Basic dance technique principles :

1. Posture

Essential to comfortable and effective dancing is good posture, achieved through the proper alignment of the various body parts in correct relative position with one another. The various body parts, including the head, chest/torso, pelvis/hips, legs, and feet, are properly aligned when they are placed directly on top of one another in a natural and upright manner.

Head
The head should be held upright with the chin parallel to the floor. The neck should stretch upward, but be careful not to lengthen any one side of the neck at the expense of the opposite side... all sides of the neck should stretch upward. Pay particular attention to the back of the neck, which is often shortened when the chin is held too high. Be careful not to thrust the head forward from the neck, as the vertebrate in the neck should continue upward as an extension of the spine.

Chest / Torso
The chest and hips must always be in good, vertical alignment. The ribcage should feel as though it is being lifted off of the hips, in such a way as to lengthen the spine. Any lifting of the chest, however, should always be accomplished in such a way as to allow for normal, comfortable breathing. Never allow the chest to pitch forward or slouch back in relationship to the hips.

 Pelvis / hips     The position of the hips must allow for a natural curve of the spine. The pelvis should therefore be held in a midway position, neither tucking excessively under, nor sticking out backward.

Legs
When the legs are straight, the knees will be positioned directly between the hips and the feet. When the knees bend forward, the alignment of the hips and feet should remain constant, so that the body can remain upright. Always try to feel that you lengthen your torso as you bend your knees, so that your posture does not "deflate". Never allow your pelvis to stick out backward, even slightly, as the knees bend.

Feet
It is very important for a good dancer to become aware of the placement of the body weight over the feet. In a normal, standing position, the body weight should remain slightly forward of the middle of the feet, between the heel and the ball of the foot. In motion, this position is variable, based on the mechanics of the specific movement. It will range from the back of the heel to the front of the big toe, but this distribution of weight should not affect the alignment of the upper blocks of weight, from hips to head.

Exercise
Lie down flat on your back, with your knees bent to approximately a 90º angle, and feet flat on the floor. Let your arms fall easily to your sides, or rest them on your stomach. Breathe normally, allowing all of the muscles is your body to relax. Feel your back flat against the floor, and try to minimize any spaces, particularly in the area of the small of the back. There will inevitably be a space at the neck, but this space will be reduced slightly when the neck is stretched longer. (This exercise can also be done against a wall, in a standing position. The feet should be held 6-12 inches away from the wall).

Correct: Relaxed, straight back, neck stretched long.

Incorrect: Tense, arched back, kinked neck.

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2. Spins and Turns

Two Sides of the Body

The body has two sides: The left side and the right side (see diagram 1-1). These two sides of the body have a constant, ongoing relationship as you move.

diagram 1-1

Rotationally speaking, each of the two sides of the body can do one of two things:

• Move Forward
• Move Backward
• Remain in Place

The quality of rotation relies on which of these three actions each of the sides of the body takes. Based on this, the resulting action of the body as a whole can be pure progression, pure rotation, or a combination of both.

EXAMPLES Example 1-2 When both sides of the body move forward equally, the result is pure progression. Example 1-3 When one side of the body moves forward while the other moves backward, the result is pure rotation (on the spot). Example 1-4 When both sides of the body move forward with one side moving faster than the other, theresult is progressive rotation.

Two Types of Rotation

For our purposes, we will be thinking of rotation as being one of two varieties:

• Spot Rotation
• Progressive Rotation

SPOT ROTATION
Spot rotation occurs any time the body turns in place, without traveling. In most cases, this means that the body weight remains over one foot. It is possible to have spot rotation with the weight held between the feet (as in a "Twist Turn") or shifting slightly from foot to foot (as in a "Fleckerl"), but for this lesson we will be focusing more on the rule than the exceptions. Just think of spot rotation as rotation which occurs over a fixed point in space.

PROGRESSIVE ROTATION
Progressive rotation occurs as the body is traveling, and therefore takes place between steps, or over a series of two or more steps. Chainé turns, Pivots, and even the Waltz Box Step are all examples of progressive rotation.

Understanding Axes

Of the many reasons why people fall off balance during turns, by far the most prevalent is the tendency to pull away from the axis of rotation. This normally happens when the dancer does not have an understanding, or at least an awareness, of the axis that the body should be rotating around. It will therefore help you considerably to gain an understanding of axes, and ultimately to develop an awareness and a sensitivity to the axis of specific turns.

