Science: School is starting. Time to pick up active learning.

 Today there was a research retreat of our cancer center. Main audience were fellows (trainees to be MD) and junior faculties.

I checked out the talks on zoom/remote. The contents were educational, something like an orientation for the audience to start up their research careers.

Manty of the speakers were presenting their own career development, so that we can see them as relatable life stories, or learning materials for success and for life at the clinical setting. 

Knowing the rules of the game early is terribly important.

An important thing to play the game is that we need a go-getter's mindset.

For example, in our research lab, for high schoolers and undergraduates, we spoon-feed things.

A major transition we anticipate to occur in the graduate school students is to practice active learning. 

Instead of waiting patiently for teachers, mentors and colleagues to feed them, graduate school students should acquire the methods to actively construct their learning on the subject of their interest.

Certainly, active learning is a methodical approach to find, study, and make progress in the subject of interest. Active learning can speed up your progress so much.

PhDs need it. To some extent, MDs (or research-minded success-conscious MDs), too. But unfortunately in practice, MD candidates can be too busy acquiring all the medical knowledge, and they may not always get active learning skills.

Active learning methods include how to select resources and materials. This knowledge can make you somewhat resistant to manipulations by others (politician, strangers in internet, biased media, etc. Opinions are cheap. Baseless lies can even be harmful. You got to be selective about the sources).

That is why I thought the old buzz phrase "I did my research" was so laughable. Really depends on who is saying and what the "research" actually is.

Another important notion is critical thinking. But for today, I'd emphasize the importance of active learning here. 

You can apply the active learning approach to anything, like your hobby. 

I am still using the approach to my ballet, too (hehe).

Dance: The "trained look" is not only for elite Ballroom or Ballet dancers.

 When I mentioned the "trained look" in a past entry on 6/5/2024, I was thinking where the dancer's "trained look" comes from.

Most community dancers of Salsa, Bachata or Kizomba don't have it. Most WCS "improvisational" dancers don't have it.

Hip Hop dancers? Recreational Ballroom dancers? Tango dancers at milonga? Hit or miss.

To my eyes, very few community dancers have it. 

An easiest way to make the call is that, you imagine yourself as a producer of a Broadway show, and if you'd hire the dancers for the show. 

Amateurish-looking or -moving dancers are out.

Yet, certainly, I see the "look" more often in elite Ballroom dancers and Ballet dancers.

So what makes the difference in the look? I list a few factors.

(1) Body, posture and line. (And their upgraded version; "presence").

How you hold yourself, and how you present your lines, are immediately noticeable. Ballet dancers add extension and turnout; all are advantageous in this regard.

(2) Basic training focus is on the look and execution, rather than how they feel about dance.

This mindset difference is huge. As long as you are dancing like no one is watching, you will not develop the "trained look". Expression comes later when you have good tools.

(3) The dance style itself is designed for theater or show.

For example, kizomba is fun social dance. But it is not showy, or designed for theater to be seen from a distance. Motion range (=effective viewing range) is small. Good luck organizing a Kizomba show on Broadway. May work in a small room or in a close-up video filming, though.

I am not against Kizomba or anything. But some dances are not designed for or friendly to theater shows.

This difference also applies to stage tango and social tango. We need to accept that they are two differently evolved dances.

(4) Existence of solid syllabus, aesthetics, and training structure to follow.

Ballroom dance has standardized curriculum/syllabus. It is easy to see if the dancers know them or are performing them. Strong aesthetics exist (e.g., Rumba walk, Cuban motion) for each dance style, which further strengthen the "trained look" of practice outcomes.

Ballet dancers (esp. classical ballet) train themselves to perform the theatrical art of Ballet. The art even requires you to conform to it, not the other way around. No wonder Ballet dancers develop the "trained look" (if they can use it in a partner dance is another story).

Some theatrical dances have "correct answers". Many other community dances have looser standards (or they are not for show at all).

(5) Consistency and reproducibility.

Once a basketball player learns a good form to shoot, he will use the form many times over with good outcomes. Having a good form as your default, and not straying from it unless by choice, is critical.

Good dancers should always, consistently, and reproducibly, look good. 

...........Off the hat, there are five. And if you apply these to your dance, it would be easier to develop the "trained look" in your own dance.

Here is a thought. Give it a try.

For your reference, here is a video that gives us some ideas about how professional Ballet dancers train. Royal Ballet in London (UK) is one of the most famous Ballet company in the world.

They start out from basics-warm up exercise on barre. This unapologetic practice of basics is what best professionals do.

[Royal Ballet morning class - barre and centre #WorldBalletDay 2021]

Dance/Life: Tulsa trip (WCS party with Maria , Philbrook museum, Argentine Tango party at Coffee Grinder with Irina and Sergio) 7/27-28/2024

 There were two dance events in Tulsa last weekend. So I went. About 2 hour drive one way.

West Coast Swing (WCS) dance community at Tulsa was inviting Maria Bileychik from Dallas for workshops, party and private lessons for the weekend. 

She is an active competitor in WCS dance circuit, and All Star Jack and Jill winner at the Wild Wild Westie 2024 (just 3 weeks ago).

