Falling

[TangoDancer]

We all have students like that at times.

My teachers called "students defending their limitations"

Worse... he's a teacher of over 10 yrs. A baby by my standards, but a god by his. When I said to him that I am a known coach/examiner which is why I assumed he asked my opinion, he replied, "Yeah, well, I plan to get a certification by the end of the year".    Arrogance: doorway to lost cause (TD's dictionary of missing definitions).

[ZPomeroy]

Truly experienced this yesterday! Such a great feeling

Zac

[QPO]

good for you, that is the aim in our dancing :-)

[elisedance]

Truly experienced this yesterday! Such a great feeling

Zac

congrats - we had it for a bit but it went once we got into learning new stuff - hopefully to soon return

[GreenEyes26]

I'm terrified of falling and I know it. I'm afraid of it all the time in Latin. I like to think that if I could conquer that fear, I could do anything - lol.

[Some guy]

I'm terrified of falling and I know it. I'm afraid of it all the time in Latin. I like to think that if I could conquer that fear, I could do anything - lol.

Ha ha!  I was too, but the first lesson I was taught with my coach was how to fall flat across the floor in the ballroom. It's 50% of one of the primary characteristics of ballroom: rise and fall.  In Latin, it's required because the basis of body movement is metronomic rather than pendulum swing.

[GreenEyes26]

  In Latin, it's required because the basis of body movement is metronomic rather than pendulum swing.

Can you explain this a little more?

[elisedance]

We haven't mastered falling quite - but we are really getting good at failing - which should also be a prerequisite to success

[Some guy]

Watch from the 3 min 59 second mark. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ejp0V-y3vw&feature=feedu

Happens to the best of 'em!

[Some guy]

 In Latin, it's required because the basis of body movement is metronomic rather than pendulum swing.

Can you explain this a little more?

I'll try: note that I'm trying to explain something that's done in the Body School, which is much easier demonstrated.  In Standard, you start a metronomic tip of the upper body across the floor (not into the floor) which begins your movement, and once the movement begins, your entire body relaxes and swings underneath it like a pendulum.  When the pendulum swing is exhausted, the metronomic motion is initiated again.  The pendulum swing can carry you over many beats, bars, and "steps".   This gives the illusion of gliding or floating across the floor.  In Latin, pendulum swing never takes over.  Once the metronomic motion is exhausted, it has to be re initiated.  You keep your body metronomically (is that even a word?) tipped in athletic position if you want to keep moving forward.  It feels like you're the Leaning Tower of Pisa but in the mirror it looks like you're just standing straighter than usual.  Keeping your body metronomic also lets your legs swing underneath you with a straight knee naturally (without having to straighten the knee).  In Latin, metronomic motion stays in the body, which causes the legs to react to catch your weight: so the leg action looks a lot faster since the legs are working out of reflex.  Using reflexes rather than conscious muscular control makes it less draining and requires a lot less effort.  Also the balance is a lot better.  This is why I said falling is "required": reflexes don't kick in unless it's real.  Latin has one "swing" dance which is Jive, and Standard has one Latin-ey dance (I'm inventing all sorts of words!) which is Tango (each movement is metronomic and never pendulum swing).        


So to me, Standard feels like playing on a swing set, pitch forward to initiate and relax to get the most out of the swing.  Then at the top of each swing, use metronomic action to power the pendulum again.  Latin feels like playing with a grocery cart.  If you let your body swing underneath a grocery cart, your shins will be battered and bruised.  

Just my 2 cents, by no means gospel. 

[samina]

Watch from the 3 min 59 second mark. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ejp0V-y3vw&feature=feedu

Happens to the best of 'em!

oof! that was spectacular!

and great recovery.

[elisedance]

Watch from the 3 min 59 second mark. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ejp0V-y3vw&feature=feedu

Happens to the best of 'em!

oof! that was spectacular!

and great recovery.

I'm impressed by how they continued so easily - have to be super fit.  Still, if it happened to me I would first curtsey to the audience (to ask their pardon), smile and then dance my socks off...

[samina]

i know, was thinking same -- he just popped right up & off they went, as if nothing happened!

now, that's training, that's professionalism.

[Dora-Satya Veda]

I felt this was worth repeating. Thank you for the post SG.....love it.

DSV

 In Latin, it's required because the basis of body movement is metronomic rather than pendulum swing.

Can you explain this a little more?

I'll try: note that I'm trying to explain something that's done in the Body School, which is much easier demonstrated.  In Standard, you start a metronomic tip of the upper body across the floor (not into the floor) which begins your movement, and once the movement begins, your entire body relaxes and swings underneath it like a pendulum.  When the pendulum swing is exhausted, the metronomic motion is initiated again.  The pendulum swing can carry you over many beats, bars, and "steps".   This gives the illusion of gliding or floating across the floor.  In Latin, pendulum swing never takes over.  Once the metronomic motion is exhausted, it has to be re initiated.  You keep your body metronomically (is that even a word?) tipped in athletic position if you want to keep moving forward.  It feels like you're the Leaning Tower of Pisa but in the mirror it looks like you're just standing straighter than usual.  Keeping your body metronomic also lets your legs swing underneath you with a straight knee naturally (without having to straighten the knee).  In Latin, metronomic motion stays in the body, which causes the legs to react to catch your weight: so the leg action looks a lot faster since the legs are working out of reflex.  Using reflexes rather than conscious muscular control makes it less draining and requires a lot less effort.  Also the balance is a lot better.  This is why I said falling is "required": reflexes don't kick in unless it's real.  Latin has one "swing" dance which is Jive, and Standard has one Latin-ey dance (I'm inventing all sorts of words!) which is Tango (each movement is metronomic and never pendulum swing).        


So to me, Standard feels like playing on a swing set, pitch forward to initiate and relax to get the most out of the swing.  Then at the top of each swing, use metronomic action to power the pendulum again.  Latin feels like playing with a grocery cart.  If you let your body swing underneath a grocery cart, your shins will be battered and bruised.  

Just my 2 cents, by no means gospel. 

[Dora-Satya Veda]

Watch from the 3 min 59 second mark. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ejp0V-y3vw&feature=feedu

Happens to the best of 'em!

Now, that shows you what a few lessons in falling can do for you. Get up and get on with it....with ease. Thank you for posting that SG. Most top couples learn to fall and that is why they are able to go beyond what most others do. They have found the edge.

DSV