Falling

[drj]

Interesting choice of song, good demonstration of it too, perfect for this thread!   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7L-ziLQ92U

love this so much. the sensitivity of her feet...how she waits for him and responds so fluidly...how connected their nervous systems seem to be, so exquisitely passing the "baton" of their energy and action back & forth...how she completes the trajectory of her movement and is in such deep sensation of her dancing...and yet how light.

exquisite. oh yah... the falling too.

Wow. We watched different videos, clearly. I need to learn from you what you see here, 'cos I sure don't see it.

[samina]

Interesting choice of song, good demonstration of it too, perfect for this thread!   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7L-ziLQ92U

love this so much. the sensitivity of her feet...how she waits for him and responds so fluidly...how connected their nervous systems seem to be, so exquisitely passing the "baton" of their energy and action back & forth...how she completes the trajectory of her movement and is in such deep sensation of her dancing...and yet how light.

exquisite. oh yah... the falling too.

Wow. We watched different videos, clearly. I need to learn from you what you see here, 'cos I sure don't see it.

what did you see, drj... can you describe it?

[drj]

Wow. We watched different videos, clearly. I need to learn from you what you see here, 'cos I sure don't see it.

what did you see, drj... can you describe it?

I asked you first! 

[drj]

Wow. We watched different videos, clearly. I need to learn from you what you see here, 'cos I sure don't see it.

what did you see, drj... can you describe it?

I asked you first! 

OK, my bad; my apologies for the smartass comment.

You said:

.how she waits for him and responds so fluidly...how connected their nervous systems seem to be, so exquisitely passing the "baton" of their energy and action back & forth...how she completes the trajectory of her movement and is in such deep sensation of her dancing...and yet how light.

I see none of that. I see her dancing like crazy and it's as if he disppears. I don't see her responding to him; I see her doing what I usually see men doing: dancing like mad and having someone there to partner her because she needs a body to be there. I don't see light; I see hard work. I don't see deep sensation of her dancing; I see her, in effect, working hard. And nothing here is exquisite, to me. Nothing. However, yes, I do see that she completes the trajectory of her movement. But passing energy back and forth? No. IMO, it's all coming from her, towards him. And it isn't engaging, to me. FWIW, no, I can't explain how I see what I see. Nor am I insensitive to the realization that I'm er, um, nobody, with no significant experience and have no concept what it's like to dance at this level. I just see what I see -- and don't see what I don't.

I don't feel the love. And in this song, in this dance in particular, I should be swept away by the love.

YMMV. Obviously. Duh.

[elisedance]

How incredibly interesting.  I must admit I see it more like Sam does - but I think I understand what drj is seeing - and this certainly detracts from the overall expericne.  

OK my impression.  At first sight it does look hurried (BTW: I don't think this is their best dance demonstration) - the aspect that makes waltz look like a love dance to me is the waiting more than the falling - this dance has lots of fall - exquisitely well timed fall - but it does so at the price of wait.  Waiting is the slight delay between the man's lead and the woman's reaction - and is what gives (to me at least) that lovely give and take that symbolises love.  In this example they sacrifice waiting for one-ness.  I don't see the woman anticipating the man exactly but she responds so fast that it almost looks studied.  I don't think it is - I think you are seeing one of the best lead-follow couples ever - they are so in tune to each other the lead-follow conversation has disappeared.  The result is amazing synchrony - and yes, effortless movement.  I did not say effortless dancing because that is an illusion that this couple fails to generate.

Thus, if I were to critique it I would give the 100A+ in partnerdance movement - synchrony - but they would loose on the artistic points because I too am not swept away by the artistic object of the dance.

Does that make sense to anyone

[samina]

I agree that they are one of the best lead-follow couples. And the "dancing like mad" part I am suspecting is the speed of her response to him*, because I see her waiting...and then *going*, expressing and "selling" and feeling and enjoying the deliciousness of what she's putting into motion. She *moves* in her responsiveness, doesn't languish, ands I see her as very sensitive. And he is receding only because they are partnering so well...he is partnering her so well...and allowing her to be the more expressive one in that dance. It may not always be that way, but in that dance, yes.

As drj said so well, I'm also noone and I can't not see what I see...and mebbe I'm off...but that's what I see, which sounds like its similar to what elise was describing.

[elisedance]

well on that we can agree - we are all noone -  but we are also, of course, equally wrong

[Some guy]

   You guys are so funny, and informative, all at the same time!

[QPO]

I wonder it is her dress that detracts slight. it is very floaty and moves at a different time to her. I think they know it is a show and perhaps what DRJ is that the affection that is to be eluded from such a dance is not showing.

the dancing itself is well done but they have not given the whole package. I see moments of it but there  are holes in the emotional connection. I feel she is at one with the music but not at the same time as he is.

having said that I would be very happy if I could do such a performance! I love their dancing.