June 2005 Advanced-Intermediate Class
Techniques
- Cross Body Lead Reject: lead her her forward on5,
but
then send her back on6. This will test how responsive the woman is in
her
arm tension in both the pulling and pushing directions.
- XB from closed position into open position with sliding M's Rhand
across woman's Lhand and "locking" hands on7
- copa
- copa w/woman's left turn
- ability to lead and follow distinguishing between and cumbia and
a copa (cumbia is with woman her momentum continuing and stepping back
on 5 with her left foot. Copa is with not allowing to step back
on5, but instead to step in place on3, and then continue forward -- to
lead this Man must firmly stop her momentum on3, and get her moving the
other way.)
- spinning to Right (during - on6 (woman's count))
- left foot goes forward and you spin on back right foot.
- You should be able to stop in perfect balance.
- Practice with spotting a point on the wall, an inch or two
above the height of your eyes.
- Please practice 5-10 minutes a day.
- If you get dizzy, try spinning the other way a little bit.
- Practice turning more than once around (twice) once you are
doing one turn pretty well.
- Make sure you can do one turn absolutely perfectly. (Practice
two turns, but don't stop practicing one turn as well.)
- Practice spinning once, stopping in place, then waiting 4 or 8
counts, and then resume the basic step.
- timing is set on5, spin on6, land with left foot a little
behind right foot on7
- spinning to Right (during - on3 (woman's count))
- timing is set on2, spin on3, on4, land left foot in front of
right foot (normal forward break) on 1
- double spin to Right:
- simply combine the on3 right turn with the on6 right turn
and you can make it a double turn.
- When you get good at this, you can
try leaving out touching your left foot down on5 and make it two spins
all on the right foot.
- leading and following a double right spin:
- hands down and to left on1, and then up and to right on2 (to
get the woman the "twist" into position), then start turn on3.
- Woman's right foot, after stepping back on1, should then never
move (or even step) but just spin right on that spot
- Men: make sure to turn her around the axis of where her R foot
is (it's back further than usual)
- Men: spin her, starting on3, finishing the first turn on5, and
finishing the second turn on7 -- this is an important technique, and I
suggest you practice it on your own with an imaginary partner so that
you can do this while keeping time with the music, and while being able
to keep your feet marking properly. This requires some coordination
(like playing two different parts on a piano -- one with left hand and
another part with the right hand).
- NOTE: when I say "finish" a turn - to me that is 1/4 of a
turn before the woman truely finishes a turn. So the position of your
hand on5 and on7 should be at "3 o'clock" from the perspective of
looking from above at the couple dancing. (Does anyone follow me here?
"6 o'clock" would be from where you start a turn, and "12 o'clock would
be half way through the turn -- when the woman's back is to you. So "3
o'clock is when the man's head is most to the right.) This "1/4 turn
less thing" is to prevent the woman from overturning and getting off
balance. Don't worry, the last 1/4 turn will happen all by itself quite
easily.
- Another technique for double right spin -- in this version you
have to spin a little faster, but leading and following it is easier.
- on3, you step forward and a little out a little to the right,
and then the rest of the double spin is as above.
- just lead it so that woman will step out to the right on3, and
then start spinning her on4 or so
- Basic Twist: Whole body from chest to knee should be in contact.
- Footwork for important "sweetheart" move.
Routine for June 2005:
- XB into open position
- 2WRT with L-R hands
- back break and cumbia turn (with L-R hands) allowing woman to
step back on5 and
then pushing back the other way
- repeat above an unpredictable number of times
- lead copa (with L-R hands) with WLT
- on1 man twists to left and does quick RT, immediately followed
by WRT (or double WRT)
- switch L-R to R-R on3 and pick up L-L hands below on5, and WRT
- copa with L-L going over W's head and R-R hands staying but let
go of R hand and firmly place on W's back by on3, WRT with L-L going
over head
- lift L-L hand up and Man passes under them, turning 3/4 to L
and then do released XB:WLT
- pick up woman in closed position and then XB:WLT into
sweetheart with L-R going over her head and sliding to catch R-L hands
on7
- check, unwind and WRT with all four hands going over W's head
- copa so R-L rests on W's Rshoulder, let go of R-L hands (but
W's hand should stay on her shoulder) and WLT into another sweetheart
picking up R-L hands again by W's Rshoulder
- check, unwind and WRT with R-L only (letting go of L-R)
- R-L WRT starting on1. Woman will take five steps and right into
twist (on5)