I danced an WCS routine for iDance studio showcase on Saturday. The song was "Hit the road Jack", a blues version by Omar and the Howlers. Since we did not have contest rules to be restricted by, we added some acting, prop and group swing jam for the choreography. The audience seemed to like the idea.
During the after party, one girl asked me; "what should I do if I want to be good at dancing?"
My answer was like this.
"You need to define what "good at dancing" means. If you want to have fun dancing socially, you don't need show-dance skills for competition or showcase. For having fun with many people socially, work on your basics. What most people do on social dance floor is rudimentary, and it's not about showing off."
"But if you are more extroverted and want to show off, or going for competition, then,...well, the question "good at dancing" is still too vague. There are many different dances. You got to choose your battle. Pick a dance you like, preferably the dance you already are good at and love/enjoy. Work on your strength, and be very good at it. It will bring everything else up."
"Work with a Professional and work on a routine is a good idea. You can learn competition moves that you can use in social show off as well, if there is a partner who can lead them."
And she said, "it's so harsh".
........Sorry, I was just honest.
My friend told me that WCS legend Buddy Schwimmer was visiting the after party. He has a brother who lives here and he was visiting this city. I only realized that someone (him!) was wearing a jacket the Schwimmer's name on it, but I was only assuming he was a visitor from California. I knew only his name and did not know his face. Because of it, I did not notice who he was. Afterward, I could only joke like, "wow, so we spotted the Unicorn?". Too late.
On Sunday, there was a 2-hour Argentine Tango workshop by Jose Abundiz from Dallas. He is a Salon Tango-milonguero style specialist, and has very nice soft/gentle lead. I tend to go for more showy Tango, and for some at times, the lead can be too strong and the stride too big. In a Salon workshop, I am always reminded how subtle the Salon Tango lead should be (it really depends on the partner, though). I am hoping that writing it down here helps me to remember the subtlety in social Salon Tango.
