"Chick Flicks & Salsa"
10.13.10
Even if you're a guy and you can't stand chick flicks, you've undoubtedly heard of the infamous movie and the book that it's based on, "He's Just Not That Into You." Being the inquisitive young man that I am, I've never shied away from books and magazines that were aimed towards helping women understand men. I figured, knowing what people are telling women about us men will do nothing but help. And hey, maybe I just might learn something about myself along the way. Anyway, I never got around to skimming the book during my many episodes of killing a few hours inside of Barnes & Noble or Borders. So, when I was flipping through the channel guide one night and found "He's Just Not That Into You" about to start, I thought "Eh... Why the heck not?" Yes, I do realize that my man-card is in danger of being suspended for admitting that I've watched this movie. Fellas, you'll have to forgive me for that one.
I will admit that I actually did enjoy the movie. I was both amused and irritated by what went down during the course of the story. For fear of allowing this blog entry to turn into a movie review or a personal rant about what's wrong with the state of male-female communication, I will elaborate on only one particular scene (0:00 - 2:40, http://youtu.be/mu7hgX-vzxc). Alex has explained to Gigi several times throughout the movie that if a guy is indeed "into her", he will make it clear without her having to do any guess work. However, Gigi mis-interprets Alex's advice-giving and other kind gestures as "signs" for them starting a relationship. Alex begins to rant about women constantly reading too deep into everything a guy does and twisting words and actions into something that isn't there. During this rant, he tells Gigi that "If a guy wants to date you, he will make it happen! He will ask you out." Alex had previously said many other similar things to Gigi, albeit with a less harsh delivery.
Ok, by now you're most likely wondering: "What the heck does this have to do with salsa?" Just like every guy has felt the same way that Alex felt at some point in his life, so have I. However, I've also felt this way while dancing. There have been countless times when a move that I attempt goes awry. Being the good lead that I am (or so I'm told), my normal reaction is to take responsibility for it and start with myself. I think to myself, "Ok, what did I do to make that go wrong? How can I lead that so that she gets it next time?" Of course, there are other times where the lady I'm dancing with does something that doesn't even come close to what I think (operative word) I lead. It is during those moments that my mind switches to Alex-mode and I'm thinking "What made you think I was telling you to do that?!?! What made you think I wanted you to turn? Did I tell you to go that way? I wasn't even trying to get you to do anything just now!"
It hit me one day as I was teaching a salsa boot camp. I was explaining to the ladies in the class what their mentality should be as they attempt to follow the guys that they will dance with. Putting myself out there, I made reference to the movie and told the ladies, "If a guy wants you to turn, he'll make you turn." If there are any budding salseras out there who are lost in the turbulent waters of the sea of following, heed my words. Salsa and most other partner dances were built so that the lady, the follower, does not have to think about what's going on. It's not for you to guess, predict, or anticipate what's about to happen. There are no "signs" involved. Don't react to what you see him do; react to what he leads you to do. It is up to the guy you're dancing with, the lead, to make it crystal-clear to you what is going on. If you don't feel lead to do something, if you are unsure, if there is any doubt, if there is any thought process involved with your next action, that means that either he is not leading it correctly, or he is not leading you to do anything at all. As I said earlier, the dance is built for you to do very little thinking, if any at all. Your job is to react. The moment you start thinking about it is usually the moment things start to fall apart.
If you follow this way, this forces the leads to lead clearly and deliberately. This will make them "step their game up", so to speak. Or at least the good ones, anyway. The good leads will do what I spoke of earlier and start with themselves to make sure that the botched move wasn't due to their own lack of technique. The bad leads, however, will most likely blame you for not knowing what you were supposed to do and not even consider the possibility that it could be their fault. As difficult as it may be, just ignore their cocky attitudes and allow it to make you grateful for the good leads out there.
So ladies, as you dance any type of partner dance, let your brain relax for 3-5 minutes and let the guy lead you. Take a break from analyzing everything and just go with the flow. Guys, don't be afraid to watch a chick flick or two. You'll be surprised what you'd learn ;-)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
"Just Feel The Music" v 2.0
(A revised version of my original post, "Just Feel the Music")
We've all heard the phrase "just feel the music" in regards to dancing salsa. But what does this phrase really mean? If I'm a beginner in a salsa class and someone tells me to "feel the music," how exactly do I put this into practice? How can I tell when I'm doing it? I think that such a thing as "feeling the music" is a lot easier said than done.
