What skills have you learnt recently?

[spindr]

Running on from the whole structuring debate -- I thought it might be interesting to try a different tack?

What skills have you learnt recently in a class? Forget moves (advanced or otherwise) -- what are the skills that you have learnt? If you learnt them outside of MJ, do you think that they can be applied usefully to MJ?

SpinDr

[cerocmetro]

I recently learnt how to BBQ prawns. I guess I could use this next time we win a competition :whistle:

Adam

[TheTramp]

What skills have you learnt recently in a class?

I learnt all about divorce. Suppose that might come in useful sometime if any dancers need one....

[Icey]

:rofl: I'll add to that - I've learnt about capital and industrial buildings allowances.

[TheTramp]

Did either of you learn your skills in a class though?? The question specifically asked that!! :whistle:

[Lynn]

Presuming that spindr meant this to be a relatively serious thread...


What skills have you learnt recently in a class? Forget moves (advanced or otherwise) -- what are the skills that you have learnt? If you learnt them outside of MJ, do you think that they can be applied usefully to MJ?After almost 2 years of no classes and little actual learning, I'm having a great time learning new dancing skills. I've started to learn to lead in Ceroc. And I'm learning Tango which I am sure will benefit my following and lots of other things really, connection, balance...

[Donna]

Well there's a bit of waltz, foxtrot, the cha, rumba, samba, WCS and swing.

[clevedonboy]

Lindy:

Leading with the right hand
Counting!!!!!! (it does wonder for your musical understanding)
body isolations / balance / coordination
Frame & connection
Shifting your arse - that music's really fast sometimes
Humour

Cha Cha Cha:
More leading
more counting
more humour

Foxtrot:
Even more leading
Still more counting
(no humour though)

[David Bailey]

Walking.

9 years and 39 weeks to go till I master it though. :eek:

[senorita]

Walking.

9 years and 39 weeks to go till I master it though. :eek:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: very damn funny :rofl:

[Icey]

Did either of you learn your skills in a class though?? The question specifically asked that!! :whistle:

Yes, so :na:

[stewart38]

Presuming that spindr meant this to be a relatively serious thread...

...


Im going to treat it as not

Ive learnt if your fixed on something keep to it and dont keep going of at a tangent

[spindr]

Presuming that spindr meant this to be a relatively serious thread...
Maybe I should have posted in ChitChat instead :(

What I was hoping was that we could have a thread for sharing those non-obvious ideas that people had picked up in class.

I guess I was also interested in which classes people were picking up decent hints and tips, etc. I'd have laid bets that there would be more posts from non-MJ classes than MJ ones :)

Having a good list of the skills that people think are valuable would have made an interesting basis for a MJ skills framework discussion :)

But from the level of interest I guess no one's really learning anything new here :devil:

SpinDr

[ducasi]

I've learnt lots of things recently in Ceroc/MJ workshops I've been to – don't know if "skill" is the right word though...

For example I learnt that spins feel best if done at the end of a bar so that you can pick up and lead the next move on the 1. And so ladies might want to try to double-spin if I'm leading them into a spin on the 7, rather than the 8 (I guess), to allow the next move to start at the right time – otherwise I should try to fill the time – maybe by doing a wee spin myself...

The unconscious desire to do things "on the 1" must also be why I'll lead multiple spins, but very rarely more than 3. If I needed 4 counts to the start of the bar, I'd probably be doing something different.

So the overall lesson might be that starting moves "on the 1" feels better, and that doing so sometimes requires greater effort for the lady too.

How's that?

[WittyBird]

Im going to treat it as not

Ive learnt if your fixed on something keep to it and dont keep going of at a tangent
:rofl: what :rofl: your on form S38 :rofl:

[David Bailey]

Maybe I should have posted in ChitChat instead :(

What I was hoping was that we could have a thread for sharing those non-obvious ideas that people had picked up in class.
OK, OK...

In the past few months, I've learned that Proper Leading has little to do with the hands, and everything to do with the body and the positioning. I've been trying "invitational leads" throughout.

I've also found that this type of non-forceful leading involves much less energy, so there are less T-shirt changes needed :)

[Lynn]

No spindr, it is a good thread, and we aren't in chit chat, so we will perservere with it...
In the past few months, I've learned that Proper Leading has little to do with the hands, and everything to do with the body and the positioning. I've been trying "invitational leads" throughout.I would guess that this is in one of those 'non- MJ' classes that spindr was referring to?*

In similar classes... I'm learning to stand on one foot. Which will feed into my 'standing on one foot to improve my spinning' exercises. I'm glad to say I am starting to see improvements in my spinning - dancing reguarly (instead of intervals of month or so) I think also helps. I can now manage a double spin more or less on the spot - just need to crack that spotting thing.



*And you passed up on a TTD opportunity?! Not had your coffee yet this morning?

