Ombailamos

dreams deferred

I drop in on the forums over on Unclutterer from time to time, and there's a thread running now on "bucket lists."  I chimed in with this:

1. Win a National Championship in my style/division (of ballroom dancing).
2. Publish a book with Amazon.
3. Bake my own bread.
4. Keep chickens.
5. Have a proper garden.
6. See the major cities of Australia and all of New Zealand.
7. Travel across Canada (by train or car).
8. Eat my way through France, Spain, and Italy with Mr. P.
9. Make a piece of gold jewelry.
10. Read every book I own!

This is a list of things I'd like to do before I die, or "kick the bucket," in the term popularized by the recent movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman (which I haven't seen, by the way).

It seems there are two kinds of people: those who have lists of things they'd like to do/have, typically things perceived as increasing quality of life, that are actually achievable; and those who have lists of things they like to dream of doing/having - things that may or may not add to perceived quality of life.  Obviously, I'm in the first group.

In the second group would be the bipolar Florida woman who recently robbed a bank, because doing that was on her "bucket list." Very, very sad.  Why have something destructive on your life list?  Why would you want to?  And it turned out that this, for her, was achievable - but did it add to the quality of her life?  Not exactly; she's in jail, and likely to remain so despite her mental illness.

My list is pretty modest.  The most difficult-to-achieve items on it are actually "keep chickens" and "have a proper garden," because those require land; specifically land that we own.  And we live in California, so the barriers to entry are high.

"Bake my own bread" - I deliberately phrased it so; not as learn to, but as do it.  I know it won't be that hard to learn.  It's just another skill, and I'm good at learning new skills.  I love good, fresh artisan bread, but it's expensive to buy, so if/when I learn to do it, and in fact do it regularly, the skill of baking will contribute to my quality of life as well as my self-sufficiency.  But, you know, it's messy and takes time, and time right now is at a bit of a premium.  So that is an intention deferred.

But not a dream deferred.  Not a thing on my list qualifies as a "dream."  These are real, achievable goals or intentions.  I don't believe in wasting my time and energy on dreams.

If I have a philosophy of life, it is that I wish for my every act, acquisition, and intention to improve the quality of my relationships, my quotidien life in the present, or my future security and happiness.  I don't want to bring anything into my home that is negative or wasteful or destructive.  As part of my yoga practice, along with mindfulness and gratitude, I try to practice letting go - of physical clutter, but also of frustrations, of resentments, of regrets.

I believe there can be a mental or emotional benefit to short term daydreaming - to playing with ideas that you know you won't pursue, just for a moment's entertainment.  But I think it's a mistake to focus on fantasy.  That's what often happens with lottery winners, it seems: they have fantasized of having the eight-bedroom mansion, the fleet of luxury cars, and the yacht, or of taking care of their extended families.  Before long, they find themselves worse off than when they started.  Because things are not intrinsically rewarding, and other people can never provide our true happiness.

Dreaming too intensively of things that are not realistically achievable takes energy and time and intention away from our real actions, goals, and relationships.  If you put something on your "bucket list," try to be sure that it is something that will have positive effects in the time remaining to you, and not something that is an end in itself, something that you think you want to do just for the sake of doing it.  There is room for that kind of goal, but I really don't think it's what life should be about. 

Honestly, would you rather your friends and family think of you as someone who made a thriving garden - or who changed lives, like Jaime Escalante (R.I.P.) - or as that person who jumped out of a plane once?

owning the performance

There comes a time in many a dancer's career when s/he is convinced, persuaded, cajoled, or otherwise conned into agreeing to do a performance. USA Dance chapter parties ... studio socials ... fundraisers ... Outreach programs ... the potential venues are many. So are the benefits of doing a performance.

A deadline is the single most effective motivating factor in most people's lives. We clean up our filing and records at tax time. We clean out the closets at back-to-school time. And we get some private lessons at showcase time.

USA Dance Los Angeles did a terrific showcase last fall, and will be repeating the event this year - I believe October 2 is the scheduled date. It's not too soon for dancers to start thinking about what kind of showcase piece they'd like to do. Last year we had everything from competition routines to conceptual pieces to formations, in every style from West Coast Swing to Waltz to Cabaret.

There's more to doing a performance than just learning a routine, of course. Competition couples find this out fast, when they dance every step correctly but don't make the final. A showcase piece, by definition (and this includes competition dancing), means you are putting on a show. How do you own it?

You want your performance to be clean, yes. The steps must be correct. The technique should be as good as your proficiency level permits. But the biggest factors are: 1) you are getting a kick out of it; and 2) you convey that kick to the audience.

Certain performers are inextricably linked to certain great performances. Here are just a few examples of musical performances that qualify. I don't want to hear anyone else doing these songs, ever:

• "Famous Blue Raincoat" or "Tower of Song," by Leonard Cohen.
• "Satisfaction," by The Rolling Stones.
• "Hey Jude," by The Beatles.
• "Me and a Gun," by Tori Amos.
• "Tears in Heaven," by Eric Clapton.
• "Crying," by k.d. lang. (Yes, it was Roy Orbison's first, but seriously: have you heard it??)

