Samba

[pinkstuff]

Ah, so nice to have confirmation of how I learned and do samba movement.  When I try and tell what you have mentioned to people they think I am crazy since their instructor has told them that samba is like hopping back and forth over a log.  They do the samba like polka on steroids with an even timing and refuse to listen to anything else.  The volte looks like they are dragging a broken leg but they are happy and they all do it so what the heck.   

Just came back to read the advice above again to refresh (thanks!) & read this post.  I seem to have missed it earlier.   This is EXACTLY what I was told by my first teacher (but not with even timing), have since moved on but I must've looked funny (probably still do  ).

My love-affair with Samba continues, at least we are moving on with choreography so feels like dancing, and I love the music.  Now to the perfect volta.....  Such hard work!!

[millitiz]

Hmm. Soooo, it wasn't just walking?

Actually, I have to say, a big part of Samba is "walking" . Unfortunately (or fortunately?), yes, it is more than just walking =D.

[QPO]

Hmm. Soooo, it wasn't just walking?

Actually, I have to say, a big part of Samba is "walking" . Unfortunately (or fortunately?), yes, it is more than just walking =D.

Samba I thought was about the Bounce.  ... I don't do a lot of Latin...we are learning the basics so we can get our Level O coaching so we have to cover some Latin.
We have just done four weks of Rumba so hope that Samba is next as I do like it.

[millitiz]

Samba I thought was about the Bounce.  ... I don't do a lot of Latin...we are learning the basics so we can get our Level O coaching so we have to cover some Latin.
We have just done four weks of Rumba so hope that Samba is next as I do like it.

I think normally chacha will be next =).

True. Bouncing is the defining characteristic of Samba. However, what I meant was that, at the most fundamental level, Samba, in fact, all latin dances, are about moving, or the quality of the movement. When people (at least the people I talked to) said fundamentals, or the foundation, they referred to the legs and feet - the lower body, or the movement. One of the reason why walking is so important in latin is that, similar to Standard, we need our lower body to support our body. Like buildings, if we don't lay the foundation well, the buildings would be quite fragile. Beside, in one of the Samba video, Bryan Watson said that the legs are the fundamentals, and it is really important to work on it (if he said so, it must be right, right?  )

One will be surprised that there are many similarities could be drawn between Standard and Latin - which are considered to be different monsters. As my Latin couch once said, Good dancing is good dancing (I think what he meant, within the context, is that, good movment is good movement.). For example, if I understand it correctly, what GreenEyes26 talked about in her post in the last thing learned from the lesson, or whatever the name of the thread is, s/he talked about the chest movement. The muscles used are very similar to the muscles used when in standard, people shaped toward the right - the right ward shaping.

[elisedance]

terrific insight millitz - its going to be fun to have you here

[Some guy]

Samba I thought was about the Bounce.  ... I don't do a lot of Latin...we are learning the basics so we can get our Level O coaching so we have to cover some Latin.
We have just done four weks of Rumba so hope that Samba is next as I do like it.

I think normally chacha will be next =).

True. Bouncing is the defining characteristic of Samba. However, what I meant was that, at the most fundamental level, Samba, in fact, all latin dances, are about moving, or the quality of the movement. When people (at least the people I talked to) said fundamentals, or the foundation, they referred to the legs and feet - the lower body, or the movement. One of the reason why walking is so important in latin is that, similar to Standard, we need our lower body to support our body. Like buildings, if we don't lay the foundation well, the buildings would be quite fragile. Beside, in one of the Samba video, Bryan Watson said that the legs are the fundamentals, and it is really important to work on it (if he said so, it must be right, right?  )

One will be surprised that there are many similarities could be drawn between Standard and Latin - which are considered to be different monsters. As my Latin couch once said, Good dancing is good dancing (I think what he meant, within the context, is that, good movment is good movement.). For example, if I understand it correctly, what GreenEyes26 talked about in her post in the last thing learned from the lesson, or whatever the name of the thread is, s/he talked about the chest movement. The muscles used are very similar to the muscles used when in standard, people shaped toward the right - the right ward shaping.

"Good dancing is good dancing" - love it!
Actually Bryan Watson's coach believed that the only difference between Standard and Latin was that one was pendulum swing and the other was metronomic swing.  Besides that, it's just "dancing"... or like you said, it's just "walking".  Bryan's definitely spot on, but be aware 'though: he's a master of hiding some fundamental secrets in plain sight. 

[QPO]

I believe that statement to be true. Good Dancing is Good Dancing.

If we watch videos of Latin dancing from years ago it is quite different to today, when I view it it looks softer  and all styles more bouncy and not not with such precision and straight legs. Using the time in the music differently.
 
so we can see how evolved dancing is.....the big thing is being able to change between the two styles comfortably a few people can do it really well but most of the time I see that people focus on a specific style but when you love them both which one do you give up?

Perhaps when I understand the Latin more I may learn to love it more....

[cdnsalsanut]

A very important lesson I learned recently in latin, which I heard a thousand times but didn't appreciate, was from a fantastic Canadian dancer, Denys Drozdyuk. He said that all leg movement starts with internal movement; the core, seperation, rotation which moves the hips - which moves the legs. I am only starting to really try to do this lately in my dancing.

[elisedance]

A very important lesson I learned recently in latin, which I heard a thousand times but didn't appreciate, was from a fantastic Canadian dancer, Denys Drozdyuk. He said that all leg movement starts with internal movement; the core, seperation, rotation which moves the hips - which moves the legs. I am only starting to really try to do this lately in my dancing.

Thats not just samba either!  I think all movement, indeed all thought and actions, should start from as far inside as you can go...

[QPO]

must give that a go when I do samba.. but it makes good sense