Second MPI Dancing Course 2008 by Fabian M. Suchanek http://www.suchanek.name -> Summaries -> MPI Dancing course 2008 This is the schedule of the Dancing Course that I gave at the Max-Planck-Institute for Computer Science in Saarbruecken in Summer 2008. By reading the following text, you accept that the author does not accept any responsibility for the correctness or completeness of this text. For a (German) summary of the dancing steps, see http://www.suchanek.name -> Summaries -> Dancing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Introduction and Disclaimer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * What is Ballroom dancing? Ballroom dancing is the kind of dance they do at weddings and balls; for example Walz, Chachacha and Tango. * Why should I learn ballroom dancing? Because it's fun, it's part of the European culture and it's also a good excuse for not working. * What will the course cost me? Nothing. The course is free. * In what language is the course being held? The course is held in English. * Do I need a dancing partner? Yes. This course is BYOP (Bring Your Own Partner). There is a mailinglist that will allow you to contact people. * Who is giving the course? That's me, Fabian (http://mpii.de/~suchanek) I am not a professional dancing teacher. You get what you're paying for ;-) * Is this course something official? No. This course is a completely private project. The course is provided AS IS; there are no guarantees whatsoever. You take this course on your own risk (there have been only very few fatal accidents in the past, though). * What is the level of the course? Currently, we have covered all popular dances with the basic step plus at least on figure. See the summary below to see where we are at the moment. * Who can participate in this course? The course is intended for members of the Max-Planck-Institutes in Saarbruecken and open also to students and PhD students at Saarland University. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w18-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 9 * Introduction Presented my dancing partner, clarifyed that everybody takes this course on his/her own risk * What is a step? * difference between the foot with weight and the "free foot" * when dancing, you always stand exactly on one foot (preferably your own), and the other foot is free * a step is a movement forward or backward, where the foot you're standing on becomes the free foot * Discofox basic step * Explained the posture for the dance. * The basic step is "one, two, tepp", where the "tepp" means briefly touching the ground with the toes without putting weight on that foot. * Guys start left forward, girls right backward ("Girls are always right", "Jungs, wir machen das mit links"). * Learned to turn that step. * Taking the lead * The basic discofox step can be danced multiple times in the same direction, with the guy going forward and the girl going backward. * The guy has to decide when to start dancing and also what to dance (=: Taking the lead). * For this purpose, the girl has to "listen" to the subtle non-verbal instructions of the guy. * This works only if the couple holds its posture stable like a frame. We practiced this by having the guy lead the girl with her eyes closed -- and vice versa. * Butterfly * Learned the "cradle" step an learned how to turn it. Learned to dance just the cradle in the couple. This works best if his step goes diagonally forward to the left. * To separate the couple, the guy dances his step on the same spot, while the girl dances her step away from him ("red traffic light"). Practiced switching from "red trafficlight" to "green traffic light" (standard basic step). * Assembled these two steps to the butterfly. * The guy has to pull her hands to show that the butterfly is over ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w19-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 13 * Repetition and basic dancing capabilities * We repeated the discofox basic step, also multiple times forward and backward * Emphasized the leading. Leading works best when the arms form a stable frame. We practiced this by the "robot exercise". * Explained how to ask somebody for a dance, have the guys choose a lady and practice the leading with another partner * Explained how to start the dance * We always start at the "1" of "1, 2, 3, 4". To practice this, form a circle, listen to the music and make one step forward on "1", wait on "2, 3, 4". * To give the girl a hint, we already prepare ourselves for the start of the dance by some movement or breathing in at "4". Practice this in the circle, then the girld choose a guy. * Discofox butterfly We showed the red traffic light and the butterfly. Explain that the arms shall not go down, but just in and out. * Foxtrott introduction * Explain that Foxtrott was the original version of Discofox * Show how this dance moves in the room * Listen to the music, find out that Foxtrott music has an alternating beat pattern, whereas Discofox has a homogeneous one. * Introduce the flutsch-flutsch * Make a small step to the left, stay on the toes * Drag the right foot towards the left one * Repeat this, first in typewriter mode, then in a circle with the guys facing outward. First slowly with music, then twice as fast. * Assemble the Foxtrott basic step * Practice the step in a circle with the guys looking outwards * Posture * Try dancing close to your partner, without looking at your feet * Introduce the standard posture: * shoulders back s.t. the should blades meet, then down as if you were carrying buckets of water * switch the hip back * head up, spine prolonged (like the child that puts his chin on the table) * arms in a line parallel to the floor * Introduce posture in the couple ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w20-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 10 * Foxtrott turn * Explain the step * Learn to turn the step * dance just the turn with partner * The Foxtrott step can be seen as trying different parking lots with your car. Explain that the turn takes place when the car is parked in * Try to dance close to your partner so that the turn becomes easier * Configure the turn so that you need 4 cradles to do a 360 degree turn. Then practice the sequence "Two basic steps, one turn" all together. * Speeding up the Foxtrott * Show with Sandra how it shall look afterwards * Teach how to dance the basic step in a Zig-Zag. You have to turn 90 degrees during the flutsch-flutsch. * Explain that it's much easier to do if the couple is close * Practice this so that all couples start from one side of the room * Practice to make large steps, except for the flutsch-flutsch * Put everything together and have them dance on their own * Waltz * show how it looks, learn that Walz is less hectic and more elegant than Discofox and Foxtrott * listen to the music, learn that it is 3 4 time. Listening to the text can help figuring out the "1". * Learn the basic step, learn also to turn the step // Walz is very easy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w21-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 8 * Repetition of Discofox * basic step, red traffic light and butterfly * make small steps * dance at real speed, also to a fast song * Repetition of Foxtrott * basic step, turn * make small Flutsch-Flutsch * dance to real speed music * Repetition of Walz * dance with another partner * Walz up and down * Show with Franziska how Walz should look * Show up and down in Walz, use a towel to explain where the ups go * Dance the ups and downs in a circle, trying to get the swing boat feeling, enforcing it with arm swing movement * Have them dance on their own * Walz left and right * Show the Walz left turning basic step with the towel on the floor * Learn to turn the left basic step * Show where the right basic step goes into the left one and vice versa * Dance a sequence of right turns, then left turns, then right turns with everybody in sync * Viennese Walz * Show how it looks * Listen to the music * Have them all schunkel in a circle to get a feeling for the music * Learn basic step * Learn to turn the basic step slightly * Dance to slow music * Viennese Walz big turn * Learn to turn the step by 180 degrees (one of the partners has to make a bigger step) * Explain why it's good to stand close * Have them dance at slow Walz speed all in a line // This is too much ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w22-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 7 * Foxtrott real speed * show again how it looks * let them dance * Waltz * dance with good posture and ups and downs * repeat left turn and right turn * dance again * Viennese Walz * Schunkeln * Do the basic step, learn to turn it just slightly around the axis of the couple * learn to turn in a small circle, enlarge that circle * show how the basic step and the Schunkel step can be combined * Rumba * show the dance, show that the partners stand apart, are perceived on their own * make them listen to Rumba music * show the basic step, make them make clear steps * show the lady's turn * show how to lead the lady's turn, emphasize the frame of the posture // People are quite enthusiastic with Viennese Walz // The advanced couples would love to learn more and faster ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w23-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 6 * Viennese Walz * show again * dance * Rumba * show * make Rumba walks // People have difficulty with this one * dance, make a Rumba hip movement after long step * Jive * show, make them listen to the music * show the basic step: Cradle, one flutsch, one step and back * speed up the basic step, lift the knees // People do quite well * dance at different speeds * show flirting, explain that the turn happens exactly between the beets // Not that easy * show how the flirting step works with the partner // We start with an advanced course, but all couples stay and want // to continue * Discofox * show cradle 180 degrees turn left and cradle 180 degrees turn right * explain that all steps in Discofox are based on the cradles: * He turns left, then right, she vice versa * half pretzel * place swap * he goes she goes * He turns left, then left again, she turns right * full pretzel * simplified full pretzel // Quite chaotic, needs better preparation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w24-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 8 * Jive * repeat basic step * repeat flirting step, explain that the turn is between the steps * practice the in-and-out movement of the couple for the flirting step without steps, all synchronized * learn the place swap, first practice the opened basic step for ladies and guys, then the movement for the couple without steps, all sync'ed * Rumba * Learn promenade First do both cradles forward, then turn the cradles outward * Style: * Hip-movement * keep shoulder line straight * feet turned outward * big toe remains on the ground * Tango * show how it looks * listen to the music, find the specific tango rhythm * learn the basic step, explain that the two first steps take two beats * Style: * stay close to your partner * bend your knees slightly, don't poke out your buttocks * make big steps, if someone gets hurt, the fault is with the one who is below * make steps forward with the heel * show how it shall look // It does look a lot better! // I call this part "advanced", because we learn more steps, // but the steps that we learn here are actually easier. All couples // stay * Discofox Practice the following steps by * first showing how it shall look afterwards * learning the steps * practicing the movement for the couple without steps * practicing the step with everybody sync'ed Steps are: * half pretzel * place swap * he-goes-she-goes (all with the very same steps) * full pretzel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w25-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 8 * Tango * Repeat tango basic step * Explain that people should make big steps, be a little low in the knees, stand close * Posing step (Ausfallschritt) * Show how it shall look * Explain the steps, explain where the lady's knee goes * practice just this step * assemble with basic step * Walz * show again how waltz shall look * have them dance * introduce the spinning top (Kreisel) * show how it looks * explain the steps // Advanced course * Discofox * have them dance * have them dance with another partner * Show sliding door * Practice this * Show standard tunnel * Practice tunnel * Show the tunnel trick: The lady follows the upper hand, the guy follows the lower hand ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w26-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Walz * repeat spinning top * Tango * repeat posing step * explain that bending the knees serves to get the thighs together * Rumba * repeat the lady's turn and the promenade * Chacha * explain that ChaCha is like Rumba plus the chacha-step * practice the chacha-step * assemble the chacha-step with two cradles to the ChaCha basic step * explain that the last "Cha" is the "One" in the beat pattern * explain that therefore, the last Cha is emphasized and that it should be a "frozen position", which you prolong and in which you focus your partner * have them dance * add the lady's turn and the promenade * explain that during the freeze, the couple should still face each other, in order to make the next step a surprise // Advanced course * Salsa * show how Salsa looks * learn the basic step * add the lady's turn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w27-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 5 * Salsa * repeat the basic step * repeat lady's turn * add the crossbody lead step * Jive * repeat basic step, flirting step and place swap * learn the bouncing * learn the delay after the first cha-step to get a syncopic chacha-step * dance real speed * Samba * show how it looks * listen to the ramm-padamm in the music * learn the Samba up-and-down movement * tense the rear muscles when going down * learn the basic Samba step * learn to combine it with the up-and-down movement up step up padamm * learn the wiper * Merengue * show how it looks * listen to the music * explain the basic step show how the knees go with each other * explain the lady's simple left turn * explain back-to-back ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w28-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 7 * Salsa * repeat Cross-Body-Lead * Samba * repeat up-and-down movement * repeat basic step * repeat wiper * Merengue * repeat basic step // People have difficulties with having a bent knee on "1" * repeat the lady's simple left turn * repeat back-to-back * Bachata * show how it looks * learn the basic step, learn the hip-kick * learn the complete lady's turn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w29-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couples: 8 * Merengue * show the alternative counting (knee is forward and heel is up on the beat) * Tango Argentino * Listen to the music * Show how it looks (Fuss-Schieben, Boleo, Valentino, Seit-an-Seit, Sprung) * learn how to do the steps (with the knee forward) in a circle, also backwards. Always put the free foot next to the foot that has the weight. * learn to do the steps sidewards * learn to drag the lady on the right foot * learn to lead these elements in an open posture * introduce the closed posture * ladies learn Ocho-Turn with guys * assemble the steps * practice and make clear that after each step, the lady must be prepared to dance every other step. There is no predefined sequence of steps. * Samba * repeat basic step and wiper * learn forward step * learn promenade ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w30-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // Reshuffling and start of the advanced course Couples: 9 * Tango Argentino * show again how it looks * repeat elementary steps and ochos * introduce parallel and unparallel mode * show how to walk forward and backward in unparallel mode (he is slightly left of her, with his right and her right leg walking synchroneously) * show how he can change the weight * show how forward and backward steps can be combined in parallel and unparallel mode, show that the sidestep works only in parallel mode and the ochos only in unparallel mode * explain that the "basic step" that other schools teach is a combination of the elementary steps * Viennese Waltz * repeat basic step * repeat right posture, show that the goal is to dance the big circle * learn to dance the sidestep big when we go forward, small when we go backward, practise this alone by dancing in lines * learn the left turn * explain that the left turn is against the usual turning movement of the couple in the room, explain that it is easiest to dance the left turn only as an intermediate figure * combine left turn and right turn through the pendulum step ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w31-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Viennese Waltz * repeat left turn * show how the left turn and the right turn can be combined without intermediate pendulum step * Tango * show again how it looks * repeat basic step and pose step * explain that the partners press each other against each other during the forward steps * explain the promenade * explain that the turn happens like in twisting, the couple does not open too much, she is like a hinge on his hip * Foxtrott * show again how it looks * have them dance, then show again how it looks if it is sped up * show the promenade * show the simple exit and the turn exit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w31-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Repeat Viennese Waltz * show how to speed it up by reducing the movements 1. small steps 2. no up and down movement 3. staying close to the partner * repeat left turn and transition * Repeat Tango * repeat promenade ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w32-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Rumba * show again how it looks * repeat basic step and lady's turn * introduce lasso, show how she has to move her head and arms. Show how he moves his hips (useful also for the girls) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w33-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Waltz * show again how it looks * repeat basic step and spinning top * explain that the partners press each other against each other during the forward steps * introduce promenade * explain where she turns the head and how it works with the up and down * Salsa * repeat * show the She-Goes-Step (Enchufala) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w34-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Waltz * repeat promenade step * Salsa * repeat She-Goes-Step * add the He-Goes-Step in the same manner, explain that it is just turning forth and back * Merengue * repeat basic step, lady's turn and back-to-back * show different ways of turning the lady and getting out of the resulting confusion ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w35-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Salsa * repeat the He-Goes-She-Goes-sequence * Merengue * show basket for him and for her * show different ways of resolving complicated hand configurations * Bachata * show lady's half turn (left, right, forward, backward) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008-w36-2 (last session) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Repetition of all dances