[Donna]

In similar classes... I'm learning to stand on one foot. Which will feed into my 'standing on one foot to improve my spinning' exercises. I'm glad to say I am starting to see improvements in my spinning - dancing reguarly (instead of intervals of month or so) I think also helps. I can now manage a double spin more or less on the spot - just need to crack that spotting thing.

Spotting thing, very important. Also doing yoga will improve balance and makes you feel a lot more confident on the spins. Of course, wearing comfortable shoes and a size heel that you are used to helps.

Practice standing with your feet your feet together and lift heels off the floor as high as you can and back down again without losing balance. It's good for building calf muscles up to. Also, stand with both feet together and bend forward but as you do so, take one leg back so that your body is in a straight line from head to the foot that is lifted up behind you. Hands can be crossed in front of chest or in prayer like position.(this one is better) Make sure the leg you are balancing on is straight.(you should be making a T like shape) You have to focus really hard not to wobble but it really improves your balance when dancing. Oh yeah, repeat with other leg and don't stop breathing!

[Dizzy]

I've learnt to move my feet in a more skilled way where they are always close to the floor but with my heels off the floor so my weight is more forward. I have also learnt more about my posture and adjusting my weight, not just between my legs but throughout my body during a dance. :clap:

[Dreadful Scathe]

I've learnt to move my feet in a more skilled way where they are always close to the floor but with my heels off the floor so my weight is more forward. I have also learnt more about my posture and adjusting my weight, not just between my legs but throughout my body during a dance. :clap:
Im tempted, but Ill let some other bloke comment about 'adjusting the weight between ones legs' to improve dancing :)

[Dizzy]

Ok, looking back, I walked right into that one, didn't I!! :whistle:

[LMC]

On the balls of your feet with your weight evenly distributed I hope?

I've been thinking about this one and can't really narrow any "one" thing down. For me, recently it's more been an expansion of horizons and trying to improve: I can't narrow down any one thing that's been a real revelation in doing that (yet...).

Tango classes have shown me that there is so much more to weight distribution and balance than I was aware of.

From MJ classes - I'm learning to lead. And not really from classes, but I've recently been mostly concentrating on improving my frame and connection - I *will* be able to follow a Columbian one day...

[David Bailey]

*And you passed up on a TTD opportunity?! Not had your coffee yet this morning?
At 9.23am? Blimey no, I'd finished my second coffee at least an hour before that. :whistle:

[Daisy Chain]

What skills have you learnt in a class?



I've learned that you can't always tell by looking at a man that he's going to be a wonderful jive partner.

Some of the most stylish movers are hell to dance with. And some of the really nondescript looking movers can be absolutely fantastic.

Daisy

(A Nondescript Little FLower)

[gembar]

What skills have you learnt recently in a class? Forget moves (advanced or otherwise) -- what are the skills that you have learnt? If you learnt them outside of MJ, do you think that they can be applied usefully to MJ?

SpinDr

As a follow, very little for a long time, it seems! :tears: The last useful tip I remember was to "sink into the hip" to stop yourself from a spin. That was from a lindy class with Carla Heiney. I much much much prefer teaching partnerships like Kevin and Carla or Nigel and Nina over the usual Ceroc setup with a teacher and demonstrator.

[MartinHarper]

What skills have you learnt recently in a class?

I'm not sure there are any skills I could learn in a single class. Recently, some guy was trying to teach me to do a balanced spin to my right on my left foot. A useful skill - will probably take over a year of practice to get right.

[robd]

I've learned that you can't always tell by looking at a man that he's going to be a wonderful jive partner.

Some of the most stylish movers are hell to dance with. And some of the really nondescript looking movers can be absolutely fantastic.

Daisy

(A Nondescript Little FLower)

Substitute 'man' with 'woman' and :yeah:

OTOH some people look good and dance like a dream. Dontcha' hate them :rolleyes:

[Piglet]

The most mind-blowing thing I learned recently was at one of Franck's workshops during a Beach Ballroom weekend.

How you should pull your shoulders up and back (pulling each blade towards the other) to help hold your frame - and give you inner connection.

I'm sure I haven't heard that before at any workshops, it seemed like such a revelation and it worked too!

[Petal]

That ... waiting and hijacking are fun:innocent:

[Little Monkey]

Walking.

9 years and 39 weeks to go till I master it though. :eek:

:yeah:
Although it should only be another 8 years and 10 months for me.....:rolleyes:

[El Salsero Gringo]

The most mind-blowing thing I learned recently was at one of Franck's workshops during a Beach Ballroom weekend.

How you should pull your shoulders up and back (pulling each blade towards the other) to help hold your frame - and give you inner connection.

I'm sure I haven't heard that before at any workshops, it seemed like such a revelation and it worked too!Try some Pilates too, that will do the same for every other part of your body.

[Piglet]

Try some Pilates too, that will do the same for every other part of your body.
I've done Pilates and wasn't that hooked - prefer yoga.
Thanks for the tip anyway though :hug: