[WARNING: Blatant plug]
Starting Monday, February 2nd, 2009, I'm back teaching with new salsa classes in LA. I'd appreciate your help getting the word out!
If you know someone in the LA area and they want to learn or grow their dancing, please send them my way on Mondays. I know what it's like to learn as an adult, and my experience teaching with Edie the Salsa Freak brings a wealth of material and perspective for my students. Of course, I'll add some interesting music classes at some point.
If you don't like having fun while learning, please skip my classes. We work hard, but having fun while learning is a priority for me. The studio is amazing, the parking is free, and we always have a great time.
I don't just teach moves; I teach concepts that get you on the floor faster, with more compliments from your partners.
My current salsa class schedule is set as follows:
EVERY Monday night until further notice
7 pm - Foundational (Beginning and Improvers)
8 pm - Intermediate
9 pm - Free- practice for a while...
Normally $15 per single class, the first few weeks will be discounted to $12 per class, or $15 for both classes. Package deals will be available soon.
If you are more advanced, feel free to come early and assist the Improvers (no cost). You won't believe how much you'll learn from assisting others. You must attend at least one class and check with me first, although if we know each other from the clubs, please join in.
You'll have a great time no matter what your current level, as I always modify the class to meet the level of the attendees. Partners are not necessary (but feel free to bring your 37 closest friends).
I'm available for private lessons before/after some classes, but my availability is limited.
Location:
Los Angeles Dance Center (formerly JNDA)
Upstairs!
324 N. Ford Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90022
FREE Parking across the street
Click here for Google Map
Call my cell phone for details: 818.903.0016
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
DJs and Bands: Give Me A Break!
[RANT starts here!]
To all my DJ friends: Quit seamlessly mixing Latin tunes together, imitating the hip-hop DJs. Just give me a break! Stop the music every so often and nobody gets hurt.
I don't want an extended mix, creating one long song. Even if your mix is brilliant and the two tunes are my favorites, putting them into one longer tune usually irritates me and my dancing friends. A quick break between the two tunes and I'll love your selections.
This same concept applies to the bands; don't take extended solos or join two or more tunes together. Medleys are for listening audiences and concerts, not dances. It makes little sense in a partner dance scene. (Disclaimer: I was guilty of this when I was a non-dancing musician. We thought the music was so great you'd love more of it... boy, do I feel bad now, seeing it from the other side.)
[Calming down now...]
As a rule, social dancers like shorter tunes. Music with an obvious ending and a few seconds between tunes is much, much better. We don't need long breaks, just a clear ending and a quick break.
Why? The break gives us a chance to change partners gracefully.
If she hasn't looked at me in the first three or four minutes, is swearing under her breath, looking around the room for her next partner, or trying to get that knife out of her back pocket to slit her wrists or "accidentally" stab me, having another 3-5 minutes of my "amazing" lead probably isn't going to change her mind. We're both hoping the brain damage ends soon, but an extended mix or double length tune ruins that dream.
Once we are a few minutes into the dance, the magic is either there or it's not. A quick and obvious break gives us a convenient way to change partners if desired. If the magic is there, we can dance a second tune. The music change provides a slightly different feel, making it even more fun. Occasionally we wish it lasted longer and look forward to the next dance, but that's a great problem and most can deal with it.
A break also gives her a chance to say, "Thank you... the street lights are on and I have to go now..." without being inconsiderate. If she hated my lead but was faking it (something I hear women do occasionally), she can gracefully move to another partner without my knowing how bored she was with my lead. I feel good and can find someone else to torment for a few minutes in the next song.
If you're in the band, don't be ignorant like I was in my playing days, assuming the dancers are so in love with your playing they hope your solo will never end. Most social salsa dancers don't like marathon tunes. With a few exceptions, most dancers aren't paying lots of attention to your solo. They may feel the energy, but when it goes too long, they miss the details and start worrying more about their partner or how their dancing is holding up over time.
Give us a quick break between tunes, and when in doubt, shorter tunes are better in the social scene. Stay in the four to five minute range and we're all happier. We don't need long pauses, but remember: we do want you to give us a break.
