A follower exercise

When I was following I didn't have a clear picture of my impact to the dance, not even tried to understand it. Instead I was mostly concerned about how well I picked up the lead. Today I think followers need to grow their skill to understand the lead but they need parallell to grow to understand what their strong sides and favorite dance situations are. How would I like to do my movements during this dance/ with this leader? The timing and step comes from the lead, HOW is the follower choice but not the only way to have impact!

It has been a amazing journey for me to watch videos with leaders who has changed their partners. How new elements come in and the athmosphere is changing for the perfomances.

Here is one of may favorite leaders with three different followers.

Before running trough these, please pick up some ideas you want to check. Some suggestions - intensity between the dancers / playfullness - is there differences between Diego & Co? Technical level /choice of music/ different steps/ how fast the dance goes?

Deside what you want to follow up here!

Diego & Maria Belén

Diego & Mecha

Diego & Mariana

Have you a favorite serie of your own?  Please share!

Enrosques and pivots

When talking about enrosques I have been focusing only in how legs and feets are moving. It is quite natural because the most spectacular things are happening there. Lately my thoughts have turned to the movements of the center of the body and I think the core of enrosque is actullay to be found there! Here you find my first try about this!

In the leaders enrosque you isolate the turning movements of the uper and lower body . Enrosques are performed mostly when the follower is doing the molinete around the leader especially if you want to do several of them. Leader keeps her going by turning his shoulders steadily but his hips are rotating back and forth unconnected to the shoulders.

In pivot all the movements are turning to the same direction even if the different layers, legs-hips-upperbody, are delayed compared to each other.

What do you think?

Engines:

Pivot - one of these shoulders/ hips/ foot is driving the turn

Enrosq - shoulders are drivning the couples turn and hips/feet is driving the enrosque movements.

Turn directions:

Pivot - all layers of body are turning to same direction

Enrosq - shoulders turning to the molinetes direction but hips/ leg are turning back and forth

Twist source:

Pivot – one of shoulders/ hips/ foot is turning and rest are late creating the twist; leaders hips are facing the follower most of the time

Enrosque – hips/ foot are streching to opposite directions compared to shoulders; leaders hips are turned away from her hips, left or right, most of the time.

(turning is happening in different leyers  legs-hips-shoulders)

So far today .....

Feedback is deeply appreciated here or by mail!

No thoughts for follower feets

When I am going to sit down I occasionally fall the last bit. Do you also know the feeling?

This mistake of my automatic calculator for distances reveals how much experience is loaded and used for all these everyday movements. I just decide to go somewhere and my body is analyzing the surroundings and adapting my movements along the way. I never could do this with total awareness of every detail and when my walking is proceeding as planned even the feedback impulses are blocked out from my awareness.

One year ago the technically (my opinion) best teacher told me that it was time to forget the followers feet and start to place her. I didn't understand so much about that but during these months I have noticed some changes in my thinking.

I don't feel the individual steps anymore but there is some kind of light awareness so I know that the step has been taken. It is partly a follower skill to take this kind of silent steps but I think I have stopped to report some signals to my awareness too. Just like when walking ....

I have even a strange feeling of that followers do not have legs at all! In the same time followers tell me how easily, without hesitation their feet find the way now and how her body is floating in music during our dance.

I think this is not a single skill. I think a bunch of skills must reach a required level and then you are mature for a new way to lead.

Hats off for a skilled teacher knowing the signs!

May God save the leader who's not knowing better....

Dear leader friend when you see a bored or frustrated follower don't feel pity for her and do not, not even in your thoughts plan to rescue her!   Read this and be strong!

This experience hit me just after midnight as black surprices use to do. Some steps in the second song she whispered in my ear: Try me!

                                        ...... warning......

I tried to press my tired body to volgadas and some extra ganchos but I understood it wasn't enough. Shiiiiiit! During the last song she then got mad and exploded in activity. I could not see anything of the happenings in front of me, but just felt the pulling and pushing on my arms. When the situation was calm again I found her clinging on my left hip while I was turning aimlessly around my axis as a wheel after an accident.

When in Berlin my leader friend found a lady sitting with her elbow on the table and resting her chin on the palm.

                                         ...... warning.....

He is tall, quite strong and had never had problems before! But she got mad from the beginning..... CANCHOS en mass and then BOLEOS of all kinds with stilettos out. No leading needed there! He consentrated to save the surroundings, placing her towards the corners and leading fast steps to the next corner. He is a gentleman and danced the tanda but he was resting at the bar the following two!