I believe that, while there are some people who say this and know exactly what it means, there are too many more people who say this to others without totally understanding all that it entails. At the risk of over-complicating things, I think that "feeling the music" is not nearly as simple as those who haphazardly use this phrase make it seem. Telling someone to "just feel the music" is about as problematic as telling a beginner salsera to "just follow."
I do believe that one must “feel” the music while dancing. While this is the case with any dance, it is especially so with salsa dancing. It’s been said that the dancer is the missing instrument in salsa music, meaning that if we are truly dancing the way that we are meant to, we are all but literally slaves to the rhythm. The music is not just background noise to be played while we dancers show off. Ideally, we should feel the music so much that a deaf person would be able to see the music by watching us dance. Whether the music is fast or slow; calm or intense, our dancing should reflect that. To completely ignore the music defeats the purpose of it even being there at all.
“Feeling” the music is a must. It has to be achieved if one is to truly dance. However, I dare to say that there is no such thing as to “just feel the music.” As I said earlier, I feel too many people say that without really knowing what they’re talking about. It’s been my experience that those who utter that phrase subscribe to the belief that “there’s no 1-2-3, 5-6-7” in salsa music, and many other similar ideas. Some think that to count the music makes you robotic, losing the feeling of the dance. While this may be true for some who have not yet learned how to appropriately break the rules of structure that the count provides, it is not the count itself that does this. Every type of music, salsa included, can be counted. If you are dancing on beat, regardless of whether you choose to count, you are dancing on a count. It may not be On1 or On2; it could be on the “and” between 4 and 5, or on 3.14. If you are dancing on beat, you are on a count, whether you like it or not.
To the many who try to downplay the use of counting music, consider for a moment our beloved salsa music that we yearn to dance to. Those musicians count their music. In the words of “The Unlikely Salsero” Don Baarns, “Music ain’t random.” It has structure. No matter how dynamic or unconventional a song is, it has structure. The count is the structure of this music. A band has to count its music the same so that each member can be on the same page, or else musical chaos ensues. When each band member is playing his or her role and instrument, doing something different from one another that still somehow gels together into the beautiful sounds we hear, the count is the common ground that they all return to. I dare anyone to try to convince a legitimate musician or band not to count because it’s not important. The members of the band cannot simply “feel” the music. Each band member thinks differently and has a different personality, and therefore will not feel or interpret the music the same as the next. If each member only relied on his or her “feeling”, the song would be an un-danceable mess. This is no different for us in this partner dance we call salsa. If you are dancing with another person, you are dealing with another mind, another personality that will not feel the music the same way that you do, not to mention the fact that person is of the opposite gender (but that’s another story). The count is there so that you both will be able to be on the same page, the same way that the members of a band would. If the musicians that produce the music we dance to feel that counting is important, why shouldn't we?
I mentioned before that many believe learning to count music lends itself to becoming a robotic dancer without passion or feeling. I believe this to be true only if you allow it to be. It is not the count itself that produces a dancer with no “flava”. As I mentioned earlier, it is when people fail to learn how to break the rules that they become emotionless dancers. One must learn how to put one's own personality and sabor into the dance, learning when and when not to stray from the structure of “1-2-3, 5-6-7” or “step here, step there.” This is where musicality comes into play. It takes practice to learn how music operates in order to be able to predict and react to the changes in the music. However, even that is not enough. Having an understanding of it in your head is one thing, but it's a completely different ballgame trying to move your body to what has been processed in your head. Understanding the music without having control of your body is like having a story to tell but not possessing the vocabulary to vividly illustrate your vision to someone else. This is why body movement is important as well. Proper balance, body isolations, and muscle control are all useful and necessary tools to a dancer. Understanding and interpreting the music as well as being able to move your body to your liking is what I believe “feeling the music” is all about, not just some cop-out against learning to count music.
