Jonathan Tullett

After a snatched bowl of cereal for dinner (I was running really late!), I headed down to Bromley Civic Centre for the weekly lesson.

Sandra returned this week, instructing the level2s. She should be back for good now, which is great!

The lesson didn’t start so well – looking around, there were 9 guys and 3 girls; cue concerned looks from a couple of the guys who had the same experience a couple of weeks previously.

We went through some footwork so Sandra could see what standard people were at before moving onto partner work. During this footwork, Deborah leveled-up 4 more girls from the beginners class. Excellent!

We started the choreography, looking at cross body w/men’s left turn, lady’s right, exchange position, two handed lady’s right. Straight forward stuff.

Sandra was in a difficult position this class. 50% of the people had been to many of the lessons (at this level) and are competent in the above moves (and many others), but in the last two of weeks, six or seven beginners have moved up, and most of this is new to them. The obvious options are:
1. Cater for the new arrivals.
2. Target the more experienced people, and have the new people struggle (and possibly get disheartened).

The decision was made to go for option 1, which meant the new people were challenged, and the others weren’t (but everyone got to dance!) Despite finding the class very easy, I think it was the right choice – it won’t take long for the new people to get up to speed, and then we have a fully populated class where everyone’s of a similar standard – a win for all. As the girls rotated, I suggested to some that they attend the level 1.5 class at 1930 which will help them get up to speed quicker. I think at least some of them will.

Roll on next week.

Yesterday, our usual salsa lesson had been taken over; we were to be taught Bachata instead.

While people who had danced it before were taught by some guest dancers (trying to find their names from old emails, but failing), the beginners were to be taught by Imogen.

Imogen was my first contact in Salsa. When I was looking for a teacher, a Google search came up with her. She wasn’t in a position to take on personal clients, so pointed me in Mark’s direction. The rest, as they say, is history :). She’s also always behind the deck on Tuesday. This meant that until last night I had never, ever, seen her dance. I was beginning to wonder if she could…

Anyway, the lesson was packed. I estimate around 40 people in the beginners class, and roughly equal numbers of men/women; a good crowd.

We learned the very basics: side stepping, back and forward, and a couple of turns (the ‘basket turn’, and a 360 to the left and right (for both) and a 360 alternating m/w led by the man), putting them together into a routine.

Despite a few wrong footings, I got most of what was being taught. It was fun.

The music they had playing, compared to the salsa, has more bass. And I enjoyed it more (perhaps that’s a throwback from the years of clubbing to doof doof?), though the dancing has far too much wiggling for my liking :)

It was commented, again, that I never hang around for social dancing afterward, and I used the same, ‘it’s my work’ excuse. That’s true, but there’s hesitation in asking work for an occasional late start due to lack of confidence in my dancing abilities. In a classic catch-22, it’s almost certainly the practicing which will build the confidence. I need to do something about that.

Oh, and yes, Imogen can dance, and do a decent closed-partner hold when 4+ months pregnant. Impressive.

That time of the week again.

Due to over exertion on Monday evening, I wasn’t sure my foot was going to be up to an hour of prancing, but I didn’t want to miss another week so headed along to the class. Same as last week, I skipped the ‘brigding the gap’ class with Mark and only attended the improvers class, this week with Jim as the teacher.

A number of girls had leveled-up from the beginners (cue suitable gamer geek level-up sound effects), and the ratio of men-women was far better than last week – 8:6. With Jim doing a credible impression of a girl, only one person sat out on each rotation.

The routine introduced a couple of new pieces, and this week’s was:
mambo, cross-body open, lady’s right turn, men’s half left (while keeping hold of the hands), hand swap leading to another half left, head comb to close position, cross body.

All the dances were fun, everyone smiling and having a good time. I was complimented on my lead a couple of times, and one partner was disappointed when we had to rotate and she got someone else; that does wonders for self confidence :)

After being unsure last time I had Jim as a teacher, I’m now convinced. His way of breaking down the steps works for me, and he’s a real enthusiasm for teaching, and obviously cares that his students are picking things up. Hopefully I’ll see more of him.

Roll on next week, wherein Mark will be demonstating his new l33t CSS skills, and I’ll be avoiding conversations about old shows on Channel 4.

My first lesson after going to Peru and after my failed attempt last week when I got a puncture on route to the hall.

I skipped Mark’s ‘bridging the gap’ class as I wasn’t feeling confident enough, and took the opportunity to grab thirty minutes kip before heading out. Errands being run before, and completing much quicker than expected, meant I arrived at the halls 30 mins before the lesson was meant to start. I took the opportunity to have a lengthy chat with Imogen.

Due to scheduling conflicts with the usual teacher(s), we had a new couple teaching this week, Mike and Mel.

When the class started, it was apparent that during my near eight week haitus, my entire class had moved up a level, meaning new people to meet and dance with. Awesome. But that, unfortunately, was the best bit of the lesson.

The routine being taught was:
Cross-body inside turn, copa check (aka, in-and-out), head comb, cross body, copa-check variation (not checking the hip, maintaining hand contact, leading out with the right), guy’s half turn, girl’s turn/guy’s half turn.

The main problem was the boy to girl ratio. There were three girls initially, and seven guys. After about thirty minutes, one of the girls dropped out, meaning a 6:2 ratio. This resulted in tired women (who didn’t have a break at all) and a lot of bored guys.

This could have been alleviated somewhat if Mel had danced more with the students (she did for perhaps 5 turns, but for the rest of the hour, danced only with Mike). It would have been almost perfect if Mike had too (given all the other instructors I’ve had could do both the guys and girls moves), but no, apparently it was more important for them to demonstrate the moves continuously so we had something to follow. On that basis, I don’t know how classes with only one teacher cope…

Secondly, it was a real struggle to hear Mike talk. Initially I thought it was just my problematic hearing, but after the third person had approached and said they couldn’t hear, I knew it was a more general issue.

Something positive to say about the teaching: Mike, when I could hear him, communicated the moves along with timing in a way I understood, breaking down what happens on what beat etc. I liked that.

Overall I left feeling frustrated and disappointed with the evening. If things aren’t better next week, I’ll take a couple of private classes from Mark, and jump up to his class. I told him this, well, what I actually said was, ‘I’ll probably grab a couple of your privates in the next week or so.’ Freudian slip? I’ll admit to nothing ;)

After a four week absence caused by a mixture of work sending me to Texas, and then getting sick, I had a lesson last night.

Four weeks is a long time when you’re a beginner. I’d forgotten a few steps, but was kindly reminded by Mark (who was wearing a very fetching cap – a clear sign he was having a bad hair day)

We worked on finishes today, ie, how to work the end of the song. It was hard, we did a number of finishes based around spot turns, cross body open and lastly cross body inside pivot turns.

The basic moves were fine, but getting the timing right for the end of a song wasn’t. We wer given four bars of eight to do some moves and then do a finish, and I couldn’t do it. At all. Grr. When I’m back to dancing on a usual schedule, I’ll get more of a feel for it, I’m sure.

Interestingly, there were double the number of men than women in that class. Worst ratio since I started.

Sandra was off this week (and has apparently been off the last couple too), and in her replacement was Jim. He has a very different teaching style to Sandra, and it took a while to warm to it, but once I’d got over the fact that he’d tell us one thing and then demonstrate it, but with completely different foot work, it was all good :)

We the following routine, very simple: basic, crossbody inside pivot turn, break, spot turn. The focus was on the lead for the inside pivot turn – this time using the change of hand grip rather than leading with the left.

Unfortuntely I’m now to have another three week absence as I go visit sunnier climates while trying to avoid turning into a pig. Oink. Normal service will resume upon my return.

A quick update this week, and this is the likely format from now on.

Mark’s class:
We concentrated on solo work, footwork to do when you’re separate from your partner. The routine for this was;
Double cross over, right turn, slide, 2 x spiral kick.

Put into a full routine, so it flows, we have:
Mambo, cross body open, lady’s right turn on the 5, with the hand being released, then the double cross, right turn, slide, 2x spiral kick.

What’s interesting this week is the guys picked it up easily, yet as we rotated, 3/4 of the women made comments about having no idea what they should be doing! I said they should say something to Mark, but they all said, and I quote, ‘no chance’. So I asked for a repeat; no point in people being in a class and not getting to grips with what’s being taught.

Sandra’s class:
Started with footwork practice, always useful – especially regarding the solo work we’d just been learning with Mark – and it allows the people who just come to this class to warm up and get into the flow :)

A good flowing routine this week, very enjoyable to learn:
Mambo, one for her, cross body inside pivot turn, right hand turn (m), right hand turn (f), mambo, cross body outside turn with a turn on the 6, right hand turn (m) w/hand switch behind the back, break, into an accent (f), then inside pivot turn, mambo.

So another excellent week, and I left feeling refreshed and very happy. I’m sad to be missing the next two weeks due to a work trip to Austin, but perhaps I’ll attend a class or two there.

Having missed last week’s lesson due to over-exertion at the weekend, I took a cheeky private on Monday evening. The purpose of this was two-fold: to consolidate what I’ve learned in the last few weeks, and to get an understanding of where my lead was weak (a critisism I received from one of the other students last class.)

That lesson went very well, and after a review of various moves, went onto pieces which I’d struggled with before Christmas. Happily, those have clicked too.

Fresh from that positive session, I attended the group classes, taught by Mark and Sandra from London Salsa, last Tuesday.

Mark’s class, Bridging The Gap, was first. There was a low turn out this week – perhaps 10 people in total – which was great. I can’t for the life of me remember the routine we did; will update later, if I can recall.

By the time Sandra’s class started, the hall was packed! There there about 25 people in hers, with even more than that in the beginners. A number had come up from the beginners class, and as such, the standard of dancing was variable.

The routine we learned was:
basic, cross body, 360, RH turn (f) going into a 180 turn turn (m), hand place on the shoulder, then a break, into a variation on the cross body, then a head comb, ending on a basic.

The lead on the break into the cross body didn’t feel natural for a while, though by the end of the night, it was down to pat.

For some reason, I was in a fantastic mood for the class (more so than usual!) and had an abundance of energy, so decided to stay on and do some social dancing after; practice the routines some more, try out some new stuff. I got home around 11pm. Work hurt the next day :)

This is the latest installment of my foray into the world of Salsa.

This week was the second week I’ve not had time for a disco-nap before the two hours of dancing, and I felt far better for it – the lessons have been straight forwards without me getting too tired! I think proper management of my Monday evenings is helping: ensuring an early night there and aiming for restful sleep is leaving me revitalised and prepared for the long night ahead.
Continue reading “Dancing Queen – 20090303″