To all my DJ friends: Quit seamlessly mixing Latin tunes together, imitating the hip-hop DJs. Just give me a break! Stop the music every so often and nobody gets hurt.
I don't want an extended mix, creating one long song. Even if your mix is brilliant and the two tunes are my favorites, putting them into one longer tune usually irritates me and my dancing friends. A quick break between the two tunes and I'll love your selections.
This same concept applies to the bands; don't take extended solos or join two or more tunes together. Medleys are for listening audiences and concerts, not dances. It makes little sense in a partner dance scene. (Disclaimer: I was guilty of this when I was a non-dancing musician. We thought the music was so great you'd love more of it... boy, do I feel bad now, seeing it from the other side.)
[Calming down now...]
As a rule, social dancers like shorter tunes. Music with an obvious ending and a few seconds between tunes is much, much better. We don't need long breaks, just a clear ending and a quick break.
Why? The break gives us a chance to change partners gracefully.
If she hasn't looked at me in the first three or four minutes, is swearing under her breath, looking around the room for her next partner, or trying to get that knife out of her back pocket to slit her wrists or "accidentally" stab me, having another 3-5 minutes of my "amazing" lead probably isn't going to change her mind. We're both hoping the brain damage ends soon, but an extended mix or double length tune ruins that dream.
Once we are a few minutes into the dance, the magic is either there or it's not. A quick and obvious break gives us a convenient way to change partners if desired. If the magic is there, we can dance a second tune. The music change provides a slightly different feel, making it even more fun. Occasionally we wish it lasted longer and look forward to the next dance, but that's a great problem and most can deal with it.
A break also gives her a chance to say, "Thank you... the street lights are on and I have to go now..." without being inconsiderate. If she hated my lead but was faking it (something I hear women do occasionally), she can gracefully move to another partner without my knowing how bored she was with my lead. I feel good and can find someone else to torment for a few minutes in the next song.
If you're in the band, don't be ignorant like I was in my playing days, assuming the dancers are so in love with your playing they hope your solo will never end. Most social salsa dancers don't like marathon tunes. With a few exceptions, most dancers aren't paying lots of attention to your solo. They may feel the energy, but when it goes too long, they miss the details and start worrying more about their partner or how their dancing is holding up over time.
Give us a quick break between tunes, and when in doubt, shorter tunes are better in the social scene. Stay in the four to five minute range and we're all happier. We don't need long pauses, but remember: we do want you to give us a break.
The difference between love and sex is that sex relieves tension and love causes it.
--Woody Allen
Sunday, January 18, 2009
New: Translations
I've had requests to add code to translate my blog to other languages (Spanish and others). I'm experimenting with a new Google translation gadget (MOVED to bottom, left for now.)
It's interesting: If you don't read English, you won't be able to read this article telling you it can be translated! If you're bi-lingual, please tell your friends about the translation box on the left, and show them how to use it.
If you know anybody who is a native speaker in the other languages, please ask them to tell you and me how it's working. They can send me private mail if desired or use the comment box and I'll use the translator to figure out what they are saying.
Because this is from Google, I expect it to get better over time. All feedback welcomed!
It's interesting: If you don't read English, you won't be able to read this article telling you it can be translated! If you're bi-lingual, please tell your friends about the translation box on the left, and show them how to use it.
If you know anybody who is a native speaker in the other languages, please ask them to tell you and me how it's working. They can send me private mail if desired or use the comment box and I'll use the translator to figure out what they are saying.
Because this is from Google, I expect it to get better over time. All feedback welcomed!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Seeing the Dance in Your Head
Great dancers see the dance in their heads, and you should too.
Anybody can visualize their own dancing with some practice. When you're around excellent dancers during practice time, you'll see them rehearsing a sequence in their head, similar to "marking it" where you practice a routine without doing it full out. It's common to see athletes and performers running their game plan in their head just before an important event.
As a musician, when I hear music, I can easily imagine myself behind a set of drums, and I see myself playing the music as I'm listening. Of course, I have spent thousands of hours behind a set of drums, so that's easy for me.
As a dancer, I'm a work in progress, and it's obvious to me that the better dancers are seeing the dance in their head. The music's playing and they close their eyes and watch the dance in their mind. They take small or minimal steps, sometimes turning and making smaller movements but clearly dancing it in their head as if they were dancing full out.
They know the material so well, they can watch the dance unfold in their mind, in real time or at different speeds. Stronger performers also use this visualization technique to learn and practice new materials, rather than just review well rehearsed moves.
What about you?
Have you closed your eyes and imagined leading or following a cross-body lead? Or have you visualized doing basic and some foundational footwork? If you're a lead, have you seen yourself doing a complicated sequence in your head? Or practiced the latest moves from a class, YouTube clip or DVD? As a follow, have you practiced your styling moves as if a lead was going through a series of moves with music?
If not, you should. And start the process today. Stop reading this article now (OK, after this paragraph), and try doing a salsa basic in your head. Then try a cross-body lead, some simple footwork exercises and maybe a more complicated sequence or shine. Because it's all in your head, you can also change perspectives. You might try playing out the scene from your viewpoint, or see yourself in a mirror, or even from the point of view of a person in front or behind you.
(Try it yourself now! Shut your eyes and do a few simple moves, or if you're more advanced, try a sequence from a different point of view. I'll wait and you can finish the article after your practice.)
Pretty cool!
Some people will find it very easy to do, others will find it not so easy. It doesn't matter where you start today, if you do it regularly, you can get better at it and it pays off over time. You'll dance better sooner, with less wear and tear on your body. Over time you'll learn faster than you did in the past, partially because you can practice more.
Injured dancers and athletes use these techniques all the time, and the best use it when they are fully healthy too. You can also replace some of your physical practice with this mental practice, and when done well it's very effective.
See yourself doing basic and try imagining the steps in your head. The more senses you engage the better. The more you practice in your mind, the better you get at it.
Learning to see your performance in your head is a time-honored technique used by dancers, world-class athletes, martial artists, and many others.
You can practice dancing anyplace in your head when you have a sliver of quiet time. You don't need a large dance studio; your shower is large enough to make this happen. Avoid doing it while driving, on a first date, operating heavy machinery or taking extra strength drugs. Otherwise, almost anyplace is fair game.
A couple hints you should consider:
The author (Don Greene) is a performance coach who works with Olympic athletes, world-class musicians and others. (Read his impressive bio with the books above.) While he discusses seeing movement in your head, he goes way beyond and has some great insights into higher performance and learning.
The "Fight Your Fear..." title was my third I read because I thought, "I'm not afraid..." While I don't love the title, it has some outstanding tips for being a better student, teacher and social dancer. All three are worth the read, but I'd start with Fight Your Fear or Performance Success first, then read the others.
Social dancing is for fun, and many of us generate our own self pressure to be better. (Not a bad thing unless taken to an extreme.) If you want to advance a faster and make more progress in less time, the visualization techniques used by experienced dancers, Olympic athletes, and advanced musicians provide interesting models for dancers.
Let me know how seeing the dance in your head works for you via the comments link below.
Anybody can visualize their own dancing with some practice. When you're around excellent dancers during practice time, you'll see them rehearsing a sequence in their head, similar to "marking it" where you practice a routine without doing it full out. It's common to see athletes and performers running their game plan in their head just before an important event.
As a musician, when I hear music, I can easily imagine myself behind a set of drums, and I see myself playing the music as I'm listening. Of course, I have spent thousands of hours behind a set of drums, so that's easy for me.
As a dancer, I'm a work in progress, and it's obvious to me that the better dancers are seeing the dance in their head. The music's playing and they close their eyes and watch the dance in their mind. They take small or minimal steps, sometimes turning and making smaller movements but clearly dancing it in their head as if they were dancing full out.
They know the material so well, they can watch the dance unfold in their mind, in real time or at different speeds. Stronger performers also use this visualization technique to learn and practice new materials, rather than just review well rehearsed moves.
