Posture, Positioning and Poise

[ZPomeroy]

Posture, Positioning and Poise are aspects of dance that are never complete, you will se many of the top international standard competitors still "tweaking" their positioning in relation to one another, or their own posture. I wanted to start this thread as a resourse, a wealth of information if you will, to assist in reaching that never ending tunnel. Personally i know that Posture, Positioning and Poise are aspects of my dancing that still need much attention, i find that my balance is not centered correctly, meaning that my body slightly leans back making it difficult do to steps correctly and also "feel much thigh", i was also told that the man's poise moves more to the left, though am unsure how this is done.

feel free to add anything information involving Posture Positioning and Poise to this thread

Zac

[Some guy]

As for being "poised" left, I believe it's the same thing my coach tells me: "strong left side!".  The way he made me "get it" was to get into frame with the lady, then drop my ride hand down to me side.  The lady does the same.  Now we only have a man's left hand to lady's right hand hold.  Using this position, start doing reverse turns in a Viennese Waltz (do it slowly at first).  See if you can lead the lady and maintain your position through the entire exercise without the uncomfortable use of muscle.  If you project left strongly enough, the lady will be able to follow your body quite easily.   If you find yourself turning within yourself inside the frame you created (thereby losing connection with your lady) then your left side projection is weak.

 

[SwingWaltz]

I need to work on them too!

[waltzelf]

For beginners, the best posture advice is this – pull your back muscles towards the hips, which will create a feeling that you’re rolling your shoulders over and under the shoulder blade. Then, present to your lady with your lower ribs being the most forward point of the body. This will give you a strong, stable, and very workable posture that will make the lower rib contact the main point of contact. Which is the groundwork that you want. The other posture elements can be developed from there.

For the ladies, what your man wants to feel (again, at the lower levels), is your lower rib pressing into and upwards of his lower rib. This should give you a slight shaping naturally, do not add to that by pulling your top off him. For more shape? Stretch more into him.

The following are no-gos for beginner dancers

1) Hip contact. It’s an incredibly bad and restrictive way of dancing to be touching at the hips. They will come into contact in picture lines and the like, but you won’t be doing those initially.

2) Head position. The number of students I feel so sorry for because their teachers have taught them something crazy to do with their heads. For the man, it points directly in the direction you’re going, and sways in the same “line” as the rest of the body. There is an imaginary string on the top of your head that you are dangling off. Nothing else.

[Some guy]

Great pointers Waltzelf!

[cornutt]

2) Head position. The number of students I feel so sorry for because their teachers have taught them something crazy to do with their heads. For the man, it points directly in the direction you’re going, and sways in the same “line” as the rest of the body. There is an imaginary string on the top of your head that you are dangling off. Nothing else.

I can't tell you how much grief head position has caused me.  And it wasn't because of anything my instructor did, it was my own fault -- for too long, I just didn't pay enough attention to it.  And to make things worse, in my other life (third life?) as a musician, I had long ago acquired the habit of keeping time by nodding my head.  That was a hard habit to break.

[Vagabond]

the habit of keeping time by nodding my head.  That was a hard habit to break.

That must have been hard indeed.

Also this new human species, that have spend prolonged hours behind a pc, are developing a rounded upper body with an vultures neck

[Vagabond]

Great advise waltzelf

[SwingWaltz]

the habit of keeping time by nodding my head.  That was a hard habit to break.

That must have been hard indeed.

Also this new human species, that have spend prolonged hours behind a pc, are developing a rounded upper body with an vultures neck

Hey! Tha's me! 
Maybe I should go into the lab... ....

[Hammurabi]

For beginners, the best posture advice is this – pull your back muscles towards the hips, which will create a feeling that you’re rolling your shoulders over and under the shoulder blade. Then, present to your lady with your lower ribs being the most forward point of the body. This will give you a strong, stable, and very workable posture that will make the lower rib contact the main point of contact. Which is the groundwork that you want. The other posture elements can be developed from there.

For the ladies, what your man wants to feel (again, at the lower levels), is your lower rib pressing into and upwards of his lower rib. This should give you a slight shaping naturally, do not add to that by pulling your top off him. For more shape? Stretch more into him.

The following are no-gos for beginner dancers

1) Hip contact. It’s an incredibly bad and restrictive way of dancing to be touching at the hips. They will come into contact in picture lines and the like, but you won’t be doing those initially.

2) Head position. The number of students I feel so sorry for because their teachers have taught them something crazy to do with their heads. For the man, it points directly in the direction you’re going, and sways in the same “line” as the rest of the body. There is an imaginary string on the top of your head that you are dangling off. Nothing else.

Wow waltzelf, thats some really good pointers, as a beginner (i am a follower) i am really struggling with trying to connect with my partner, when we are in lessons our teacher will correct us and sometimes we will get it right and lots of time we dont... i guess it comes down to practise, but when we practise its actually worse without our teacher...

is there anyway that we can practise just the connection, i feel that we are using our arms too much when in fact our arms should just only be a guide... we have tried without connecting the arms and just the body and dance and we are all over the place. Is there some sort of exercise we can do together as a couple to improve the ribcage connection? I always feel that i am 'chasing' my partner's ribcage all the time to stay connected, what can i do to improve the way i connect with my partner so i dont have this feeling of 'chasing' him?

[waltzelf]

For beginners, the best posture advice is this – pull your back muscles towards the hips, which will create a feeling that you’re rolling your shoulders over and under the shoulder blade. Then, present to your lady with your lower ribs being the most forward point of the body. This will give you a strong, stable, and very workable posture that will make the lower rib contact the main point of contact. Which is the groundwork that you want. The other posture elements can be developed from there.

For the ladies, what your man wants to feel (again, at the lower levels), is your lower rib pressing into and upwards of his lower rib. This should give you a slight shaping naturally, do not add to that by pulling your top off him. For more shape? Stretch more into him.

The following are no-gos for beginner dancers

1) Hip contact. It’s an incredibly bad and restrictive way of dancing to be touching at the hips. They will come into contact in picture lines and the like, but you won’t be doing those initially.

2) Head position. The number of students I feel so sorry for because their teachers have taught them something crazy to do with their heads. For the man, it points directly in the direction you’re going, and sways in the same “line” as the rest of the body. There is an imaginary string on the top of your head that you are dangling off. Nothing else.

Wow waltzelf, thats some really good pointers, as a beginner (i am a follower) i am really struggling with trying to connect with my partner, when we are in lessons our teacher will correct us and sometimes we will get it right and lots of time we dont... i guess it comes down to practise, but when we practise its actually worse without our teacher...

is there anyway that we can practise just the connection, i feel that we are using our arms too much when in fact our arms should just only be a guide... we have tried without connecting the arms and just the body and dance and we are all over the place. Is there some sort of exercise we can do together as a couple to improve the ribcage connection? I always feel that i am 'chasing' my partner's ribcage all the time to stay connected, what can i do to improve the way i connect with my partner so i dont have this feeling of 'chasing' him?

If you feel like you're chasing him then he's pulling his centre away from you, it's as simpe as that.


There;'s this really simple exercise. Set up your postures, then simply walk back and forth down the dance studio together, keeping rib to rib without arms.

My experience is that men tend to be the ones with the weak posture and poor projection through the chest. Simply walking with your partner should reveal that.

[Hammurabi]

If you feel like you're chasing him then he's pulling his centre away from you, it's as simpe as that.


There;'s this really simple exercise. Set up your postures, then simply walk back and forth down the dance studio together, keeping rib to rib without arms.

My experience is that men tend to be the ones with the weak posture and poor projection through the chest. Simply walking with your partner should reveal that.

Thanks waltzelf, we will try that and see. Sorry this is a dumb question, but when you say that 'pulling centre away from you' what exactly does that mean? does that mean we are not front on to each other? or we are not holding our core?

[QPO]

I love these challenges that dances sets before us.....it is always about the journey....how exciting

[ahowlett1]

First we must understand what is meant by each of these terms?       It is the mis-understanding that is half the problem.

[QPO]

I agree with this and will give it more consideration on my return...