[Their winning dance on YouTube]

[I was watching the contest at the WWW event. I thought the guy was trying to emphasize athleticism. I guess that worked well with judges.]

Her workshops were popular. At the party, she was social dancing with everybody, which was very nice.

I danced 3 songs with her. Such fun dances they were.

All WCS follows at all star and above level can move well and each has a good intuition, so never get caught awkward (unless the lead guy do really stupid things). In addition, each has developed her own character. Some are athletic, others are playful, infusing other dances, and so on.

Usually in partner dance, women are better dancers than men. Or, men can get away with it if he can at least be a solid lead, but competition is tougher for women. (I digress).

I thought her dance was a playful kind, with a lot of tricks she can use according to the song. An interpretative artist-type dancer? She would thrive in Jack and Jill situations.

The next day I stopped by Philbrook art museum, a private mansion of a rich family turned to a public museum on 1939. 

They have eclectic mix of collections; contemporary arts, Egyptian artifacts, religious paintings, Wyeth family paintings, Southwestern Native American arts and pottery, Glassware and sculptures, etc etc.

I thought the museum might be small, but there was a lot to see.

I was particularly impressed by the  "little shepherdess".  When I walked in the room, the painting, especially her face, just popped out. I was spending for, like 30 minutes in front of the painting to figure out why the painting was so impressive to me (no answer yet).

I did not really prepare for the museum visit nor did research beforehand. But it was good to know later that the painting was a featured, famous piece of the museum. I was not alone to be impressed by the painting. The art (or NEN) was strong with it.

I had whole afternoon at the museum before I moved on to a coffee house where my Argentine Tango friends, Irina and Sergio, were teaching beginner class and hosting a milonga.

Irina and Sergio were stage tango dancers. I remember they were great. I had not seen them for quite a while (since 2016?), though. 

It was nice to see them after all these years. They are still good dancers. Their dance looked good, and her dance felt good. Their kid (who was a baby) is now a young musician, playing tango for the party.

There were about 20 people from ballroom dance club, who were new to tango.

Tulsa tango community, too, shrank quite a bit during the covid time. They are hoping to build it back.

 

Building dance community, and having good dance skills and enjoying the dance by our own, are two different businesses. They can go well together (ideally). I hope the ideal be achieved by them.

Nice mini vacation weekend for me.

Dance: Wild Wild Westie 2024 (7/5-7/2024)

 I went to Wild Wild Westie 2024, an West Coast Swing (WCS) event at Hyatt Regency DFW international Airport Hotel, Dallas. The same place as the Holiday Tango event last year.

Instead of reporting event details, following is my thoughts that came up during the event.

WCS is a rapidly evolving dance. I was curious what kind of changes I would observe this year.

I. 

The energy level of the floor was high, with many dancers in their 20's and 30's. Although WCS events have become contest-focused events, there was plenty of time for social dance with willing partners.

So, fun was still there for someone like me who is interested in dancing with anyone, but not interested in doing contest with random partners of varying preparedness for dancing for entertainment/viewing pleasure. Too much of the luck of the draw.

II. 

Social dance was good. I loved it. 

III. 

On the social and contest floor, what I saw was;

(a) swing dance with more 3-dimensional swing orbit, compared with previous (classical?) 2-dimensional swing motion on a linear track/slot, and 

(b) leads with unattractive, overactive frame.

I liked the 3-D swing motions, but not the look of leads with overactive frame, who were about 95% of all leads.

I don't think I'd use overactive frame style any time soon. Not for me. Aesthetic choice.

IV.

Direction of social dance evolution is influenced by a number of factors including; (i) how the dance is taught, (ii) how current champions dance, and (iii) how easy or fun it is to do it.

Regarding (iii), there are highly athletic top pro-followers who can merge gymnastic moves to WCS. Their ways of dancing are unlikely to be done by the most, simply because the moves are too difficult for the most. 

(iv) Another detail is more widespread inclusion of axis-based moves.

I've thought that merging axis-based dances (we see the moves often in Ballet and Tango) with WCS is tricky, because WCS basics are one-two and triple, with moving feet and hovering center.

But moves like one foot spin (taking time to "dance" instead of keep moving) opened the possibility of adopting and merging axis-based moves from Tango or Ballet. (My opinion). 

Moves formerly frowned upon in "classical WCS" (e.g., non-linear slot, showy moves from other dances, intentional disconnect/reconnect) can be done in "modern WCS".

That is wonderful (provided that they are done well and looking good).

[My attire: Gold shoes and shiny shirt]

PS 1

I noticed that some of the moves recently introduced to WCS can be refined. A WCS move in which she stands on an axis in a lunge and he runs around to present her, is basically a layman's version of the same axis, pivot spin of stage Argentine Tango.

 I am hoping to see someone bringing refinements in the move to WCS contests.

PS 2

As my summer project is ballet, I checked out a "modern ballet" class in the event. 

There was an outstanding ballerina. I loved the way she move and thought she was a real deal. In the world of sport (including dances), stars who can attract eyes exist. This kind of awe is what I really love.