Comments on The Unlikely Salsero - Don Baarns: Seeing the Dance in Your Head

@Don I appreciate your articles - you make things ...

2011-01-20T12:26:35.647-08:00

@Don
I appreciate your articles - you make things clear and easier to understand. There has always been a new aspect inspiring to check a new way to do things! Thanks!

I have used a primitive kind of visualization as part of my learning. I start reviewing the new material, give names for the patterns I want to learn and write down them on a list. I did review this list on the bus to my work visualizing the movements. When I thought I could everything I tested it alone at home imagining the follower movement. When it runs OK; then it is time to try it on a practica.
I think I will in future go on and start to create more aesthetic aspects with this.
Will also check up the books!

@Anonymous
Yes please go on with your specific way!
I think this should be the way all followers train themselves - trying to feel how a movement feels.
When I have difficulties to learn a certain movement in a class I ask the teacher lead in follower position so I can get a feeling of the movement dynamics. I ask them also to dance with my follower so her body remembers how it should feel when done right.
(anonymous if leader: followers will feel at home with you; you will be appreciated!)

You must me visual thinkers. What about running th...

2010-12-10T16:22:16.502-08:00

You must me visual thinkers. What about running through the move, but feeling where your body is and how your weight transfers, etc. I can create a visual image, but my mind prefers to feel location rather than see it. It will be very powerful if I can get both working together.

Mark: I think the best view is from your own point...

2010-04-06T01:21:08.290-07:00

Mark: I think the best view is from your own point of view looking out. That's the view you will see when dancing, so it makes sense to practice from that view.

That said, if you see it from the 3rd party view, it certainly is a killer exercise in terms of visualization.

Don - thanks will keep trying. With the visualiz...

2010-04-05T18:37:05.721-07:00

Don - thanks will keep trying. With the visualization technique is it better to see my partner and I doing the steps from a third party view or is it more realistic to imagine things from my own point of view? Any thoughts?

Mark - It's a process so start practicing visu...

2010-04-02T07:20:21.472-07:00

Mark - It's a process so start practicing visualization just like practicing new footwork. Start with something small and easy. Practice the first move of your showcase in your head, then keep adding until you can see the complete dance in your head.

The books are a huge help, I need to re-read them again, because as your dancing matures, it's helpful to re-apply the concepts. Let me know how it goes!

Don - just discovered your blog recently, have rea...

2010-04-02T02:19:35.191-07:00

Don - just discovered your blog recently, have really enjoyed reading most of your articles and want to thank you for all your hard work in keeping this going. After our kids went away to college, my wife and I have taken group lessons for two years in all the social dances, including Salsa. I've found many of your articles to be universal for all dances, such as counting, ear training, group vs private lessons, leading, social dance behaviors, etc. I'm going to do my first showcase dance at my studio next month, have ordered the book you suggested and am going to try these visualization techniques to hopefully overcome a case of nerves. Any suggestions gratefully appreciated.

Amen to that, as I have working on getting my ins...

2009-03-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

Amen to that, as I have working on getting my instructor certification, I have gotten better at seeing a complete dance in my head. Why? Because now I have to know the follower's part because I have to be able to demonstrate this as well. This helps me visualize a particular technique more accurately in my head. The more detailed the picture I can hold in my head the better I can reproduce it on the dancefloor in realtime.

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2009/02/ol...

2009-02-02T03:53:00.000-08:00

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2009/02/olympic-athletes-reveal-their-mental.html

Is visualisation easier when you're learning a mov...

2009-02-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Is visualisation easier when you're learning a move for the first time, or to keep the move in memory, or to perfect it?

It is possible to visualise - i think actually having some Video of some "basics" for visualisatino with respect to salsa might also be useful -
to learn what certain hand positions do - what woill happen when you turn with your partner in this hold etc.

I think it can get a bum deal, as I know i've been told (off!) for looking down at the floor, and lacking facial expressivity - it's not easy - it's more like doing a Magic Eye picture at the start!

I think part of it is also the lack of video for visual mimicking - they aren't creative enough in angles.

When was the last time you saw a head cam, from a lead. Or a left/right hand cam, to show lead through the hands. or a floor cam to show foot movement.

Ultimately, in my view, LightStage is the way forward to a degree. MoCap (Motion capture) but more.

Pure overkill, but I think it does actually have a kernel of usefulness to it.

Why are videos and dvds not useful (apart from interface issues)?

because its' rigid, and earelier videos didn't even have multiple angles/show too many different views.

In a mocap - you can have any speed, any angle. you get the vt, and you now could control the action.

In a way, that's what people are doing physically - markingit - i've seen it with a friend doing dressage practise, by going through the routine in the living room, i've seen it with other guys..
It's almost a dirty secret, the problem of learning and remembering moves, and also trying to find, then be able to use the mothds that best suit someone to learn and retain dance.

I think that in a way - dance misses out from what sports can have - you can have slow mo replays for other sports, so why not salsa?

it might not completely match - but some stuff could do with video more perhaps.

it's only one way of course. Practise trumps most things, as long as it's smart practise.

Learning to see your performance in your head may be a time-honored technique - learning to see your performance through seeeing it might be one way to start?