Training in *water*

[samina]

Does anyone ever do dance-related training in the water -- in a pool or calm sea?

I've used this quite a bit and never cease to be amazed how valuable the flotation of water is help feel alignment, balance issues, and body articulation down to minute detail. Every time I do it I ask myself why I don't do it more often.

There's a kind of Matrix-y possibility with it, as well... so many cool things you can do with your body in slow-mo which wouldn't work on land.

[ZPomeroy]

I have thought about it, the idea came to me after the Australian summer had finished so temperature was way to cold to swim in, but am going to try it once summer rolls around again. I hear its very good for NV arm movements, and would also be a great idea to do when your injured - keeping your body doing the movements with less pressure and effort..

Zac

[elisedance]

Love the idea of doing arm movements - the water slows them down and makes them more gracious.  Only question is whether you can retain that once you get out of the water!

[samina]

Yah, I love how the water slows everything down, and provides resistance showing how everything is connected, and how an impulse from the feet, for example, can move through your torso and affect your arms naturally, depending on how you balance things. Cool biz.

Zak, do you have access to a pool! Ocean or sea water is my pref, but am doin' the pool thing of late. Nice cold-weather thing to do indoors, too.

[Some guy]

Wow!  I never thought of going this.  I would've been able to understand a lot of things that my coach has been trying to drill into my thick skull.  For example, in water, it's almost impossible to muscle your way through when walking (provided the water is deep enough) due to the lack of traction on the feet.  So the only way to actually "walk" is to "fall", and throw your whole body into each movement: not just a foot, a torso, or an arm. 

[elisedance]

then it would be even better in magic goo.

And what is magic goo?  Its a great party trick for kids.  Mix cornstarch with water untill it gets about as thick as you can make it.  Now take a spoon and stir - if you try to go fast the goo will stop you, you can only stir it if you go at a moderate speed.

Whats this got to do with the price of butter?  Well, it would be even better than water to train you to be in control your actions and make purposive movemnts.  OTOH I'm not sure the swimming pool owner would be very pleased with a pool full of magic goo - it would resist being washed down the drain

[cornutt]

I've tried that some (water, not cornstarch), and I'm not sure of the value of it.  What I've found is that my body doesn't react "normally" to movements in water; that is, it doesn't feel or react the same way as under full gravity on a dance floor.  To some extent, I wound up feeling like it was negative training.  It could be useful, however, for isolating and understanding all the little pieces of movement in a complex sequence.  If you really seriously want to break something down to the level of simple-machine motions, in water might be the way to do it.  

[ZPomeroy]

Zak, do you have access to a pool! Ocean or sea water is my pref, but am doin' the pool thing of late. Nice cold-weather thing to do indoors, too.

I have one in my backyard but unfortunately no indoor pools exist for more than a 40 minute drive from my house, so shall have to wait for summer again to try water training - its not that far away now!

Zac

[samina]

Wow!  I never thought of going this.  I would've been able to understand a lot of things that my coach has been trying to drill into my thick skull.  For example, in water, it's almost impossible to muscle your way through when walking (provided the water is deep enough) due to the lack of traction on the feet.  So the only way to actually "walk" is to "fall", and throw your whole body into each movement: not just a foot, a torso, or an arm. 

Funny... a number of times when I've been doing Standard-style walks (and I do both Standard & Latin "practice" in the water) I've thought of you and numerous talks on PDO about walking & falling, because the buoyancy in the water is very revealing on that subject.

You can feel how incredibly natural the movement is... how the spine remains erect as the center of gravity moves forward without going "down", as the legs separate, and how the feet and the articulation of the ankles play out as the movement is completed.

I've also found water-training to be extremely helpful in studying alignment of the body for balance-work -- you can sense how things are lined up, how gravity falls through the bones & joints, which muscles need to be activated to provide minimal muscular support... lordy, there are so many things. A world of discovery possible. I just luv it...

[QPO]

I am waiting to see the specialist on Tuesday but believe that water therapy will help....we dont have a pool but there is one not too far away, but I have never been a water baby. I enjoy a shower but bathes and swimming pools are not my pastime....I have just bought a pair of bathers on our trip and that is the first pair in 10 years

[elisedance]

'pair of bathers'?  thats not a term we use here - I assume thats a two-piece... what do you call a one-piece a unibather

[ZPomeroy]

Really? i assumed that would have been a universal expression, similar to a pair or pants...

Zac

[elisedance]

well, probably not universal, it may not translate into Swahili for example

I still don't know what it is!  I mean whats paired?  Pants is easy, there are two legs that used to be separate garments (hose) and a pair of shoes is easy too.... 

[QPO]

'pair of bathers'?  thats not a term we use here - I assume thats a two-piece... what do you call a one-piece a unibather

no it is a single bathinjg suit...not sure why it is called that way but that is what we say..but that also depends on which state you are from as they are called different things in` QLD, to SA or VIC & NSW

[elisedance]

'pair of bathers'?  thats not a term we use here - I assume thats a two-piece... what do you call a one-piece a unibather

no it is a single bathinjg suit...not sure why it is called that way but that is what we say..but that also depends on which state you are from as they are called different things in` QLD, to SA or VIC & NSW

I'm intrigued as to what the pair was originally!  maybe they were pull on pants and shirts from the victorian era