On the flip side, sometimes you can see a performance and think, that was kind of great; and then you find out the role was originated by someone else and you think, I can never watch that again. For me, it's the character of the Vicomte de Valmont, played by John Malkovich in the brilliant movie "Dangerous Liaisons." Now, to me, Mr. Malkovich is not remotely sexy, but I thought he was terrific in the film. Until I found out that the role was originated on stage by Alan Rickman. I had to give away my copy of the movie; I just can't see it again, because I really want to see Mr. Rickman seducing Uma Thurman and ruining Michelle Pfeiffer. I want it. Because he would have owned it.

Great dance couples can have the same quality. Not one of the iconic performances by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would be the same danced by anyone else. Michael Mead and Toni Redpath, a top Smooth couple of the last two decades, have similar qualities. In fact, I once had the fantasy of writing an updated "Top Hat" for them to star in! But their interpretation of the dances, even if the choreography were identical, would be at best - however brilliantly executed - derivative. I would enjoy it, but they could never own it.

So, what am I getting at here? The point is, once you have a concept for a performance, you've created the shape of it, you're working on the style: that's when you have to - ideally - put it on video and look at it from outside. What is the audience really going to see? Will they see two people who have put in a lot of hard work and are going through some complicated motions set to music?

Or will they see two people who are delighted to be dancing, thrilled to be together, conspiring with the audience to have the most fun - or really, to feel the most emotional response, of whatever kind - that they possibly can? Will they see two people creating a work of art that is unique to them? As a performer, you want turn that performance into something the audience will always remember as associated with you. Not just that fun cha-cha at that studio party, but the great cha-cha that Bob & Carol did last spring.

Obviously, not all dances are happy, fun, or flirty. Some are dramatic, intense, almost hostile; some are jazzy or subtle or meditative; some seduce, some swoon, and some are completely abstract. But all partner-dance performances, to be successful, require both chemistry between the partners (meaning, for those few minutes you are passionately connected to your partner) and a connection to the audience.

A hurdle frequently faced by dancers who are working hard to get better, is that they get into a thing where they are concentrating on technique to the exclusion of enjoyment. They may actually still be having fun - there's a lot of satisfaction in deconstructing and trouble-shooting - but the spectator doesn't see it: it's all internalized. This can only be conquered by objective review. A coach or teacher or even just a trusted friend can look at the performance and critique, where needed. There is always, always, always something to improve.

Most commonly, with amateur dancers, it is not really anything technical about the performance. The dancers just have to get out of their own heads and into those of the audience. What emotion are we trying to evoke? Is this line, position, hand styling, head shape going to convey that emotion? Are we inviting the audience to connect and respond to us? Are we dancing every movement to its fullest potential? Are we relating to each other in a way that helps tell the story of this dance? What IS the story of this dance??

Mr. P and I have taken hundreds of private lessons over the years, training for shows and competitions. Our show dances have always been well-received; I suspect some of that is just due to us being well-known and having a kind of "awww, how cute" back-story, but we've generally performed competently, and as we've gone along we've tried to always be more inventive and to think of the entertainment value of the choreography. But we are just now starting to really grasp some of these considerations.

It's all part of the apparently never-ending ascent of the ballroom learning curve.

taking the lead

My posts so far this week cover material that I hope to put in practice tonight and next Wednesday at Ballroom by the Bay.

The mechanics of good leading are worth putting down in writing. Obviously, most of this is from a long-time follower's point of view, but I can and do lead, and I know what works. I also know that most social dancers do not take private lessons, so whatever has been learned about lead/follow has been in the context of a group class where people can't get individual attention.

That's why this type of material is best addressed separately from anything else. I won't, for example, be teaching new figures to go along with this. We're going to use a simple combination: half box, cross-body lead, inside turn, open break, underarm turn, fifth-position break. We'll start with this combination in rumba and then use it in waltz. Reason being, of course, that the frame and dance position are different in rumba and waltz, so the leads/follows are not identical.

What, exactly, constitutes good leading?

• Forethought - being prepared (knowing the figures, how to get in and out of them, and what your partner needs to do) and planning ahead
• Connection - being in tune with your partner (making sure you are moving her body, not just her hand, by using your weight and position clearly)
• Floorcraft - keeping an eye on traffic (knowing when NOT to do something because it would impinge on other dancers' space or expose your partner to potential collisions)
• Adaptability - suiting your actions to your partner (from arm height to step size, each partner requires adjustments)
• Minimalism - doing as little as possible to achieve your desired result.

The most common error among social dance leaders, after poor posture/frame, is over-leading. The changes of body position required to lead promenades, outside-partners, etc., are very subtle. Likewise, the use of the hands and arms in leading is precise. It is more a matter of opening up a space for the follower to do something, than of pushing or pulling her through it. These things when first taught are demonstrated quite crudely. It is always preferable to do just enough, rather than too much.

