How to dance salsa intermediate

Highlighting system levels. An example of dance.: ailev — LiveJournal

In the center of Moscow in one of the clubs from 10:13 pm to 10:18 pm loud music plays, twilight reigns, and two people dance salsa. Why is it so important for us to indicate the time and place? And to make it clear that we are talking about a physical object that exists not only in space, but also in time (because students, if we are talking only about space with the qualification "somewhere", often go from a physical object to a class of physical objects, that is, they consider not a system, but an abstract object. And an abstract object does not occupy a place in time and space, and there are no parts-subsystems in it. Our dance is therefore quite physical: a dancing couple takes a place in space-time, in fact it is dance). nine0003

The doctor glances at this pair and is obviously pleased: the partner does not limp, and this is complete happiness - all the bones, muscles, ligaments, etc. intact, this doctor recently repaired everything related to the anatomical level. The rest do not care, but the doctor still cares: he is looking for evidence in the dance that the muscles-bones-ligaments and other things that he did during the treatment of a partner are working as they should. Everything seems to be OK. And the doctor leaves the party. Here we must pay attention that each system level has its own roles. And if we want the system to work, we must work out all these roles well. To dance, you need a healthy body. If the body is not healthy, the doctor must do his job. And the doctor does not care about the dance itself. Partner moving? Moves. Doesn't it hurt? It doesn't hurt. Isn't he hurting himself with this movement? Won't hurt. Everything, the bones-muscles-ligaments are intact, and the doctor can provide the body to other specialists who will take care of other things, help to assemble the dance, including from the bones-muscles-ligaments and everything that a doctor usually does. nine0003

A body practitioner carefully looks at the same dancing couple and sees the functional organs - muscle bands that transmit movement from the partner's fulcrum (feet) through his entire body to the arm, and then from the partner's arm through her entire body to the other fulcrum, leg. Does he check if there is a break in these tapes? Is the body overstretched somewhere, blocking these muscle bands? Separate muscles, bones, ligaments here are like clay, from which bricks are made in houses. We have already moved to another systemic level, where the body is healthy, but we need to put it under the control of consciousness: if I want to transfer movement from a fulcrum all the way to another fulcrum, I need to have a very specific attention to bodily sensations of tension and relaxation in the body, and you need to achieve the correct structure of the muscles in the body. A specialist in body practices, of course, prepares the control of the body and deals with the freedom of conscious movement, not only for dancing. It works for track and field athletes, and for musicians (moving your fingers when playing musical instruments is muscular work!), And for those involved in martial arts. But here it worked for the dancers, and he is pleased: the dancers' bodies move quite freely and provide connection (you can watch the video, which very briefly talks about exactly how the level of bodily practices is responsible - whether the dancer will be a jelly, heavy or light Pinocchio, or but still a dancer -- https://vk.com/wall-179019873_511). But even here, we are not talking about dance.

The dance teacher watches how his students move - they take aesthetic poses, carry out soft leading and sensitive following, do not lose balance when turning. Here we are already talking about dancing (and not judo or equestrian sports), but this is not yet salsa. It takes a long time to learn this, it is a common part for all social dances.

And then the salsa teacher stands and watches how his students step over his feet - he looks at the same couple, at the same moment in time, but he sees them with completely different eyes, not as a doctor, not as a specialist in bodily practices. He watches how the dancers fall into the rhythm of the music, shifting weight from foot to foot and performing quite specific dance movements in the process. This is what we will call "base": the way the dancers walk. So, in salsa, a step is made to the desired score in music with weight on a bent leg, and then the leg is straightened. And so the whole dance. This is taught as "the base of salsa". This can take a long time to learn. Here is a description of the fact that you can walk like in the army, the same at every step, or you can make nuances - and the whole world opens up in simple steps: https://vk.com/wall-179019873_401.

But a visiting Cuban sensei is standing nearby, who has just held a seminar, and he watches the next systemic level: he watches how the dancers perform the figures of his dance: they spin where they need to, step where they need to. Yes, all steps are done the way the dancers were taught by their dance teacher, this is the "base". But sensei taught chips, taught vocabulary. This is the level of dance vocabulary, the specific steps that the dancers perform, maintaining the base at each step, controlling the muscle bands at the moment when they dance the “base”, and using their musculoskeletal system (what the doctor looked at) to perform this bases. And all this at the same time! nine0003

The potential partner is standing on the dance floor and carefully looking at the dance as a whole as a sequence of figures, a chain of lexemes, assembled into a whole dance lasting five minutes. She evaluates whether the partner can compose a decent dance in which all the figures known to the partner are balanced, there are some tricks, there is some kind of composition. This is the level of the dance performance as a whole, the level of the composition - what story will be told in the dance, how the rhythm of the dance is combined with the rhythm of the music in some large structures (not at the level of one beat, not at the level of one movement, but at the level of musical phrases and longer structures). The composition level is described in more detail here -- https://vk.com/wall-179019873_432. And note that this five-minute performance at a party can also be called a dance (in our case, salsa). In fact, his partner / lead does: he composes this sequence of movements and leads the partner / follow, who dances according to his signals. But salsa can also be called salsa vocabulary (those figures that dancers make in a performance), and even the base (that specific way of walking with a dance step and moving arms, legs, body, which is adopted in a particular dance). So, furniture can be called all the furniture of the apartment, and a table with chairs, and only a chair - all furniture, but each time you have to clarify what is meant. It's the same with dance: you need to specify: the base / style, vocabulary / figures or performance / composition is meant by the word "dance". nine0003

And the party org stands nearby and evaluates the party as a whole. For the party consists mainly of dance performances, many of them are on the dance floor at the same time, and they also follow one after another. This org includes in its consideration these performances, and standing non-dancing partners and partners, and DJs, and photographers with videographers, and even cloakroom attendants (because a party begins, like a theater, with a hanger). What is discussed at this level? Read social networks that discuss dancing. You will find that it is this level that is discussed the most: how much you dance or not dance (because there is no one to dance with - there was no partner, or the partner refused to dance, or something else happened), what mood do you have after the party, what kind of party you need to go to in order to dance normally (that is, get a good mood), what kind of music should play at these parties so that after that you can dance normally and have a good mood. And so on: psychology rules, passions boil, everything revolves around a good or bad mood at parties, and the leading practices here are psychology (what kind of cockroaches are in their heads about themselves and others) and sociology (group behavior). The party will not be called a dance. nine0003

The next system level no longer has those who are specifically involved in it, but sometimes some orgy parties, or teachers, or even individual dancers suddenly start discussing how they develop the dance culture of a particular dance (in our case, salsa). For all the parties, plus all the dance schools, plus all the dancers, all the orgies and other involved, make up the dance subculture. How to think about it? And here's how to think: there is a salsa subculture, part of this subculture is a party in our club on a particular evening, part of the party is a performance that takes place in this club from 22:13 to 22:18, and this performance consists of some then sequences of dance figures/lexicon that are performed taking into account the basics (how to step and move the body: in what style), which itself includes the technique of dance (and not sports) movement, which includes the bodily work of muscle bands, which includes work musculoskeletal system. All this at the same time, but here each of the mentioned objects is made by different activity roles - in the reverse order, they were a doctor, a specialist in bodily practices, a dance teacher, a salsa teacher, a visiting sensei, a partner, a salsa/salsatec party org and individual figures/developers of the subculture salsa. nine0003

Next comes the subculture of social dances in general, but we will not consider it, because it is difficult to imagine people who are involved in the development of social dances in general, the maintenance of this subculture. In every sandbox of the individual dance subculture, there are people who care about the development of dance (the three systemic levels were called dance, remember?), and the development of the level of parties and the subculture as a whole. But those who care for all the sandboxes - no. Few people are concerned that there will be more different dances, more different parties, so that a hundred dancing flowers will bloom. Although what am I? For example, I am concerned. The subculture of social dances is of interest to multidancers, who are not satisfied with the parties of one dances and communication within the framework of the subculture of one dance. So they are interested in the world of social dances as such - all parties of all social dances, all schools of all social dances, all orgs of all social dances, all information resources (chats, forums, groups in social networks, thematic websites, etc.) and everything is involved. nine0003

Are there higher levels? Of course. For example, the level of dance culture in general (including ballroom dancing, solo dancing, etc.). Although it is difficult to imagine people who are professionally involved in dance culture in general. Are there systemic levels below the anatomical/medical level? Of course! For example, biochemists can study the biochemistry of muscles that a doctor repairs.

The peculiarity of system consideration is that all this exists at the moment of operation of the target system (and in our case it is a salsa dance performance in one of the clubs) and should be considered simultaneously - but different roles around the target system consider something in this target system at your system level. Knowledge of different system levels allows you to organize the business of designing and manufacturing systems. A brick maker takes clay, makes bricks. A bricklayer makes a wall out of bricks. The foreman makes a building out of the walls. The builder makes a whole block out of buildings. The architect of the city makes the city out of blocks. These are all system levels: different people work with the city at different system levels - some with the city as a whole, some with the buildings of the city, some with the clay bricks of the city. Although it is already so far from the city in terms of system levels that the phrase "clay bricks of the city" no longer sounds - similar phrases are understood where adjacent system levels are mentioned. Clay bricks or quarter buildings. nine0003

What can you do if you think like this about the city and its systemic breakdown, think like this about the dance and its systemic breakdown? The first thing that can be done is to entrust the production of a dance (namely, to teach dancers) not to one person, but to a whole team of people professionally performing the roles of a doctor, a specialist in body practices, a teacher, a sensei, a psychologist (who will rule the brain of a participant parties, so as not to suffer for three days after some refusal to dance - because this suffering from one refusal can easily interrupt all the pleasure of a dozen performances / compositions). Actually, we did just that: we started teaching social multidance (the level of bodily practice, the level of dance movement and the level of the base for the selected seven dances), involving a couple of specialists in these three levels - https://system-school.ru/multidance. And what did you get? Since we understand what we are doing, we have received a learning rate about five times higher than the average for other dance schools. The approach is purely engineering. For example, here is a short course in which two specialists (a bodybuilder and a dance movement specialist) put lead-follow in social dances: https://system-school.ru/connection. For six hours of work it is possible to do more than for six months of classes in the dance studio "as usual". At the same time, there is no music on this course for six hours! What for? Mostly the specific bodily technique in lead-follow is trained, two closely related levels of dance. And at the same time, the myths about the need to "feel each other", "know the complex world of relationships between a man and a woman", etc. are dispelled. Leave all this to the levels of the composition (where you need to tell emotional stories through dance), the level of the party, the level of subculture. And here is purely engineering work - and this is even before a specific dance, to the level of the base, where a specific dance begins! nine0003

System levels are good just because they allow you to discuss: who does what, and what can not be done, and what can not be done. All this will be sorted out, and the super-complex will become simpler. The city can be discussed as being made up of blocks/building areas, blocks being made up of buildings, buildings being made up of walls, and no "blocks made of walls" vinaigrette. The city is easy to understand, right? Dancing is more difficult. And if you need to deal with the enterprise, then it will be even more difficult than with the dance. But it will be possible to figure it out, and the thinking about the enterprise will be the same: different system levels, which are occupied by different roles. This is the beauty of systems thinking: once you understand, and then you use it for all the systems that you meet. nine0003

Online course of systems thinking, where all this is discussed less artistically and in more detail: https://system-school.ru/sm2019.

UPDATE: Facebook discussion -- https://www.facebook.com/ailevenchuk/posts/10217454380125475

Latin American dance course system

What is a course?

At the Salsa Plus studio, we call a course a complete block of classes. As a rule, these are 8 lessons that fit into 4 weeks - in most groups, lessons are held 2 times a week for an hour (however, there are also weekend groups - they study once a week for two hours in a row). Those. To put it simply, a course is a month of classes. There are also special courses - this is how we call a month of classes dedicated to a particular topic or direction. For example, the special course "Rhythm and Musicality in Salsa". nine0003

Salsa course system

Our teaching methodology is based on a consistent study of the most popular styles of salsa. For training does not require any special physical training. There are no restrictions on age, complexion and other characteristics. We are not limited to teaching one style of salsa, because. we want our students to be able to dance everything (in relation to salsa - this removes barriers or awkward situations when you want to dance with a new partner (partner), but you can’t do it, because you dance different styles of salsa. In addition, only after trying different styles, you can choose the one that really suits you. nine0003

How does salsa begin?

Salsa lessons for beginners start with the Basic Course (look for Salsa 0+ in the schedule), which lasts one month. This is an introductory month of classes, here there is an acquaintance with the theoretical and practical foundations of salsa - the most basic and, at the same time, the most important concepts that need to be well learned and worked out are given. The base is like a foundation, it must be correct, strong, good. That is why we devote a very long time to the basics of salsa, so that in the future it would be easier to layer on this base leading / following, new figures and turns, plasticity, improvisation - i.e. other components of our dance. Upon completion of the Basic course, you begin to study the Cuban style of salsa - Casino. According to a number of indicators, this style of salsa is considered simpler than the others, and we recommend starting to dive into the world of salsa from it. nine0003

The minimum Salsa Casino program includes 6 courses - 6 months of study. This is the period in which you step over the threshold from beginner to intermediate - you have been going to parties for several months now (the sooner you start doing this, the better, because parties are a real practice), you gradually feel more confident, and comes the awareness of dance. You are already dancing salsa - even if without particularly complex figures or to slow melodies, but you know that even a simple dance can bring a lot of pleasure if it is danced from the heart and, most importantly, together with a partner / partner. nine0003

After 6 months, you continue your studies in intermediate level groups (Courses 7-12) and then we form a group of continuing or senior level (from 12 months).

In parallel with the casino courses, about once every six months, we recruit New York salsa groups. In them we recruit students who have dance experience from 4-6 months in other styles of salsa (for example, Casino or Los Angeles). Such a group already has an idea of ​​what salsa is, on what principles it is built, and due to this, it masters the New York style noticeably faster and better than if it had started it completely from scratch. However, we also have sets for New York from scratch, just a little less often. In such groups, training also begins with a basic course and then there is a consistent study of New York salsa. nine0055

Closed dance groups

All of our groups are closed (i.e. we do not let, for example, newcomers into the middle group). Those who are already familiar with salsa, after consulting with our teachers, can "join" one of the current groups that best suits your level. If a certain schedule and level of the group suits you, but your knowledge is not up to it yet, you can “catch up” with the group by working with the teacher individually. nine0003

Bachata and Kizomba course system

Bachata or Kizomba training is also a linear sequence of courses, where the material is given gradually from simple to complex. Courses, as well as in the salsa program, are divided into blocks of 8 lessons (an academic month). Bachata and kizomba are a bit simpler than salsa, and the first results of active dancing here appear faster. In bachata and kizomba, it is possible to achieve a confident average level in 3-6 months of training - by this time you will already feel comfortable and actively dance at parties. nine0055

Additional development courses and practices

In parallel with the main pair dance training program, our additional developing special courses or courses in related areas are available to you. Plastique, Female / Male style in salsa / bachata / kizomba, Reggaeton, Rhythm and musicality, Pachanga, Cuban rumba, Rueda, Footwork, Show group, etc. regularly appear in the schedule grid. They allow you to delve into your chosen direction comprehensively, develop certain new skills in your body, add "goodies" to your dance, make it richer and more beautiful, and further develop your own dancing style. nine0003

We also regularly hold thematic classes and seminars - at a small intensive 2-3 hour lesson, we analyze a certain vital topic that is relevant for several groups. For example, seminars on rhythm, on the rules of leading and following, dance etiquette, handwork in solo, etc. They allow you to immerse yourself in the material you are interested in and work it out.

In addition to parties, you can work out and consolidate the received material at Practices. Practice at the Salsa Plus school is sampo under the supervision of a teacher. You come and practice - dance, remember and work out the learned figures and ligaments, consolidate the material covered in the lessons. In practice, as well as in the classroom, there is always a rotation - you dance with different partners - everything is like at parties, only under the supervision of a teacher.

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