I find that I am hearing the same comments about my dance as I did a year ago. While this may be thought of in one sense as disheartening, it is not. It takes a long time for these things to sink into our subconciousness so deeply that the body acts as quickly as the mind thinks. By this, my second day of private lessons, I have been “re-tuned” as has happened before. I have allowed all sorts of bad habits to creep into my posture and walking; some of this from sloppiness; some of this from evolved attempts to “make” things happen with less than skilled follows. Plenty of blame to go around. It takes more than two …. it takes a community.
Notes from today:
Relax my right shoulder to protect the abrazo, but keep the chest “centered” in the mind and in the posture.
Remeber the “ruler” between the hands. I submit to myself that I should start work out with a physical length of wood to condition myself to a firm abrazo that does not give way. It is so amazing how boleos out of molinetas, etc. happen so naturally by simply maintaining an iron-clad embrace.
For “down” leads, it is *always* at the knees; never the hips.
Stop “lifting” with my right shoulder.
Sssssslide those feet.
Close embrace turns — 1! – 2- 3. Con tiempo. Signal with the CHEST.
We used a percussion exercise today to train the mind for milonga: One can use a coffee can lid, or what-not. The legs and hands operate a different syncopation. Feet – 1 -2. Hands – 1! – 2- 3.
I have thought to myself that milonga was perhaps a form in which I did ok, if I didn’t mind saying so myself. That got broken to fine meal today between a more proper milonguero fashion and this syncopation exercise.
I am enjoying all this. Even if it is mind-numbing.
“We used a percussion exercise today to train the mind for milonga: One can use a coffee can lid, or what-not. The legs and hands operate a different syncopation. Feet – 1 -2. Hands – 1! – 2- 3.”
i’d like to think i’m pretty coordinated (although often distracted by a plethora of necessary things resulting in clumsiness from time to time) … but this is something i’d go nuts trying to master – hands and feet at different counts!