Rumba Lesson with Ryan -- 9/12/2008

1. Basic
1. side step in basic
1. settle
2. heel drops
3. use leg/foot (not hip) to transfer the weight, hip is always left behind the direction we are going.
   
2. forward step in basic
1. default is always a forward walk, but at the end of it, the spine changes direction to go back.
   
3. backward step in basic
1. hip is square first
2. wait for the man's lead to settle.
   
3. then use settling to move forward (use twist to move backward).
   
2. New Yorker
1. left side shoulder(ribcage) should motivate(initiate?) the right turn.
2. vise Vera: right side motivate the left turn.
3. it is actually a forward/backward walk after turn?
   
3. Spot Turn
1. Intro to spot turn is the same as the new yorker
2. the difference is to continue the twist into a turn in the order of the hip, leg (foot), body, and head.
3. Pause on the "&" after 2 to wait for the lead to determine where the next step would be.
   
4. Hand & hand
1. turn 3/8 of a turn first
2. twist and finish 1/8 of the turn.
3. then settle back to arrive on 2
   
5. fan position
1. hip facing partner
2. body 45' left from partner
3. head 90' left from partner
4. hand 135' left from partner
   
6. open hip twist (to go into fan)
   
1. to lead into this step, always default to a forward action
2. allow the body to change direction during the twist (to turn slightly left if needed)
3. hip twist is the cause of the effect, should not accent it.
   
4. use the action (i.e. settle, twist, compression) to produce the result (arriving, turning).
   
7. hockey stick (out from fan)
1. wait for the lead of the twist and the closing of the feet.
   
2. 2 clear directions in forward walk out from the fan position.
   
1. (Left foot?) toward the partner
2. (Right foot?) toward new direction, which is slightly left of the partner.
   
3. treat every step with twist and settle: twist to bring the leg in, settle to move.
   
8. balance
   
1. arrive on the ball of the feet immediately
2. twist happens when weight moves to the toe.
3. from hip to the upper body, head" they move together to be over the ball of the foot. (picture illustration omitted)
   

Rumba Lesson with Ryan -- 9/19/2008

1. weight transfer
2. (Homework) Bug: in infinity sign shape. (not sure what the notes below is about)
   
1. spine moving in a strong direction.
   
2. constant energy
3. moving ennergy
   
4. sides of hips
5. moving in same direction
   
3. (homework) Back step: split weight, spine slowly moves back, do not get stuck at the fornt foot.
   
4. Apply to New Yorker, hand & hand.
   
1. NY: arm happens by rotation of the body.
   
5. hand & hand turn
1. 4: arrive on foot
2. 1: sending energy forward allowing hip to twist
3. &: activate the hip back to turn first, then the body.
4. a: settling of the hip
5. 2: arrival.
   

Rumba Lesson with Ryan -- 9/26/2008

1. Settle: "shoulder blade" compress down to activate hip going up to move out of the way to side.
   
2. transfer weight: "foot & spine"
1. spine controls diretoin (strategic)
2. stranding foot transfer weight (executes)
   
3. twist:"knee"
1. knee is the result of the twist. twist is initiated from the hip.
   
4. bug : combine the above
1. as the bug moves throught eh body it begins activating the key words above.
   
5. rock step
1. Knee, Shoulder, Spine, Foot
2. This also applys to the forward step, the difference is in the direction of the spine.
   
6. Homework: apply the concept to the figures, including the fan.
   

Chacha class with Ryan -- 10/3/2008

Chacha forward Lock step

1. Chasse on the diagonal
2. knee, shoulder, spine, foot (Using locking step with R foot in the front as an example in the following explanation)
   
1. knee: leg that's coming under.
   
2. Shoulder:
   
1. Right shoulder compresses down.
2. weight stays over the right foot.
   
3. Right knee only bends because left knee comes from behind to bend it. Therefore don't drop the height too much, think of it as the back knee replacing the front knee.
   
4. &: left shoulder: as it compresses, it straighten the right(not left?) leg.
   
3. spine: activates
   
4. foot: transfer the weight.
   
3. Forward lock with Right foot in the front
1. bug goes from left shoulder, right waist(work it), left waist (work it)
   
4. three tracks.
   
