Spinning

[stewart38]

I took a young lady dancing last night, her first ever time at ceroc.

After the beginners class and a refreshers class and what I would say a over enthusiastic taxi dancer who span her many times she felt very sick

So we left at about 9.30pm and she still felt queasy 60 mins later

She has done Salsa in the past but did like ceroc

Probably more aimed at ladies but did anyone feel dizzy the first few times they were spun.?? This is new to me , I get ‘dizzy’ if I spin more then 3 times but I don’t generally spin much. I know some women can be spun 10 times in a row and not seem to be effected.

Apart from me dancing with her exclusively and hardly spinning her would practice make it go away ??

Any ideas :sick:

[johnthehappyguy]

Hi Stewart,

I have tried to spin ( myself ) and do doubles. I find I get dizzy very quickly. :sick:

Things improved when a taxi-dancer helpfully reminded me to return myself, i.e. spin the other way.

I still can't spin well, but am concentrating on improving my dancing in other ways, so have abandoned doubles just now.

I do tend to lead a lot of spins, and turns, and have to discipline myself to try to keep balancing things out between clockwise and counter-clockwise turns.

It was very inspiring just before Christmas in Glasgow one tuesday, when I saw a chap, Rob or Rod :worthy: from Northern England ( danced with a woolly hat ).

His style was constantly turning the lady backwards and forwards, for almost the whole dance. His partner, a taxi dancer seemed to be loving it. What made it so good to watch was the variation in moves CW and CCW .

These are my observations, and I am afraid I don't know if they are much help.

Perhaps other forumites could comment on whether :-

If the man is constantly spinning one way, can you hi-jack a return ?


johnthehappyguy :nice:

[Trousers]

I do multiple rapid spins with the ladies.
Let me rephrase that . . . .
I do multiple rapid spins with the ladies that I dance with that can spin rapid multiples.

This lady would have to be very trusting or a very experienced Salsa-ite to be spun as much as you describe which in a way is a compliment I suppose. But I find you can not make a woman go around more than she wants to - her foot will come down for stability and that will be the end of the spin or worst case she will fall off the spin, stumble and you have to catch her.

But when you have wound her up clockwise you do need to unwind them anti-clockwise a bit. Some one told me that helps stop the dizzyness so I do it and haven't ever caused anyone to go home queasy - Not from the dancing anyhow.

But the big thing with spinning is 'spotting'
the spinner will look forward at something (probably at their partner) as long as possible whilst the body starts to turn and when the neck cant twist any more their head is whipped around as fast as possible (over taking the body in the process) back to the position where they can look forward again at the same spot. The body then will catch up with the head and start another spin ad infinitum.

This means the head is only spinning for very short times with rests between them. Thus their brain doesn't get all mushed in the process.

Thats wot the goodies do.

I have tried it and yes it works, yes its a learned skill, yes it's difficult to master and yes my decription of spotting is probably pants and I can feel a certain somebody typing a suitably cutting reply to my posting.

Every now and again there should be little spinning classes - Katy Baxter did it at one of her Rebel Yell all day events in Woking and the class was packed there must have been 150 people who wanted to know how to spin better and more confidently.

[Andy McGregor]

After the beginners class and a refreshers class and what I would say a over enthusiastic taxi dancer who span her many times she felt very sick

So we left at about 9.30pm and she still felt queasy 60 mins later

A couple of years ago when Ceroc Plus was Jive Bug* I was at their fleet venue and I actually had a partner rush off to throw up. And I'd hardly spun her at all :tears: For about the next hour I felt so guilty - then she found me and told me that she had been suffering with a stomach bug for the last few days and had thought she was better but obviously wasn't.

Maybe your friend had an upset stomach or was having an off day.

The other advice I think is useful is to stand up straight and look at your partner, especially, do not look at the floor :sick:

*Simon White is a great guy but I don't go to Ceroc Plus :tears: It's a long way and I can get my Big Mac meal much nearer :devil:

[Zebra Woman]

I love multiple spinning if I'm spotting then it would take a lot prob 6 for me to get dizzy. The spotting did take a bit of learning, I used to do it in my kitchen looking at my reflection in the cooker for as long as possible. I also practiced double spins that way. Smooth shoes are important though, I once practised on grass and really hurt my knee.

If the multiple spins are rapid then my spotting collapses and I will get dizzy much more quickly, but because of the speed of them I can do more before falling over (maybe 17 or so). I like to go to the limit and then be thrown into a really deep drop to recover.

That is my absolute favourite thing, the feeling of lightheadedness spinning and the rush of blood to the head in the drop. :drool: But I have to say I know a lot of other women not so keen on this :sick: :sick: .

Luckily I have never been led into a move that actually involves me moving my feet after all that spinning....although I feel sure someone is going to try that now. :devil:

Some songs have divine places for rapid spinning eg. Benny Benasi - Satisfaction , Darude - Sandstorm.

Or multiple accents in the music, I like to spin and spot on the accents where possible. Debelah Morgan - Dance With Me has a bit where she sings '...dance dance dance....' obviously that's good for 3 :rolleyes: . If I'm led to do them that's fab but if not I may try and do them anyway. :devil:

ZW :flower:

[Sparkles]

The best piece of advice I can give about spinning is 'spotting the room'. The problem with spinning is that it makes you disorientated, and that can lead to the sick feeling. The trick is to know where abouts in the room you are so focus on a fixed point and after each revolution make sure your eyes fix on it again - this can be achieved by turning your head faster than the rest of your body. This is the technique taught to ballet dancers and it really works.
In MJ, because the dancefloors are so packed in it's hard sometimes to fix on a point on the wall because it's obscured by dancing bodies :rolleyes:, I quite often use my partner as a reference point, so as long as he stays (relatively) still, it's easy for me to spin without feeling sick or losing my balance.
I hope that helps :flower:
S. x

[Sparkles]

I love multiple spinning if I'm spotting then it would take a lot prob 6 for me to get dizzy. The spotting did take a bit of learning, I used to do it in my kitchen looking at my reflection in the cooker for as long as possible. I also practiced double spins that way. Smooth shoes are important though, I once practised on grass and really hurt my knee...

Great minds, eh ZW?! :cheers:

[Andreas]

I love spinning myself and my partner - lots. There is only one move at the moment that gets me really dizzy after only a few repetitions and that is the tumble dryer. However, it has not always been like that. I have good and bad days. When I started dance I was REALLY bad at it. :whistle:

[stewart38]

Maybe your friend had an upset stomach or was having an off day.


:

I think it maybe that. I hope so

[Graham]

Probably more aimed at ladies but did anyone feel dizzy the first few times they were spun.?? This is new to me , I get ‘dizzy’ if I spin more then 3 times but I don’t generally spin much. I know some women can be spun 10 times in a row and not seem to be effected.

Apart from me dancing with her exclusively and hardly spinning her would practice make it go away ??

Any ideas :sick:
I have a female friend who tried Ceroc and had the same reaction - she just got sick/dizzy from spinning. She dances Salsa instead. I think there are a small minority of people who simply can't spin, although for most people the tips already given will help a lot.

[MartinHarper]

Undetected ear infections are another cause of balance loss.

[Mary]

Spinning technique is a whole vast topic on it's own. Amir once wrote a piece on his website about spinning which went into the physiology of spinning and the effect the fluid in our eardrums swishing about has amongst other things - useful read if you ever come across it (or ask him for it).

I would say 'spotting' is the first criteria, a good lead by the man helps the lady stay on balance (along with frame, posture etc), and most of all practise, practise, practise like anything else. After several multiple spins a return spin the other way really helps!!!

For first timers to MJ/Ceroc the fact that the ladies are having to spin from the word go does cause a bit of a problem with a large number of the ladies. I always think this should be taken into account in the beginners review classes. Indeed some beginners have complained about feeling a little ill from all the spinning. A lot of reassurance and a couple of simple tips hopefully stops them from being put off.

Hmm. Maybe some mention of spinning should be introduced in the beginners class? Just a thought. (this may already happen at some venues so apologies if I am making assumptions)

M

[Andreas]

I would say 'spotting' is the first criteria

I agree only with reservations. If I spin you fast then you'll have not the hint of a chance to spot. Spotting works mostly for spins that you control yourself. In assisted spins it only works well if you do single speed spins. As soon as it gets faster your spotting points will rotate with you ;)

[bigdjiver]

I cannot remember where I read this, apologies if it was on this forum. Some ladies wobble when they first try spinning. It is alleged, and I believe, that wearing a skirt, preferably with a heavy hem, will help stabilise them. It is the same principle as a spinning top.

[Yliander]

If the multiple spins are rapid then my spotting collapses and I will get dizzy much more quickly, but because of the speed of them I can do more before falling over (maybe 17 or so). I like to go to the limit and then be thrown into a really deep drop to recover.

That is my absolute favourite thing, the feeling of lightheadedness spinning and the rush of blood to the head in the drop. :drool: But I have to say I know a lot of other women not so keen on this :sick: :sick: .

