Many people always come up to me and say "Wah you teach dancing full time ah? So lucky to be able to work on something that you like!" And unspoken in that is 'how I wish I could be like that and have a full time job on something that I love too'.
It's funny that many people think teaching dance just consists of going into the class, telling a bunch of people on what steps to take, how to take them, turn on the music and viola!..
The dance classes come about because of a series of things that are needed to be done to accumulate in an event that is the class. Most people don't see all the work that goes on into this. There are students to call for class, there are students schedules to arrange, there are syllabus and choreographies to be set up. The prep work is significant, like many other kinds of jobs. It is fun, but the hours are long, and topsy turvy to regular work hours (yeah, we work retail hours).
Honestly, I don't consider teaching work. I enjoy sharing and teaching people, especially if I have a lot to share with them and they are like absorbent sponges. What I consider work is the stuff that everyone else considers work: paying the bills, admin stuff, organizing schedules, settling enquiries, marketing and other stuff. Teaching is the time that I make friends, socialize, contribute to society by sharing my knowledge with others. Setting syllabi and choreographies are also not work, coz I genuinely enjoy the creation process, and it's my fun time.
I'm immensely grateful to be in a job that I love and that I enjoy doing. I'm glad that I can have so much fun in my work, that I can make great and awesome friends, and that I can share so many things with many people and watch them grow and mature from beginners into great dancers. It's so amazing to see their love, passion and appreciation for life grow through dancing. I truly enjoy that and I am super humbled by this grace God has given me to be able to impact many people's lives.
I used to think that my talents are small and minor in the light of the things of the world. I mean, what is dance compared to saving people's lives in medicine, or the ability to create amazing technologies, build fantastic houses and other things. But now, I see the value I bring to people's lives, sometimes more than what money can buy. In the mature people, I help them to maintain their fitness and health; I keep their feet and mind nimble, helping in the prevention of diseases so prevalent among the aged in our society. In the young, I aid in building their coordination, musicality, discipline and help them to expend their energy, giving them a better, healthier and disciplined body to help in their mind studies and more. In the teens and young adults, I can help build their aspirations, inspire them to be better people, give them avenues to mature into beautiful people, learn social skills and build relationships. It's an awesome job when you actually step back and think about it. It's humbling that I've been given such a position of influence, yet scary at the same time that it can seem like such a huge daunting task that is my life's calling. (And this is where I'm glad that I have a God who guides me in all things I do)...
There is one thing that people do say to me quite often that I find frustrating... They see that I work long hours and everyday, and think, "Wah you poor thing! You work so long hours, and everyday somemore. Must make sure you have enough rest and have time for yourself." They are well-meaning when they say that, but what they say is not exactly in my best interests, nor is it entirely accurate.
Yes, it is true that I clock long hours at my dance school, but this is also true of many people and their jobs: when work must be completed, we need to make an effort to finish them. I just work slow (but I'm getting faster!). Also, my work and play time has grey areas because they both occur in the same place, and I think this is the most misleading part. People can't see clearly when my work/play place and time are, because they occur in the same place, and much at the same time.
When I teach, it's play. When I do admin stuff, it's work. When I talk to students, it's sometimes work, sometimes play. Admittedly, I had big problems differentiating between work and play when I first started doing this full time. I still get confused from time to time, even now, after 10 years. So I can't really expect others to be able to differentiate between my work and play time. On top of that (as if it's not confusing enough), the people whom I teach and work with are also the people I spend my play time with. It can get a tad frustrating if you let it get to you, but the benefits far outweigh the costs:
1) I'm paid to do what I love, while others pay to do what they love. By working in what I love, I am doing things that I enjoy most of the time.
2) I save time and money on commuting to and fro. Even though work and play can get confusing because they are both occurring in the same place, one major advantage of this is that I can spend more time doing these things coz I don't have to factor in traveling time. Many people spend 3 - 5 (or more) hours traveling from home to work to play and back home. I don't have to do that, and as a result I can spend more productive time contributing to the things I love. I can also concentrate all my energies to do these things, rather than worrying about rushing from one place to another.
