU move. If you don’t want that kind of responsibility, then choose a partner-less dance genre where you can go buck wild and not hurt anyone else with your fabulous solo work 😜

While in many Latin countries, locals grow up with the music and culture, most any non-Latin Americans learned to dance outside their home, namely through formal classes. One of the biggest benefits of classes is feedback and practice with different people to prepare you for the social dance floor. Here’s the order of operation:

STEP #1 – Take group classes and/or privates to learn how to dance, and get feedback by trusted instructors.
STEP #2 – Go out to a social/practice session/club and put those moves into practice. Start to build a level of sensitivity to leading/following others. Adjust, revise, improve. Have fun and meet new people along the way.

REPEAT.

While Step #1 alone doesn’t typically build great dancers, taking the time to learn basics builds a foundation for great dancing. And getting feedback is extremely valuable if you hope to improve. You’ll find that all levels, even world champions and experienced social dancers have coaches to help them become smoother "movers", more musical, clearer as a lead/follow.

Step #2 is the next essential part of a dancer’s progress to greatness. What you learn, must be put into practice. Mistakes will be made, and that’s okay. It’s part of the journey and every dancer will go through it (pretty much forever). This isn’t like Calculus homework. There isn’t “one” right answer. It’s about discovering your voice as a dancer, which is just as unique as you are. First and foremost, remember that Latin dances meant to be danced SOCIALLY. That’s the best part! You'll meet people, create new friendships, laugh, connect and feel a sense of freedom that you’ve never felt before. It takes time and practice to feel the essence of each dance style and to find your voice. There will be bumps along the way but the results will be worth it!

Here are 5 ways social dancing can help you becoming a better dancer.

IT TESTS YOUR SKILLS
Like any new skill, mastering it required requires real practice time. One of the greatest things about dancing salsa, bachata, or cha cha is that practicing is FUN! I’ve had students that wanted to wait until they got really good before trying to social dance. Reality check... it's nog going to happen that way. Dancing with the same people who know all your moves/following people whose moves you know will limit you. Great dancers are skilled at dancing with anyone – remember it’s not about the “moves”. Musicality and connection can take a dance in many directions and the truly "free" will use their well-practiced technique to play and dance “outside the box”.

IT DEVELOPS YOUR MUSICALITY (IF YOU OPEN YOUR EARS)
Dancing is not just about "what you do" but "when" and "how" you do it. A common quality in great dancers is musicality (the "when"). Exposure to a variety of music will definitely help your musicality. It’s one thing to listen to a lot of music in the car or at home.It’s another to react to the music with your body. Take the time open your ears to hear and feel fit’s flavour, the instrumentation, it’s mood, it’s soul. Be an active listener of music, instead of just using music as a metronome. Then learning to move with the music can greatly improve your own musicality. And in dancing with others and watching others, you can absorb new ways of hearing music and expressing yourself musically.
IT PROVIDES AN OUTLET TO EXPRESS YOURSELF
Dance is an art form. And there’s endless ways to express yourself to music. Social dancing exposes you to the styles of others in partner work, foot work, styling or playfulness! On a day to day basis, many of us may feel constrained by "rules" whether at work or home. Dance gives us that chance to let your hair down (so to speak) and move to music that inspires us!
IT HELPS DEVELOP BETTER BODY MOVEMENT
The ironic thing about having "natural" Latin body movement is that does not come so "naturally" to everyone. Often it's a result of overthinking, trying to be "perfect" or simply lack of body awareness. Luckily technique can be learned. Street dances emerge in response to the "times", the culture and and innate need for humans to express themselves physically to rhythms and melodies. Learning about the music, instruments, the culture and history can help develop that "natural" Latin movement. Social dancing provides that opportunity to apply movement to music, and in doing so helps to develop your stylistic identity (which by the way, will continuously evolve as you grow as a dancer).
IT HELPS YOU DISCOVER YOURSELF
This one sounds kind of flakey, but.... like our fashion sense, our humour, how we talk, we all have our own dance style. We’ll be influenced by who taught us, what we see on a regular basis, our music and stylistic preferences. And it’s something that is usually discovered on the social dance floor from many hours of fun (practice) dancing. Enjoy the process. Be a sponge and learn from instructors whose style you admire, and who possess the skills to teach you.

