I've noticed that as a style point some of the good male dancers do a thing where (in a left handed hold) the right hand is kept in to the right side, fingers together, palm in and pointing down at about 45 degrees
I think this looks quite good but my partner things it looks rubbish (at least when I do it) as I either look like a teapot or it looks like I'm pointing at my groin.
Is there a correct way of doing this? Does it look any good?
Have a look at Woodfaces profile and i think he may have the hand on his photo. Of course i may be wrong and if i am sory Woody baby.
XXX XXX DTS Dave
What to do with that spare arm?
I think I know what you mean, and in general I have to agree with your partner that usually it looks rather artificial and contrived and pretty naff. I think we're talking intermediatey dancers here if it is a noticeable characteristic. Good dancers would just look ..... good ...... and any styling would flow and seem entirely natural.
I guess most of us get to a stage where we start to think of styling and, in particular, how to deal with that wayward spare arm. Rather than adopting the peculiar posture you describe I sometimes align my right hand, palm inwards, along my right thigh and make contact with that all important second finger held at rightangles to the rest of my hand (as in so many other points in the lead).
How that looks to others I have not a clue.
I tend to either mimic the position of the left arm and visa versa ( Im left handed so adopt many right handed leads with the left arm going spare)
Either that or I hold the spare arm in front with the hand open fingered on my stomach with the arm slightly bent out to the side so it looks a bit like an arrow head
I also put it behind me in the same way as long as the follower cant see it and mistake it for a signal
Well I know what I mean. It does make you slightly more elongated and I think emphasises the followers more open movements
Er....Yes......well except that the hand is a bit higher.No i think your right. I have noticed I tend to do that alot. Is that what you mean Achelous?
Personally I think the leader's right hand clamped firmly to stomach/hip as so often seen does look contrived and unnatural. But it's no worse than a limp, dangling arm which is what mine tends to be (even worse when showing Freddy Krueger fingers ) Viktor gives some tips on spare arm styling in his weekender men's styling workshops and some are workable for us mortals though some (stroking your head ) look cool when Viktor does it and naff when other people try it. I went to a WCS workshop on Sunday and asked Paul Warden about spare arm styling for leads and he made the interesting point that, although he does little deliberate spare arm styling, people tend not to notice it because they are too busy looking at what the rest of his body is doing. Ultimately style is a personal issue - what works for some will not suit others and the critical thing IMO is that you have to mean it and believe in what you're trying. Doing no specific styling is preferable to half heartedly throwing your arm out because you'd been told to do it in a workshop once.
This styling is used in Paso Dablo (Latin American) but looks much more stylish in Paso than MJ as this is the style it suits most. Look at American Jive styling with the arms, its a much more appropriate technique to MJ as it is Jive. You'll notice much more movements with the right arm (in a left handed hold), and is more in line with MJ possible styling. You wont look like a tea pot and she (your partner) will love it!!
There's two basic rules for the spare arm...
1) Keep some tension in it.
2) Keep it above waist height.
Don't do that and it looks dead. Anything more than that and you can call it style.
Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story
h
Please do something about that crazed avatar Duke - looks like a centurion with alzheimers.
1) Will do. And mosty do do. Except when I lapse.
2) Gotta be careful - we're into 'signal' territory here. The ten may frown. The dance police may pounce.
Just started leading the neckbreak on occasion. Me, a slow learner, oh no, no, no.
Last edited by Whitebeard; 19th-July-2007 at 11:15 PM. Reason: Layout
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Bookmarks