On the comp floor - what do you think about?

[samina]

i think the gist of what i'm saying is what you are saying, SG... whether it's "wait", "now", or "this", whatever puts oneself in that state of listening & readiness is what i'm after when i dance... whether on the comp floor or dancing socially.

[Some guy]

i think the gist of what i'm saying is what you are saying, SG... whether it's "wait", "now", or "this", whatever puts oneself in that state of listening & readiness is what i'm after when i dance... whether on the comp floor or dancing socially.

Yup.  Doesn't matter what you call it.  My coach always makes me translate it into my own words so that I can fully understand it. 

[elisedance]

wow.  For once I'm way ahead of the game   Love the analogy.

My challenge is to not be both, its a bit of a habit...

[cornutt]

In standard, I think. I have a whole checklist when I dance. Hip swing? Check, movement? Check...

I try not to have a long checklist when I walk onto a comp floor.  I might have one or two things that I want to keep in mind, perhaps because I noticed something or had it pointed out to me during the previous week's run-throughs.  But if I have a long list of things to remember, it clutters up my brain and prevents me from hearing the music or feeling the dance.  Besides, if I haven't learned it by then, it's a little late.   

[elisedance]

In standard, I think. I have a whole checklist when I dance. Hip swing? Check, movement? Check...

I try not to have a long checklist when I walk onto a comp floor.  I might have one or two things that I want to keep in mind, perhaps because I noticed something or had it pointed out to me during the previous week's run-throughs.  But if I have a long list of things to remember, it clutters up my brain and prevents me from hearing the music or feeling the dance.  Besides, if I haven't learned it by then, it's a little late.   

Ditto.  We've got into the habit of only having one, or most two things to focus on, things we are trying to add to our technique.  Obviously there are other issues that have to be thought about but its so important to reduce these to a minimum so that they don't stifle your dancing.  If you haven't learned it before you go on the floor, you aint going to do it right there! 

[Dora-Satya Veda]

I was just reading this topic and I am really amazed how much you are thinking about or manage to think about during a competition. I never managed to think about that much when I danced well.     I was thinking more in the beginning of my dance experience than I did the last six years of my dance experience even if you put together all the 6 years. 

DSV

[ttd]

At my last competition, I entered full silver and open silver for smooth. For some reason, the organizers scheduled the events so that open silver came after closed silver scholarship (which was my most important smooth event). So I had 4 smooth single dances, scholarship and then another 4 single dances. And for the second set my teacher decided to improvise more because a) we were already done with the scholarship and b) we could use this as an extra opportunity to do new standard material on a competition floor - since it was "open" silver, we could do that. So he told me that he will improvise and I should be ready for anything. And what do you know, my marks for that set were better than for the previous set or even the scholarship, even though in addition to the new standard material he lead drops and backbends we're not allowed to do in closed silver. When I commented to him about this, he said "it's because you weren't thinking, you just danced"

[elisedance]

At my last competition, I entered full silver and open silver for smooth. For some reason, the organizers scheduled the events so that open silver came after closed silver scholarship (which was my most important smooth event). So I had 4 smooth single dances, scholarship and then another 4 single dances. And for the second set my teacher decided to improvise more because a) we were already done with the scholarship and b) we could use this as an extra opportunity to do new standard material on a competition floor - since it was "open" silver, we could do that. So he told me that he will improvise and I should be ready for anything. And what do you know, my marks for that set were better than for the previous set or even the scholarship, even though in addition to the new standard material he lead drops and backbends we're not allowed to do in closed silver. When I commented to him about this, he said "it's because you weren't thinking, you just danced"

RIght on!  Both of my pro-am coaches were obsessed with me learning the routine and with both I said I would rather have no routine and just follow.  I think the problem is that pros, who are used to dancing with thier custom partners, are nervous about dancing with someone that is not going to follow a proscribed pattern.  But at least for me THIS IS THE WRONG WAY TO GO.   All that happened - with both - was that I would get very nervous that I was going to forget the routine - and whatcha know not only did I but I was hesitant and stiff.

 If I ever go back to pro-am I am going to simply insist: "Sure try out steps and see what I can do and by all means teach me specific steps or short sequences but after that dance whatever you feel like and I'll either be there or not".  Its the only way.

[ttd]

That approach wouldn't entirely work for open smooth, there is too much completely apart work.

[elisedance]

That approach wouldn't entirely work for open smooth, there is too much completely apart work.

Oh yes, of course - sorry I do forget in my little standard world!

[elisedance]

...come to think of it I suppose that is why I love/am suited to standard...

[Some guy]

That approach wouldn't entirely work for open smooth, there is too much completely apart work.

If I may be so bold, I know some smooth pros who say that lead-and-follow smooth is way better (even with the stuff apart) than having a prescribed routine.  Latin has a lot of apart stuff that can still be "led" and "followed".  Won't it be similar?

[ttd]

That approach wouldn't entirely work for open smooth, there is too much completely apart work.

If I may be so bold, I know some smooth pros who say that lead-and-follow smooth is way better (even with the stuff apart) than having a prescribed routine.  Latin has a lot of apart stuff that can still be "led" and "followed".  Won't it be similar?

I like it better when things can be followed, but when I watch open smooth (and open rhythm or latin, for that matter), some things don't look very followable to me. For example, I've seen many times smooth couples doing side-by-side moves in a position when a lady has no physical connection to the guy, and probably can't see him, being slightly in front of him, and they would do things like kicks, and similar. I don't know how a guy can lead her to do a kick when he is a couple feet away from her and she can't see him.

[drj]

At my last competition, I entered full silver and open silver for smooth. For some reason, the organizers scheduled the events so that open silver came after closed silver scholarship (which was my most important smooth event). So I had 4 smooth single dances, scholarship and then another 4 single dances. And for the second set my teacher decided to improvise more because a) we were already done with the scholarship and b) we could use this as an extra opportunity to do new standard material on a competition floor - since it was "open" silver, we could do that. So he told me that he will improvise and I should be ready for anything. And what do you know, my marks for that set were better than for the previous set or even the scholarship, even though in addition to the new standard material he lead drops and backbends we're not allowed to do in closed silver. When I commented to him about this, he said "it's because you weren't thinking, you just danced"

It must have been in the air, b/c at the same comp, my teacher led me into stuff I've never done before, in the open silver smooth. And I, too, was not thinking -- to get back on topic, I never think on the floor, other than, more or less, "Here's my teacher; ain't he cool?" If I'm presenting him, I don't have any room in my head to worry about me.

[elisedance]

... I never think on the floor, other than, more or less, "Here's my teacher; ain't he cool?" If I'm presenting him, I don't have any room in my head to worry about me.

what a great attitude and approach!  I think I iwill try that.