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Hi there
We have just been shown the Wurlitzer move and it seems pretty straight forward. However I am having troubl understanding how to signal this from a lead perspective. Raising the flat hand seems to tell the ladies that I want to do a spin OK but when I hold onto their hand with my right hand it causes confusion as they are trying to do a full spin instead of just the half turn out.
WHat am I doing worng.
Thanks
Mark
Use less force with your left hand.
Keep your right hand between the follower's waist-level and shoulder-level
Apply the "breaking force" with your right hand earlier.
First look at it from the follows point of view. Will it make a difference to your follow if you signal or not?
Alot of signals are not needed and just add to confussion and remove styling.
Secondly, if you decide that you do need to signal, you will need on that the lady can see and understand clearly.
My advise is not to worry about it. Once you have done the signal a few times, you will soon stop doing it and it will make no difference to the dance at all.
sounds to me you are putting to much pressure/lead into the left hand lead to open the lady out.Quote:
Originally Posted by marko
the lead from the left hand is a firm pressure diagonally down towards the ladies right hip - rather than a straight high lead
hope that makes sense and helps - happy to demonstate should we be in the same local...
HiQuote:
Originally Posted by marko
Before I say anything I have to tell you I know nothing. . . . well nothing much compared to a lot on here, but I think I understand your problem. . . Up in my neck of the woods The Wurlitzer isn't a popular move in as much as it's not often done in class, although I am out 3 nights a week I can't remember the last time The Wurlitzer was shown and I think I've only done it in class maybe 6 times, and if it's not covered in class then it won't be repeated in freestyle. Well if your local ladies are the same then it doesn't matter how well you signal, if they don't know the move or it's not a popular one in your venue so it's not repeated they will get the signals muddled and try to spin. . . . . but do keep your right hand down.
Itsybitsy
You're doing nothing wrong - in freestyle at venues other than where I dance normally I find that follows interpret the flat hand alone as signalling a complete spin and don't really pick up on me curling the fingers of my right hand round their left to indicate I don't want them to go all the way. If you find it happening just let them go and remember them as someone that you shouldn't expect to 'wurlitzer' with in other dances!:whistle:Quote:
Originally Posted by marko
You could always say 'wurlitzer' to them as they come in to the flat hand position - I never do but some leads take this step.
try to develop an escape that your brain can change to without it looking like the Follower has misinterpreted your Wurlitzer.
Some will do the Wurlitzer and some will simply spin around.
I had a similar problem for a while with the yoyo - a lot of followers interpreted it as a hatchback and span themselves away instead of just turning out and keeping hold of my hand. With some people you have to actually hang onto their hand as you extend it to keep them in place...Quote:
Originally Posted by dep
It's all very well saying it's not a signal, but i think for this approach to work, you need to be leading all your moves, so your follower knows to listen, and not just guess.
I think that for this move, I use my left hand mostly just as a block, most of the turn out I lead with my right (so it's already in control to stop that turn). I think I keep the turn out quite subtle as well, probably to avoid your problem.
I agree, for me, the left hand simply stops the follow from coming too far forward and then I try to open out with right, not making the lead so strong that the follow feels the need to spin.Quote:
Originally Posted by tsh
You could try opening the follow out from a right handed traveling return. This will give a similar feel of how the wurlitzer right hand works
...wurlitzer... erm... hang on a mo, I should know that one...
- 2 handed start, open hold (r-l and l-r)
- Draw follower in, raise left to shoulder and flat hand while keeping right low
- Gentle push downwards with left, releasing the left hand only, keep facing as they turn out 90º
- Draw right hand towards you, then flick it behind follower to free-spin them.
- Collect and step back.
No visual "signals" are involved as far as I am aware - it's all in the lead. Some tips that may help:
- On the preparation, while taking the left hand to the shoulder, keep the right low and move it more towards the centre-line between you. It's not a lead, just a preparation for the next lead. (The follower is about to turn in this direction, but you want her to stop at 90º; you need to provide a counter-lead to the direction of travel.)
- On the next count, the connection for leading is transferred from the left hand to the right. The more force and speed you give the left hand, the more likely the follower is to ignore any further leads and spin off into infinity. The right hand should not be held onto to prevent this – if they want to go, let them.
As you release the connection here, your other hand (right) should now be creating resistance towards your right by moving it back to the shoulder-line. As the follower turns out, lessen the force you are applying to the connection and let it slip if the follower is trying to disjoint themselves (you don’t want to rip their shoulder off).
While doing this, you should be stepping straight back; if you turn out with the follower, it is harder to apply the lead above and the next lead for the flick-spin. It feels easier to do it at this point, but will only make leading the rest of the move harder: keep your shoulders facing your partner.
- You are now stepping in and flick-spinning. Note the separation: lead the step in, then the flick-spin. What you are doing is making sure that the follower has transferred their weight onto the foot, then spinning – if you try to spin them first, you are probably going to throw them off-balance; you are closing the distance while rotating the follower.
A common thing with flick-spins is to simply throw the hand out to the side. Which works ok if the follower is already rotating in that direction. But you have just lead them forward; If I didn’t know better simply throwing the hand to the right would make me start walking off to the right. You need to give it a little ‘curl’ at the end; take the follower into the rotation and flick the hand away from you in-front of you and aim to send it behind your follower.
This right hand I normally change to having the connection on the wrist while leading; it keeps the hand low and means that the articulation of the wrist joint doesn’t interfere with the lead (or hurt if it is accidentally bent in a strange direction)
Hope this helps.
Thanks for all the advice. It is our class day tomorrow so I will keep trying!
Mark
I think the trick is as you explained above, if I am doing a yoyo, I keep hold of the hand (one of the times where you do use the thumb) - I also use less "push out", more of a gentle motion.Quote:
Originally Posted by CheesyRobMan
On a hatchback, I would use an open hand, on the yoyo, I would keep a definate hold of the hand. :grin:
A couple more little things that occured to me:
On the "open out" bit, you want to step back with the left foot just because it's the standard weight transfer :r-l-r-l-r... If you still step, but place your foot to the side rather than behind, it gives a more dominant pose and still 'feels' right.
And with all leads away from you, keep the hands low; push down, keep hands about their waist level, flick on the horizontal plane at this level. If anything, err on the low side: It's always nicer for your partner if you go down on them... erm...:innocent: