Ladies arm styling

[kiwichook]

Hi

Is there anything on the forum that specifically talks about what ladies can do with their arms to avoid the 'dead-arm' look that seems to be quite a common look? Or in my case, I think that I have gone to the other side having been really paranoid about not having a dead arm I've got too much movement of my arms, having just seen myself on video this weekend :eek:

What's a nice balance and are there any secrets out there to get this part of your body looking better and how to deal with the too little or too much syndrome ? :cheers:

[robd]

Go to Bedford one night :whistle:

[kiwichook]

Umm I'm in NZ....so the chances of me going to Bedford...

[spindr]

There's a lot of lady's arm styling in salsa -- you could probably pick up a suitable lady's styling DVD or similar, e.g. http://www.irisdebrito.com/merchandise.html

SpinDr.

[robd]

Umm I'm in NZ....so the chances of me going to Bedford...

I know (or rather I guessed that after posting :blush: ) but anyone who's been to Bedford will know what I mean.

Besides which, you mean you will not travel halfway around the world to improve your dancing? What kind of part-timer are you :wink:

[pjay]

Umm I'm in NZ....so the chances of me going to Bedford...

If you're in Auckland, come next Sunday to Lorne St, don't know that I can help much with ladies arm styling, but I'd certainly be up for a dance!

(I'm visiting Ak for the weekend)...

[LMC]

Ask Adam, next time he's in Auckland - I was very impressed with his style workshop.

Not doing anything with the spare arm actually does affect your balance - leaving it 'hanging' is just dead weight on that side of your body. One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to imagine my spare arm as a tail - it can move independently (obviously) but when I'm not "conciously" moving it, it moves in reaction to what the rest of my body is doing - i.e there is sufficient tension there to help me balance.

Not sure if that's very clear, because I've got a long way to go...

[kiwichook]

Thanks everyone really appreciate chatting. You're excused for the Bedford blue, lol, ;) who knows, I may even make that journey one day. Auckland, next weekend, soundz great and appreciate the invite, but unfortunately can't make it - even with the amount of arm flapping I do, haven't quite got enough power to keep that going to cover the 5 hours it would take me to get there - hee hee:rofl:
Once again, cheers :)

[Whitebeard]

...... what ladies can do with their arms to avoid the 'dead-arm' look that seems to be quite ..... common .....

Your problems are minor; it is much more of a problem for we fellers. If we try a bit of arm styling we're very likely to seen as effeminate or as a bit of a p...fter. Many more experienced dancers, including two of our own local champions in freestyle, often seek to overcome this conundrum by placing the free hand flat against the appropriate hip. To me, this appears very mannered, false, and artificial; it doesn't fit in with the flow of the dance. Perhaps it is all down to the perceptions of the beholder.

Anyway, coming down to earth, and for what it's worth, I think I have the same sort of problem as you - that free arm, like the feet and legs, has taken on a life of its own. I can only hope that in the fullness of time everything will mellow and meld together to produce a smooth free flowing whole; wholey satisfying to the participants, and completely transparent to the onlookers ringing the floor.

[kiwichook]

:yeah: I think we must be too free spirited:rofl:

[ads]

I would suggest getting a video/DVD of some of the more recent Aussie comps and watch the advanced girls some of their arm styling is the best I have seen!

[Gadget]

A {fairly} recent document by me on the subject of Style (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6907).

There are some points in there about arm styling.

[Andy McGregor]

A {fairly} recent document by me on the subject of Style (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6907).

There are some points in there about arm styling.I've read the bit about arm styling and have been looking for my 'back arm' :confused:

My advice on arm styling is to copy somebody whose arm styling you admire. From a man's point of view you should leave your arm near your waist level so he has a chance to collect it rather than waving it up and down too much and creating a moving target.

One tip Lisa Saw (Open Champ) gave recently is to keep your palm facing downward at about waist height and lead the outward movement of your arm with the elbow returning to the centre line leading with the hand/wrist. This seems like good advice as palm up looks like you're asking for money!

[Anna]

If you're in Auckland, come next Sunday to Lorne St, don't know that I can help much with ladies arm styling, but I'd certainly be up for a dance!

(I'm visiting Ak for the weekend)...

Come to Lorne St next wknd Kiwichook and as I am being roped into going there too (hmmph :rolleyes: ), I'll show you some of my Salsa arm styling!

Actually, I once attempted to teach a ladies styling workshop down in New Plymouth but it didn't work out cos I'm not technically a qualified Ceroc teacher and not enough ladies were interested.. :(

[KatieR]

I would suggest finding a dancer that you absolutely love watching then go home and practice something that you saw them do in the mirror until you like what you see. (dont copy them completely because you aren't them but just use what you like)

Also, Kate Hargreaves runs style workshops.. I dont know when the next one is, but they are a wealth of information and help. Styling is actually a lot harder than just waving your arm about...

[Andy McGregor]

Also, Kate Hargreaves runs style workshops.. I dont know when the next one is, but they are a wealth of information and help. Styling is actually a lot harder than just waving your arm about...I've done one of Kate's ladies styling workshops. She spends a lot of time on free hand styling and it's well worth travelling half way around the planet for :innocent:

[Daisy Chain]

From a man's point of view you should leave your arm near your waist level so he has a chance to collect it rather than waving it up and down too much and creating a moving target.



Spoilsport!

Daisy

(A Flailing Little Flower)

PS I heartily endorse Kate H and her styling tips.