Let's imagine for a second that we're looking at an object from the top view as it rotates. Think of a circle as representing the path that the object rotates around, while the center point of the circle represents the axis. See illustration:

The Three Types of Axis

There are 3 categories of axis around which your body will rotate during any kind of turn:

• Center Axis
• Left- and Right-Side Axes
• Outside Axes

The center axis runs straight through the middle of the body, from the top of the head, down the spine and straight down from the pelvis to the floor between the feet.

When you turn around your center axis, one side of the body moves forward while the other side moves backward (see diagram). With both sides of the body moving in opposite directions, the weight remains split between the feet.

It should be noted that the center axis is the least commonly used of all. Rotation around the center axis requires that the weight be split betweem the feet. Most turns that use spot rotation are taken with the weight held over one foot. The center axis is therefore fairly rare, being used only for specialized types of turn such as the "Twist Turn".

The left-side axis runs through the body from the left shoulder through the left hip and left foot. The right-side axis runs through the body from the right shoulder through the right hip and right foot. (Left-side axis is shown).

When you turn with the weight held over one foot, you will use the axis according to which foot you are standing on: Turning on the left foot uses the left-side axis, while turning on the right foot uses the right-side axis. Since most non-progressive turns occur with the weight over one foot, these are the axes which you will be using most often.

The most common mistake when attempting to turn over one foot is to use the center axis instead of the side axis. This will inevitably cause you to fall off balance, forcing you to take an extra step. Exercises at the end of this lesson will focus on correcting this error.

The outside axis is completely outside the body. Instead of rotating around itself, the body revolves around a fixed point in space, much like the Earth revolves around the sun.

When the axis is outside the body, the body must rotate progressively. The turn therefore occurs between two steps, or over the course of more than two steps. It is not possible to take progressive rotation while staying on one foot; The concepts are contradictory.

Turns With Right- and Left-Side Leading

In order to produce the rotation from the base instead of from the upper body, you will need to start the base rotating long before you allow the upper body to start rotating. The best way to approach this is to begin your turn by stepping sideways while rotating the moving leg and foot into a turned-out position in relationship to the body. For example: To commence a left turn, you will step sideways onto the left foot, but with the foot and leg turned out and pointing along the line of your shoulders (see diagram).

The upper body will feel this as a side step, because you are moving laterally along the line of your shoulders. But at the same time, your foot and leg will feel it as a forward step, since they are pointing toward the direction of the step. This is called leading the turn with your left (or right) side. Almost all turns should commence with a side leading. It is very rare that you will start a turn with your upper body facing squarely to the direction of the step.

Keep in mind that there are many variations upon this theme, and certainly not all turns should or even can commence in this way. But this very generic all-purpose technique is used for a majority of turns in many dance styles, and should be thought of as the basic rule, to which some exceptions may apply.

Spotting

Spotting serves several purposes. The following is a list of the most common benefits of spotting during turns:

• Keeps dancer oriented and aware of the movement, direction, and location of the body in space.
• Prevents disorientation caused by lack of visual focus.
• Increases the overall speed of the rotation.
• Makes the spin appear much faster and sharper than it actually is.
• Reduces dizziness associated with spinning.

When you spot, the goal is to keep the head fixed in space while the body turns underneath. This is best accomplished by maintaining visual focus on a particular object in the room.

Generally, the range of motion of the neck allows the head to turn slightly less than 180º, from one shoulder to the other. When the body has turned to the point that the neck has reached its maximum range of motion (with the head looking almost over one shoulder), the head will quickly turn around to the opposite side (the other shoulder) to focus on the same spot. The action of quickly switching the head is known as Re-focusing the Spot, and should be done in a very swift motion in only an instant.

Because the range of motion of the neck is slightly less than 180º, the spot can only be "held" (focused upon) for slightly less than 180º of the entire turn. The other *slightly more than* 180º or the turn occur with the head not focused on the spot, as it switches from one shoulder to the other.

Foucused and unfoucsed half of the turn: When the body is turned to a direction within the light gray area, the dancer can maintain focus on the spot. When the body is turned to a direction within the darker gray area, the focus cannot be maintained on the spot, and the head will turn from one shoulder to the other.

