Learn how to jerk dance


What is TikTok? Fresno, California teacher gets millions of views on app with videos, songs showing off jerk dance at school

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Austin Lemay, the energetic teacher at Tenaya Middle School in Fresno, was seen on video busting out his old moves for his students.

FRESNO, Calif. -- Whether you were dusting your shoulder off or leanin' and rockin', memorable Hip Hop dances from the early 2000s are making their way through the viral TikTok dance craze.

Austin Lemay, the energetic teacher at Tenaya Middle School in Fresno, was seen on video busting out his old moves for his students.

"I've been waiting 30 years for this," he said.

SEE ALSO | Chicago teacher, students go viral with killer dance routine inspired by 'Candyman' movie

Lemay is the Campus Culture Director. Dancing on Fridays after class is a regular event for students.

These teens get to show their moves outside of the classroom or even praise Mr.Lemay for his.

"This is my job and this is my career," Lemay said. "More than anything, this is my passion as it is with every other teacher and adult here on campus. These kids are our passion."

The video was posted by fellow teacher Jenny McCauley to bring attention to the good things happening at the school.

In just one day, it received millions of views.

McCauley says the student-staff connection is a high priority for the school.

"We upped our game pretty much," she said. "We stepped it up, we engage with the kids and we have fun. Having fun is really important to us."

RELATED | Spanish teacher calls himself the Beyoncé of Bellaire High School

"It's been very important to us to provide an environment where kids want to be here, they want to come and connect with other people," says principal Armen Torigian. "I feel like if kids' heads are in the right spot, they are feeling safe and they are having fun, then we can teach them anything that they need to learn."

Dereona Thepphakaysone is one of Mr. Lemay's students and the mastermind behind the original post.

"Due to the pandemic, things slowed down and so I feel like kids are still scared to come back to school and try to make new friends," she said. "Having things more fun makes them feel included, makes them excited to go to school."

Lemay credits his parents for his moves and willingness to get up and dance.

He says he hopes to continue shedding a positive light for the school and the students.

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Jerk dancing

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What makes this dance recognizable? What is typical, distinctive or characteristic?

Solo rhythmically move freely on the dance floor. Unstructured.

Examples

Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meat Loaf
Gloria - Van Morrison
I can’t get no satisfaction - Rolling Stones

BPM:

Can be translated from English as a shock, jerking, shiver, a bastard.


This is not a couple dance, and is not taught in dance schools. But at parties and events dominates this, and therefore deserves a place here.

The Jerk was a popular dance from the 1960s. The song "The Jerk" was written by Don Julian and scored a top ten hit. It was recorded in 1964 by his vocal soul group The Larks from Los Angeles for the Money label.

The Jerk (dance) is basically The Monkey, but arms and hands move as when conducting a band. Wrists crosses in front of the chest and then swing sideways to the rhythm. The whole body moves on the usual measure of four. The hands start moving at eye level. On count one the arms hit sideways, follow the hands and then accentuate this movement. For a bit more style snap the fingers at the end of this move (on the first and third beat). The pelvis is tilted forward and backward.

In 1966 the hit "Cool Jerk", was written and covered by several bands, including The Go Go's.

In 1998, Rocket from the Crypt recorded the song "When in Rome, do the jerk" as a tribute to this dance.

Bobby Fuller referred to this dance in his song, "Jenny Lee (Do The Jerk With Me)".

Nowadays it seems to be sufficient to nod the head, so in the meantime not too much beer is spilled from the glass. The more active occupants of the space on the dance floor also move and even turn sometimes somewhat rhythmic a foot. But of course the real toppers still move their hips and hands. It is also called 'free dance' or ' dancing loose’.

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90,000 dance at home, learn dancing for our pleasure

Dance parties: Fun and benefit

Entertainment ∙ Fitness

February 10, 2017, 13:00

Entertainment ∙ Fitness

Dance Parts: Merry and with the benefit of

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Vysotskaya LIFE ∙ Administrator,
Moscow

February 10, 2017, 2:26 pm

In recent years, social dances have become very popular, which are arranged solely for the pleasure of dancers, and not for demonstration performances or competitions. In other words, these dances are not for professionals, but for amateurs. Such parties are good for a pleasant pastime, communication and dating. Of course, before visiting such events, you need to learn how to dance Latin American dances, since they are the most popular, although there are clubs dedicated to the dance culture of different countries.

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Dance teacher Oksana Rogozhina tells a lot of interesting things about the new dance direction: “As a rule, these are simple dances, without complex techniques, and since they are all paired, the emphasis is on improvisation and the art of partner relationships - the man leads the woman, and the woman learns to be led and hear your “interlocutor”, filling the movements with beauty and harmony. Each dance becomes a small performance with two main characters. Agree that this is very similar to real life. You can learn how to dance salsa and bachata at a professional level, but if there is no interaction and understanding in a couple, the dance will not work. However, parties are held in order for people to gain experience, which comes gradually. The most virtuoso dance is when partners feel each other, act harmoniously, harmoniously and beautifully. Couple dances help men become more active, energetic and enterprising, and women become more feminine and soft. In our club, many find their soul mate, because if people find a common language in dance, they will gain mutual understanding in life together.”

Dancing for communication

Social dancing is a special form of communication between people, which is especially important in the virtual era, when real relationships are replaced by imitation of friendship in social networks. Therefore, if you feel lonely, you lack live communication, come to the dance club, choosing any dance that suits your spirit and mood.

People come to the dance party for the sake of the dances themselves, to perfect complex movements, exchange ideas with like-minded people, enjoy pleasant leisure and recharge their batteries. Members of dance clubs spend weekends together, go to nature and have joint holidays with tea parties, for example, on New Year's Day or Valentine's Day. Often parties are held in cafes and restaurants, and in the summer dance floors open in parks and rest houses, where everyone can join the dancers.

Dancing as fitness

Many people go to dance instead of the gym to lose weight, gain a beautiful body and flexibility, develop coordination and grace.

Zoya Vesnitskaya

Therapist

“There are practically no contraindications for dancing, and besides, you can always choose suitable dance movements for yourself depending on your age or health. Of course, it is best to first consult with your doctor and decide on the type of dance load. Surprisingly, the dance party is attended not only by young people, but also by pensioners, because for them it is a real opportunity to feel younger, besides, dancing actually slows down the aging of the body and increases vitality.

Dancing also strengthens the immune system, trains muscles and the vestibular apparatus, develops endurance, improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, because they are aerobic exercises. With them, problems with the joints and spine disappear, the back straightens, gait and posture become beautiful. During dancing, blood circulation improves, organs are better supplied with oxygen, including the brain, which has a beneficial effect on mental activity.

Tango - dance of passion and fire

This dance has conquered the whole world, because despite the restrained movements, there are so many emotions and passion in it! A dance built on improvisation makes it possible to throw out the feelings that have accumulated inside, to feel the beauty of your body and discover something new, unknown, hidden behind a layer of external conventions. Once the tango was danced by courtesans, but now it has turned into an aristocratic dance of high society. The highlight of the tango is that the leader is, in fact, a woman - she makes the main steps, lunges and turns, and the man mainly supports her. If you want to experience catharsis, forget about complexes, fears and anxieties, become more liberated and sexy, mysterious and emotional tango is your style.

Salsa - a leap to freedom

The Cuban salsa dance, which appeared in the 60s of the last century, is an undisguised flirtation, expressed in sensual movements, coquettish looks and smiles. There are many turns and tilts with support, as well as hand touches, it excites and excites the imagination. It is no coincidence that "salsa" is translated as "spicy sauce" - there is too much dynamics and vivid emotions in it. It is the playful salsa that sets the general rhythm for the entire Latin American culture; mambo, son, cha-cha-cha and Latin American jazz were born on its basis. Learning how to dance salsa is not so difficult - the dance pattern is quite simple, and the movements are light, pleasant, without acrobatic elements. In salsa, couples switch partners, so in the process you can communicate with different people and hone the art of seduction.

Hustle: Nostalgia for the 80s

Hustle was born in New York and mixed disco genres that were popular in the 80s of the last century. This dance even penetrated the USSR, where you can see it in the film "Beloved Woman of the Mechanic Gavrilov." There is no eroticism in the hustle - it is an incendiary dance with steps and turns without any contact between the dancers. In addition, the hustle is a mixture of elements of cha-cha-cha, rock and roll, samba, mambo and classical dances with turns and jumps. It can be danced to any music, be it rock, house, pop or chanson, but there is also the so-called sports hustle without improvisation. Some consider hustle a variation of swing, but the main thing is that once you start dancing hustle, you will forget about everything. There is a lot of energy and strength in this dance, it charges with positive and perfectly raises vitality.

Bachata - from sadness to joy

The dance, born in the Dominican Republic among the poor, trying to escape from the hardships of life, is recognizable by melancholy notes, simple movements and not very fast pace. As a rule, it is performed to songs about unrequited love, which is why it is called "mourning music", but in this apparent calm, you can catch the passion that tries to break out through the close contact of the dancers and seductive movements. If you are in a sad mood, you can relive your longing and sadness through bachata. Now it is very easy to learn how to dance bachata dance is included in the program of many parties and is one of the most popular. Apparently, the reason is that Russian people are also prone to melancholy. Well, through dance therapy it is quite possible to overcome it.

Romance of zouk and kizomba

Zouk originated in the Caribbean islands in the 80s of the 20th century, its main feature is the incredible closeness of partners, tightly pressed against each other by hips. In this dance, a woman has to bend a lot, so the mobility of the spine is important. Zouk contains elements of flamenco, Brazilian and African dance movements, which are performed to dramatic and deep music without sharp turns, at a slow pace. Zouk in its mood is a bit like bachata, it has notes of tenderness and humility, light sadness and nostalgia for the past.

The romantic dance kizomba, which appeared at the end of the last century in Angola, is very similar to zouk, so they are combined into one direction - kizombas. During the performance of kizomba, the partners press against each other with the upper body, periodically rotating the hips and making wave-like movements with the body. It is mesmerizing and looks very beautiful.

Learning to dance at home

If you have never been to a dance party, but want to come there after mastering the basics, try taking some dance lessons in a club or watch video lessons. When we dance at home, there is no instructor nearby who will tell you the procedure. But if you follow the generally accepted rules, then homework will be fruitful.

Start with a warm-up and finish with stretching and relaxation. The most optimal rhythm of classes is 2-3 times a week for 1-1.5 hours, so as not to lose shape and quickly master dance movements. During the lesson, it is desirable to see yourself in the mirror, observing the correctness of the movements. Learning to dance at home is just as real as in a club, especially if you have a dance space, a good video course or an instructor.

It is important to learn how to dance to any music, catching its rhythm and moving to the beat. If you are comfortable dancing to all the tunes, you will easily master even the most difficult directions.

Today it is easy to choose a dance to your liking. It doesn't matter what you prefer - tango, waltz, boogie-woogie, swing, merengue, reggaeton or tribal. Most importantly, in any case, you are guaranteed vivid impressions and a sea of ​​positive emotions!

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3 components of partner's ease: zoukability - LiveJournal

Author: Nadezhda Murasheva, Moscow previous materials. I was asked to write how to learn how to lead better, but this is a rather complex and voluminous topic, and it is simply impossible to lay out everything at once. And now, when some important points have already been covered in detail in other articles, I can finally bring it all to the issue of lightness in dance.

The previous translated article was about what it means to be an easy partner. The note is good and useful, but it did not say much about how to achieve this ease. This time I share with you what I realized and what I learned myself. A lot of specifics on the case: what makes up the lightness of the partner and weighting factors.

WHAT IS LIGHTNESS MADE OF: 3 COMPONENTS

First component: CONNECTION
0110

The basis of lightness, the main condition for its existence. This is not all that makes up lightness, but if you remove the connection, leaving all other components, lightness will disappear completely. A partner without a connection is a locomotive with failed brakes.

So what is a connection?

"Connection" - connection, connection, coupling (English)

Roughly speaking, connection is a contact, synchronization, but in a deeper meaning. This is such a mutual understanding and mutual feeling in a pair, when the partners are, as it were, connected with each other, completely synchronized, clearly feel the leading-following of each other and represent a single whole.

Connection is the fundamental basis of any paired social dance, on which everything else is built. EVERYTHING else . This is the starting point. You are still standing still and doing nothing, but the connection already exists. (Well, or you feel his absence from the partner).

The essence of connection - constantly feel the partner .

Feel his leading, his body movements. In a close embrace - to feel the slightest transfer of the partner's weight. Feel where he is in the distance. Feel changes in softness / hardness, in the speed of its conduct and respond to them.

It's real, it can be learned. Success depends on a conscious desire to learn, attention to this topic, an understanding of its importance and on the amount of regular practice.

A dance in which there is no connection from one of the dancers or both at once is a race, a marathon, a workout, a show off, anything but a dance. The dancer's attention in this case is occupied with himself ("how beautiful I am in the dance"), practicing movements or making an impression on the audience. Such a dancer simply forgets that he is dancing with another living person who experiences some kind of emotion, has a certain individual level of technique and physical fitness.

Here are some general guidelines for understanding where to focus your attention. But the main thing for the development of the connection is to learn in practice to feel it, to let it pass through yourself. The fact that you imagine how it works does not mean that it is in your dance.

How to feel a connection with a partner

1) Set your maximum attention on your partner

Not on yourself, not on how you move or look, not on remembering the movements you have passed. If you are not yet famous for your increased sensitivity to your partner, and at the same time your thoughts are busy with how to beautifully perform a turn, insert chips from the female style, where to put your free hand, or you pay too much attention to the technique of your movements, you will not feel the connection . Your brain is already too loaded to be attentive to outside influences. If the music carries you away on its own wave, and your body movements are dictated by the music, and not by your partner, it's better to dance solo. It's good that you like music, but if you really want to learn how to play cool, you'll have to take a break from it for a while.

Try to always maintain eye contact with your partner and at the same time feel him with your body. Focus as much as possible on the points of contact with your partner, try to feel him as best as possible. What leg is his weight on now? Does he balance well? Do his arms have a springy shape or fall back? Is your partner tight or relaxed? - how do you feel it? Does he enjoy music and dancing with you, or is he introverted and insecure? Does the partner accentuate some points by changing the speed, softness or range of motion? Try not just to see all this, but to feel it, to pass it through your body.

2) Relax and turn off your head

First of all, relax psychologically, do not be nervous, do not expect anything from your partner, do not try to guess the movements. Psychological stress leads to excessive tension in the body, you close and do not feel your partner. Forget all the links you learned in class. The partner will need the ligaments, not you.

No need to do something at random, because it seems like you have to go somewhere, but it is not clear where. There is nothing wrong with stopping in the middle of a dance and waiting for a partner to give a more understandable impulse. If you do not immediately understand some movements - this is primarily a partner's problem, and not yours, there is nothing wrong with that. You are still learning.

Physical relaxation is also present, but it is a subtle subject with many nuances. It is not present in the whole body, and the level of relaxation changes during the course of the dance. If the partner is very soft and dances a lot in a close hug, relax and have fun. The closer the contact and the softer the lead, the more relaxation to feel everything.

0140

Whatever you do, your attention should always be focused on feeling the partner's arms, and in a close embrace - his entire body. You know, there is such an expression - "turn into one big ear." Here is the same thing, only you need to listen to your tactile sensations.

Almost all movements in a pair are accompanied by some kind of tactile sensations for the partner. The point is to learn to wait for them, to understand and respond specifically to them, and not to the brave pacing of a partner next to you. If you have any doubts, ask the teacher what exactly you should feel when performing a particular movement. This is very important, do not leave these questions unattended.

I think of a comparison with a trolley bus that only travels by connecting its "horns" to the wires carrying current. The trolleybus does not travel without contact with the wires. If there is no current in the wires, it does not go either. Connect and wait for the current - it will lead you.

There are moments when the partner is allowed to "free float" for a while and her hands are freed, but in these cases the visual connection remains, and this is also very important.

4) Mirror the direction of partner's body

This is more of a basic technique rule, but it significantly affects the connection in a pair. If the partner's body is turned towards you, then your body should be exactly opposite. You turn sideways to your partner only when he leads you to it.

Mistakes often occur at the exit of turns and rotations, when the partner spontaneously turns away from the partner and opens up somewhere in the wrong direction.

Fragment of an individual with Kadu at the Prague Congress, July 2012

5) Remember all this as often as possible. Practice makes the difference.

Try to consciously focus on your tactile sensations. Practice as much as possible at parties. Dance with as many partners as possible, ask them to tell you when you are walking without a lead. Invite teachers to dance, take indivs.

It is important to practice at parties and sampo, because in a group lesson your attention is occupied with other things, and there you know what to expect. By attending only group lessons and ignoring parties, you will not learn connection.

The more partners of different levels, the better. The more diverse the partner dances, the more attention he takes to himself - the more effective it is for you. Dancing with a teacher or an experienced dancer at a party is a great option if he gently leads, uses different speeds, changes direction of movement, knows how to do all sorts of tricks to lead, if he knows how to subtly return your attention to himself.

That's what I mean. Fragment of an individual with Jorge at the Prague Congress, March 2012

The bad news is that there are very few such partners. Dancing mostly with guys who don't connect and pinball you on the dance floor, you'll never learn it. You just won't realize that can be different , and you won't have practice.

Congresses, festivals are always a big step in development. If you have the opportunity to go to the congress, do not miss it!!! It will sound unpatriotic, but I always recommend choosing foreign congresses: there the MF ratio is about 50/50, and you will not be bored at the wall - at least for this reason. The rest you will understand later.

6) A very effective way to improve your connection is to dance with your eyes closed.

Even the simplest movements and hugs will open up to you from a new side through the prism of sensations. That's how it should be! You must do all the movements because you feel them with your body, and not because you see how the partner steps aside and raises his hand , like spin come on.

But be careful: the party format is not suitable for this practice! At a party, both dancers must look around and keep each other safe. You can practice like this at sampo, but on the condition that the partner understands his responsibility for your safety.

Specialized "blind" seminars for dancers are periodically held in Russia "IN THE DARK" (organizer - school "Art of play"). From 2 to 4 hours you spend with blindfolds doing different exercises and dancing with each other. Feedback suggests that many are rediscovering dance and connection during the workshop. I myself was at such a seminar, and I really liked it. Highly recommend attending this event the next time it is held.

7) Do not complete the movement for a partner if he does not lead.

Sometimes partners forget to give part of the impulses when performing a movement. They mark its beginning, but they don’t take it to the ending, supposedly the partner has already understood what is required of her. This is an incorrect position, because the movement can change at any moment, and impulses must be given from beginning to end. Or they just have not yet learned how to lead correctly and clearly. It happens very often.

I recommend doing nothing if you don't feel led, because otherwise your body gets used to not waiting for a partner and, when given the first impulse, to do the learned movement from beginning to end. It does not develop connection skills at all.

This is not a binding rule, this is my position. In the article on the link above, I described in detail the problem and my point of view on this matter. You can listen to her or not. I was surprised, but the article caused a great resonance among partners who want to see their joints in the dance.

8) Eliminate distractions

Uncomfortable clothes, uncomfortable shoes, embarrassing jewelry take your attention to themselves and are very distracting. If connection is important to you, then your appearance is chosen for it, and not vice versa.

At the end of this section, I will repeat once again that connection is the fundamental basis for the lightness of a partner. Without it, everything else is useless and you weigh a ton. That is why I have given so much attention to this topic here.

Absolutely everyone can develop the skill of connection, it only takes understanding, desire, regular practice and time. Everything comes gradually.

---------------------------------------- ------- --------------

Second component: FRAME

The frame is an elastic, one-piece structure through which impulses are transmitted in a pair (lead-follow).

Frame includes arms, shoulders, chest, abs and back. It is provided by a group of actively working muscles that fix the joints in a certain position and reduce unwanted mobility in them. The rigidity of the frame is adjusted for the current dance partner and for the movements being performed. You can read in detail about how it all works in the article at the link.

The task of the frame is to simplify and speed up the transmission of impulses due to the fact that not only the hands are involved in the process, but the entire upper part of the body at once.

If you know how to use the frame, then the impulse moves your entire body in the right direction, and not the arm, followed by the shoulder, and then the rest of the scattered parts of the body.

In addition to clearly understanding and responding to impulses, a good frame gives you additional benefits:

- stabilization of the body and smoothing out sudden, uncomfortable movements
- improved balance
- synchronized work of your body
- movement safety (the risk of sprains, dislocations and other unpleasant things is reduced)
- the beauty of posture (partially)

The frame is a big topic that requires a good understanding of how the body works in dance. I wrote a separate, very detailed article about the frame, the link to which is in the subtitle, and I will not dwell on this in detail here.

To become lighter, you need to learn what a frame is, learn how to build it in your body and use it: receive impulses through the frame, stabilize your balance with the frame, adapt the tone of the frame to different movements and softness of your partner.

A good frame requires practice and a certain level of physical fitness. This is being worked out, although at first it may seem difficult and unusual.

In the photo, the partner has a gorgeous rigid frame, which is necessary for this movement.

---------------------------------------- ---- -----------------

The third component: BALANCE

Balance - " balance ; the art of keeping the balance of the body or objects during any exercises, tricks ".

Agree that it is much more pleasant and easier to drive a car if it drives clearly along the road, and does not skid or lose control. It's the same in dance.

Until a certain stage in his development, the dancer does not seriously think about the ability to keep balance and cannot adequately assess his level of possession (or lack of possession) of balance. However, this is another important component of lightness. And not only for partners.

If you are carried away and staggered on some movements, if you rely on a partner to stabilize, if it is difficult for you to spin, if you cannot steadily freeze in place at any moment of the dance, even on the half-toes of one leg, you have something to work on .

Balance is another big topic that requires a separate detailed coverage, and there is a separate more detailed article on this topic.

Good balance - for the most part it's just very good control of the muscles of your body, the ability to provide them with stability of the body. This is the ability to "pull up" and fix certain muscles.

I would single out 2 main principles on which the entire balance is built:

1. The vertical axis and stretching the body along vectors.

The vertical axis is always present. If you know how to correctly build your body through it, then you can maintain balance even in a difficult position. If not, then it will pass through you at random, and the uneven distribution of the body in relation to the axis will cause a loss of balance.

In the classical sense, the vertical axis runs through the entire body. Its base comes out of the center of gravity, which is exactly under the feet, and the top of the axis comes out through the top of the head. The axis is maintained by pulling the body up, mostly by the muscles of the back and abs (vector up). It really does, and it helps tremendously with zouk. And also a strong pulling of the body up is the basis of all rotations.

But besides this, there are many non-classical positions with body tilts, twists, etc. In these positions, the center of gravity may not be under the foot, and several vectors are used to balance the body. In the photo above, the center of gravity is located in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe toes of the supporting foot, the vertical axis passes through the supporting part of the foot and the lower press of the girl. The legs deviate slightly from the axis. She is helped to maintain balance in this position by the second vector, which runs horizontally - in this case along the spine. However, in a social dance you are unlikely to need this)

Zoo has many movements with deflection of the thoracic spine. In all such cases, the vertical axis still runs along the spine, and you support it by pulling up the muscles of the lower back and the abs. But due to the fact that the upper back leans in any direction, the axis will not come out through the top of the head, but in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe shoulder, chest or shoulder blades - depending on which side the slope is made.

2. Joint control

The most stable support is the fixed support. That is why, in order to build a good balance, it is necessary to eliminate excessive mobility in the joints, which in one way or another hold our weight (serve as a support). And the mobility of the joints is regulated by the muscles adjacent to them. The tension of certain muscles allows you to fix the joint.

Well, that's it, for a general understanding. Let's add some specifics.

"Dance is the back". Something like this I have repeatedly heard, and there is truth in this. The spine is a very mobile part of the body. If the back is relaxed, then it will bend in its weakest and most mobile places under the weight of the upper body, head and under the influence of physical movements in the dance (hello, lower back pain). There will be no balance, or rather it will be purely random from time to time. So that the spine does not bend when it is not necessary and does not destabilize the balance, it must be made as straight and motionless as possible. This is what we get when we stretch our body up. The work of the back muscles and the press allows you to bring the spine into a stable position. The better the tone of your muscles, the more often you make them work, the easier it will be for you to manage the stability of the spine and your balance in general.

The back is very important for the balance and the whole dance. But that's not all, because there are many more mobile joints in our body. And here we can't help but talk about the favorite joints of all zuckers - the hips)) The hip joints can move in all directions, and how much the girls destabilize themselves with them in the pursuit of beauty!

Remember. Butt is the anchor. A retracted buttock effectively limits unwanted mobility in the hip joint. It won't let you take too many steps, it won't let you swing your hip so far that your balance is out of your foot. When you feel that the shifted balance is carrying you around the dance floor, drop the anchor - pull your butt in.

Ass and back. Back and butt. This is the first level in mastering the art of balance.

Next level is the understanding that in addition to the back and priests there are at least knees and feet. Stretched knees are not a requirement of a boring teacher for the sake of beauty, this is, first of all, the same stable support. If you get into some difficult position, then it will be much easier to resist with a knee extended. And weak feet tend to collapse and tuck. And even if the entire upper part of the body is harmoniously built, then a weak foot that has fallen in or out will spoil you. I speak by myself))

What conclusion can be drawn from all this?

Strengthen your body. Learn to control your muscles consciously and safely.

If you only do social dancing, you won't be able to do it enough. To learn how to keep a good balance, build an axis, control your body, you need to load several times more, and social dances do not give such a load.

The best way to get your muscles to work is solo work with your body weight. No supports, partners, simulators. Your body, gender and movements. The more uncomfortable and unusual the position of the body to find balance, the better. For the first time I felt what it means to reach up when we were forced to do all the exercises in the middle of the hall, without a barre at the ballet. It was then that I was surprised to discover that some new muscles in my back were getting tired. The understanding of balance was then divided in my life into "before" and "after".

The photo shows an element from the adagio on modern jazz.

WEIGHTING FACTORS

All weighting factors are associated with the absence of one or another component of lightness. All of them were found in themselves.


  • Too hard or too soft sinking hands. Dancing with outstretched arms or pulling your arms towards you. - No frame.

  • Movement guessing - no connection and bad frame.

  • Steps too large. - Poor balance. Taking big steps, you move relative to the vertical axis: after all, your partner’s arm does not stretch along with your steps, and your legs are much further than your head - this is no longer vertical, this is the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

  • Back leg settling. - Poor balance. In this case, your center of gravity is under the heel or even behind it, and you are pulled back. To balance and move you, the partner has to apply more force. The farther the center of gravity, the more difficult it is to shift it.

  • Hips going forward of the body or excessive swinging of the hips to the side. - Poor balance. In this case, the center of gravity constantly walks from side to side and goes beyond the foot, you deviate from the axis - see the previous paragraph. There are movements in the dance that start from the hip, but these are one-time stylistic movements, and not a general way of moving. In general, the secret is that when one hip is turned off, the second must be pulled up and fixed very well, then the support will be stable. (thank you jazz modern)

  • Too much style. The partner diligently tries to make every dance as beautiful as possible and... ceases to feel her partner. Attention to the partner disappears, because. the beauty of the dance is a priority. - Very bad connection.

  • Psychological factors: nerves, embarrassment, distrust, narcissism, attempts to assess the reaction of others to themselves in the dance, attempts to impress those sitting nearby, looking for a partner for the next dance "without leaving the cash register", searching for teachers at dance floor.

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