Ombailamos

visualization

So, the auditions are over and next week we will see the top 170 or so contestants (on So You Think You Can Dance) in Las Vegas, half-killing themselves for a spot in the top 20.  While sitting and watching the bits of auditions that were aired (and wishing I could see a bit more of some of them, and a bit less of others), I started thinking about something that's come up in conversation with fellow dancers a few times, which is visualization.

Visualization, in the context of fitness, is the practice of mentally rehearsing an action.  It can be used to review choreography or plays, to remember the geometry and physics required for a throw or a turn, to imagine the body springing up for a catch or a jetee, etc.

First, let me just say this.  No one is going to learn how to do anything simply by watching other people do it.  If there is anyone out there watching SYTYCD who isn't a dedicated dance student, and who is thinking "I could do that," and I know you are out there because some of you turn up for the auditions, I'm sorry to break it to you but there is no way to learn how to move except by moving.  And, on behalf of the dedicated dance students out there, I'm going to add that many of the movements you see in these auditions are so complex and difficult that most people are incapable of figuring them out without instruction.  So get thee to class.

That said, it's been established that, once you know how to generate a movement, how to "see" yourself in that movement, and what the movement feels like when correctly executed, mentally rehearsing can convey almost the same level of benefit as physically rehearsing.  This applies in dancing but in other sports, too; a tennis player can mentally review and practice her serve, or a golf player his swing, while sitting on a plane or in a boring meeting.  The catch is that you really must understand the movement.

At the most basic level, and using the example of ballroom dancing, once you know how to place your feet to do a box step, and you know how that feels in your body, you can practice it in your head.  This mental practice has three benefits: it helps you consciously remember the mechanical process; it helps your unconscious neural pathways establish themselves; and it helps your muscle tissues tone themselves. 

This seems very science-fictiony, but studies have shown that concentrated thinking about a movement is basically the same thing, to your brain and body, as actually executing the movement.  That's because your brain fires off its signals regardless of whether or not you are moving.  The signal jumps through your nerves and activates your muscles, which process the signal; it's a kind of biofeedback.  You are not going to get the same gains in strength, flexibility, endurance, agility, and balance through mental practice as you will through physical practice, but the mental practice will truly, on a physiological level, prepare your body to execute the movement correctly the next time you get up to do it physically.

I'm a verbal learner, so for me as a dancer it's been essential to name the actions of dancing and then to attach a physical movement to that name.  I can string actions together, knowing how much time they take, what the rhythm is, what my alignment will be to the line of dance or the walls of the room, where my feet go, when my body turns, etc.  I can create a sort of hologram in my head and, running a silent commentary along the lines of "half a box, open break, underarm turn, fifth position break, half a box, cross body lead, inside turn, open break" etc, see myself executing those actions.  Meanwhile, my brain is firing off signals to the muscles and other tissues involved in the actions.  When I stand up to practice the routine, my body is ready for the actions.

In short, I've found visualization an extremely useful practice and recommend it to anyone who is trying to improve a skill.  Just don't skip the first step: learning the skill.

a Jagger original, Sculpterra winery, Paso Robles

at the Los Angeles Arboretum

muy caliente!

Today through Sunday, check out the Los Angeles Salsa Congress at the LAX Radisson.  This annual event features tons of workshops and is a great way to see and learn the latest moves.  Visit the event website, www.mysalsacongress.com, for schedule and parking information.  We have a friend performing in one of the many shows on Sunday, so we'll be heading down to see her.  Go Kelly!

Saturday night, there is a studio social at L.A. Dance Experience.  These dances are always open to the public and begin with a group lesson which starts at 7 p.m.  Visit the link at right for address, etc.

This weekend and next, Goddess A Go Go Dance Theatre presents "dances celebrating Earth and the Divine Female," at the Secret Rose Theatre in North Hollywood.  Schedule, directions, etc are available on their website, linked at right.

Last night, I wrapped up three weeks teaching group Rumba lessons for Ballroom by the Bay.  I'll be back next week to start a series on Waltz.  Hope to see you there!