Notice in the animated picture at the top of the page that the head is looking forward for approximately one-half of the turn, but for the other half, it appears to be looking away. Actually, it's turning from one shoulder to the other, or "re-focusing the spot".

If you watch the animation closely, you'll notice that the action of re-focusing the spot appears to be very slow. The reason for this is that the body is turning at a constant speed. In order to re-focus the spot with a swift motion, the body would need to turn much faster during the unfocused half of the turn than during the focused half. This is the challenge in learning to spot.

The following is a video clip of a spin taken with the dancer spotting. Notice that the first half of the turn is the focused half, while the second half is the unfocused half, where the dancer is re-focusing her spot. Notice also that the first half of the turn takes up almost all of the time, while the second half is accomplished in an instant. This is the desired technique, as it keeps the dancer's focus on the spot for the maximum possible amount of time.

• Spotting is a common technique used for spins, but it is not the only one. Other techniques used in modern ballroom dancing include maintaining a strong shape to the left or right, or even looking straight up at the ceiling!
• Spotting can help reduce dizziness to a limited degree, but the best way to overcome problems with dizziness is through experience, by simply getting the body accustomed to spinning.

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Heap Action

First, let us explore all of the ways in which your hips can move. Actually, they can move in just about any direction or combinations of directions, but we will break these directions down into 3 ranges of motion: Forward and back, up and down, left and right.

Now imagine that you are holding a hula hoop around your body. You can move this hula hoop around in each of these 3 ranges of motion by tilting it forward and back, left and right, or by "steering" it in a rotational manner around the body. Your pelvis moves around the spine in a very similar manner.

In this lesson, you will be learning some tricks to help you discover the ranges of motion within your own body. You will learn how to isolate the pelvis so that it moves independently of the rest of the body, using all of these ranges of motion. You will then teach these movements and positions to your body through exercise and repetition.

Hip Motion Motivated by the Knees

Why the knees?

Latin motion is actually more than just movement of the hips... It involves movement of the entire body, from finger tips to toes. As onlookers, we have a tendency to notice the movement of the hips more than anything else. But the action of one part of the body is typically the result of an action of another, and the hips are no exception....

If you think of hip motion in this way, it becomes a much less intimidating prospect to learn the technique. Most people are more comfortable with and responsive to the concept of learning "knee motion" rather than "hip motion".

The most common error with beginners learning hip motion is their tendency to sway the entire body in one direction, rather than isolating the hips from the spine. But when the proper knee action is learned, then good isolated hip motion is the inevitable result.

How Does It Work?

When you want to create a shifting or "settling" action of the hips, you will bend one knee while leaving the other straight.

In the diagram above, the woman is bending her left knee while leaving the right knee straight. Notice the effect that this has on the position of her hips and body:

• Because the left knee is bent, the left hip is lower than the right hip. Line (B) illustrates the resulting angle at the waistline.
• The shoulder line (A), however, is still straight. The sides of the torso are therefore not equal; The left side is stretched long, while the right side is shorter.
• Line (C) shows the clockwise rotation of the hips resulting from the straight knee and hip being pushed backwards while the bent knee and hip push forward.

Now you should start to get an idea of how the different ranges of motion are used by the hips. They do more than just shift slightly from side to side; They use all of the ranges of motion. The hip over the bent knee rotates forward and downward while the hip over the straight leg rotates up and backward.

Maximizing Your Motion

In order to get the most from your hip motion, the following technical points should be observed:

Poise forward.
The body weight should always be held forward towards the balls of the feet in the Latin dances. This helps facilitate the rotational action of the hips around the spine.

Use turnout.
Turning your feet out is an essential element in producing effective hip motion. Not only does it provide a more stable base over which the body can balance, but the feet themselves tend to be more visually appealing. Most importantly, the turnout of the feet increases the range of motion of your hips. Since our goal is to maximize the rotation of the hips around the spine, more turnout is better.

Bend knees inward.
The natural position of the knees causes them to bend at the same angle as the feet. Since your feet are (presumably) turned out, you will have a natural tendency to bend the knees outward at the same angle. But believe it or not, bending the knees outward is actually undesirable because when you do so, you limit the range of motion of the hips. More specifically, you limit the amount to which the opposite hip can rotate backwards. So when you bend the knee, try to always bend it inward, toward the direction of the straight leg.

Roll to the inside edges of the feet.
In order to bend the knee inward while your feet are turned out, the foot underneath the bent knee should roll to the inside edge. If your foot has not rolled to the inside edge, then either the knee has not bent inward, or the feet have not maintained turnout.

Push the knee straight back.
When practicing hip action, do not neglect the importance of the straight leg. It is a very common mistake to focus so much on the bent knee, that the opposite knee does not straighten as it is supposed to. This prevents the hip from rotating backwards. In order to get the maximum angle and rotation from your hips, you should try to actually push the straight leg backwards. The hip over the straight leg will push backwards, too.

Isolating The Hips

Keep the shoulder line level.
Do not pitch or sway the entire body. When the angle of the hips changes, you must compensate by lengthening and shortening the appropriate sides of the torso so that the shoulders remain level. The side of the torso over the bent knee must stretch and lengthen, while the side of the torso over the straight knee must squeeze and shorten.

Don't rotate the shoulders with the hips.
The upper body is to remain steady and isolated from the movement of the hips. When the hip over the straight leg rotates backward, at the same time try to rotate the upper back in the opposite direction to help maintain their position.

Exercise 1: Latin Hip Motion In Place
First Position

Turn on some Latin music with a good beat and stand in First Position with heels together and toes turned out. To the beat of the music, you will begin to bend each knee, one at a time. Make sure to fully straighten each knee before bending the next one.

Things to Remember

Keep the following things in mind as you practice the exercise:

• Both feet are turned out equally
• Keep ankles together
• Bent knee bends across
• Straight knee and hip push backwards
• Shoulder line stays straight; Don't lean or sway
• Keep feet flat on floor (for now)

To The Music...

Start very slowly by taking 4 beats of music to bend the right knee, and then 4 more beats to straighten it again. Then 4 more beats to bend the left, and 4 more beats to straighten. Do eight slow repetitions for each leg, totaling 32 measures of music.

Now double the speed of your hip changes. Take 2 beats to bend, and 2 beats to straighten. Do sixteen repetitions, totaling 32 measures of music.

Keep doubling the speed every 16 measures or so, until you are taking only one beat per knee. At that point you can stop and rest, return to the slow hip changes again, or try out some of the following rhythmic variations:

• Rumba rhythm (Slow, Quick Quick)
• Cha Cha rhythm (1,2,3,4&1,2,3,4&)
• Three Cha Cha rhythm (1,2&3,4&1,2&3,4&)
• Mambo or International Rumba rhythm (2,3,4 hold 1)
• Make up your own rhythm!

Exercise 2: Latin Hip Motion In Place
Second Position

Stand in Second Position with feet apart at slightly less than shoulder distance. Toes are turned out. To the beat of the music, you will begin to bend each knee, one at a time. Make sure to fully straighten each knee before bending the next one.

Things to Remember

Keep the following things in mind as you practice the exercise:

• Both feet are turned out equally
• Don't shift weight from foot to foot; Keep weight split between
• Bent knee bends across
• Straight knee and hip push backwards
• Shoulder line stays straight; Don't lean or sway
• Keep feet flat on floor (for now)

To The Music...

Use the same rhythmic exercises as in first position.

Other Foot Positions

Other foot positions may also be practiced, such as fourth or fifth position. All of them are useful, but first and second position are by far the most important. They will give you the tools you need to start dancing with Latin hip motion.

Understanding the Learning Process

Teaching new motor skills to your body is not as simple as memorizing a list of dates in your history class. For a newly-learned movement to become automatic, you must move it from you conscious brain to your unconscious brain. The only way to do this is through repetition. The less familiar a movement is to your natural tendencies, the more practice and repetition will be required to achieve it. With each repetition, you will become more and more familiar with the movement and positions until little or no conscious effort is required.

The exercises on the previous two pages are intended to give you the experience necessary to move up to the next level. Take the exercises very seriously... don't skim easily through them. The next step in the learning process depends heavily on this one. Work through the exercises thoroughly and diligently, taking the time to make the movement completely automatic, including every detail listed in the "Things to Remember" section. If you do this, Latin motion will seem as easy as tying your shoes.