How to dance with your body
Want To Dance With More CONTROL? Read This.
Do you want to dance with more control?
"Control" in dancing means your body is doing what your mind wants it to do.
If you want to dance with more control, then keep reading!
How to dance with more control
1. Be aware of your stopping points
If you want to dance with more control, then you have to understand where your movements stop. Let’s say you have a coloring book.
The outlines are the “stopping points,” AKA where your movements should end.
Knowing exactly where those outlines are ensures that your movements aren’t extending beyond it (coloring outside the lines), or cutting it short (leaving an awkward gap).
Hitting these pictures precisely makes you clean because you’re understanding WHERE to move your body. That’s the first step of control!
So once you figure out where your stopping points are. ..
2. Know your pathway in between those points
The actual movement between point A and point B is where your control really comes in. First, set the pathway. Like, is it a straight line?
Is your hand going from your right shoulder to your knee or your chest to your stomach??
This is the question that I ask most often in class because it’s easy to see pictures that the choreographer is hitting, but harder to catch the movement in between.
Once you know what that pathway is, you can refine the way you move through that pathway if you...
3. Choose which muscles to use and when
Imagine your body as a marionette. Each body part is controlled by a specific string. When you dance, these strings are invisible controls that exist in your brain.
Get used to what it feels like to move certain body parts. Try moving into any position as slowly as you possibly can.
Put yourself in awkward positions.
Be able to hold whatever position by getting your body used to it. And let your mind memorize exactly what it feels like.
Read this article for more tips! How To Dance Better By Understanding Body Awareness
4. Play with power
Being able to dance with more control also includes your power. Make sure that you’re not over- or under- exerting energy.
Going back to the coloring book metaphor – this is how hard you’re pressing down on the paper with your crayon.
You don’t want to bleed through the sheet (overexert), nor do you want it to be too light (under exert). You want to match the right level of power according to the music.
As you become more fluent with your power levels, even the most simple movements in choreography will start to look more polished and refined.
Ultimately, this is how you showcase the musicality.
Learn how to manage your power here! How To Dance Bigger, Stronger, And More “Full Out”
5.
Increase your flexibilityIf you increase your range of motion, then you’ll have the agility to move how you want without so much physical strain.
Before you start dancing, do a light/stretch warm up!
If you're not sure how to do that, follow this: Quick Warm Up / Stretch Routine
For example:If you can do the splits, kicking high is not so much of a physical challenge. You won’t be shaking or straining.
You have more control over how high or low you want that kick to go. Stretch regularly and warm your muscles up before dancing in order to become more flexible!
This video will show you how to (and not to stretch)!
6. Be stable on your feet
Can you imagine sitting on a chair… with TOOTHPICKS for legs?! You’d probably feel really unsafe, right?
This is like your body when you dance.
If your bottom half is weak and wobbly, then nothing above that can look controlled. It starts with keeping your balance.
To do this, know how your weight should be distributed in each move.
Read more about weight distribution here: Why Staying Light On Your Feet Is Actually Bad Advice
For example, if you have to lift your left foot up, then most of your weight should be on your right foot.
Maintain a sturdy base the next time you dance and you’ll notice how much more controlled you feel!
Control is something that is trainable. We hope these tips will help your body to create the movements that your mind wants!
What do you do to dance with more control? Comment below and share with us!
Control comes in many forms. Here are some of our favorite "controlled" dancers that you can train with at home!
Work on your patience and timing in Deziree Del Rosario's class! Click her photo below to start.
out. Power, facials, energy – everything .You probably can name a few dancers who “go awff.” You’re blown away by them every time they perform.
Well, we’re here to tell you that YOU can train to dance bigger, stronger, and more full-out, too! Follow these 9 tips to take your energy from 0 to 100!
Strengthen up!
You don’t necessarily have to get HUGE in order to dance huge.
Size is not a determining factor in how powerfully you can execute. (I mean, have you seen Sorah dance?!)
What is necessary is strength.
Work out to give yourself more power and control when you dance. #Gainz, breh.
You don’t dance big by being big. You dance big by being strong.
So lift some weights, do some push-ups, hold some planks, and build your strength!
Stretch it out
You can dance bigger by filling out each movement completely.
This means using your body’s full range of motion.
Make this easier by stretching regularly.
It’s best to warm up your body with some cardio before you dance, then do a longer stretching routine afterwards.
Being more flexible will set start and end points of your movements further apart, making your movements larger.
See Related Video: Stretching For Dancers | Dancers IRL | STEEZY Original
Practice like you’re performing
“Under pressure, you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That’s why we train so hard.”
– U.S. Navy
What the U.S. Navy is saying is – practice like you’re performing.
Once you get on stage (or even in groups) there is no magic dance God that takes over, making you kill the piece...
If you’ve been half-@$$ing it the whole time while learning.
So when you mark a piece, still maintain the execution that you want.
The only reason you’re not giving full power would be to pay more attention to something else, like watching the choreographer, listening to the music, or looking around to set formations.
But if you’re doing a run-through of the piece, take advantage of each chance you have to do it exactly how you want it to look.
Use your core!
It may surprise you, but movement starts from your core.
Even if it’s your arm or neck – it all comes from the tumtumz.
For example, when you're reaching with your arm, you can extend that reach by reaching from the shoulder.
And you can extend that reach by shifting your torso toward the direction of the reach.
So if you want to dance bigger and more powerfully without looking sloppy, tighten your core!
Not only will it make your movements bigger, but they will also be more strong because the base of your movement is so firmly rooted.
See Related Article: How To Execute Choreography Better By Using Your Body
Don’t flick da wrists
Even if you are dancing super big and strong, the effect can get lost by something really really small.
.. like limp wrists.
This is a habit that a lot of dancers have. Their arms make clean pictures… then it breaks right at the wrists! Ughh.
To combat this, channel your energy allll way through your fingertips!
This will ensure that your strength is being distributed in your whole arm without interruption.
And this will make your movements look bigger and more complete.
Focus on focus
Your head and eyes are a part of the picture you’re making with your body, too! Really important parts!
Not only can it look awkward if you’re constantly looking down or at the mirror, but it will also cut off your projection.
And dancing BIG is all about projecting UP AND OUT.
Lift your chin up – especially if you’re performing for a bigger audience.
And if the movements in a piece call for you to look a certain direction, commit to it!
This doesn’t mean “look with your eyeballs.” It means “look with your whole face.”
It will make the move looks more natural, and it will help guide whoever’s watching.
The audience looks at what you look at.
If you’re reaching to the right and looking right at your arm, their focus will follow yours instead of watching you from straight ahead and noticing a single arm sticking out.
Wear loose-fitting clothes
Although it has been consistently over 80 degrees in Los Angeles, you’ll never see me dancing in a tank top.
I prefer to dance in loose-fitting long sleeves.
It’s not because I enjoy sweating, but because it really does help create the illusion of bigger movement.
Our fashion trends have evolved over the years. We went from Wal-Mart sweats and giant cut-out tees to compression pants, leggings, and sports bras.
And there’s nothing wrong with that!
But it still feels so good to just put on a huge sweater or baggy sweats and go HAM with all that extra fabric to add extra effect. HIP HOP.
Remember your dead limbs
When you’re dancing, your entire body is dancing. What does that mean?
Even if you’re isolating one body part and the rest of your body is stationary, that doesn’t mean you just forget about it your “unmoving” parts of your body.
For example, for a “right arm iso” move, I find myself putting all my strength into my right arm, while my left arm just flippity flops all over the darn place.
Dead and floppy limbs can distract people from what you actually want them to see.
Instead of paying attention to select body parts, create a whole picture with your whole body – including the “dead” parts of it!
This will make your movements look bigger and be more impactful!
Commit to your moves
Committing to your movements makes a huge difference in your performance. It makes everything more purposeful, effective, and entertaining.
But commitment is hard without confidence. Killin’ a piece first requires for you to believe that you can!
See Related Article: How To Dance With More Confidence
Put on your game face, crack your knuckles, give yourself a pep talk, and KILL IT!
We hope this helped you get an edge on your full-out training grind! We can’t wait to see you go awff in the next class.
7 tips for those who want to learn how to dance
September 9, 2020Reno5Life
Dancing is a great way to make friends with your body and gain self-confidence. And yes, they can be mastered at any age.
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01. Choose your style
The idea here is the same as with sports: if you secretly hate yoga or iron exercises, you are unlikely to go to workouts week after week. To achieve noticeable progress in dancing, a beginner will have to practice a lot and regularly, so it’s better not to torture yourself and choose a direction that really ignites.
You can focus on the music that you like - you need to catch the drive from movements to it. It is music that forms the style of dance and its energy, so decide what is closer to you: for example, funk lovers should try popping or locking, folk fans may like Irish dancing, and if you respect jazz, swing and everything like that, take a closer look at lindy hop.
Another criterion is the nature of the movements. Some are closer to dynamic, as in hip-hop, others are smooth and sensual - for this in tango. There are also health restrictions to consider. So, twerk is not suitable if there are problems with the lumbar spine, with sore knees it is better not to get involved in shuffle, and it will be difficult for an aged person to master house.
2. Set a goal
Photo: Iakov Filimonov / ShutterstockYou can start dancing at any age, but it's important to keep in mind why you started it in the first place. It is perhaps too bold to expect that in half a year of classes it will be possible to reach the level of international dance championships from scratch. But if you want to try dancing in order to develop plasticity and learn to feel the body better, great, go ahead.
Don't expect everything to work out the first time. When you learn from scratch, difficulties are absolutely normal, the main thing is not to score in classes.
Over time, both the correct posture and a beautiful gait will be developed, and as a bonus you will also get self-confidence - with freedom of movement, freedom from complexes will come.
3. Don't forget about sports
Some dances in themselves make for a good workout. A vigorous shuffle will replace cardio, and a break can give a load to almost all muscle groups. And yet, without preparation, it will not be easy. A more or less good stretch is needed in any type of dance, and, for example, strong arms and strong abdominal and back muscles are also useful for pole dancing. You can combine dancing with strength exercises, but you need to give the body time to recover and not plan classes in a row, but allocate at least a day of rest between them.
And don't forget to warm up before dancing. So that the training does not end with an injury, the muscles and joints need to be prepared for the load. You can allocate 10–15 minutes for a warm-up, it should include simple articular gymnastics (at least elementary rotational movements of the shoulders and knees), tilts and dynamic stretching.
4. Take some lessons from a trainer
Especially if you have never danced before. Those with experience can learn new styles at home with video tutorials, but that's because they already know how to control their bodies. Beginners are unlikely to succeed, but disappointment in themselves and demotivation are guaranteed - if you can’t repeat elementary movements, then there’s no point in doing it.
Nothing really strange here. Without preparation, it is difficult to just take it and start moving freely. At least the basic elements are better to master under the guidance of a pro, and when you feel that you are coping, supplement these lessons with home workouts.
5. Learn something new in every class
When you repeat the same set of exercises and movements over and over again, classes turn into a good way to pass your free time, only you can forget about progress. Acquaintance with new elements is the same mandatory part of any workout as a warm-up.
It doesn't matter if you work with a mentor or on your own.
Do not immediately try to copy cool dancers. First, study the basic movements, then try to combine them into bundles until you hone them to automatism, and then experiment and improvise, creating something new based on familiar elements.
6. Record yourself on video
You don't need to record the whole workout from the warm-up on, it's enough to record only those moments with which you have problems. These can be separate movements or bundles that are not given in any way. Review the video and, if possible, objectively assess what is wrong: perhaps there are technical problems that are difficult to notice in the process. When you understand what's wrong, try to repeat the movement and record it on video again - and so on until you achieve a good result.
This approach will help you find errors and track progress. You can not even limit yourself to memorized ligaments, but improvise - then see how it looks from the outside.
7. Find like-minded people
Photo: Iakov Filimonov / ShutterstockIf you need an extra reason not to miss classes, then meeting new people can be a good motivation. It is easier here for those who train in a group. Often the dance school becomes the center of a close-knit community, where people come not only for the sake of classes, but also just to spend time together at dance parties.
Finally, the more partners around, the more experience. Do not limit yourself to dancers of your level of training and practice with those who are stronger or weaker than you. In the first case, you will be able to improve your skills, and in the second, you will try yourself as a coach - this, by the way, is a good way to learn to take more initiative and understand the very principle of movement in dance, and not just memorize the alternation of chords.
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Show smart watch and headphones!Read also 🧐
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12 Life hacks to quickly learn how to dance from Mamita Dance
Dancing
Author: Pavel Collect
Psychologist, Teacher of Salsa and Tango
Dances
Author: Pavel Pavel Pavel Pavel Psychologist, Teacher of Salsa and Tango
At the start, you always want to get a quick result.
When it doesn't happen, the hypothesis arises that everything takes time. After a conditionally acceptable time, humility comes to mastering pair dances, which, perhaps, is not given, and I will just do what I learned somehow.
This is the most common story of those who believe that the mere act of attending a pair dance class is enough to learn how to dance.
Absolutely not. If you want to really dance well, you have to make an effort outside of the dance class. A good teacher will definitely be needed, but the initiative should be on your side.
1. Listen to music
The most common and accessible advice that is given already in the first lessons. And it definitely works. Music creates a certain atmosphere of the dance and intuitively you want to move to it. It doesn't matter where you listen to music - in the car, on headphones while walking or doing household chores.
An addition that will help you dance better is your active participation in the music.
Sing along, dance or simply beat musical accents with any free parts of the body. In the subway, for example, it is enough to tap out bright moments with your fingers, in the car to sing along with sounds, and at home you can jump for pleasure.
2. Watch videos of good dancers
It's complicated, but also obvious. It’s more difficult, because without recommendations from more experienced dancers, unfortunately, it’s not so easy to find a good quality video on the net (I mean not the resolution quality, but the content itself).
Meaningful video viewing is about building an understanding of HOW dancers make a particular impression on a partner or viewer. Technology is at the heart of everything. Understanding how the pros do it is a big step forward.
It is important to distinguish a show from a disco dance, a staged performance from an improvisation, a stylized dance from an authentic one, etc. Ask for recommendations and dance teachers will always throw off a couple of videos of worthy landmarks.
Tango Z. Showreel.
Online modern tango courses
Tango nuevo is the most advanced version of tango. We can quickly learn to dance from zero to a steep level.
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3. Dance in salsatecas/milongas/discotheques
A very delicate moment when it is worth coming to the first party. From a technical point of view, most students in 1-3 months have a sufficient set of figures and techniques to come and dance calmly. Psychologically, the same moment can be stretched out for an indefinite time. After all, it is imperative to “not lose face”, “learn more figures” and be sure what to do in case “there is an unfamiliar movement”.
In fact, the partygoers don't really care (except for a small layer of non-professional teachers who want to help inexperienced dancers by treating them as customers in the future). It is important to come and try dancing after a month of classes.
You can only with friends or guys from your group. This will be enough to feel the adrenaline and inspiration from the dance.
4. Dance with partners or partners not of your level
The conventional wisdom that you need to practice in groups of your level does not stand up to the test of experience. Perhaps now your eyes widened in surprise, and you want to meaningfully read the phrase again. Yes, you saw everything correctly: when you dance with a partner of your level, you don’t grow anywhere.
It's important to understand that not only does it work one way and you have to dance with cooler dancers, but it works even more effectively the other way. It is no coincidence that teaching pair dances dramatically raises the level of the teacher himself. You have an endless stream of very beginner dancers.
How it works. A more experienced partner needs to be "stretched". It's easy and obvious. With beginners, you need to take more initiative on yourself, see the general pattern of the dance more widely, turn on and insure more, try to be an example and be more careful.
The quality of interaction begins to grow significantly. And wonderful partners too.
Dancing with partners of your level doesn't make you grow. Dance with both beginners and more advanced dancers
Dominican Bachata Women's Style Online Course
Want to learn how to hypnotize those around you with the most appetizing part of your body? On the course we will tell you all the secrets.
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5. Learn to dance for a partner and for a partner
Turks and Argentines are one of the best partners in the world. In Russia, partners are highly valued. Why? The answer is simple. In Argentina and Turkey, it is not questionable for men to ask another man to lead in one piece or another and give feedback on the quality of the lead. For them, it will be a great shame to hear moralizing from a partner, or even more so to be known in the community as an insecure partner.
In Russia, due to the constant, often far-fetched, opinion that there are more women in pair dances, partners calmly get up and study their partner's part. Such partners then grow into very cool dancers and teachers. In no case do this at parties, only in class. Here we are talking only about the learning strategy. At parties, be yourself.
6. Do not memorize links
Always try to look deeper and understand the through principle and idea of movement. Understanding what and how is done will make it possible to independently generate any sequences and chips.
Human memory is limited and there will always be a moment when something will escape and your repertoire will be limited by the size of RAM.
In Argentine tango, for example, there are seven levels of movement construction that, when mastered, will allow you to make millions of combinations. And how many dance sequences can you really remember? In rueda, more than 150 figures dance in a rare circle.
It's hard to keep more in mind.
7. Develop your body
Many years of experience in teaching pair dance shows that as soon as everyone pairs up in a class, any progress in individual style ends. But it is the individual style that distinguishes everyone at the disco: partners change, and style is always with you.
The body as the main instrument of dance must be very plastic, responsive and emotional. Surprisingly, not all pair dance schools have a general physical warm-up. It is vital to tune the body and understand how it works.
You can always train extra and concentrate more on the basic steps, as their true value is as body work. The sequence of steps is, in fact, the simplest thing that can be in pair dancing. The quality of individual performance determines the craftsmanship.
8. Try on the images of inspiring dancers
A psychological life hack for those who have already mastered the steps, but still feel that there is not enough brightness and drive.
Most are terribly afraid of being someone else's "clone". Here the action is the same as under the influence of hypnosis - the more you resist, the more you plunge into an altered state of consciousness.
With a high degree of probability, you are already dancing like someone else's "clone". A meaningful fitting of someone else's image is that you mentally take the image of the one who inspires you (inspiration is critical in this case) and "put on" yourself. Then you start dancing and trying to feel in general how it is to be able, for example, to be the best partner or the sexiest partner in a disco. This is much more difficult than it seems. But it works extremely efficiently.
9. Dance to offbeat music
Habitual rhythms keep you tight. Tango salon or speedy timba leave little room for experimentation and fantasy. Pattern dancing is always noticeable and is reserved for beginners.
The truly new is born outside of the usual.
Look for places to experiment. If there is no place, organize self-training. The main thing is not to get carried away, because music determines the style. We bring something new to pair dances, rather than trying to change them.
Search, improvise, do not be afraid to go beyond, develop in different directions, be inspired by music atypical for style
10. Try your hand at basic dance directions
dances exist according to their own non-choreographic laws.
This is the deepest delusion, which has turned into a ceiling for the qualitative development of partner dances. After all, all professional dancers, for example, in salsa or bachata, build their ideas on the basic choreographic principles.
Do not think that choreography is only applicable on stage. Any meaningful movement of the body can be choreographic. In general, try classical or modern choreography. Basically, hip-hop can work too.
11. Look for battle sensations
Pair dances return us to an active position of manifestation of our body. As in the days of our ancient ancestors, we impress the members of the opposite sex by how dexterous, hardy, sexy, etc. we are. Modern laws of the jungle in the entourage of big cities.
If you look around the dance floor, it becomes clear that the majority are clearly herbivores (not in the sense of vegetarians, but in relation to those around them). I am sure that predators are always more interesting in terms of the attractiveness of the image - try to find a counterbalance among herbivores, for example, a cat woman or a lion man.
The conversation is about an internal position, not about aggressiveness. Lability and lack of control are inherent in adolescents, and not in adult self-sufficient people.
Accordingly, even a training or friendly battle gives, on the one hand, practical skills - to make a bright sequence of movements, bring an idea to a climax, show a spectacular feature, on the other hand, develops the psychological basis of the dance - self-confidence, resistance to extraneous attention, self-control and self-control in complex elements.
12. Communicate with professionals
The environment shapes the internal position. Basically, real passionaries of the dance community are ready to openly talk, discuss and support the development of dance in every possible way. Universal principles and the ideas they articulate have a much longer and more practical perspective than meets the eye.
Accept that, for example, behind the words "listen to your partner" is not only a beautiful metaphor, but also a practical skill to literally listen to your partner. At the same time, always treat every thought, even the most respected teacher, as a private opinion.
Your skill will lie in finding the scope of the idea even in conflicting opinions. Most often, the contradiction is speculative and the truth lies in the angle of perception or situationality.
Your dancing growth will stop sooner or later. This can happen at the level of three basic steps or years of experience in teaching and show performances.
