standard lesson with Ikaika 6/29/2009

Today we did tango again. We started working on tango last week.
Location: Dance Spectrum
Time: 12:00pm
Attendee: Daniel, Sharron

1. established the routine
a walk walk, link to prominent
b. close prominent.
b. quarte
c. reverse turn
d. rock
e. link to prominent.
f. Nature pivot turn
g.
...
reverse turn
progressive side step.

2. link. (QQ)
a. put the weight on the right foot COMPLETELY on the first quick.
b. monitor the size of the second Quick.
c. turn toe of inside foot toward the direction of travel.
d. Keep upper body facing each other. hips can form V shape.
3. close of prominent.
a. starting position: lady is behind the guy.
b. movement: try to move the inside leg forward only slightly, then start moving forward the knee of the right side leg to shift the weight of the whole upper body forward, feels like falling, but then inside leg catch up. Moving outside knee forward is key! otherwise there won't be enough space to move the inside legs.
4. reverse turn
a. timing: 1(Q), 2(Q), 3(&), 4(S). Prep on 3 to by moving knee forward, arrive on the foot on the second count of the slow (i.e. 4).
b. monitor where to put 2, it needs to end up facing the partner, therefore usually curved and small. This is the key to not to end up side by side by end of 2. and the right position to be preparing the next step. The correct placement of the foot requires awareness.
c.
d. Gentleman needs to keep the upper body forward while stepping back.


Key points
1. core strength
a. keep the rib in.
b. go to Pilate class!!!
2. awareness
a. use the common center as reference point. the poll in between the two person. Both person always stays on the left and the relative posture to the center poll remains the same.
b. Follower needs to read the connection to feel where/how big the steps are.
c. push to move, weight change indicate the size of the step?
3. Posture
a. Leader's right arm needs to pick up without shoulder up.
b. Follower's left arm/shoulder/lat muscle? needs to stretch upward.

Standard Lesson with Ikaika 6/8/2009

Location: Dance Spectrum.
Time: 1pm
Attendee: Sharron, Daniel

1. Foxtrat

a. Sharron needs to keep left side (shouler/arm) up!!!

b. every weight shift envoles the relaxing of the joint to receive the weight from the bone above. Consider the human body is not a simplified rigit body inas in phyiscs, it is actually cosmposed of an elastic part, that would give under pressure. Think about the joints at hip, knee and ankle when switching weight from one foot to the other.
c. folower should feel the lead from the shoulder of the leader, and response with the position of the foot. For example in Reverse turn.
d. Weave: foot should face the partner, especially on the right forward step (toe sould point slightly right to point to the partner), the next left step would start of going down straight forward, and turn to the left as the follwoer feels the change of direction from the shoulder of the leader. Sharron needs to remember to keep the left shoulder up, and commit the weight there, so that she doesn't fall to the right.

2. Tango

a. Maintan personal balance

3. Exercises

a. transfer weight completely from one foot to the others. f
i. Up on left foot, with right foot off the ground, stretch up and left on the upper bound.
ii. bend down on left foot, with weight on the left foot still, continue the stretch
iii. bend down more
iv. shift weight to the right, 20%, 50%, 70%, 100%
v. rise on right foot, left foot off the floor.
vi. down on right foot, left foot still has no weight on the floor.
vii. shift weight ot hte left , 20%, 50%, 70%, 100%
viii. start from i again.

b. feel the engaging of the tummy, sucking in of the belly button, while breathing and relaxed on the shoulder, then lift the left arm and get into the dancing frame. remember to keep the left side up, and right side down.

Standard Practice Plan -- 2 hours

1. warm up -- 5 minutes
a) swing for 2 minutes
b) waltz of foxtrot to drive for distance 3 minutes

2. Routine practice (50 minutes), at least dancing to 2 songs for each dance 1-3
a) foxtrot 15 minutes
b) waltz 15 minutes
c) quickstep 15 minutes
d) VW 5 minutes

3. Focus on a few things learnt in the last lesson. (45 minutes)
a) foxtrot: 15 minutes
heel turn especially natural heel turn
weave
b) waltz 15 minutes
whisk
double reverse spin turn
c) quickstep 15 minutes

4. Review of each dance, dancing to music. (15 minutes)
a) Foxtrot 5 minutes
b) waltz 5 minutes
c) quickstep 5 minutes
d) VW 5 minutes.

5. Summarize questions to ask for next lesson. 5 minutes (5 minutes)

Standard Less with Ikaika on 6/1/2009

1. Waltz,
1) whisk in waltz
a. both should keep upper body toward each other. and keep it that way, only turn the head to prominent.
b. leader's steps are going forward as well as side way, not only sideway.
c. on the chasse step, follower should turn the head back in sync with the foot in before the landing of 2.
d.

2 foxtrat
0) choreography,
feather,
reverse turn,
feather finish,
natural turn,
weave,
reverse turn (heel turn) with lilting action,
check,
weave with feather finish,
three step

1) heel turn:
a. An excercise to put the baby on the heel to feel the where of the weight of the follower is.
b. Don't rise too much on the heel turn. One should be able to do a heel turn without rising at all.
c. Don't shift weight too early, most of the turn is done on the heel of the first foot.
d. the turn is done through a sway.

2) lilt?
a. up down up down.
b. Don't stay on the check too long, the going down is for going out.

3) natural turn, leader get to the left of the follower. and get down, put the follower's weight on her heel, so that there is enough drive to come out to do the weave.

4) weave