Becca
Open Bronze
Posts: 620
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« on: July 15, 2009, 05:12:30 PM » |
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So the dance blogs look like a lot of fun! I guess I am not one of the most active people on the forum but i really just like to listen and learn from others  I have been dancing since i was 4 years old, dancing classical ballet (only) for 16 years. I had to stop dancing ballet when I went to college because my University of choice had a HipHop team only. I tried out a few other dance styles but none really sparked the passion I knew i had for dancing. I found Ballroom several years ago and absolutely fell head over heals in love with it. It is so special to me, as I am sure all of you can understand!!  I can dance all 4 styles but have only ever competed in American Style. I really love Smooth it is by far my favorite out of all the styles. I am currently competing in Silver 9-Dance but am moving up to Open after Ohio in November (WOOOHOOO btw...) So I took coaching this past week with Clive Philips, it was really good he gave me some really good things to think about and things to work on and improve. Hmmm so I can't think of anything else to write... but I just want to say thank you to all of you for being a great dance support group! You are all very encouraging people and I'm so glad that we have PDO in common! |
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There is ALWAYS a reason to dance! |
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Becca
Open Bronze
Posts: 620
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« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2009, 05:18:52 PM » |
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Oh I meant to post this! It was from a couple weeks ago at one of the Friday night parties at my studio... it's alright... not my worst or best... i just thought i'd show it to y'all ...... (I hate my left elbow btw... i keep trying to lower it, but it always sticks back up when i dance...*sigh*) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T16u-4u7LyM |
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There is ALWAYS a reason to dance! |
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elisedance
Administrator
Blackpool Finalist
Posts: 33474
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« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2009, 06:07:35 PM » |
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Welcome to the 'bretheren of the bloggys' Becca - maybe you will find that this is more your medium than posting.... look forward to reading more |
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If you must leave the house, go build a home...
The limit of your love is also the limit of your art...
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Some guy
Intermediate Silver
Posts: 1432
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« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2009, 06:39:17 PM » |
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Oh I meant to post this! It was from a couple weeks ago at one of the Friday night parties at my studio... it's alright... not my worst or best... i just thought i'd show it to y'all ...... (I hate my left elbow btw... i keep trying to lower it, but it always sticks back up when i dance...*sigh*) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T16u-4u7LyMWow!!!  That was amazing!!! That wasn't pro-am was it?... 'cause if it was, I couldn't tell who the pro was. |
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catsmeow
Bronze
Posts: 339
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« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2009, 07:59:05 PM » |
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I think Jareds right arm is a tad low.
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emeralddancer
Intermediate Gold
Posts: 2978
Nottingham, MD (by way of NJ)
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« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2009, 10:47:32 PM » |
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Beautiful Becca. loved it.  |
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It is more important who they are as people and only then is it important who they are as dancers.~Marcia Haydee
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Becca
Open Bronze
Posts: 620
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« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2009, 08:27:18 AM » |
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Awww Thanks y'all!! You guys are so nice.... lol and it is pro/am, i'm the am-girl. So lessons and practice have been going great this week. We finally finished putting all of our choreography together for 9-dance and can now finally get to the important part... cleaning it up! lol! But we have like 4 months to clean it up, so it should be good I hope so anyway! SOOOOOooo.... I have decided that there should be such a thing as a REAL money tree and that it should grow in my backyard so that i can pay for more lessons and competitions!!....lol...pshhh if only! Hope you are all have a fabulous day! |
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There is ALWAYS a reason to dance! |
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emeralddancer
Intermediate Gold
Posts: 2978
Nottingham, MD (by way of NJ)
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« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2009, 09:02:09 AM » |
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Can you make sure one is in MY backyard too? heheee You are just so sweet!  |
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It is more important who they are as people and only then is it important who they are as dancers.~Marcia Haydee
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Becca
Open Bronze
Posts: 620
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« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2009, 01:13:42 PM » |
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hahaha emeralddancer.... maybe we should just dump the 'moneytree' idea and trade in for a 'competition/lesson fairy'? That way she can fly around to all of us!... I can totally work with that....LOL |
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There is ALWAYS a reason to dance! |
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elisedance
Administrator
Blackpool Finalist
Posts: 33474
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« Reply #9 on: July 18, 2009, 09:41:55 AM » |
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Hi all, Fairy Godmother with magic wand at your serivice - I wave it thrice, your dancing will carry on as it is, what would you really change? OK so not very good at this |
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If you must leave the house, go build a home...
The limit of your love is also the limit of your art...
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Becca
Open Bronze
Posts: 620
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« Reply #10 on: July 18, 2009, 11:35:04 PM » |
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Soooooo.... I wrote about this in another post... but i'll restate it here because it is probably more appropriate here.... I need to learn to think when i dance, or at least i think i do... anyway.. I don't think, my brain turns off and I just do it. Of course learning something new is different, but only by a little. I see what someone else is doing and I simply mimic it, or if that doesn't work and someone, a coach/ teacher/ whoever, puts me in the correct position and i just remember what it feels like and thats it. I do have to go back and fix things, or if it didn't stick the first time I have to go back and fix it. I mean most people say that they need to find a way to shut their brain off when they dance... i have the opposite problem. It's not that i'm unintelligent or lazy ( I was always on the deans list in college) its just that dance is a feeling to me not a thought. In a coaching I had several months ago, they told me that while it was a very good thing to be able to just do it without thinking, it is also very important (in order for me to progress in my dancing) to also be able to dance while actively thinking about it... I have thought about this piece of advice a lot and have really made an effort to act on it, but it just feels wrong, like it takes the naturalness out of the movement or something. I am unsure of how to explain it any better than this... but has anyone has a similar experience with this? Or any advice on how to approach this? Thanks Y'all are the best B |
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There is ALWAYS a reason to dance! |
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Becca
Open Bronze
Posts: 620
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« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2009, 02:02:04 AM » |
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So i've had the flu for like 4 days now and have had to skip practice and lessons... I am VERY frustrated. Being sick is so terrible and boring.... i like being able to get out and about and do things... and most of all go practice! Sigh... going to the doctors again tomorrow, I hope they give something that works this time i need to go to my lessons!
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There is ALWAYS a reason to dance! |
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elisedance
Administrator
Blackpool Finalist
Posts: 33474
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« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2009, 04:39:02 AM » |
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Sorry Becca - huggs an' all.... I know its frustrating but we have to take physical down-time philosophically, its just a part of the game... just be thankful its not something more serious..... |
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If you must leave the house, go build a home...
The limit of your love is also the limit of your art...
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emeralddancer
Intermediate Gold
Posts: 2978
Nottingham, MD (by way of NJ)
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« Reply #13 on: July 20, 2009, 10:11:33 AM » |
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Soooooo.... I wrote about this in another post... but i'll restate it here because it is probably more appropriate here.... I need to learn to think when i dance, or at least i think i do... anyway.. I don't think, my brain turns off and I just do it. Of course learning something new is different, but only by a little. I see what someone else is doing and I simply mimic it, or if that doesn't work and someone, a coach/ teacher/ whoever, puts me in the correct position and i just remember what it feels like and thats it. I do have to go back and fix things, or if it didn't stick the first time I have to go back and fix it. I mean most people say that they need to find a way to shut their brain off when they dance... i have the opposite problem. It's not that i'm unintelligent or lazy ( I was always on the deans list in college) its just that dance is a feeling to me not a thought. In a coaching I had several months ago, they told me that while it was a very good thing to be able to just do it without thinking, it is also very important (in order for me to progress in my dancing) to also be able to dance while actively thinking about it... I have thought about this piece of advice a lot and have really made an effort to act on it, but it just feels wrong, like it takes the naturalness out of the movement or something. I am unsure of how to explain it any better than this... but has anyone has a similar experience with this? Or any advice on how to approach this? Thanks Y'all are the best B think in practice or coaching or lessons. Keep "feeling" or "in the moment" when actually dancing! I would give anything for this gift! (being able to turn off the brain and not think.) |
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It is more important who they are as people and only then is it important who they are as dancers.~Marcia Haydee
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Medira
Administrator
Open Bronze
Posts: 957
Photo thanks to http://www.marcialeeder.com
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« Reply #14 on: July 31, 2009, 11:17:17 AM » |
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Hi Becca! It's nice to have a chance to read your thoughts.
I come from a similar background as you dance-wise, and I wonder if that might have something to do with "not thinking" as we dance, since I do the same thing sometimes. It gets to the point where your body feels comfortable and it just knows what it's doing, so you let it go. I notice the same thing when I go to a pickup class (jazz and lyrical seem to be my primary choices) for the first time in a long time. I go in planning to take it easy, then when I'm actually in the moment, my body takes over and I just go with it.
In ballroom, when I'm learning something new, I'm active and aware of as much of my body as I can be. The feelings and sensations of the muscles that are engaged, those that are more relaxed, the movement of the joints, the feel of the lead and the feel of the floor as my feet move over it. I try to take in as much as I can as I'm being taught. Then I try to maintain that level of active awareness during the repetitions of that movement, picking up more and more every time I do it. Once the lesson starts to wind down, then I start to let it go, let my body take over and just dance. I find that I'm as tired mentally as I am physically by the end of it, but I also find that I'm retaining more between lessons.
I have no idea if any of that makes sense to anybody but me, but you're certainly not alone.
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People can be divided into three classes: the few who make things happen, the many who watch things happen and the overwhelming majority who have no idea what has happened - Warren Miller's "Off The Grid"
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