Get yourself social dancing as soon as possible to gain inspiration of what’s to come. Being in an environment where there are others who enjoy dancing too can keep the fuelling your fire for dancing. Feel the vibe of the Latin dance culture and take full advantage of the social nature inherent in Latin dances. Watch, admire, absorb, and enjoy! Watching can be fun, but it’s even more fun to dance! #LetYourBodySpeak

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HOW TO BE A BETTER DANCER: Master your Basics

1/6/2017

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(repost from 2014)

We live in the era of instant gratification.
We want to see results ASAP, right now… yesterday even.
We like challenge, but don't let your ego get in the way of your own growth. When it comes to dancing, it’s a bad idea to skip or rush through learning the fundamentals.

If you want to know why, READ ON. While the reasons can apply to dances in general, we’ll focus on the Latin street dances – salsa, bachata, cha cha.

5 REASONS WHY INVESTING TIME IN LEARNING THE BASICS IS A GOOD IDEA
The basic steps, timing, and technique in dance provide a foundation for EVERYTHING that you’re going to learn going forward. With great fundamentals, you’ll acquire knowledge and skills that can serve as “short cuts” to learning new things. You’ll ALREADY understand and can execute the most elementary skills like timing, lead and following technique, weight transfer so you can focus on what’s NEW.

SKIPPING LEVELS AND FAILING TO ACQUIRE SOLID TECHNIQUE = A HOT MESS
It’s so refreshing to meet students who say “I’m interested in learning to dance properly and don’t mind starting from the beginning”. That is someone who understands the value of great fundamentals :) Unfortunately, this is more an exception than the rule. Most people like to be challenged. Being bored doing the same thing is no fun. However, if your goal is to be a better dancer, your time and money are better spent taking a progressive route, building on skills that you learn and put into practice on the dance floor as soon as possible.
RUSHING INTO STYLING WITHOUT SOLID TECHNIQUE = A HOT, AWKWARD MESS
Most ladies can't wait to start learning how to "style", but often it's too early. And leaders are so eager to add flare (speed, complexity) to their dancing without knowing how lead a clear basic or cross body lead in salsa, or hold frame in bachata. Imagine a house built on an uneven foundation – if you try to add new levels, the house is probably so shaky that it's bound to collapse. Similarly, styling without body awareness, timing, coordination, or contra body movement can turn into an awkward situation for both the dancer and anyone watching. We all seek challenge, but take the opportunities to learn and practice great techniques from people who know. There is ample challenge in gaining solid foundations.
LESS IS MORE
While we all crave to learn the latest and greatest, experienced dancers know that intricate moves are built on top of great technique. In the Latin dances there are basic steps, basic timing, and essential partnering techniques required to communicate with each other on the dance floor. Forget styling or fancy moves if you aren’t even dancing together. Step 1 – connect with your partner! And interestingly, many experienced dancers enjoy dancing less “busy”, appreciating great connection and musicality over complexity.
YOU CAN FEEL MESSY BASICS – NO ES BUENO
Most dancers are attracted to the fun and connection they see in Latin dancers – the magic, the sensuality, the way that two complete strangers can move as one on the dance floor. It feels amazing when you have a great connection with someone and can actually feel their lead or follow. It’s heaven on earth. Things like being off time, bouncing, being too strong or invisible can be distracting, not to mention prevent some playful or intricate partner work from being executed well.
IF EXPERIENCED DANCERS VALUE & PRACTICE THEIR BASICS, IT’S NOT TOO BASIC FOR BEGINNERS
It seems that the more experience a dancer has, the more he/she understands that you need to practice to master their basics. In other classical dance styles like ballet or modern, you’ll find dancers with years of experience in the beginner level classes so they can continue to master those elementary skills that they use in more advanced dance moves. In salsa and bachata, it’s not uncommon to see students with less little dance experience trying to ace an advanced class. We all need challenge to keep us interested and motivated, but if you want to be a better dancer, master the basics.

Stay focused on the goal..."To be a better dancer". Be patient. LEARN YOUR BASICS. Practice your basics. Enjoy the rewards in the long term :) You and your partner will thank you for it!

Author

Caryl Cuizon, iFreeStyle.ca co-founder.

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

11/29/2016

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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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iFreeStyle.ca Dance Blog

HOW TO BECOME A BETTER DANCER: SOCIAL DANCING

HOW TO BE A BETTER DANCER: Master your Basics

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

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