I'm going to put a little emphasis on something here. Group classes are not necessarily set up for the least skilled student in the group. They are, however, designed and led so that the greatest possible proportion of students achieve an acceptable proficiency with what is being taught. That means that truly advanced material is never taught.

Even in an "advanced" group class where you may learn Gold syllabus figures, variations, and combinations, you are simply not going to be taught the tiny, precise actions that produce the highest level of movement. If you want to be a great dancer, my honest advice is to find a partner and take private lessons to learn specific choreography, and use that choreography to find and fix ALL the tiny problems (we all have some) with your dancing.

So what are some of the mechanics of leading? Many of them are common to good following:

• Keep your head back. If your head is forward over your chest, you are invading your partner's space and making her less comfortable - and your primary goal is to make her comfortable.
• Keep your head to the left (smooth/standard). If you look at your partner's face while dancing waltz, foxtrot, etc., you will (not may: WILL) lose your correct dance position, and the only way for you to avoid stepping on her will be to open up into beginner's hold. That's not what you want, is it?
• Keep your chest up. Lifting the chest elongates the back and makes it possible for you to settle your shoulders correctly. It will also help relieve shoulder/neck fatigue, you will breathe better, you will look taller, and you will be able to see more of what's going on around you.
• Keep your shoulders down. Your neck should be relaxed, with the arms supported by having your shoulder blades tucked into your mid-back.
• Keep your abs engaged. If your core is loose, so that your pelvis is dropped in front, you will have a poor connection and a loss of power. Trust me, you can still breathe perfectly well while lightly compressing your lower abs (below your belly button), which, incidentally, will help keep your lower back straight.
• Keep your right hand lower than your right elbow. The hand should be angled down on your partner's shoulder blade. The hand position is one of those extremely subtle things, but your default hand position should be: heel of the hand on the back of her left ribs, hand slightly cupped with the fingers closed and straight, fingertips lightly but firmly connected to the bottom of her shoulder blade, with your wrist right beneath her shoulder crease. Under no circumstances should you touch a social partner anywhere near her breasts, and that means no hands on the ribs under her arm.
• Keep your left hand at your partner's eye level. She's not going to be able to really connect if you've got her arm stretched all the way out. And remember, your goal is to make her comfortable so she likes dancing with you and won't make up an excuse next time you ask.
• Keep your elbows in front of your spine. The frame for leaders is a little less rounded than for followers; in smooth/standard, you will have a very flattened arc from elbow to elbow. In rhythm/latin, the frame is more definitely round for both partners. In either case, if you let your elbows winch back behind you, you are either pulling your partner in waaaaayy too hard, or failing to maintain tone (and thus connection). If you need to hold your partner closer, the solution is to move your right hand further around her back.
• Change weight completely. There are only a few times in dancing when your weight should be between your feet. Assume that you are changing weight each time you place a foot. Get onto a foot and stay there until the other one is placed. Use your core to stabilize you while the other foot moves.
• Use your "shape." Twinkles, promenades, spirals, streamlines, and many other actions involve zero change of frame: what's required is for you to use your body shape to direct your partner. To do this, you have to be able to articulate your body. Your hips and ribs and shoulders are separate pieces and should be able to move separately.
• Understand music. I know some pretty adept leaders who still have trouble distinguishing between rumba and cha-cha, or nightclub two-step and bolero, or nearly anything and West Coast Swing. Listen to music consciously, try to figure out what you would do with it. Listen to the percussion, the backbeat, the rhythm. Music is everywhere, so use it. Put music where you might otherwise put podcasts or talk radio or TV.

Almost all of the above relates to what comes before you actually lead anything, doesn't it? So now it's apparent just how complex this business of ballroom is.

The absolute minimum for competent leading is to know some figures, to have a decent frame, and to have good posture. If you want to improve your leading, look at those factors first. You will need feedback, so work with a very proficient social partner, or with a teacher - preferably, both.

And one last thing, to all my dear social dancers, both leaders and followers: if you think you have nothing to learn ... you are mistaken. Even the top professional competitors in the world continue to take coaching. What you've learned before is only the foundation for what you can do in the future.

coming attractions, part 2: technique for followers

My previous post had to do with leading, and I'm following that up (heh) more or less immediately because I'm hopeful this material might reach a few eyeballs prior to my classes on March 24 and 31.

What makes a good follower?

Since I learned to lead, I have learned that the single most common error ladies make is in their frame. A lot of ladies are pretty adept at following directional and visual leads. But it's my experience and belief that many ladies do not really follow weight change, position, or connection change leads. They can't, because they don't have a good frame.

Learning to lead exposed me to one of my own biggest errors, which was my failure to lift my left side. I was letting too much of my weight fall onto my partner's right arm (poor Mr. P!). This is epidemic among social dancers. I wouldn't be surprised if it's one reason a lot of guys sit out the waltz/foxtrot mixers; they are exhausting!

