Standard Lesson with Ikaika on 9/16/2009

Location: Dance Spectrum.
Time: 4pm
Attendee: Sharron

Today we worked on Foxtrat.

1. Heel turn: need

a. Do not get back on the heel immediately, go through the foot before getting back to the heel. Seems like only the turn is on the heel, other time still on the front part of the foot.

b. Keep the weight forward still.

c. Use the energy on the standing foot. This is the inside turn position.

d. Always start on the slow.

2. 4 positions of the foot: inside front, outside front, inside back, outside back.

a. exercise: go round in circles and figure 8 to feel weight on the different positions

b. make sure that the shift the weight from the lower body, not by tilting the upper body.

3. Send the lower body, not tilt the upper body, especially on the weave step. Upper body moving with the lower body, like a candle moves with the candle stand.

4. weave: direction of the foot is toward the partner.

5. Always shows the energy, and contribute in an equal position, even when practicing the skills. But energy doesn’t mean always moving forward, it means pressing the floor, use the standing leg.

6. Thinking the use of the energy through the foot, from the toe, to ball to arch to heel.

7. Remember the choreography: heel turn all started on slow.

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