We've all heard the phrase "just feel the music" in regards to dancing salsa. But what does this phrase really mean? If I'm a beginner in a salsa class and someone tells me to "feel the music," how exactly do I put this into practice? How can I tell when I'm doing it? I think that such a thing as "feeling the music" is a lot easier said than done.
I believe that, while there are some people who say this and know exactly what it means, there are too many more people who say this to others without totally understanding all that it entails. At the risk of over-complicating things, I think that "feeling the music" is not nearly as simple as those who haphazardly use this phrase make it seem. Telling someone to "just feel the music" is about as problematic as telling a beginner salsera to "just follow."
I do believe that one must “feel” the music while dancing. While this is the case with any dance, it is especially so with salsa dancing. It’s been said that the dancer is the missing instrument in salsa music, meaning that if we are truly dancing the way that we are meant to, we are all but literally slaves to the rhythm. The music is not just background noise to be played while we dancers show off. Ideally, we should feel the music so much that a deaf person would be able to see the music by watching us dance. Whether the music is fast or slow; calm or intense, our dancing should reflect that. To completely ignore the music defeats the purpose of it even being there at all.
“Feeling” the music is a must. It has to be achieved if one is to truly dance. However, I dare to say that there is no such thing as to “just feel the music.” As I said earlier, I feel too many people say that without really knowing what they’re talking about. It’s been my experience that those who utter that phrase subscribe to the belief that “there’s no 1-2-3, 5-6-7” in salsa music, and many other similar ideas. Some think that to count the music makes you robotic, losing the feeling of the dance. While this may be true for some who have not yet learned how to appropriately break the rules of structure that the count provides, it is not the count itself that does this. Every type of music, salsa included, can be counted. If you are dancing on beat, regardless of whether you choose to count, you are dancing on a count. It may not be On1 or On2; it could be on the “and” between 4 and 5, or on 3.14. If you are dancing on beat, you are on a count, whether you like it or not.
To the many who try to downplay the use of counting music, consider for a moment our beloved salsa music that we yearn to dance to. Those musicians count their music. In the words of “The Unlikely Salsero” Don Baarns, “Music ain’t random.” It has structure. No matter how dynamic or unconventional a song is, it has structure. The count is the structure of this music. A band has to count its music the same so that each member can be on the same page, or else musical chaos ensues. When each band member is playing his or her role and instrument, doing something different from one another that still somehow gels together into the beautiful sounds we hear, the count is the common ground that they all return to. I dare anyone to try to convince a legitimate musician or band not to count because it’s not important. The members of the band cannot simply “feel” the music. Each band member thinks differently and has a different personality, and therefore will not feel or interpret the music the same as the next. If each member only relied on his or her “feeling”, the song would be an un-danceable mess. This is no different for us in this partner dance we call salsa. If you are dancing with another person, you are dealing with another mind, another personality that will not feel the music the same way that you do, not to mention the fact that person is of the opposite gender (but that’s another story). The count is there so that you both will be able to be on the same page, the same way that the members of a band would. If the musicians that produce the music we dance to feel that counting is important, why shouldn't we?
I mentioned before that many believe learning to count music lends itself to becoming a robotic dancer without passion or feeling. I believe this to be true only if you allow it to be. It is not the count itself that produces a dancer with no “flava”. As I mentioned earlier, it is when people fail to learn how to break the rules that they become emotionless dancers. One must learn how to put one's own personality and sabor into the dance, learning when and when not to stray from the structure of “1-2-3, 5-6-7” or “step here, step there.” This is where musicality comes into play. It takes practice to learn how music operates in order to be able to predict and react to the changes in the music. However, even that is not enough. Having an understanding of it in your head is one thing, but it's a completely different ballgame trying to move your body to what has been processed in your head. Understanding the music without having control of your body is like having a story to tell but not possessing the vocabulary to vividly illustrate your vision to someone else. This is why body movement is important as well. Proper balance, body isolations, and muscle control are all useful and necessary tools to a dancer. Understanding and interpreting the music as well as being able to move your body to your liking is what I believe “feeling the music” is all about, not just some cop-out against learning to count music.
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