Quickstep

[pruthe]

...  'Well there are four beats and three steps - you figure it out..."

For FT, what I've been doing lately is watching videos of top dancers and counting the four beats along with half beats (&). I'm thinking I see a pattern, but maybe I'm wrong. Also, maybe there are differences based on school of thought. (Sorry if this is off topic (QS)).

[elisedance]

[well it is a bit - except that TD associated QS timing to FT so we took a tangent maybe we should continue on the FT topic] 

[pruthe]

[well it is a bit - except that TD associated QS timing to FT so we took a tangent maybe we should continue on the FT topic] 

I copied your post and my response over to FT thread. See if anyone responds. :-)

[ZPomeroy]

I had a lesson today where we spent approx. 30 minutes of quickstep basics concentrating on finishing a step before doing another. I do generally do this quite well, although my coach noticed that as i was doing a chasse from either a back or forward step, my right side was only slightly collapsing resulting in my left hand and should to move up. Just goes to show that its always good to go back to basics. But i thought i would post this to ask how important is it to completely finish a step in quickstep, and how do you know when you have? the latter question i think is the harder one, as most times steps do cross over, ie. a whisk and chasse in a waltz, the lowering of the whisk is the beginning of the chasse.

Zac

[elisedance]

...although my coach noticed that as i was doing a chasse from either a back or forward step, my right side was only slightly collapsing resulting in my left hand and should to move up.
Zac

I think there is a typo in there Z care to expand?

[ZPomeroy]

So there is, i'll try and write that bit again. As i do a chasse following either a forward or backwards step my right side is collapsing causing the left side of my frame to raise and create a very strange line, this continues until i reach the top of the chasse and it levels out.

Zac

[elisedance]

Just because you are still moving doesn not mean you have not finished a step.  A lovely analogy is handwriting - at least cursive where you join the letters.  You finish one letter and then you move onto the next without taking your pen off the paper.  You can do a step clearly - and still continue motion into the next step: the division is dictated mostly by the music - your foot will hit the ground on the first beat of the next bar and that in itself signifies the next step.

Least thats how I see it

[TangoDancer]

.... thought i would post this to ask how important is it to completely finish a step in quickstep, and how do you know when you have? the latter question i think is the harder one,.....Zac

QS tends to feel fast. I often say to remember that QS is 'quick' not 'fast'. This should be a first step to being able to finish a step before beginning the next. Also, in QS, the timing of the chasse and forward/back step is akin to a basic triplet. In a triple step, the rise is often completed at the chasses rather than being divided over the 3 steps. It is good to remember that the side-close is a half step, and gets a half-rise. The rise is not completed until after the feet come together, and before the next step. Again, this helps to assure the finishing of the chasse before moving onto the next (forward/back) step.

[Lioness]

So, quickstep question. Mainly regarding the "woodpecker"

It's a new step for us, so it's possible that I just haven't picked everything up yet, but at the moment I'm having trouble
a) getting the 'pecks' quick enough
b) not having boobs flying everywhere.

With b, there's not a whole lot I can do short of strapping my chest flat, or something, but any tips to minimise whole-body bouncing?

[elisedance]

wow - we (DP and I) haven't learned that yet though I did it a bit in pro am a few years back. 

Focus on keeping your upper bodies steady - its NOT about jumping up and down, indeed, the less vertical movement the better.
Oh, and get a sports bra

[Some guy]

Are we talking about scatter chasses?  I have no idea what the woodpecker is, but it sure sounds ... um.. exciting. 

[mummsie]

So, quickstep question. Mainly regarding the "woodpecker"

It's a new step for us, so it's possible that I just haven't picked everything up yet, but at the moment I'm having trouble
a) getting the 'pecks' quick enough
b) not having boobs flying everywhere.

With b, there's not a whole lot I can do short of strapping my chest flat, or something, but any tips to minimise whole-body bouncing?

Hi Lioness - you don't actually bounce up and down - its an optical illustion.  You stay level and your feet and legs do all the work.  I personally hate them and every time our teacher wants to put them in we tell her to take them out.  I just think they are not an elegant step.  Good for getting your breath after a long fast line but other than that - I think they are stupid. mm

[Lioness]

Thanks guys...sports bra is on the list, and I'll practice keeping top half still.

[ZPomeroy]

Are we talking about scatter chasses?  I have no idea what the woodpecker is, but it sure sounds ... um.. exciting. 

No, its not scatter chasses, from what i understand it to be you put your right foot behind your left and 'peck' the floor with it as you turn, is that right?

Zac

[Dora-Satya Veda]

So, quickstep question. Mainly regarding the "woodpecker"

It's a new step for us, so it's possible that I just haven't picked everything up yet, but at the moment I'm having trouble
a) getting the 'pecks' quick enough
b) not having boobs flying everywhere.

With b, there's not a whole lot I can do short of strapping my chest flat, or something, but any tips to minimise whole-body bouncing?

It would help to create a spring like feel between the feet and the shoulders. Have somebody push down on your shoulders and use the ankles to push back up. Now bounce up and down until you get a feel of a spring within the body. Then use the ankles to create the hopping action.

I never liked hopping actions on the spot because of b) and had my teacher minimize the stationary hopping actions to an absolute minimum. I showed my teacher the only two ways I would do a whole hopping section. First I basically held my bra really tight and the second time I held my boobs. He laughed when I showed him how I was going to dance those sections and he then told my partner that they better find something else to do as it would not be proper to do in a competition.

DSV