If you watch ballroom competitions, you may see that advanced ladies keep their left elbow off the man's arm entirely. They do this because it is their responsibility to hold up that arm. The left-side connection for the lady is through her hand connecting to the man's shoulder, and her back connecting to his hand.

To achieve a good frame, the lady should ideally find a partner amenable to practicing this exacting art. It's best to practice frame or connection separately from anything else. Once you know how it should feel, you should apply good frame science at all times. If you dance socially without applying good technique, your technique will start to crumble. Use it or lose it.

Having found a practice partner - and this does not have to be a man, ladies, though I'll refer to the leader as "he" for simplicity - experiment with the following techniques:

• Expand your back into the leader's right hand. Do this not by shifting your weight backward, but by slightly rounding the back. You want your shoulders to be parallel to his, your chest lifted, your lower abs engaged to lift the front of your pelvis, and your neck extended upward in a straight line from your upper back. Correct posture is essential to good connection. There should be a smooth, gentle arc from elbow to elbow, not a straight line or a pair of hard angles or, heaven forbid, a "W."
• Move your head further back. In smooth/standard, the backward and leftward poise of the lady's head is very pronounced, but even in rhythm/latin, your head should probably be back further than it is; it should never be forward over the chest. If it is, you are not only into your partner's dance space, but also, almost certainly, not connected to his right hand.
• Lift your left elbow entirely off the leader's arm. The elbow shouldn't be way up in the air, just not thumped down on top of the leader's arm. Connect lightly but firmly with your left hand on your leader's shoulder; for smooth/standard (except tango), this should be a v-shape around his arm between his deltoid and biceps muscles. For tango, place your hand horizontally at the back of his shoulder with the base of your thumb tucked into the shoulder crease. For rhythm/latin, place the hand flat on the front of the shoulder. In no dance except Argentine Tango should your hand be behind his neck or over the top of his shoulder.
• Lift your left side. For smooth/standard, the leftward poise should be exaggerated. It's not a matter of moving your weight to the left, but of lifting the left ribs on a diagonal away from your center, and shifting your head to continue that line. The reason for this is that smooth/standard dances involve a lot - A LOT - of side-leading and rotational moves in closed position. If your left side is neutral, you will be dragging your partner down and putting on the brakes. If your left side is lifted, you become very light and easy to maneuver.
• Keep your head to the left. For smooth/standard, it is easy to "drift" in front of your partner. If you do, you will block his forward movement and you probably will get stepped on. If you keep your head well to the left - looking out your "window" - you will stay in a correct dance position more easily. Note, if you do NOT keep your head to the left in smooth/standard, you will NOT be able to lift your left side, and basically the whole thing will be uncomfortable and messy.
• Keep your shoulders down. The arms should be supported not by pulling upward through your shoulders, but by sinking your shoulder blades into your mid back. The shoulder blades can then act as brackets for the shoulders. Engaging your latissimus muscles will help you develop a shapely and more flexible back, plus relieve shoulder and neck fatigue.
• Activate connection to the leader's left hand. Your right hand should be upright, at your eye level, with your elbow draping down. You'll note this requires that your arms are not in the same position. Both elbows should stay in front of your rib cage at all times, in all dances, but the left elbow will be lifted and the right elbow is not. The right hand should lightly but firmly press against the palm of the leader's hand.
• Maintain your dance space. By keeping the elbows in front of your ribs, your body will respond to his. If you let your right arm collapse behind you as the leader moves toward you, you have lost your frame and connection and will not follow well. If your left elbow winches back behind you as, for example, you go into promenade, then again you have lost your connection to the leader's right hand and are now following visually - or else are being pushed/pulled down the line.

So what do you do if the leader is "wrong"?

I'm sorry, ladies, but in social dancing, there is no "wrong." There is correct and incorrect, but that's different. Socially, a man can lead whatever he wants. If he doesn't know his figures, if his leading technique is unpleasant, if he crowds you, or cranks your arm, or lets his hand wander up and down your back instead of keeping it where it belongs, you have every right to say NO the next time he asks you to dance. But as long as you're dancing with him, try to get the most out of the experience by using this otherwise unrewarding three minutes to practice your technique.

Note: nearly all of the above tips apply to leaders as well. I have danced with dozens of leaders, and I can assure you that many do not hold up their own frames, do not keep their heads back, do not keep their elbows in front of their ribs, do not keep their shoulders down. A leader who does not consistently practice good posture, frame and connection himself is certainly in no position to criticize or "teach" his partners.

The hard truth is that while a lot of responsibilities lie with the leaders - traffic control/floorcraft and deciding what to dance chief among these - it is the follower's responsibility to control her own movement. If you have a good frame, you will be able to follow. If you don't ... you won't. You may get where he wants you, but maybe not with the degree of grace and agility you would like. However, as long as we followers are dancing with correct technique, we will be equipped to follow almost anything, with greater confidence and without anxiety or discomfort.

coming attractions, part 1: leading & following

The next couple of Wednesdays, I'll be teaching "basic lead and follow" at Ballroom by the Bay. This is by request of a couple of the regular dancers, and I'm interested in seeing how many people show up for the class; it's not the usual thing at a social group like this.

It came up when I asked a guy "what do you think the men would most like me to teach?" The answer was, teach the ladies how to follow! Then I turned to his partner and asked "what do you think the ladies would most like me to teach?" To which the answer was ... teach the men how to lead!

So, just so you know, this did not come about by me watching the dancers and thinking, Oy.

Where does one start in teaching lead/follow? With connection, of course. It's one of the most important, and most difficult, elements of dancing. A friend of ours with a new partner says despite all their combined years of dancing - and they are both extremely proficient - the problem they have most often in their dancing is connection. Same goes for Mr. P and me.

The whole point of a lead is to move your partner's body. It is not to move just your partner's hand. So obviously, connection has to come first. Connection is the subtle but all-encompassing awareness that permits two separate people to move as a single unit. It is what causes a lady to release her right foot and prepare to step back in response to nothing more than the leader moving his left ribs forward.

There are five different types of lead. All require excellent connection. They are:

• Weight change. This is literally a lead by moving your weight from one foot to another.
• Visual. This is the type of lead required when you are not holding onto your partner.
• Direction. This is when you use hand and arm movements to direct your partner.
• Position. This is when you change your dance position ("shape").
• Orientation. This is my term for a change in the connection, when you alter the leverage or compression of your connection in order to initiate a new action.

A good example of the first type of lead, weight change, occurs in the basic box. The frame, dance position, hand positions, etc., do not change; the only thing that changes is that the leader moves from one foot to another changing weight. The couple has to be connected in order for the leader to convey, and the follower to detect, a weight change.

You would think this is the simplest possible lead - and in fact it is, but only if the connection is good. If the partners are simply standing in dance position without any tone, they are not going to feel each other's bodies move. The guy can do a box step and the lady can just stand there, waiting to feel something happen. A leader without good connection achieves a box step by the lady knowing what she's supposed to do, as opposed to being led to do it.

An example of a visual lead occurs in an open walkaround turn, or in the "chase turns" in salsa/mambo/cha-cha. The leader initiates a turn with his body, the follower sees what he's doing, and does the same (or mirror-image) action on her side. Visual leads are crucial when dancing apart, as in championship-level competition; even though the partners may be using choreography, the exact sequence and alignment are subject to change in an instant based on traffic patterns. The partners must constantly be aware of each other and use visual connection to maintain their positions.

Examples of a directional lead occur in many, many figures, from underarm turns to crossover breaks, open breaks, shoulder checks, etc. The leader changes the position of his leading arm (always leading from the hand closest to the center of the couple, which is typically the hand closest to the lady's body) to indicate a new direction for the follower. The directional lead is actually the simplest lead - it's pretty hard to not follow when the leader sends his hand somewhere - but requires the leader to always think ahead. You can't send the hand *after* the follower needs to move; the lead has to happen before the desired action.

A positional lead occurs in such figures as outside-partner breaks, twinkles, promenades, spirals, spot turns, continuity turns such as natural and reverse turns, streamlines, and others, all of which require a change of "shape" or dance position. Figures requiring a change of hand position also qualify, because a change of hand position typically accompanies change of dance position. An example is a cross-body lead; the leader lowers his left hand as he steps back, then changes dance position to right-angle position, keeps the left hand down as he leads the lady across, then returns the hand to its usual height as he changes his shape to closed position. Obviously, this type of lead fails entirely if the leader's usual hand position is inconsistent, so that's something to think about.

Finally, there is orientation, and it's kind of sneaky to call these a separate type of lead because really, ALL leads require a change of connection. But for really advanced dancers, minute changes in the degree of leverage or compression are used to initiate movements. Think of it as a change of the leader's orientation from a neutral plane to forward, back, side, or diagonal: it is not so much that his body moves as that his energy shifts into a new direction, which the body follows. Examples are the basic figures of West Coast Swing; the leader ideally initiates the actions not by stepping back, but by increasing his leverage, his backward poise, so that the lady can begin moving forward before his foot has moved. She has a much greater distance to travel, so he needs to give her the cue before he places his foot, or she is always in a hurry to "catch up."

I'll say it one more time: all leads require connection. That is something that every dancer has to discover, establish, and refine for him- or herself, and it is different with every partner. However, the five types of leads can all be learned by practice, quite apart from connection. A leader can learn to clearly change weight, to give his follower a clear visual cue when they're dancing apart, to simplify hand positions, to clarify dance positions (body shape), to direct his follower by moving his body first.

The first goal of a leader should be to make his partner comfortable. The first goal of a follower should be to make her partner feel that he's succeeded. The mutual goal of the couple is to have as much fun as possible. Learning good lead/follow technique can go a long way to making these goals achievable.

Coming up: following!

thoughts, provoked

I really love dance in all its forms.  I'll read or watch pretty much anything I can find about dance, and often I find it relates to other material I'm developing.

