Stopping the non-dance dance step?

[Dora-Satya Veda]

This is an interesting story about “standing still”

This story goes back to when I was an amateur dancer. My partner and I had two years in a row been in the 96 and wanted to make the 48 at the next British Open. I decided to ask my teacher what the couples that made the 48 did different then what we were doing. He said that the couples in the 48 were good enough to “stand still”. So in the lesson before the British we worked on “standing still”. It worked, we made it to the top 48 in the British Open that year and all we really did different was “standing still”.  

DSV

I should add to this story that this was in standard. My partner didn’t do a lot of standard. We had one lesson and practiced 2 hours of standard a month. After making the 48 in standard, I asked our teacher why we made the 48. He smiled and said “you stood still”. I then got a little cocky and asked why he hadn’t taught us that a long time ago so we could have save the other 11 lesson out of the 12 lessons we had had since last year. He smiled and then told me that if he had done that then he wouldn’t be able to take lessons himself to learn what to teach us.

All in good time. 

DSV

[elisedance]

wish I had known your teacher

[Dora-Satya Veda]

Maybe you do know of him or have at least seen him.

[elisedance]

All I really know is that I have 'heard' his words.  Now I have to learn to listen....

[cornutt]

I mean can you use a 'stop' to make your dancing more elegant and controlled looking? 

Looking elegant is kind of difficult when you're face down on the floor.     Seriously, you've actually given me something to think about.  We all know a few things we can do in place, such as balance steps, but generally we only use them for floorcraft.  Actually incorporating something like that as part of a routine is, truthfully, something I had not thought of.

[elisedance]

Looking elegant is kind of difficult when you're face down on the floor.    

I guess that would be one of the ultimate tests for the showman

[TangoDancer]

Looking elegant is kind of difficult when you're face down on the floor.    Seriously, you've actually given me something to think about.  We all know a few things we can do in place, such as balance steps, but generally we only use them for floorcraft.  Actually incorporating something like that as part of a routine is, truthfully, something I had not thought of.

Interesting. I use this technique, and others (syncopations, cross phrasing, etc) constantly... drives my partner nuts (she tends to be a counter, but she's learning).

[elisedance]

I'm beginning to live for those still moments more than the movements.  Steps are in essence getting from here to there, but when you get there you DO something   One of the most wonderful 'steps' in ballroom for me is the pause and stretch when you go into PP during, say, an impetus.

[Dora-Satya Veda]

sounds great ee

[drj]

Stillness and motion: how to fill up the stop, the pause, the waiting for the next moment. The hardest thing I did at my first competition was in tango, waiting for my pro's next move. And waiting. And waiting. He did it on purpose; every eye in the room was on us. Stillness is a great tool.

[Dora-Satya Veda]

Yes, we (ladies) wait for decades, centuries and sometimes even for millennia for our partner to do the next step. It did take some time to get used to but the lady can learn to enjoy the time spend then the dancing greatly improves.

DSV

[SwingWaltz]

If you "just" stop, it looks very beginner. If you "stop and grow", it adds new dimension to the action of inaction with different action.

Are you my dance coach?

He said exactly the same thing, word by word. 

[elisedance]

Yes, we (ladies) wait for decades, centuries and sometimes even for millennia for our partner to do the next step. It did take some time to get used to but the lady can learn to enjoy the time spent then the dancing greatly improves.

DSV

Oh how much there is in that bolded bit   Its the vapour trail  from the previous movement and the foreshaddowing of the next....

[drj]

  Its the vapour trail  from the previous movement and the foreshadowing of the next....

niiiiiiiiiice image...

how I love the lingering. It's almost as if everything else gets in the way, and is just what I have to do to get to the next moment of linger.

[samina]

Ah! One of my fav topics... the movement within the stillness.

mine as well. you've definitely caught my attention, TD...