Dynamic
To make our dance interesting and to be able to respond to diverse music, we need the capacity to change the dynamic, or quality of movement, of the step. This is the Mark’s responsibility and prerogative as the creative in the dance. The Revel is always responsible for matching the dynamic. It’s especially noticeable in […]
Energy
Our muscles burn fuel for the energy to contract. Muscles do not create energy (deprecated), they use energy. These contractions create power, which is expressed as force and velocity. Wikipedia Power is created through different kinds of contractions (concentric, eccentric, isometric). Force, at a velocity, is transmitted to the partner. The structure of the arch of […]
Fast
Most bad dancing is dancing that is too fast for the dancer’s current skill level. To move faster, we need to intensify the arch with continuous muscle contraction, but not a very hard contraction which will prevent us from moving quickly. We need to decrease the amount of force, so that we don’t need very […]
Ocho cortado
Ocho cortado is a popular cross from side step with a distinctive 90-degree pivot. Procedure The partners pause momentarily in any side step. Then the Mark repositions the arch to trot-system, meaning that he transfers his weight to one foot and, instead of bringing the Revel with him to the mirrored foot, he directs the […]
Pulpeades
Maestro El Pulpo applied the rules of barrida to the entire leg, creating a delicious and surprising system of play for the partners’ legs. Because of the softness and twisting interplay that results from these movements, El Pulpo was named “the octopus”. The key to these movements is flexion of both legs’ hip and knee joints with minimal […]
Transition
If we are dancing tranquilly, with no acceleration or drama, we may relax the muscles between movements. But when we create an unusual change of direction or if we are dancing very fast or making very big or very slow movements, we use conservation of co-contraction to hold on to the power of one movement […]
