DANce StepsNotes from Dan

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1. Posture and Poise: Use dynamic posture. Anticipate each movement posturally.
2. Lack of clarity with timing, especially rushing: Feel the music.
   1. Listen particularly for the higher, faster sounds in the music to feel all the potential for time between the heavier beats. Stillness is a key component of expressing rhythm.
   2. Everyone dances better to “dirty” music in practice and competitions. (“Blurred Lines”)
3. Weak Feet, especially lack of foot pressure in both the standing and moving feet. Press down and away from the direction of travel. Keep pressure between the ball of the moving foot and the floor. Stroke the floor with pressure. The definition of “grounding” is keeping pressure in the balls of both feet.
4. Unarticulated foot and ankle action and lack of edging
5. Parallel or turned in feet, especially on forward checking actions (front foot) and Latin Crosses (back foot)
6. Indecisive movement: Know exactly where the next step is going and commit to it. Attack each step of each figure. Gaynor Fairweather asks her students to say a bad word on each step.
7. Unfocused or misdirected gaze: Look hungry. Use a terminator focus. Men: Look down your nose at your partner, but keep your jaw line level, positive and directed, like your gaze.
8. Incomplete activation of body actions, especially the use of the slide and rotation of the back. Make every movement self-oppositional, especially in the use of the sides of the body.
9. Incomplete use of the whole physique: Dance from head to toe and from finger tip to finger tip, especially with arm actions. (See next point for arms, specifically.) Stretch like it’s the first stretch of the morning.
10. No broken arm actions (“Twigging” or baby bird wings). Avoid the use of superficial arm and hand gestures in favor of more complete involvement of the torso in all arm movements.
11. Lacking flow: Stay on the standing leg longer and move liquidly. There are no stops. Checks and rock actions should be rounded with body action and rotational choreography, especially in Cha Cha.
12. Contrasting legato body and arm actions with staccato foot, leg and head actions: The goal is normally liquid, but pulsing movement on sharp, rhythmic steps.
13. Uninspired or uncompetitive choreographic choices. Especially feature contrasting figures and timings.
14. Inconsistency and sloppiness due to lack of practice and effective practice principles (See “Keys to Successful Practice”).
15. Lack of awareness and understanding of body language, separately and in partnership. Consider variations in spacing, body angling and the gaze.
16. Inadequate understanding and use of connections: Start with the six primary connections. Develop greater awareness of the connection and the super powers a great connection can give the couple. Everyone is better with a good partner than on their own: Faster, more balanced (Use one finger on barre exercise), more confident, greater stretch flexibility and greater use of space.
17. Lack of partner awareness: Use incremental weight change and foot movement exercise. Connect your side(s) with your partner’s.
18. Ignorance
19. Misplaced priorities
20. Emotional disconnection
    1. Dancing from the inside out: Devotion to the motion creates the emotion.
    2. Dancing from the outside in: Smile. Dance a routine with your eyebrows up.
    3. Think when needed, then get past thinking. “If you’re thinking about the steps you’re not dancing.” (C. S. Lewis) Numbers are also thinking. Counting in “Slows” and “Quicks” makes you unmusical.
       Sounds are best because they are more primal/emotional.

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