5. Chcha opens up hip more than rumba, leading to the chasse/lock step to happen naturally.
   
6. Timing difference comparing with Samba.
   
1. chacha <---knee -- shoulder -e - & - a- spine -- foot --> Samba:
   
1. chacha locks happen at the &. while samba locks happen (at a). In other words, if we split the time between the shoulder movement and the spine movement to 4 part, the chacha lock would happen in the middle. while the samba timing would happen at the a. (need to double check correctness of this paragraph).
   

Chacha backward locks (explanation below is based on left foot behind)

1. Prep step: open up left hip. ball of the left foot on the ground then move spine over.
2. bug moves from Left shoulder to Left waist, to right waist (maybe...)
   

Group Samba class with Ryan -- 10/13/2008

1. Samba bounce: the bouncing action of rising and loweriing goes through foot and knee. More specifically, the rising up goes through knee, then finish with the rising of the foot. the lowering is lowering the heel first, then the knee bend.
   
2. Samba walk
1. transfer of weight: the rising up goes through foot then knee, the down goes through knee then foot.
   
2. twist: twist to bring the knee under
   
3. settle: think of shoulder, ribcage.
3. Samba Cruzado walks
1. strighten of the knee (&)
   
2. tilt the pelvic/hip up? (a) settle
   
3. move the spine forward
4. move the weight.
5. Chest/Ribcage is open to L or R, but the shoulder is always forward.
   
4. Samba Lock step
1. Do not untwist, leave the hip open, then the lock comes naturally.
   
2. Q: what happens after the lock? bent or strigth knee?
   
5. Samba box step
1. & a 1 a 2 a 3 a 4: rise on the &.
   
2. 1 & a 2: & is when the two feet are collected, on the ball of both feet on a
3. Spine dictates how far we moves.
   
4. count with &, a: & = straighten of leg. a= settling of the hip.
   
6. forgot the name of this one:
1. bent front knee, 10% weight on front foot.
2. straighten of the knee.
3. move front foot back by lifting the hip of the front side.
   
4. bent front knee again with 10% weight as pressure.
   

latin class with Ryan -- 11/07/2008

1. Hockey Stick
1. 4: toward partener
   
2. &
   
3. 1: slightly toward left. i.e. changed directly slightly comparin with 4. Upper body turn left, lower body twist right.
   
4. 2
5. 3
   
2. Back Lock Step (explanation is with respect to when left foot is behind right foot)
   
1. Exercise: walk on the ball of the feet to be used to balancing on the ball of feet.
2. open up left hip. settle right hip to go back.
   
3. 4: use left chest to bring right foot back
   
4. &
   
5. 1: use right hip (and foot?) to push back the left foot
   

Latin Class with Ryan - 11/24/2008

Rumba Homework

1. Being over one foot with heel up, with all the actions.
   
1. settling, twisting,
   
2. extending the legs
3. splitting weight.
   
2. increasing leg speed by sending leg as soon as settling happens. Settling and sending leg happens at the same time.
   
3. connection occurs as a result of what upperbody is doing: Dance your upperbody and ensure arms are connected. (question: in step after the open hip twist, before stepping into fan position, on the two, when ensuring arm is connected, arm is connected to the hip and the ribcage that is twisted back, instead of the shoulder that stayed facing forward.)
   
4. three key words.
1. Lift
   
2. Release: twist, settle, leg release.
   
3. Wait: wait for the leg to know when to activate the spine, to change weight, etc.
   

Rumba Group class with Ryan -- 12/01/2008

1. Chacha Locks:
   
1. move spine forward.
2. use back leg to propel front leg.
   
2. Rumba cucuracha
1. Ring
2. Shoulder press down?
3. press from the foot to the diagonal shoulder (the bug moves from the foot to the shoulder)
4. Exercise: 2.3.4.1.2.3.4.1(this is one side of cucuracha) 2.3.4.1(change weight)
   

Rumba Group class with Ryan -- 12/08/2008

Sliding door -- hip twist

1. hip twist started with the weight lifted.
   
2. the position at the end of the hip twist
1. Left foot face left 45' to 90' degree to indicate the direction of the next step.
2. Right root and knew is facing front.
3. left hip tries to open the the back. This crests a large triangle on the right leg to show the lines.
   