The Big Finale, part 1

Well, it was kind of ... meh.  I was a little let down, and I am going to lay it squarely on the choreographers *coughTony&Cherylcough* because Gilles and Melissa could have really rocked something out, but those freestyle routines ... meh.

Shawn, on the other hand, was terrific.  I still think Gilles is the best dancer of the season (or of any other season, frankly, although Mel B would give him a run for his money), but Shawn was last night's true star.

The paso doble face-off really did nothing for me.  I would have been more impressed if they had to do a routine using a dance style nobody had yet attempted.  Especially in view of the way the choreographers, this season, conflated paso doble and tango to the point of indistinguishability.  (hmm, cranky much??)

In case there is anyone reading this who does not read TelevisionWithoutPity's blogger on DWTS, I am sharing a few words from her weecap:

"Hey, producers -- here's an idea for free for next season. Either on the show or even on the website, have Len and/or the other judges go through some of the routines with a telestrator and point out the problems. A bad arm movement here, a missed heel lead there. I would find that fascinating."

100% agreement here.  Now let us hope that tonight's "last dance" lets us see, from each contestant, something truly worthy of a ballroom dancing competition.  Hmph.

An embarrassment of riches

Rumor has it that at the fall season "upfronts" (note fancy TV industry terminology) Fox TV committed to airing two seasons of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD hereafter) this year. That means one season which begins this Thursday with the audition teasers, and another to run this fall.

Pardon me while I jump up and down a little.  This is my favorite dance show, and one reason is that, despite the distractions of audience voting and judges' personalities and manufactured dramas, I think SYTYCD showcases more pure talent than any other program.

It is relatively easy for a singer to adapt his or her style to different genres of music, a la "American Idol."  The only genre that requires a completely different technique - a true physicality of singing - is opera, which the show doesn't touch for obvious reasons.  (Come on, nobody dreams of being the next pop star while singing "Nessun Dorma" in the shower.)  The same cannot be said for dancing. 

Every genre of dancing requires completely different technique.  The one genre that SYTYCD has not included is classical ballet, in which the lady dances en pointe.  I believe they have said so in the past, but the reason for this is that the show is looking for "all-around" dancers, the kind of dancers who can realistically aspire to a lifetime of work in TV, movies, stage shows, etc.  The SYTYCD contestants must summon every particle of their talent to put across a performance in a genre that may be completely unfamiliar to them. 

The range of dance genres on SYTYCD has, in addition to challenging its contestants far beyond most viewers' understanding, provided an invaluable showcase of modern choreographic art.  Some of the choreographers on the show have become more famous than the show's winners.

It's hard to believe, but for most of the last century, no visual records were kept of many, if not most, dance productions.  There may have been photos for publicity, the occasional video during rehearsal so that the company could review, even archival films.  But these have not, for the most part, been made public, and I understand that gaining access to the material that has been kept is extremely difficult.  An entire art form has no "written" history.  So I love SYTYCD not only as great entertainment, but as a priceless record of turn-of-the-century dance.

The only problem is that we may need to get a DVR with more memory.

Apropos of nothing ... my cat is cute.

the case for private lessons

Mr. P and I have received most of our dance training in a studio (L.A. Dance Experience - see link!) that focuses on social dancing, and provides a rich schedule of group classes so that students can enhance their skills economically.  Group classes are great for establishing an "instant" community of dancers.  They are also great for brushing up your basics after some time away from dancing, and always for meeting new people.

Learning partner dancing is like learning a new language.  First you have to recognize words, then begin to string them together; you progress to understanding modifiers, changes of tense, or viewpoint; and thus to eloquence.  Dancing is the same: nobody starts out knowing more than that C-A-T means "cat." 

Not surprisingly, it can take a long time to achieve proficiency in group classes.  The class will typically be designed with specific material to be covered, and the instructor will move through that material based on the average learning speed of the students in the group.  The students as a group will rarely progress beyond a mechanical understanding of the figures, usually chosen from a Bronze syllabus.  Depending on the studio, there may not be a schedule of group classes covering more advanced material.  At L.A. Dance Experience, there are five levels of ballroom classes, so we got lucky!  We stayed in those classes for years.

But we also took plenty of private lessons along the way.  We needed private coaching to focus on dances that weren't covered in the group classes, to address our specific technical problems, to assemble or refine competition choreography, to improve our performance quality and musicality, etc.  It really isn't possible for a group instructor to address each individual dancer's issues in the context of a group class.  (And you know, we all have our issues.)

It's fair to say that, had we chosen to invest in private lessons from the start, we could have achieved a high level of proficiency more quickly.  We could have caught some very basic errors of technique before they became ingrained habits, and we could have learned a broader range of material much faster.  Plus, over the years, we probably spent nearly as much on those group classes as we would have in privates over less time.

Of course, money isn't everything.  We really enjoyed those group classes (and still do).  Repeating classes meant that material we didn't absorb the first time could sink in later.  Most of our close friends are from the dance world, and we might not have met some of these great people if we hadn't gone through the group classes.  Plus, with busy work schedules, some weeks those classes were the only real exercise we got!

Anyway, this is the trade-off most students see: go the less expensive route that takes longer, or the faster route that costs more.  But it doesn't have to be either/or.  I think it's wise for a dance lover to strike a balance.  Take group classes to build that community, so that when you go social dancing you will see people you know and are comfortable with, and to build a basic vocabulary of dancing.  But also take private lessons, to make sure that your particular dancing goals can be reached - and so that you can "speak," not just a word or two of dance, but complete beautiful paragraphs.

Ideology is a filter, not a lens

A lens helps you see things more clearly.  A filter changes the nature of what you see.

I spoke with a gentleman last week who was adamant that his handhold for leading was the only way to lead in open position.  I pointed out that his handhold (which he said he had learned from a ten-dance champion) made it very difficult for the average lady to follow, because it placed all the burden of establishing the frame and connection on her, and not on the leader.  And then we danced, and because I am a pretty proficient follower, it went fine; but, tellingly, he commented that it was nice to dance with someone he didn't have to push around.

It's very important, in dancing and in fitness training, to try not to let the thing you learned first interfere with your ability or willingness to learn new things.  In both areas, the science of movement is continually evolving.  And, while every teacher or trainer has a different approach, at the top levels of dancing or fitness, the teachers/trainers are constantly improving their own skills and knowledge by studying the latest developments, taking coaching, and practicing.

Here's another example.  If your first dance class was in a beginner's group, you may have been taught that, to lead an outside underarm turn, the leader should send his left arm far out to the side and push on the follower's back.  If you decide that this is as much as you need to know about underarm turns, you will never (be willing to) "hear" different instructions for more subtle and advanced leads.  You have established an ideology - a BELIEF - about leading that is based on limited information.  This places a filter between you and your ability to improve as a dancer.

Here's another example.  In the 1980s, when running really took off as a mainstream fitness activity, the conventional wisdom was that the runner should end his stride (land) on his heel, rolling through the whole foot and pushing off from the ball.  A lot of people still run this way, and conventional running shoes accommodate this style by essentially immobilizing the foot.  However, over the years a body of research has been done which finds greater speed and endurance, and lower incidence of injury, if the runner ends his stride at the mid-foot (the front of the arch), rolls through the ball, and pushes off from the toe.  Modern running shoes have become more lightweight and flexible to accommodate this more natural stride. 

A dedicated runner who wants to improve his performance will adapt to new information.  A runner who is sure that he has learned all he needs to know will choose not to see or hear, much less experiment with, new techniques or equipment.  Instead of allowing new information to clarify his fitness vision, he filters the information through his belief.  Anything that doesn't "match" the ideology is discarded.

Of course, this happens with dancers too.  That's one of the reasons that dancers should consider working with a variety of instructors.  But it's really essential to have an open mind about what you are hearing and seeing.  An instructor may indeed demonstrate something that is different from what you've seen before.  You should try it and see if it improves your dancing before deciding that, just because it is different, it must be "wrong."

This is not the same issue as, for example, knowing what the good advice is and deciding not to follow it.  We see that all the time with weight-loss clients.  The ideology problem is that you can't always distinguish between good and bad information, because all that gets through the filter is what suits your preconceived notions.

The mind and body almost never, in practice, reach the true limits of their capacity; capacity is limited only by the practitioner's choice.  Try to consciously choose to challenge your limits - in fitness, in dancing, or in general - instead of letting unconscious belief systems stop you from achieving your full potential.  Always ask yourself, "Why do I think this won't work?" or "Why does this make me uncomfortable?"  Sometimes it is the difficult path that leads to a breakthrough.

DWTS Semi-Final

It's been quite a season, hasn't it?  Some of the format changes have been good, some I trust were merely experiments.  The level of performance has been remarkably high and we've seen some inventive and exciting choreography.

One of the things that has been apparent this season is a shift away from ballroom and toward more freestyle partner dancing.  By that I mean that, while in previous seasons we have seen "show dance" choreography, it was typically more faithful to the specific dance style called for.  This season, the choreography has involved less-strict interpretations.

Just as an example, last night Shawn danced Argentine Tango and Jive.  As I've mentioned before, Argentine Tango is not one of the competitive ballroom dances at all, and this is the first season the show has featured it.  Shawn's interpretation contained elements and styling of Paso Doble, which she danced beautifully just a week ago.  The main things that distinguished this performance from the Paso were the ganchos (leg hooks) and boleos (leg whips), and the lifts.  The character was almost identical, and thus much less "ballroom" than Latin.  The Jive in its turn was nearly indistinguishable from Lindy Hop.  Shawn's previous Lindy Hop performance was extremely athletic, and this was more "dancey," but it really didn't look like a Jive; the body shape was very low and the choreography very dependent on the partners turning around each other while doing lots of kicks.  A "strictly ballroom" Jive would have been much more upright, with much crisper leg action, more side-by-side work and more patterns that use an angular geometry as opposed to the circular flavor.

Chelsie gave Ty pretty basic choreography this week for his Viennese Waltz and Samba.  As expected, he performed better in the Viennese Waltz, although there was a moment when he got his feet mixed up.  And though Chelsie's loose hairstyle helped disguise his hand position on her back, it is still not great.  One of the good things about the Samba was how well he got into the floor: he went down, not up, to create the bounce, and this helped give him strong movement around the floor.  His cowboy legs were also better this week, with less pigeon-toe action.  Ty's extreme likability would not have brought him this far if he had not genuinely improved, but it's still a shame that we were not watching Kim & Derek this week.

Melissa looked much stronger this week and Tony's choreography on the Quickstep was terrific.  The dance had a light, easy quality with no rushing; the movement around the floor was well organized and the styling well balanced.  If I had to pick a favorite dance of the night, this would be it.  The Cha-Cha I didn't like as well.  It was a bit stagey and didn't leave much room for lead and follow.  Melissa's footwork and leg actions were very good and I did absolutely love the trick where Tony laid her over his knee and then swept her around to his other side - never saw that one before!

Finally, Gilles - and I think it is clear who the judges favor at this point.  The horrible music for his Salsa interfered with my enjoyment, and to my eye his leg action did not look as proficient as usual.  What I saw was a deeply bent knee on the first step, rocking back to another bent knee, then popping up to a straight leg on the third step.  This is extremely common in beginning Salsa dancers, and you do see it at all levels, but I think it looks a little clunky - and it really can slow a dancer down.  If you want to dance Salsa fast, you need to stay more on one level, and there shouldn't be really pronounced leg rise.  The Waltz, on the other hand, I have no quarrels with.  It was a lovely song, well-performed by the band and singers; Cheryl's choreography was beautiful and evocative, and the dance performance was smooth, sweeping, intimate and yet expansive; my second favorite dance of the night.

And yes, he's still my favorite to win.  Yum.