[Trish]

Hi

Is there anything on the forum that specifically talks about what ladies can do with their arms to avoid the 'dead-arm' look that seems to be quite a common look? Or in my case, I think that I have gone to the other side having been really paranoid about not having a dead arm I've got too much movement of my arms, having just seen myself on video this weekend :eek:

What's a nice balance and are there any secrets out there to get this part of your body looking better and how to deal with the too little or too much syndrome ? :cheers:

Being as you can't get to Bedford, I can tell you what Michaela who teaches there tends to say to the ladies. She tells you to have your arm out at shoulder level, with a slight bend in the elbow and a slight bend in the wrist (not too much, otherwise you look deformed :eek: ), the fingers are separated as though you're holding a pencil between them. The arm stays straight out in this position when it can (rather than flailing around), and is brought in if you're spinning and then out again. Also she tells you to lift the arm up high (but in roughly the same form), if you're in a lean etc - you can also do this if you're lacking in space. This is only one type of styling, and Mic comes from a ballroom-latin background, so taking some latin classes might help if you like the sound of it. I found when I first started doing this that I felt very conspicuous but I've got used to it now and adapted it to my own style. The best thing is to practice in front of a mirror as KatieR said, so you know whether you look ok or not, which then gives you the confidence. Have a go at home until you feel comfortable, and be prepared for whatever styling you decide on to take a while to come naturally.

Hope it goes well

Trish

[LMC]

I've found that the height of my arm is increasing as time goes on - to start with I did feel like a bit of a prat holding my arm out, don't know why because it looks just fine on most everyone else! Even just holding your arm up a little bit is a good start - IMO, it's being aware of holding some tension in it (rather than the arm hanging, as mentioned above) that's the key to developing your own style.

I'm now at the stage where my spare arm is usually well above waist level, although not straight out from the shoulder yet... (must admit I would worry about walloping someone on a busy freestyle floor - more practice required on my part then!)

[Dizzy]

I'm now at the stage where my spare arm is usually well above waist level, although not straight out from the shoulder yet... (must admit I would worry about walloping someone on a busy freestyle floor - more practice required on my part then!)

:yeah:

I think that I have got the point now where my arm goes out without me having to think about it and can look good in some places but on a normal freestyle night when it is crowded anyway, I am having to train myself to bring it in again!! :blush:

[Little Em]

i believe there will be a style class at storm for the ladies including different arm positions if anyone is going....

:whistle:

[Zebra Woman]

Being as you can't get to Bedford, I can tell you what Michaela who teaches there tends to say to the ladies. She tells you to have your arm out at shoulder level, with a slight bend in the elbow and a slight bend in the wrist (not too much, otherwise you look deformed :eek: ), the fingers are separated as though you're holding a pencil between them. The arm stays straight out in this position when it can (rather than flailing around), and is brought in if you're spinning and then out again.

I'm sure I've told this story before....

When I started dancing in Bedford 8 years ago, Michaela always went on and on about the spare arm. She even refused to carry on with the class until all the arms were up. I resisted for many many weeks as I felt too inhibited to really go for it.

Well when I did finally hold my spare arm out - my dancing was transformed instantly. My connection was much stronger and my balance and control before, during and after spins was massively improved. I would say it was the biggest factor in improving spins.

The funny thing was three years later I ventured to Hammersmith for the first time the very first man to dance with me said, ' Hmmmm....short skirt and spare arm....I bet you come from Bedford'.

:eek:

[Gadget]

Personally, I find ladys who raise their arms too much quite a nusance; most of my catches and leads rely on collecting the arm before the hand. And if the arm is already raised, it puts my lead off some moves where I have to raise it again.

I did hear somewhere of a teacher getting ladies to dance with baloons under each elbow to give them the right feel. :what:

[Andy McGregor]

I did hear somewhere of a teacher getting ladies to dance with baloons under each elbow to give them the right feel. :what:I think fletch is still using them :devil:

[kiwichook]

"I did hear somewhere of a teacher getting ladies to dance with baloons under each elbow to give them the right feel"

Now I'm scared..lol...:)

[Zebra Woman]

I have a huge bruise on the outside of my right arm caused by a lady's spare arm last week :sad: - there is a time and a place.

When it gets really crowded, some women seem to stylishly whoosh their spare arm right up in the air, so it is out of the way of the other dancers.:worthy:

...I think that's why they do it...:confused:

Agree with Gadget, the most important thing is to have the spare hand available on time and at the right height for the next lead.

[Msfab]

I have a huge bruise on the outside of my right arm caused by a lady's spare arm last week :sad: - there is a time and a place.

When it gets really crowded, some women seem to stylishly whoosh their spare arm right up in the air, so it is out of the way of the other dancers.:worthy:

At a busy venue and sometimes the not so busy ones, I use my spare arm as protection from on coming traffic - couples walking backwards, a stray follower, if my partner hasnt seen/couldnt see an obstacle.

When ever Wicked blue is near me on the dance floor she uses her spare arm to tickle and therefore distract me!:(

[Donna]

Personally, I find ladys who raise their arms too much quite a nusance; most of my catches and leads rely on collecting the arm before the hand. And if the arm is already raised, it puts my lead off some moves where I have to raise it again.

I did hear somewhere of a teacher getting ladies to dance with baloons under each elbow to give them the right feel. :what:

Burlimmeey what next? They'll be getting the tops of their legs together with rope to stop them walking with feet to far apart!!

[Tazmanian Devil]

I did hear somewhere of a teacher getting ladies to dance with baloons under each elbow to give them the right feel. :what:
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: That sounds fun and challenging. Going to have to give it a try. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[under par]

Burlimmeey what next? They'll be getting the tops of their legs together with rope to stop them walking with feet to far apart!!
:yeah: :rofl: great idea:yeah: :worthy: