Fashion Tips for the Dance Floor!

Bottoms

Short skirts that swirl around the hips are always a good buy. They catch the eye when you spin. However, do wear safety shorts if you happen to wear those that flare a lot to prevent over-exposing yourself! Safety shorts (short bicycle shorts) can be bought in most lingerie shops.

Most girls prefer to wear pants or jeans, as it is convenient and easy to wear. Invest in a nice pair that fits your form nicely. I personally prefer stretchable pants, as they do not restrict my movement.

Hot pants are good too, if you are adventurous. When worn with high heels or boots, they can make any girl look stunning. Of course, invest in good shorts that flatter your thighs and bottom. The length and the tightness of the shorts are important, especially for those who do not have model-like legs. Go experiment with different kinds of shorts to see which suits you!

Most people tend to wear black – it being the “in” color. Unfortunately, black makes a person hard to spot in a dark and dim Salsa Club. That’s why many Salsa dancers like to wear white. It can look really chic and it stands out on the dance floor. Red is also a favorite… it sets the feel of Salsa – red-hot chili!

Tops

With so many different tops around, it’s hard to cover all of them. Rather than trying to do that, I’ll explain what to look out for when choosing tops to wear.

First, spaghetti straps are not always the best to wear, as they tend to drop down the shoulders. Tubes also tend to slip down the body. Those who dance often will prefer halter necks or racer backs (the kind that curves in at the back) or straps that cross to the back as the straps remain on the shoulders.

Secondly, if you should choose to wear something more revealing, be sure to use tape to stick the top to your skin as accidents do happen on the dance floor. When wearing bikini tops, I usually wear at least 2 layers in case one of them comes out. It has happened before while I was performing so I always take extra precaution.


Thirdly, beware of tops that have extra things like cloth or chains dangling around; they may get caught in your partner’s hands while dancing. Try to avoid dangling chains on the tops as they may hurt when you spin!

Must Haves!

Invest in plastic see-through bra straps and lots of safety pins. Make sure your top does not slip down by pinning it to your bra. Use nipple tapes if you want extra security, and pin your skirt to your saftey shorts too as they tend to ride up.

Hair

Most dancers either keep their hair loose or bun it up. Ladies, try not to tie ponytails if you’re planning for a night out dancing. However great it looks, it hurts! A ponytail acts like a whip when you spin at high speed. Not only will you whip your own face, you’ll even whip your partner, and trust me, it really hurts. It is also important that you do not plait your hair. It’s worse that a ponytail… Need I explain? If you would like to tie your hair, bun it up or tie it in a way such that it will not hurt you or your partner while dancing. Clips also tend to drop out after a while. If you would like to put any accessories on your hair, my suggestion is to experiment with it by spinning a few rounds to ensure that it doesn’t come out or hinder your dancing.

Accessories

Belts: Belts are a good way to accessorize. However, beware of dangling chains, as they may be a hindrance while dancing. If you do like chains, ensure that they are short or stay close to your body as they hurt when they swing around.

Bracelets: Ladies, the guys often catch your wrists when executing moves. Try to refrain from wearing bracelets (especially those that have a range of dangling artifacts attached to them) when you dance as they can hurt your partner when he executes variations. If you would like to wear bracelets, stick to the simple ones or cloth/ soft ones.

Rings: I highly discourage rings when dancing, especially those with a piece of rock (e.g., diamond) that protrudes out of the ring. Your partner will suffer when he spins you. Rings are metallic and they can cut into the men’s fingers when he leads you around. And it really hurts! Try not to wear rings.

Necklace: Necklaces tend not to be much of an issue with regards to affecting the lead in salsa except at higher levels. However, beware of chunky and heavy necklaces as they may hurt you.

Shoes


There are a wide variety of Salsa shoes at various costs. Check out http://www.amanci.com/, http://www.aslas.com/, http://www.akoala.com/ for some varieties.

Masquerade - Pirates & Sailor Edition

Costume & Photoshoot @ Xenbar

Every Friday, 9.15pm

My Favorite Pix... Aye Sir!

Pirate Lady

Dun Mess with me... Or Else!

Isolation Power! She missed!

Life of a Xenbar Penguin (Part 2)

There was also another time when they got it in their head to try out a Lilo & Stitch episode in their costume making class. And they decided to make me Lilo, seeing that I was short and cute like she was. They made me wear a skirt!!! I thought I was going to be so humiliated to be seen in a skirt! So when they put a mask on me, I was relieved... No one would recognize me. yay!

But later they took out my mask and made me do a hula dance for them!!! Thank goodness I took dancing lessons! Think I did well for the dance...


Last week, the girls had a make up test. I took part in it too! And I'm proud to say that I passed with flying colours!

Don't I look pretty? Introducing my make up artist!

Do join me for Make Up & Costume Class every Friday @ Xenbar! heehee

Life of a Xenbar Penguin

Hi, my name is Penguin, and I was created from the movie, Happy Feet. I was adopted into Xenbar by Justin and Yanqing who rescued me from a certain death sentence at Carrefour, which hanged me up for display by the neck! (They tried to strangle me, but thank goodness I had no bones and was made of fur and cotton). The residents at Xenbar quickly took me under their wing. They hugged me, squashed me and loved me... I was really happy.

One day, 2 residents of Xenbar decided to give me a makeover. I was so excited when I thought that I would get a nice bath and a good brushing of my fur. After being passed around by so many people, to be hug and play (it sure was a full time job!), it would be nice to be fresh and clean again. So the 2 humans took me and to my horror put something over my head. I couldn't see! They were laughing... at me! They called me... Garfguin?

Little did I realize that they had placed garfield over my head. What a makeover! I didn't feel at all prettier and nicer. These people had bizarre tastes for sure...

So they eventually took garfield off my head and I once again lived a happy peaceful life... Until one day, they decided that I should join the costume class conducted every Friday. Ooooh, I was so excited about getting to try nice and smart clothing... (I was pretty tired of wearing the same bow tie tuxedo everyday). They brought some costumes for me to try and I obediently let them fuss over me, adjusting some material here and placing some props there... When it was time for me to see the full costume, I couldn't wait. I turned around to look into the mirror and.... OHMIGOSH!!!!

I had a fright of my life as I looked at my scary reflection. My fur was quivering on its end and I nearly balded myself in my fright (yep, the fur nearly dropped off). I didn't recognize this scary creature they have morphed me into. It took me a while to get accustomed to wearing this costume. I had big bright pink wings behind my back that kept threatening to topple my balance and a scary mask with a feather in one eye so I could hardly see...

I gradually grew accustomed to the weird ways of the Xen humans and before long, I was eagerly awaiting costume class... I always looked forward to the different costumes they would make me try on. It was like playing dress-up and it was quite fun. I tried out Nachos Libre... I wrestled with the contestants at Xenbar and they all lost. No one could beat me with my libre costume! I was too good!

So good that I had the chance to take pictures with a fan of mine who adored my macho fighting ways.


She didn't mind my sweaty fur but smuggled up to me for the photo shoot. Don't I look Macho?

The Person Behind the Star – On the Importance of Coaches and Mentors

There are many famous people in the world – TV stars, Hollywood stars, Sports stars, Presidents, Multi-billionaires who have successfully built up organizations like Donald Trump, Bill Gates, etc. Most of us are focused on these people and we often idolize them, wondering at their talent and luck to be so successful in life. However, there is one thing that we tend to overlook: the person behind these Stars, as I will call them. These people behind the Stars are the ones who guide, encourage and lead the Stars to their success. They are known as coaches, mentors, advisors or simply, teachers. These teachers play a huge part in bringing the Stars to such great achievements that make them known throughout the world. They teach the Stars what to do, how to act, where to go, what to say…

They are important because they have the experience in their field and know all the shortcuts: they can guide their protégé to success in the fastest way possible. The really good teachers care for their students, and help them to achieve things beyond their imagination. As a dancer, I never really dared to believe that I could ever be the best in Singapore, let alone one of the top few in Asia. I came into Salsa wanting to learn something new in my spare time. Little did I know, I struck a jackpot. I found a teacher who was willing and cared enough to guide me, lead me, encourage me and scold me to become what I am today – a good dancer. I still have a long way to go, but what I have achieved through his guidance is already beyond what I even dared to dream. If not because of a good teacher and mentor who convinced me time and again that I could do it, pointed out the way to achieving it, showed me that it was alright to dream big because it was really after all, not that difficult to reach (“it’s easy” is what he says), and at times give me a little kick in the butt to push me further on, I would not be where I am today.

Me at the NUS Achievement Awards Ceremony, where I was awarded for my local & international achievements in Salsa for the year 2006.

A common misunderstanding that I come across is that people tend to think that a good teacher must be able to dance well, or at least better than them. Because dancing is very visual, some people feel that the teacher must be able to dance well so that they have a role model to follow in class. This strikes me as weird because we are often trained by teachers who are less flexible and technically worse than us in ballet. Ballet is such a precise dance that older people in general will not be able to manage the dance (in terms of technique, stamina, flexibility, etc) as well as the younger dancers. Although it is important to get inspiration from a good dancer, it doesn’t necessarily need to come from the teacher. It can come from other students or even professional dancers. I feel that it is more important for teachers to be able to teach well. A good teacher will not only take care of your physical training, but also focus a significant part of your training on conquering mental blocks, doubts and fears.

Even the best dancer in the world needs a teacher. Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, and he has 3 coaches. He clearly is better than any of his 3 teachers, why does he still need a teacher? That is because he still needs an experienced eye to point out his mistakes and to make him belief that he is the best golfer in the world. As dancers, we can’t see our mistakes when we dance, and sometimes, we need a second opinion to ensure that what we do looks good. We need someone to scold us when we are lax, someone to guide us when we are lost, someone to plan for our training so that we can focus on perfecting our moves and not worry about planning for our future as dancers. Most importantly, we need someone to encourage us and make us belief that we have what it takes to be the best. We need someone to motivate us, to push us on and to believe in us. This is what I feel makes the best teachers. Someone who believes in me, who never gives up on me and who will always be there to guide me through the roughest patches. It’s amazing how much we can achieve when someone believes in us.

PS: This article is dedicated to my teacher and mentor. It’s been truly a blessing and such a great adventure these past 3 years. Words can’t express my heartfelt gratitude.

PPS: Good families are also important for the same reasons, don’t you think? And I have a great family! =)

"I Want to be a Good Dancer!" - 5 Steps to Dancing Success!

1. Basics

A good Salsa dancer needs to have good fundamental techniques. In building a house, one needs a good foundation; likewise in dancing. The fundamental techniques can be divided into 2 categories: 1) partner techniques, and 2) non-partner techniques. The former simply describes proper lead and follow techniques while the latter consists of body and leg flexibility, and spinning techniques.

Lead and follow techniques are crucial in partner dances because the leader needs to know how to lead his partner properly and the follower needs to know how to respond to her partner’s cues. We can’t social dance properly, especially at the advanced level if we do not have the proper lead and follow techniques. That’s why we emphasize a lot on basic class in Actfa. Most people actually don’t realize the full importance of basic class (where they teach the fundamental lead and follow techniques) until they have been to an intermediate or advanced class where they find it hard to catch up in the class because they don’t have the proper techniques to execute the steps right…*

Besides learning how to lead and follow properly, we also need to have sound techniques in body isolation, flexibility and spinning.** This is vital if we want to look good when we dance. In Salsa, a dancer stands out if he styles well, spins well and is flexible. Body flexibility and isolation techniques are important for those shines and styling (e.g. body waves!) to look good. The more flexible our body is, the better it looks, as the body movements are bigger and more fluid. We also gain a better control over our movements when we master the techniques for isolation. Flexibility is necessary for dancers simply because it looks outstanding, and our legs and bodies move better and are not so stiff when we are flexible. Spin is crucial in Salsa as it is one of the main components in Salsa. Once we grasp the concepts of spinning, we can balance better and move faster. When this happens, we have a lot of time to style and look good because we are not rushing after the music or catching our balance. On top of that, our spins look sharper because they are faster and more precise.

2. Practice, practice, practice

Besides having a good foundation for dance, another golden rule is to practice. Repeating the variations or styling will enable us to be more familiar with the variations and styling. If we practice enough, we will commit the variations or styling into our subconscious so that we automatically execute the steps without consciously thinking of it. This is important in social dancing, where the movements are impromptu for the ladies. By training the steps into their subconscious, they will respond to the leader’s cue and execute the variations and styling automatically. This in time will train their sensitivity in responding to the lead. It is also crucial for the men as they can fluidly execute one variation after another only after they commit the steps into their subconscious. That way, they will not have to keep thinking of which step to do next when they dance with their partners.

3. But practice makes perfect, so find a good teacher

Although practice is important, we must also be careful not to practice the wrong steps. A teacher of mine once said, “Practice makes perfect. If you practice the wrong thing, you’ll perfect that”. So we all need to constantly check through a mirror or a video of our dancing to see if we are executing the steps the way we imagine it to be. More importantly, we need a good teacher or mentor who cares to teach us the right things and correct our mistakes. A good teacher will find out what we want, encourage us to pursue our goals and show us the shortest path to achieving it. He will plan our training for us so we don’t have to worry about what to learn, and prepare us both mentally and physically to attain our goal. A good teacher cares enough to scold and push us to achieve what we want, and more.

4. It’s not the quantity but the quality of your variations/styling

Many people seem to want to learn one hundred complex variations, shines and styling, with the thought that if they know a lot of moves, they will be good dancers. It is true that many advanced dancers seem to know many moves and variations. However, I feel that it is more important to get the moves looking nice rather than knowing a lot of variations. Dancer A may know a lot of moves but the quality of his move may only be 2/10. Dancer B may know only a few moves but the standard of his moves are 8/10. Dancer A’s moves will look messy and average; any potential he may have as a dancer will not be obvious because he is like an uncut diamond – it looks like an ordinary rock on the outside. Dancer B may know limited moves, but he is clean and precise in his execution. Because of his cleanness and precision, he may stand out among other social dancers – he is like a small diamond, small but nevertheless sparkling! Of course, it is important to have both quality and quantity and the best way is probably to learn new steps gradually while perfecting those we know.

5. Be polite to others and you’ll always have people to dance with

A last but crucial point to being a good dancer is to build a good relationship with the people. Be polite to others: treat your partner with respect, respect other dancers’ space while dancing, thank your partner after dancing and guide her to the edge of the dance floor if you’re a guy. Most importantly, smile! It’s important to be on good terms with other dancers because you meet them frequently on the dance floor. Being on good terms will ensure that you’ll always have people to dance with!


* Actfa conducts Salsa Examinations certified by AC Dance (www.acdance.com) & Salsa Academy (www.salsaacademy.com) which has 50 pointers in its Level 1 Basic Exam as guidelines for its students to develop the proper lead and follow techniques.

** Actfa holds Isolation & Body Conditioning classes 5 times a week to help its students to master their body isolations, flexibility and spinning techniques (www.actfa.com).