Dance: To look good dancing, Step 3: "choose your dance and..."

To look good dancing,

 Step 0: you have to want to look good dancing.

 Step 1: Buy a large mirror.

 Step 2: Look at yourself and your skeleton.


Steps 1 and 2 were mentioned in previous two entries. Here is the next one, Step 3.

Step 3: Choose your dance and watch the best performers of the dance.


There are many different dances. Excelling at one dance does not mean you will be good at another (although much of the skills can be transferred). You need specific knowledge for the dance of your choice.

The first half of this step is about your choice.

You better love, or at least like, the music, and then the dance. If the dance is more particular about the body type and size (like the ballet or gymnastic/acrobatic dance), you might want to consider it, too. I like watching Lindy-hop, but the dance and these aerials look tough on my knees.


The second half of this step is about your knowledge on the particular dance.

If you are new to a dance, and enter a contest, what the judges are looking for is the knowledge part. You demonstrate that you are knowledgeable in the dance; that you know the basics and that you can use and perform the basics.

The "basics" here are not necessarily the very first basic you learn, but basics that characterize the dance.

If your Tango looks like country western or kizomba, your Tango basics are poor. You failed to demonstrate your knowledge on Tango. Do you know how to differentiate these dances and give proper looks to each of them?


The best performers are representatives for (or even embodiment of) the dance. When ballroom dancers dance 10 dances, they are very fussy about making distinctions among dances.


Watching the best performances helps to educate you about the dance. 

Choose a music and dance you love. Watch the best performers of the dance, and grasp the characters, or essence, of the dance. Gain knowledge in your head at first. That is the step 3.  

[What makes the difference? Hint: frame and lines. Costumes help,too.]

These steps are a very simplified version of a dance teaching program I have been working on slowly. 

"Arts can be broken down to simple steps for more efficient teaching and learning. Instead of relying on few people's geniuses, by constructing a step-wise process, many can learn the art efficiently and perform the art at a higher level quicker."  I like the approach. The pragmatic approach has proven successful in military and in business. It should work for dances, too.

Dance: To look good dancing, I got a mirror. Now what?

In previous entry, I wrote, "If you want to look good dancing, the first thing you buy is...a large mirror. A mirror that can show how your body looks."

Here is the next step.

You stand in front of the mirror, and observe your own body. Try not to be judgmental. Instead, look at the shape, and draw lines along the shape of your body. Look at the flow. Imagine and superimpose wire frame onto your image. 

[Alternatively, imagine the skeleton inside your body. Knowledge in anatomy helps dancers and martial artists, not only doctors and nurses.]

[Like this]

There are body types with clean, elongated lines. There are body types the lines are somewhat obscured with curves. Just take as they are and look objectively. That's what you got, here and now.


Most dances are watched from a distance by spectators. From a distance, what people recognize at first is the shape and flow of the lines of your body. 

And the shape and flow of the lines of your body will send off the message. Like it or not.


If you spend some time to watch human body in action (dancing included), you will be more used to interpret the body's message.

If the line around the shoulders looks shorter than anticipated, your body looks tense or stiff. If your spine is bent forward, you look smaller, timid, or old. If the lines of the body look misaligned, the body gives off an impression that something is off.


Experienced dance viewers do not only look at the skills for a particular dance style, but watch the body of dancers.

Well, actually, you do not have to be "experienced". There are people who are "Looking good", and there are others who aren't. Perhaps kids may be more honest, while adults are polite enough not to discuss it openly. Dance is something you do with your body. To look good dancing, you have to recognize what you got, and be honest about your strength and shortcomings.


Even if you do not like what you are seeing now, don't despair yet. Every body comes with strength and shortcomings, and just knowing how to emphasize the strength and reduce shortcomings makes a huge difference in a short time.


[The reverse is true as well. Disregarding your strength and shortcomings will keep you at where you are for a long time.]


When you observe your body, the frame, and the lines, you may notice there are "changeable" parts and "hard to change" parts.

Overall size and shape are harder-to-change parts. But modifying the lines and minding to have elongated lines are changeable parts, for example.


In a later entry, I'd write about how to work on the changeable parts.


Today's message: "Look at your skeleton."


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Recently, I've been working on data mining for my work. Human cancer genome database has improved greatly. It's a treasure trove for us working on translational oncology.

Dance: If you want to look good dancing, the first thing you buy is...

... a large mirror. A mirror that can show how your body looks.


Dancing by yourself, or with a partner, ..either way you'll need a large mirror.


You wouldn't do a makeup without a mirror. You wouldn't tie a tie without a mirror. When looks matter, you will use a mirror.

Serious athletes use mirror (or video) to check their forms and how the moves look. When you match your physical sensation and objective positions of your body parts, that is the start point for building correct form.


If you want to look good dancing, buy a large mirror. That's a start.


You can buy dress or shoes later.


         ... above was a thought I had at a dance party last weekend.

[you need a mirror that tells you the truth, not some alternative facts]

Book: The 7 day startup

I almost posted an entry on politics. But decided not to.


Instead, here is a book I read recently. "The 7 day startup" by Dan Norris.

The title got me interested. It seemed to be another "easy startup" book by an entrepreneur.

And it was. 


It turned out the "7 day" is like 7 day in Genesis. You can take it literally, but it is more figuratively.

If your preparedness is high, you may be able to follow the process literally in 7 days. But if you are starting from scratch, day one may easily mean 2 weeks in real life.


The author is mainly involved in online business occurring in cyberspace, where viable and even profitable service can be created in a shorter time. If your business as an entrepreneur can be launched in the domain, it is great, and this book should help.  


The business launch procedure is similar to those in other books. But the author added some refinements and simplifications. I liked many of them.

I will not denounce the 7 day procedure or anything. But if the procedure works or not would really depends on your idea and specific business you are creating.


I did try to apply the process to my science. Since business models for online business and grant business are different, application was not straightforward.  In basic science, "paying customer" is defined as granting agencies, and they won't provide quick response, for example. But it was an interesting exercise. The book contained many serviceable ideas that may prove useful later.


I was under impression that, in the world of entrepreneurship, mammalian style (nurture your kid with great care) seems to be less successful strategy compared with fish style (lay many eggs and few may succeed). The impression was again confirmed by this book. 

Maybe "fishing" is the nature of the game in startup business, I suppose.



I have been telling myself to mind my own business in these days.