S is for Syncopation

S is for Syncopation
Musically, syncopation is defined as a disturbance or interruption of the regular or expected rhythm, or the placement of accents where they wouldn’t normally occur.  I suppose that this definition would also be generally appropriate for dances that have basic patterns which include only the basic timing of quicks and slows in their basic patterns:  waltz, foxtrot, rumba, and country 2-step would all be examples.  But what about cha-cha and polka?  Their basic patterns include a triple step or 3 steps stuffed into 2 beats of music.  Hustle?  It includes 2 steps stuffed into 1 beat of music.  All are examples of syncopations in dance:  more steps than ‘normal’ danced in a beat or two beats of music.

But what is my favorite definition of syncopation?  The extra steps or fancy footwork that a more advanced dancer uses to correct (or cover up) a mistake!  What?  Who me?  Oh no…that wasn’t a mistake….that was a syncopation!  Why yes….I thought it was pretty interesting too.  Thank you! (smirk!) 

Dance of the Day:  Salsa

Mix together:

6 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 seeded and minced jalapenos
½ onion, chopped fine
1 TBS olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt, pepper, chopped fresh scallions, chopped cilantro, chopped parsley, to taste

Serve with tortilla chips.

Consume on breaks between dances while dancing Mambo “on the 1” to really fast 4-count Latin music!

C is for Connection

C is for Connection

Various dance partners have told me that I was too light (every girls dream?  Not really in this case) too heavy (definitely not dream material), too slow, too fast, not following, disengaged from my core, not connected and can’t follow.  OUCH!  …someone please remind me why I dance?  Anyway, after the tears and dejection and repeated repairs to my dancing self confidence, I started to understand that all those mean spirited comments were really just dance buzz for “I can’t lead you to do what I want you to do!”  And that is my fault why?

Partner dancing is really just a conversation between two people about a piece of music.  A conversation requires communication and dance communication is called connection. Since at our very best, humans rarely communicate well, it is no surprise that communicating something as esoteric as how two bodies should move in order to “talk” about a piece of music that each is likely to hear differently…is well…at best full of scary pitfalls and at worst a recipe for disaster. 

Of all the different dance skills that I have worked on, connection is the most elusive.  There is no single “right” way to connect.  Like communication, I have to use a different style or amount of connection for every dance and with every partner.  It is simply a bit of luck, a bit of trial and error, and a lot of listening (yes, listening…with my muscles, not my ears).  Connection is only “right” when it works and only works when it is “right”.  It is not an easy concept to teach or to learn.

Over time, I have learned that at least part of the failure of any communication and that includes connection really IS my fault.  You see connection is created by energy in opposition between the leader and the follower, but interestingly connection is created by the follow, not the leader…yes really.  If the leader tries to create connection, it feels to the follow like a lead.  However, if the leader creates the frame for the follow to connect with then the leader can use that connection created by the follow as a baseline from which to alter the amount of connection to create a the lead.  If the follower does not create the connection then the leader can not lead.  So truly, if the follower can’t follow, the leader can’t lead…not the other way around! 

Hmmm….that sounds a bit like life doesn’t it?

Today’s Dance: C ha- C ha - C ha

A fast, spirited Latin Dance that was imported from Cuba to England in the early 1950s.  Known for its lightening fast footwork and (hubba-hubba) Cuban hip action, it is danced competitively in both American Rhythm and International Latin competitions.  Although the dance has a very distinct structure of rock steps and triples steps, competitively the footwork has become so fast and syncopated that it is often difficult to see the basic pattern….or the ladies costume….

Why Don't Men Dance?

Opps…that’s a rather broad generalization that will quickly get me in trouble because some men do dance…for which those of us who dance with them are extremely grateful!  APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! 

But at every social dance (ballroom, swing, country, salsa, tango – it doesn’t matter) I have ever been to, there are almost always more women dancers than men.

So, more accurately, why don’t the men who don’t dance, dance?

Clearly since I am not a man that doesn’t dance, I don’t have a clue why the men that don’t dance, well…don’t dance…but I have been told a few different reasons (yup…now I am adding hearsay to generalization…the more literary inaccuracies, the merrier)!  And here are my top 5 (along with my unsolicited thoughts in response):

1)      I’ve got two left feet.  (Really?  Fascinating!  Where do you buy your shoes?  And who really knows whether or not the orientation of your feet would actually have any bearing on your ability to dance?)

2)      I wasn’t born with rhythm.  (Neither was anyone else!  Have you ever seen a newborn counting ‘quick, quick, slow, slow’ to the sound of his mother singing a lullaby? Rhythm and timing are learned skills.  Were you born knowing how to throw a football?)

3)      I don’t want to.  (Possibly, but why not?  What is the real reason that you don’t want to dance?  Some good possibilities do come to mind, but they are somewhat unusual.  In what other public situation do you get the opportunity to hold the a woman you may not know for 3 minutes, direct her movements like a puppeteer directs a puppet as you whisk her around the floor, and have her smile, say “thank you” and ask if she may have another when its over?   No….I asked about PUBLIC situations!)

4)      I don’t know how.  (Well, now we are getting somewhere! But I still think there is something missing.  You see, the guy who told me this one had just bluffed his way into a new job that was way above his ability level with a really grand “of course I know how to do that!” attitude about something that he barely know what was, let alone how to do it! Huh?)

5)      Maybe guys can fly.  (If I could fly…ahh but I can’t)

6)      ??????   (I am sure there are many, many more reasons…please drop me a comment and share your thoughts!)

I think the reason that men who don’t dance, don’t dance is that they are afraid. 

I am pretty certain that the one thing that really drives modern man is his fear of looking bad (much different than his ancestors’ fear of being eaten by a saber tooth tiger…back then looking good to the tiger was a very bad thing!).  Even worse, would be his fear of looking bad in front of one or more women.  And, oh dear, worst of all would be his fear of looking bad in front of one or more women that he likes or loves or wants to like or love!

Unfortunately, if we have to admit that no one is born knowing how to dance and that in order to learn we need to go to classes or take lessons, then we are going to have to risk looking bad while we learn to dance.

The good news?  Everyone else in those classes is taking the same risk and struggling with the same fears and concerns.  Dance classes are a very safe place to risk looking bad, so long as they are taught by a good instructor (but more on that some other day).  So…modern men unit!  Be brave!  Make many women happy (that alone should be worth the risk)!  Find a good partner dance class and LEARN TO DANCE!