3. The step after the hip twist.
   
1. straighten knee, extend right foot, settling
   
2. get on to right foot, heel remained up.
   
3. settle right hip to get onto left foot
4. This step is a delayed step. The weight does not move to the right leg until the & after 1. So the heal of the right step never put weight on the ground
5. two options after hip twist: cucuracha or forward turn. Cucuracha would be split weight. forward turn would commit the weight to the left foot. the direction of the step is a matter of choice. It can be diagonal or sideway.
   

Rumba/Samba Lesson with Ryan -- 12/15/2008

1. Cucuracha
1. a. Down to the foot (settle & then rotate)
   b. use foot to neural. Finish using foot to arrive over the other foot. (Heels stay down here because we are not going ot move from the other foot).
   c. go through neural. now use supporting leg to transfer weight from the toe to the oppersite shoulder(chest).
   d. (4) continute strech up and over sholder to rotate to bring leg in.
   e. (&) continue to twist
   f. (1) two straigh legs, heels up.
   g. (&) settle from up and over shoulder (let extends)
   h. (a) hip rotates as heel lowers. (lowest point)
   
2. forward walks
   
1. a) complete rotation?
   
1. b) settle to the group while streching forward and move over to the foot.
   
3. backward walks
1. rotate ("strong" twist, triangle)?
2. settle -- leg first until knees touch. Spine slowly begins to move.
   
3. Supporting leg transfer weight.
4. no sliding of foot on the floor, unless we are changing directions.
   
4. Samba
1. Walks with Locks
1. (see 2a, i.e. complete rotation in rumba forward walk) + straighten knee, heel up.
2. (see 2b, i.e. settling in rumba foward walk) + as heel lowers, knee bents hip twist.
   
3. (same action as in chacha) put first and third step on bent knee and second step (locking step) has two stright legs.
   
4. 
   

Samba lesson from Ryan -- 01/02/2009

1. Whisk
2. Samba Basic
3. Boto fogo
4. Volta

1 --
& -- rise
a -- settle
2 --

Notes:
1. Commit weight to the ball of the front foot in botofogo. With hip open and stretch.
2. There are 3 basic elements in samba. What are they?
3. Volta has 2 settles. It is the second one that is more important. How is this related to the emphasis on hip movement for girls?
4. Ribcage movement in Volta

Preface and Acknowlegement

This is a blog to keep my dancing notes.

Credit goes to those who taught me.
Errors are entirely on my part.
Read it at your own risk.

Jive Lesson from Ryan -- 2009/01/08

1. Flicks
1. Footwork
1. (a) Heels up, leg straight.
2. (1) Heels down, leg straight !!!
3. (a) Heels up, leg straight.
4. (2) heels up, legs bend.
   
2. Leg Action
1. (a) prep
2. (1) strike
3. (a) rebound
4. (2) replace weigh
3. From tailbone to head, slightly shift (tilt?) spine diagonally forward.
4. on 4.(2), skipping action = place weight on ball of foot, as you straighten your leg, begin to move your spine slightly back.
5. on the (a) (1) (a) , keep weight over the ball of the standing leg.
   
2. Basics
1. rock step
1. (a) -- leg action 3: rebound. Footwork(1 or 3): heels up, leg straight.
   
2. (1) -- footwork 4: heels up, legs bend, + footwork of a samba whisk.
   
3. (a) -- keeping weight on standing leg. Transfer weight from ball to hip. with the same thing as in foot works 3 (Heels up, leg straight). -- not sure what this means....
   
4. (2) -- foorwork 4: (i.e. heels up, leg bend). Action = replacing weight. -- need to look through this again.
5. (a) -- skipping
   
2. chasse
1. (1) -- side step. weight over moving leg, heel up, standing leg heel down?
   
2. (a) -- drag standing leg in (same foot)
   
3. (2) -- same as 1 above.
   
4. (a) -- skipping.
   
3. Change Places (Right to Left) (Left to Right)
   
1. Same action of a chasse except that as the skipping action is created my upper body moves into(L to R) or away(R to L) from standing leg.
   
4. Exercise
1. Flicks: practice footwork and leg action separately ant then together.
   
2. Basics: practice rock step and chasse as separate element then together.
   
3. Change places: progress from 1/4 to full turn, then back to 1/4 again for both right and left turns.