I have very little trouble spinning - and generally only get dizzy when i go well into double figures.

the reason that the dip helps you recover from all the spinning is that it in effect resets your inner ear - stops the fluid in your ear from continuing to spin after the body has stopped. It doesn't have to even be a very deep dip - a small sharp dip will have the same effect.

spotting can be a great help - but really only works with faster spins - I find that i tend to spin to fast for slower music when I spot - on a social dance floor the best thing to use as your spot reference is your partner - is likely to be the most stable visiual reference in your immediate area.

another key thing - for spinning is look up - if you look down - even the most skilled of dancers will become dizzy.

[Zebra Woman]

I cannot remember where I read this, apologies if it was on this forum. Some ladies wobble when they first try spinning. It is alleged, and I believe, that wearing a skirt, preferably with a heavy hem, will help stabilise them. It is the same principle as a spinning top.

Yes I think a skirt helps me to spin. I started wearing a short circular skirt that flew up (and helped stabilise my spins) and then found I was led into more and more single and double spins :whistle: , so I got to practise them more.

Not sure if there is a chicken and egg thing going on there :rolleyes:
To this day, I notice the difference between spinning in a skirt and trousers. I definitely feel a gyroscopic effect in a skirt. :grin:

[DavidY]

Yes I think a skirt helps me to spin. ~SNIP~
I definitely feel a gyroscopic effect in a skirt. :grin:I think it was Franck who pointed out that the same effect applies when wearing a kilt. :whistle:

[bigdjiver]

One thing I have found upsets some ladies is class routines where the return is dropped off a spinny move because it is being used as the start of the next one. This means that they are subjected to many turns in the same direction in a short space of time whilst practising the move. I have seen ladies abandon the class because of this.
They have no problem with the move itself, they can manage a coupole of spins, even without a return, it is just the accumulated effect of multiple run-throughs.

[RogerR]

Some girls spin more comfortably ( Nikki Haslam :drool: ) than others , and each may prefer more or less spinning with their mood. The comfort zone may increase with practise.

To increase the comfort of spinning the first thought is UP! --posture up and head up, then the spin is about a familiar axis and far less distressing than if facing down to the floor. A lead above the spin axis helps --stirring unstabilises a spin. Spotting is a learnable skill and often helps. The confidence that -- my partner can lead me and can and will support me as required -- will allow a girl to spin to her limit. after a few weeks girls are good at determining whether the lead they are following can be trusted.

[foxylady]

I have very little trouble spinning - and generally only get dizzy when i go well into double figures.

Ditto. There is chap at the jive bar who constantly tries to spin me until I fall over, but I pride myself on him getting bored before I get dizzy !!
Can't manage more than a double free spin but thats technique rather than dizziness. Would love to learn to do multiple free spins.



another key thing - for spinning is look up - if you look down - even the most skilled of dancers will become dizzy.

Noticed this on Tuesday. Was doing repeated shoulder rolls (?) into a dip (can't remember what it was called), but the act of ducking my head to go under the guys arm made the subsequent spin much less clean (it didn't help that the floor was sticky too). It only worked when I remembered to bring my head up very quickly after the turn.

Foxy

[Mary]

Try doing a full spin upside down in a back somersault (called a full twisting back somersault) - took me ages to get it, but I only needed to get it right once and I had the feel of it and it was easy - just don't know why it took so long!!!!! :what: :wink:

M

[Lynn]

I have a female friend who tried Ceroc and had the same reaction - she just got sick/dizzy from spinning. She dances Salsa instead. I haven't done loads of salsa, but from what I have done and seen others doing isn't there a lot of fast spins? I haven't seen free spins in salsa though.

I still find spinning difficult, but its a case of needing to practise and work on it (I hope!). At first I thought I would never get it - feeling dizzy not so much a problem (unless I am tired) but maintaining balance - and I noticed a big difference when I was wearing proper shoes.

Must practice more spinning. I usually dance in trousers, think I'll give the spinning out skirt style a go!

[jivecat]

I like to go to the limit and then be thrown into a really deep drop to recover.

Yeah, but then don't you have to recover from the deep drop? I like it when I'm led to stop dead after a series of spins because I like the contrast of speed and stillness. And I get to recover a bit being held steady by his big, strong, manly arms. Awwww.


That is my absolute favourite thing, the feeling of lightheadedness spinning and the rush of blood to the head in the drop. :drool: But I have to say I know a lot of other women not so keen on this :sick: :sick: .

I like that feeling too. it is SOOOO exhilarating, when it goes well. I seem to remember though, when I first started, being a bit overwhelmed by the spinning and got the feeling that some guys liked to spin inexperienced ladies a lot because it was a way of showing off easily. It was also tiring and difficult until my technique began to improve.