We recently watched a three-part miniseries on Ovation called "Dance School: Juilliard," which was basically a non-fiction version of "Center Stage."  It was a very talky program and not really made for anyone but true dance fans, but I'm glad to have seen it.  Among the many thought-provoking comments made by the dancers, teachers, and choreographers interviewed for the show were the following:

"Dance happens Everywhere."  - William Forsythe, choreographer.  No comment needed on this.

[I used to be attracted to sports, but dance has] "a much broader range of ... the definition of success." - a Juilliard senior.

I wrote down that second comment because it rang one of my bells.  I'm not proficient in any style of dance other than ballroom, but even in my field, there are so many ways to be a good dancer.

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Among the fifteen students interviewed for the program (there were sixteen in the senior class, but one declined to be interviewed), there was a common tendency to be extremely romantic in their view of dance - as something that they were "meant to do," that gives their life meaning, that they can't live without - while at the same time they are extremely pragmatic about the difficulty of the dance life. 

Every one of the seniors appeared well aware that their window of opportunity to join a dance company or otherwise become well-known and fully-employed in the industry would basically close within a year of their graduation - because by then, another class of top-notch dancers would be on the market.  Not only that, the anticipated lifespan of their full employment as dancers was fully expected to expire in about ten years.

I would love to see a really in-depth look at professional dancing as a part of professional athletics.  There's not so much difference between theatrical dancers and basketball players, after all; most who make it as professionals do so by working on their athletic skills to the exclusion of almost everything else.  The scholar-athlete is an extremely rare creature, and the scholar-athlete with a balanced personal life is nearly mythical.

And yet, the differences are many.  The dancer, once his or her performance career is over, is not very likely to have been paid one million dollars even over ten years, while the professional ball player may be paid millions every season.  The dancer may have only ten possible places of employment in the entire world, while the ball player has dozens of potential teams just in the U.S.

On the flip side, a dancer is not likely to suffer a catastrophic injury, or to get into an armed dispute outside a nightclub and end up in prison.  The dancer also has the very real and achievable post-performance career path of teaching open to him or her.  An ex-ballplayer typically can't start up his own baseball or basketball school (although maybe some of them should).  Many dancers are also temperamentally well-suited to professions such as yoga or Pilates teaching, physical therapy or massage, which is not the post-professional path expected for the typical ex-ballplayer.

The world is a little less hard on ballroom dancers, at least now that the old Lawrence Welk Show stereotypes have faded.  It's not impossible to take up ballroom dancing in mid-life and become a professional!  That can't happen for ballet or jazz or tap or even hip-hop dancers; if you're not there by the time you're out of college (if you even go to college), your body simply won't have what it takes.  And while the composition of theatrical dance companies is definitely changing, most companies and most choreography are still built on the bodies of the young.

For those of us who have taken other paths, I guess the idea to take away is to be both romantic and pragmatic about our choices.  There's nothing wrong with following your dream, and loving every minute of it - as long as you're prepared for the day when, inevitably, it ends.

getting fit, for its own sake

I can't even count the number of badly-written or misleading fitness/health articles I've printed off the Web and stuffed into my "blog this" folder.  One I've been carrying around because it's such a prime example of irresponsible editing was published February 4, 2010 by LiveScience on msnbc.com and was titled, "Is exercise worth your time? Genes tell."

On one level, I'm grateful that fitness/health articles get written at all.  But knowing that the majority of news consumers are not critical readers or thinkers - that is, people are predisposed to believe what they read, not to assume they need to consider the context, authorship, or veracity of what they're reading (that is, not skeptical like me) - I just wish that writers and editors would not go out of their way to put a bias on news pieces.

In this case, what primarily offends is the title.  "Is exercise worth your time? Genes tell."  Someone glancing at that title might think, great!  Another excuse to not work out.  Or they might think, great!  Another reason my workouts aren't doing any good.  But this article is about only one measure of fitness, and perhaps more to the point, a measure that is of concern mostly to elite athletes: the VO2 max, or aerobic capacity.  As the article says in paragraph 2, "This is a measure of how much blood your heart pumps and how much oxygen your muscles consume when they constrict to, say, move your legs on a treadmill."

VO2 max, then, very simply is a measurement of total blood volume moved, and total oxygen transferred, by the heart through the blood vessels to the muscles during exercise.  It is not a measure of any other potential effect of exercise.  It doesn't account for calorie burn, weight loss, strength gain, muscular remodeling, blood lipids or blood sugar management, agility, flexibility, balance, bone mass retention or gain, organ function (aside from cardiovascular), or any of the other things exercise is known to improve.  And it's not even something that the average person can measure.

Most people don't train to reach a maximum blood volume/oxygen transfer.  Most people train to look and feel well, to improve their sports performance, to lose weight, or just because they enjoy it.  The article, which references a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology, does say that "exercise has benefits, regardless of whether or not a person can improve aerobic capacity."  But the study is looking at genetic factors that may minimize the effectiveness of training to improve VO2 max, specifically.  And these factors do exist. 

Does this mean that exercise isn't worth your time?  OF COURSE IT DOESN'T.  So why would they even put that question in the article's title?  I'll tell you why: to draw eyeballs.  The editors don't care if you read the whole thing.  They don't care if you understand the difference between VO2 max and general fitness.  They just want a click through on the headline for their page-view count.

VO2 max is just like maximum extensibility, which I've written about before.  It is a maximum level of a physical capacity, that is determined in part by physiological genetics - the instruction booklet for your body's assembly - and in part by your activity level and health in childhood.  If you have polio, your maximum extensibility will be affected; if you have pneumonia or pertussis, your VO2 max will be affected.  If you're completely inactive as a child, both will be affected.

This is NOT, however, to say that these capacities - or any other physical capacities - are impervious to renovation.  Plenty of studies show that people well into their 80s can improve stamina, flexibility, agility, balance, and strength - and mental function.  While your maximum limits of achievement in fitness may be to some extent predetermined, your potential for improvement is not.

Most of us never even approach our maximum achievement, for any physical (or mental) capacity.  Most of us coast through life using a mere fraction of our potential.

So please, don't use the latest sensational headline as anything more than a moment's diversion.  Don't let some obscure study on some arcane measurement influence your motivation to get fit and stay fit.  We feel better, we work better, we love better, we think better, when we're fit.  

We have the power to get up and walk/bike/swim/dance/lift weights/do yoga/climb rocks/insert activity here.  Yes, some people are compressed by their life circumstances into little tiny boxes in which they literally cannot move.  But if we're honest, that's very few of us.  (See: Paralympics.)  If we are not fit, it is nearly always because we have chosen not to do the activities that would make us so.  That means we are choosing not to have the full experience of life that we could have.

Fitness is a lifelong practice, and our approaches to it can - and should - change more or less constantly as we go through life.  The one thing we cannot do, if we want to have anything approaching a full and healthy life, is nothing.

the economics of social dancing

I love people who dance.  Let me say that right off the bat.  The vast majority are fun-loving, friendly, good-hearted people.  But I've been involved in the dance world for going on thirteen years now, and there is a tendency among social dancers that I want to call out.  And that is, a sense of entitlement.

Folks, we love putting on dances for you.  But it costs: either in money, or in time.  There is not a single social dance venue in Los Angeles that couldn't be making more money doing something else.  That means putting on social dances involves some sacrifice, and that needs to be respected.

Show me the Money

Take Ballroom by the Bay, for example.  I have taught numerous group classes there, as have instructors from By Your Side, in Culver City, and other studios.  None of us has received payment.

The hosts at BBTB do it for free.  The DJ does it for free.  The people who help with setup, cleanup, and security do it for free.  The dance admission is only $10, and for that you get a light snack, a free lesson, hours of dancing to well-chosen music in a very nice, not-inexpensive-to-rent facility.  No venue could do this as a for-profit endeavor.  Most for-profit venues that offer any dancing at all provide only a small dance floor and make money on food and drink sales on top of an admission fee.

The same goes for USA Dance.  The chapter spends a LOT of money to rent that big venue.  Consequently, their admission fee is a little higher.  But all of the work going into those dances - and there are over a dozen people working through each dance, not even counting the planning time - is done for free.

Dance studios generally provide a monthly (sometimes more frequent) social or "practice" dance.  Usually these are open to the public.  In no case does the studio owner make enough money from admissions to pay for his time, an instructor's time - often there is a lesson preceding general dancing - refreshments, setup/cleanup, and security.  The studio could be offering private lessons, group classes, or event rentals during that time.  They provide social dances as a way of fostering a dance community for the students and the public.  It is marketing, but it's a loss leader.

Group classes in general are set up for social dancers.  Once people are interested in competition or showcase dancing, they go into private lessons.  That is where studios make their money.  Some studios specialize in competition coaching to the exclusion of everything else; they may have practice hours, but the people on the floor aren't dancing for fun; they're dancing their competition routines.  Other studios are closed systems (like the big chains), which have their own competition circuits, closed studio parties, and other events.  These studios don't even try to draw "outsiders" for social events.

The studios who do are most often independent.  A studio owner is typically only one of several instructors working in the space.  He or she has to do all the work of running the business in addition to leading group classes and teaching private lessons.  Most of the other instructors are not employees, but independent contractors.  Every time one of these professionals gives an hour or two or three to host a social event, he or she is working, for you, for free - and what is more, he or she is giving up either income or personal time.  That preliminary lesson may serve as marketing for the instructor, but it's still a time cost.

Social Economics

The social dancers who attend these events - whether in a studio or in a public venue like Ballroom by the Bay - come from a range of backgrounds.  You may not be interested in the lesson on a particular night.  You may not choose to dance in the mixer.  But I'm asking you to please respect the hosts and the other dancers. 

If you don't care to participate in lessons, come later in the evening.  If you want to get there early, but not take the lesson, please keep your conversational volume down while the lesson is in progress.  Even if the instructor is amplified, there will be people in the class who miss instructions if there's other noise in the room.

If the hosts provide a show - of ANY kind, even if it's a first-time performance from a couple that's only been dancing a few months - please don't talk through it.  It's extremely nerve-wracking, for all but the most seasoned professionals, to do a performance.  All we really want to hear is the music and some applause. 

If professionals can hear your conversations while performing - or while teaching - it's going to affect their willingness to come back and support the hosts.  The hosts cannot continue to improve these events in the absence of professional support.  It's what's called "social capital," and we can't afford to squander it.

So please, respect your hosts.  Respect the professionals who contribute to social dance events.  Respect the fact that everyone involved is giving up their time, and sometimes their money, to provide a fun social dance experience for you.

Ask not what your dance hosts can do for you ...

It is always okay to ask social dance hosts for services that aren't currently provided.  If they can find a way, they'll generally try to get their dancers everything they can.  But take criticism off the table.  Don't complain about the dance, especially to people who have never attended. 

If you've had a bad night, of course you can - and probably should - mention it to one of the hosts; if it's because of something they can fix, don't you think they'll try?  Of course they will.

It is a fact that in any organization run by volunteers, a very few people end up doing a very large proportion of the work.  If you regularly attend non-profit social dances, help out where you can.  If you like the lesson that's been provided, sign up for a private with the instructor.  Bring chips or cookies or TP one night.  Take an hour to watch the door.  Or just contribute an extra $20 once in a while.

But the biggest and best helps you can give to social dance organizers are simply to show up, to dance with joy, to recommend the event to your friends, to bring guests, and to speak well of the organizers and your fellow dancers. 

Think of everything that goes into putting on a dance, and appreciate the fact that other people are doing it.  See you on the dance floor!

foiled again ... but undeterred

Well, drat.

Mr. P was SO unwell that competing wasn't really an option.  So once again, High Desert is over, and we didn't get to dance.  This means that I am extremely motivated to prepare for our next outing, the Orange Blossom Ball (www.orangeblossomball.com) .

Insert commercial:

If you enjoy Dancing with the Stars, if you enjoy social ballroom dancing, and/or if you would rather support DanceSport than, say, wrestling - I encourage you to drive to Riverside on April 3.  The Orange Blossom Ball is a very well-run event with little downtime and a wide range of competitions.  Last year they had syllabus and open events for all age groups, a spectacular professional show in the evening, and even a little time for general dancing. 

Spectator tickets are only $15 for the whole day.  A preliminary schedule has now been posted.  AND if you want to participate, you can still enter!  For those traveling to Riverside the night before, there is even a social dance on Friday 4/2.

I really highly recommend the Orange Blossom Ball for any of the following:

• USA Dance members interested in showcase or competition dancing
• USA Dance board members interested in organizing showcases or competitions
• NDCA competitors interested in polishing routines for the Emerald Ball
• USA Dance competitors interested in polishing routines for the Nationals
• Ballroom enthusiasts who want to support our sport
• Parents or friends of competitors - we respond well to applause and cheering!
• Fans of DWTS who want to see what real DanceSport looks like

Anyway, there you go.  We'll be there.

Back to the High Desert

Tonight the High Desert Dance Classic kicks off, with salsa and West Coast Swing events and workshops.  Tomorrow there's ballroom/latin and more swing.  Tomorrow and Sunday there's also the Dancing Feet finals for the Antelope Valley public schools' participating 6th and 7th graders.  This is a terrific program and I'm proud to be associated with it.

Per family tradition, Mr. P and I have both gotten sick this week.  I am blaming it partly on the accumulation of pathogens we've both been exposed to from sick co-workers, clients, and friends, plus our personal failure to get out in the sun more over the winter.  This is something we really know we should be doing, and yet we don't.  The most sun I get on the average day is what comes blazing through my windshield as I drive to work.

However, I'm making a vow, right here and now, to break this tradition next year!  Next winter, I'm gonna get out in the fresh air and sunshine.  It's not like we don't have plenty of it.  This is the fourth year in a row I've gotten sick in March, and I'm sick of it!  Phooey!  Done!

And in this defiant spirit, I fully intend to drag poor wheezy Mr. P out on the competition floor tomorrow and do our waltz-tango-foxtrot.  We need it for practice, if nothing else, and an interesting physical effect I've noticed of moderate exercise such as dancing is that it clears up my congestion for as long as I keep moving.

If there is anyone out there still waffling about what to do, dance-wise, this weekend, I do urge you to pick up your car tires and wheel them out to Antelope Valley College.  There are workshops all day, competitions to watch, and plenty of general dancing.  It's fun, it's cheap, and the weather is supposed to be perfect.  After all the rain we've had, the drive out is awfully pretty, too.  Come join us!  For more information, visit www.highdesertdanceclassic.com.