Teacher does an excellent job of figuring out different ways to explain ballroom concepts, based on what his students can relate to. Recently, he has focused on my love of hip hop dancing to help me come to a better understanding of…wait for it…
Category: In the Studio
Ask the Girl Episode 8 – Following
Ask the Girl is making a reappearance! Today’s episode is inspired by a reader who asked how you’re supposed to follow when you’re in practice hold and you don’t know what steps are coming up next.
Following in general when you don’t know what’s coming next is challenging, even more so when you are in a looser frame such as practice hold.
Without meaning to brag, I think I follow quite well! I still miss my fair share of leads at social dances, but I can confidently say if you can lead me, I can follow you. Here is what I focus on to help me follow my partner’s leads successfully.
Repost: The Most Important Quality in Dancing
A great article about the importance of musicality and being able to just “feel” the music:
http://www.delta.dance/2016/01/the-most-important-quality-in-ballroom-dancing/
Repost: Learning to Learn
Really good tips for students of any dance:
Lightbulb Moment – Tango Turns
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a “lightbulb” post!
The week has been rough (and it’s only Wednesday!). I spent most of today switching between feeling sorry for myself that I wasn’t in Ohio this week for Ohio Star Ball and feeling excited for the Beautiful Girl in the Ballroom who IS in Ohio! Rock on, girl!
Reblogged: Instead of Perfect, Ask What is Good About Your Dancing
Love the idea of individual color palettes!
“The best is the enemy of the good.” This profound statement by the French writer and philosopher Voltaire was a favorite saying of a great dance mentor and friend. It means, she said, that striving for perfection is not necessarily the path to improvement.
I have learned through personal experience that dancers are very hard on themselves. Sometimes in their attempt to become better dancers students overlook the amazing things they can already do. They bemoan what they see as their physical shortcomings and scrutinize every square inch of themselves with heavy judgment. I know that I have.
With ballet in particular, dancers get sucked into the myth that what they do has to be perfect to be any good. Many students walk away from ballet because of this misconception. Although they understand that it will help their overall dancing, they feel less than perfect in ballet and therefore give…
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My Process for Learning “Post-Basics”
Everyone learns in their own way. Some learn by doing, others by taking notes. Some are visual learners and others are auditory. I think I’m a combination of methods. But as I learn more about the silver level of ballroom and more advanced ballroom technique, I’m noticing my internal learning process is a little more complicated than when I was just learning bronze and the basics.
Warning, I drop a few F bombs in this post.
Lightbulb Moments – Arm Styling
With a brand spanking new $15 in my wallet (new to me at least), I decided to take an extra group class this past week! Teacher’s pro partner was teaching and the topic was arm styling, which I need help with, so I felt like it was a good use of my winnings from the jack and jill dance.
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Guest Post on Dance Advantage
I’m very excited to announce that an article I submitted to danceadvantage.net has been published!
Check it out here:
I hope to contribute more “ballroom edition” articles in the future. My brain is already buzzing with ideas! Big thank you to Nichelle, the founder of Dance Advantage, for the opportunity to connect with a larger dance audience!
Cutting Back to Move Forward or Why I Love Group Class
Can you believe it’s June already? The year is almost halfway over! A new month always means one thing: new bills to pay. After paying rent, a utility bill, and a credit card bill all at once, I thought I better take another look at my projected budget for the next few months. I have two budgets: a general one of income and expenses, so I know I’m living within my means, and a projected one, so I can see more precisely where I’ll be financially at certain times in the next few months, like when rent is due or when I need to write a check for comp entry fees. I can also better time bill paying with paychecks. It’s all very carefully planned so I can continue following these crazy ballroom dreams of mine.
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 