I had trouble spinning this past class. I always landed a bit to my right when I completed the spins... and got a bit dizzy.


I guess I need to practise something called "spotting". It is described in detail at this

Apparently...

It takes practice and you have to go verrrry slowly at first to get the hang of it... but you will be rewarded by non-wobbly turns, balanced stops, and a better feeling in your stomach all around.

Dancing is best learned visually, so I strongly suggest asking your teacher to teach you how to spot your turns.

You know how if you get motion sick, you're supposed to look at a stationary point? That's the idea behind spotting. If you're looking at something stable, your body will feel stable.

Here's a basic way to practice it without worrying about turn technique:

1. Facing straight ahead, find something to fix your eyes on that is eye level or slightly above. This is your "spot". It may be a wall clock, poster, anything that isn't going to move.

2. Slowly start to turn your body, keeping your focus on the spot *and your head stationary*. At this point your body is turning under your head, almost as if your head is floating. Once your body has turned as far as it can without moving your head, turn a little more so that your eyes are looking sideways at the spot. You are looking over your shoulder.

3. Without moving your feet, and keeping your body as still as possible, turn your head to find the spot looking over the other shoulder. This is the opposite of what happened in step 2 - now your head is turning above your body!

4. Always focussing on the spot, complete the turn with your body.

So your body starts the turn, your head whips around to catch up and go ahead of it, and then your body catches up. Your eyes are on one spot except for when it turns so fast you don't have a chance to get dizzy.

Practise this slowly, stopping at each step to make sure there is full separation between the head and body turn. Do it in each direction. Once it starts feeling familiar, do it without stopping the (still slow) rotation.

Then, do it for the types of spins you do, and work it up faster and faster. While practicing alone, you'll have to find a suitable spot in the room. If you're doing partner dancing, often you'll be spotting on your partner's face.

The other way of avoiding dizziness while spinning only applies if you are not generating the spin or unable to spot without disturbing your position; that is, if you are spinning in a lift, or in a super-fast spin where the partner is really powering it and you are basically turning on the spot. In those cases, you have to learn to "blank out" and not see the room, just sense your own balance and then focus as soon as you exit the spin. Those are special circumstances though!

But I am afraid all that detail sounds a bit like this right now...


Maybe I just need shoes that will not put a brake on my spinning all the time...

{Cue music!}

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

ahead for Buffalo.

But mainly, I wanted to dwell on just how awesome Etta James ALWAYS manages to sound.


I love that surly little grittiness in her voice.

I was listening to the song that (e:Paul) posted on his miss-you-already-(e:terry) post (e:paul,53129) today morning and I could only think of Etta James and didn't she capture the very feelings in her own twisty way so many decades back?!

I could hear this song so clearly in my head that I had to hunt it down!

Oh, and (e:libertad) reminded me of this one!

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

The NYC edition.



You have to appreciate how popularly arcane urban art can be! haha

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PS: I saw this video first in my salsa class. My dance teachers were fascinated by the new moves. I was fascinated watching them so immersed. I love how involved they are with dance. It's almost as if dance flows like art and blood through them and they live for the thrill of dancing. They inspire me so much it's hard to express in words. They ARE art.

I think I could be a massive hip hop fan (especially with southern roots, they are SO catchy!) IF ONLY they didn't insist on crooning out absolutely offensive and downright annoying lyrics with those really outstanding tunes.

Does it all have to be about crime or calling women all kind of juvenile names?! It irritates me so much because I really dig the whole rhythm and the complex multi-layered arrangements of several hip hop artists but I just don't want to listen to them singing about how they clobbered someone to death (and not in a black noir way, either) or how their guns and drugs are so cool.

Of course, I have the option of turning off the vocal frequencies, but the problem is the vocals are so much a part of the melody and rhythm in the song, the song loses a LOT if you eliminate the vocals.

Man, how I wish they all sang/rapped in French!

Hippety hop dilemma.

Okay, I spent every minute of my mp3-player time today playing traditional salsa by greats like Roberto Torres (and OMG-so-popular-its-POP Marc Anthony) and listening for this Clave Rhythm:

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

I am nowhere close to deciphering this elusive rhythm in real salsa songs. But the funny thing is I can now hear it clear as day in Prodigy's d&b hit.

(Yeah, I know. Weirdest video ever. And I have no idea what they are croaking on about in the middle of all those raving-loony-peeping-into-screen dance moves. They definitely need the hospital. Any hospital. But listen to that clave right there! Listen to that d&b clave!)

At this rate, I might start hearing the clave when people speak. Who knows...

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PS: Being a bit salsa-clave-overzealous nutcase here but I also found a software called "The Salsa Rhythm Machine" at this I am going to give it a whirl and report back.

PPS: The Salsa & Merengue Society's website is an absolute delight It's so plain and innocuous but every little corner is a nifty surprise!