1915 This is so true about Tango, Salsa, any dancing
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 22:02:55 -0400
From: skindance@JUNO.COM
Subject: This is so true about Tango, Salsa, any dancing
I have put the following onto the L slightly reformatted for email as I
thought it interesting despite being from salsa. It is from a post on
baltimoretango@yahoogroups.com I could not help what I felt was
a cynical, but realistic supplement to the first item.
---------------------------
Hello all
I must thank my man Julio Perez for finding these gems. This could have
just as
well been titled "The 6 Levels of Argentine Tango." If you have access
to another
group who would enjoy this as much as I know you will, share it.
Dance on in whichever form it may be!!!
Ernest [Ernest Williams <alohatango2002@yahoo.com>}
The 6 Levels of Salsa By Josie Neglia
Level 1: Beginner level. Two people are just learning how to move in
unison without stepping on each other and not hurting each other.
Level 2: The man and lady are now dancing in time to the music while
doing basic patterns and variations.
Level 3: The man is now dancing more complex variations and patterns.
They begin to use the space more interestingly with rotation and
changes of direction while maintaining flow.
Level 4: The man stops worrying about his own steps and starts
leading the lady with ease and control. This is when his leading
skills excel and he understands what the follower needs. It is
often the time that the man starts to "show- off" his lady with
more elaborate variations.
Level 5: This is when the man and lady start to play with the rhythms.
Syncopations, changes, accents, and stops are all used and then
the dancers can find the beat again to continue dancing.
Level 6: The ULTIMATE LEVEL when it all comes together. This is
when the dancers become "the physical instruments" of the music.
If a deaf person were to watch them dance, he could SEE the music
through their movements and interpretation. This is when the man
leads his lady to the stops, accents, energy level and mood of every
song. Therefore, every song looks different because the dancer is
inspired in that moment to feel that piece of music. This is when I
personally achieve the "dancer's high", Euphoria, or Ecstasy. When
I can feel an accent building in the music, and my partner gives me
the opportunity to do a move that punctuates the "break", I get such
a feeling of thrill and satisfaction almost on par with sex. J
cynical 2 center [And then I woke up!]
A Summary of Progress as it Relates to Learning
Unconscious Incompetence (Zone 1):
This zone is not so bad, as you are usually completely unaware that you
may be
doing it wrong anyways. This zone represents the very beginning of
learning
something new. If you discover that you really like to dance, the next
zone will
confirm just how great your desire is.
Conscious Incompetence (Zone 2):
Perhaps the absolute worst zone to be in. By this point you've seen
enough capable
dancers and may be wondering if you will ever be able to dance like the
rest of them.
This is when you know what you're doing wrong, but just can't do anything
about
it---YET! Your mind understands the desired result but your body may
often refuse
to cooperate causing a not so desirable outcome. This is the stage we
all pass through
before we can begin to master something. Dancers who are at this stage
are about to
embark on a lesson in perseverance. Hang in there! Your confidence will
be restored
in zone 3.
Conscious Competence (Zone 3):
This is where it finally starts to come together. You're doing it right
and you know it!
Still a little shaken from the previous zone, but nothing a little
practicing can't fix. This
is the intermediate phase of development and perhaps the longest. This is
when a new
dancer begins to discover that their feet have a mind of their own and
that follow/lead
is not the name of the team you're on. Your physical response time is
quicker and your
mind often feels left behind. This is called "muscle memory". This is
the time to
liberate your body & feet with a less conscious approach. Trust them,
they just might
surprise you.
Unconscious Competence (Zone 4):
Your efforts and commitment are well worth the results you are realizing
about now!
You are confident in your ability to learn anything new that comes your
way. This is
the point that your dancing begins to soar. You have a source to tap
into for movement
to rhythm. It feels almost unconscious and effortless. By now you know
that the entire
body dances. The music has become the basis for your choreography.
You've developed
a stronger repertoire and you hear music differently. You're testing all
the rules to see
which ones you can break. The advanced dancer can look forward to
feeling good,
looking good and getting only better! You will find different areas of
development that
will take you back to zone 1 but this time you're ready and willing to
experience the
wonderful frustrations that can be a part of learning. From here on the
only thing to stop
you is your desire.
** Being a solid dancer with a small amount of moves is far better than
being a dreadful one with lots of moves.