What about you?
Have you closed your eyes and imagined leading or following a cross-body lead? Or have you visualized doing basic and some foundational footwork? If you're a lead, have you seen yourself doing a complicated sequence in your head? Or practiced the latest moves from a class, YouTube clip or DVD? As a follow, have you practiced your styling moves as if a lead was going through a series of moves with music?
If not, you should. And start the process today. Stop reading this article now (OK, after this paragraph), and try doing a salsa basic in your head. Then try a cross-body lead, some simple footwork exercises and maybe a more complicated sequence or shine. Because it's all in your head, you can also change perspectives. You might try playing out the scene from your viewpoint, or see yourself in a mirror, or even from the point of view of a person in front or behind you.
(Try it yourself now! Shut your eyes and do a few simple moves, or if you're more advanced, try a sequence from a different point of view. I'll wait and you can finish the article after your practice.)
Pretty cool!
Some people will find it very easy to do, others will find it not so easy. It doesn't matter where you start today, if you do it regularly, you can get better at it and it pays off over time. You'll dance better sooner, with less wear and tear on your body. Over time you'll learn faster than you did in the past, partially because you can practice more.
Injured dancers and athletes use these techniques all the time, and the best use it when they are fully healthy too. You can also replace some of your physical practice with this mental practice, and when done well it's very effective.
See yourself doing basic and try imagining the steps in your head. The more senses you engage the better. The more you practice in your mind, the better you get at it.
Learning to see your performance in your head is a time-honored technique used by dancers, world-class athletes, martial artists, and many others.
You can practice dancing anyplace in your head when you have a sliver of quiet time. You don't need a large dance studio; your shower is large enough to make this happen. Avoid doing it while driving, on a first date, operating heavy machinery or taking extra strength drugs. Otherwise, almost anyplace is fair game.
A couple hints you should consider:
- The more realistic you make it in your mind's eye, the better
- Start simply by doing simple footwork and build from there
- See yourself dancing with someone you enjoy
- Visualize the club, practice room, or dance studio with mirrors
- Hear the music in your head as you practice the movements
- Feel free to slow the music down, doing each step perfectly, or correcting yourself if you make a mistake
- Try the same moves at different speeds, ranging from painfully slow to blistering fast
The author (Don Greene) is a performance coach who works with Olympic athletes, world-class musicians and others. (Read his impressive bio with the books above.) While he discusses seeing movement in your head, he goes way beyond and has some great insights into higher performance and learning.
The "Fight Your Fear..." title was my third I read because I thought, "I'm not afraid..." While I don't love the title, it has some outstanding tips for being a better student, teacher and social dancer. All three are worth the read, but I'd start with Fight Your Fear or Performance Success first, then read the others.
Social dancing is for fun, and many of us generate our own self pressure to be better. (Not a bad thing unless taken to an extreme.) If you want to advance a faster and make more progress in less time, the visualization techniques used by experienced dancers, Olympic athletes, and advanced musicians provide interesting models for dancers.
Let me know how seeing the dance in your head works for you via the comments link below.
The insurance man told me that the accident policy covered falling off the roof,
but not hitting ground.
--Tommy Cooper
Monday, January 5, 2009
Repetition: The Mother of All Learning
An old Russian proverb says, "Repetition is the mother of all learning."
That's a huge concept for growing dancers. Some moves start out difficult, but after repeating them hundreds of times, they become second nature. Repetition is the mother of all learning.
Of course, this applies to dance moves, music, sports, new languages, computer programming or virtually any other subject you decide to learn. No matter how you slice it, repetition is the mother of all learning.
Too few repetitions and it doesn't stick. Repeat it many times and it does. It's deceptively simple and very powerful if applied correctly.
How many guys have you heard complaining, "I don't remember those patterns" or "I can't remember the moves from class" or "I can do that slow, but once the music starts I can't remember that sequence." I suspect you can guess why.
My early drum teacher told me over thirty years ago; "If you can't do it effortlessly in a performance, you haven't practiced enough."
He was constantly reminding me that quality practice (repetition) was a requirement for excellence. One of the few excuses he allowed me to use when I couldn't do an exercise was, "I didn't practice that enough." I didn't like hearing it as a teenager, but over time his words stuck in my head and I realized he was absolutely right.
How many times do you repeat a new move before you own it? In some case, it may be a few times and others it will be hundreds or thousands of repetitions or more. The "few times" is an exception, and often the result of something you previous learned. In most cases it's hundreds or thousands of repetitions before things become mindless.
Newer dancers often under estimate how many times advanced dancers practice a move. That practice may have been on the dance floor, but owning a move is often the result of countless repetitions, over many months or more.
You forever see guys trying new moves with minimal practice because they see the more advanced dancers doing something similar. The advanced dancers make it look so easy, it's not obvious they repeated a sequence hundreds of times to make it look so comfortable.
If you want to learn a move, remember a pattern, step or feeling, do it over and over again, with attention to detail. Do it at different speeds, from painfully slow to burning fast. It's not magic, but it is a process.
Repetition is the mother of all learning, but be sure you are repeating things you actually want to learn. Mindless repetition, without refinement makes it easy to learn bad habits if you're not careful, so work toward repeating the habits, moves and patterns you want to master.
This isn't news to you, but this concept applies directly to your mastering the music.
Over a year ago I wrote an article titled "Listening to Music 100 Times or more" and it documents some of my experience with repeating music hundreds of times.
Repetition is not the only factor is learning, but it's a key factor and often under appreciated. I'll have more to say on this subject in future articles.
Let me know your experiences with repetition via the comments link below. And don't forget; repetition is the mother of all learning.
That's a huge concept for growing dancers. Some moves start out difficult, but after repeating them hundreds of times, they become second nature. Repetition is the mother of all learning.
Of course, this applies to dance moves, music, sports, new languages, computer programming or virtually any other subject you decide to learn. No matter how you slice it, repetition is the mother of all learning.
Too few repetitions and it doesn't stick. Repeat it many times and it does. It's deceptively simple and very powerful if applied correctly.
How many guys have you heard complaining, "I don't remember those patterns" or "I can't remember the moves from class" or "I can do that slow, but once the music starts I can't remember that sequence." I suspect you can guess why.
My early drum teacher told me over thirty years ago; "If you can't do it effortlessly in a performance, you haven't practiced enough."
He was constantly reminding me that quality practice (repetition) was a requirement for excellence. One of the few excuses he allowed me to use when I couldn't do an exercise was, "I didn't practice that enough." I didn't like hearing it as a teenager, but over time his words stuck in my head and I realized he was absolutely right.
How many times do you repeat a new move before you own it? In some case, it may be a few times and others it will be hundreds or thousands of repetitions or more. The "few times" is an exception, and often the result of something you previous learned. In most cases it's hundreds or thousands of repetitions before things become mindless.
Newer dancers often under estimate how many times advanced dancers practice a move. That practice may have been on the dance floor, but owning a move is often the result of countless repetitions, over many months or more.
You forever see guys trying new moves with minimal practice because they see the more advanced dancers doing something similar. The advanced dancers make it look so easy, it's not obvious they repeated a sequence hundreds of times to make it look so comfortable.
If you want to learn a move, remember a pattern, step or feeling, do it over and over again, with attention to detail. Do it at different speeds, from painfully slow to burning fast. It's not magic, but it is a process.
Repetition is the mother of all learning, but be sure you are repeating things you actually want to learn. Mindless repetition, without refinement makes it easy to learn bad habits if you're not careful, so work toward repeating the habits, moves and patterns you want to master.
This isn't news to you, but this concept applies directly to your mastering the music.
Over a year ago I wrote an article titled "Listening to Music 100 Times or more" and it documents some of my experience with repeating music hundreds of times.
Repetition is not the only factor is learning, but it's a key factor and often under appreciated. I'll have more to say on this subject in future articles.
Let me know your experiences with repetition via the comments link below. And don't forget; repetition is the mother of all learning.
We know too much for one man to know much.
-- Robert Oppenheimer
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