3) I get to work and play with the people I like, my friends!
4) As mentioned earlier, I get to play a small role in enriching people's lives through dancing, health and more. It's a true privilege.
5) This one's a little bit chim, but the way we work, play and eat together, we live in a communal setting and this 'family' feeling is essential to our lives and welfare. At times, it may seem stifling and over bearing, but I'm surrounded by people who care for me and vice versa. We look out for each other, and even though we all have our flaws, we are a family.
By learning to give, being grateful and collaborating with one another, we can work together to do great things for our community and to help people around us, things that we cannot do as individuals.
Showing posts with label Classes at Xen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classes at Xen. Show all posts
Sunday, May 17
Basic Instructor Course (BIC) - Express
This course is designed for people who cannot commit the time for a full course and can only spare the minimum amount of classes to learn to teach.
Aceki Dance Teacher - Benefits
A
dance teacher under Aceki has multiple benefits: we exercise for free
(while we teach), we get to plan what and how we want to exercise, we
have people to accompany us when we do our training....
A few added side benefits are making friends for life, learning how to work with people, practicing patience when you teach, and under Aceki, you can earn extra money on the side when you introduce products or events to your students and also get to take 1 hour of class for free for every hour of class you teach.
As
a teacher, it takes a while to build up a new class and sometimes it
may be a bit discouraging if your students don't stay with you for the
long term. I find that some students come and go, but there are some
who will stay with you, because they like learning from you, and
exercising with you, or you make them laugh. A few added side benefits are making friends for life, learning how to work with people, practicing patience when you teach, and under Aceki, you can earn extra money on the side when you introduce products or events to your students and also get to take 1 hour of class for free for every hour of class you teach.
As a teacher, you can't really predict what kind of students will turn up for your class, and how long they will stay. But so long as you can enjoy yourself in your classes, and sincerely try to give to them what they are coming down for, they would enjoy your class and bit by bit, more will return to class and also join the other classes that you teach.
On Learning...
Teaching many students over the years, I've learned a thing or 2 about what makes students more teachable.
The best kinds of students a teacher could hope to get are those that are like a clean slate. They don't have any prior opinions, they don't seem to know anything and they trust you to show them how to do it all. Students like that are a dream come true because we don't have to spend time convincing them why they should do this rather then do that, why doing this will make you better than doing that, etc.
For example, if I have 5 minutes with each student, I can spend that 5 minutes trying to convince the student to do Task 1 and why doing Task 1 will help them to improve, or I can spend the precious 5 minutes showing and teaching them to do Tasks 1,2 and 3.
Teacher, "You must practice your spins everyday. Do it 3 times a day, for 5 minutes each."
Student, "OK i will do my best. What else should I work on?"
Teacher (delighted in such a dedicated student replies), "Besides spinning, practice your isolations too. After spinning, you can do body isolations for 5 - 10 minutes. If you have more time, you can...."
Student, "OK i will do my best. What else should I work on?"
Teacher (delighted in such a dedicated student replies), "Besides spinning, practice your isolations too. After spinning, you can do body isolations for 5 - 10 minutes. If you have more time, you can...."
If
a student doesn't keep second guessing the teacher or thinks he knows
better or his way is better, the teacher doesn't have to waste time
thinking "How can I convince the student that my method of learning has
been taught to many students, and all who followed my instructions
wholeheartedly all succeeded and became good dancers?" The teacher can
then spend more of his energy to focus on how to make the student an
even better dancer.
I'm not suggesting that the
student should blindly follow the teacher, but I feel that the students
should not judge the teacher during the class (is what this teacher is
saying better than what the other teacher taught me to do the other
day? I think that if I do it this way, it is better than what the
teacher is saying now...).
You take a class to learn. Reserve your judgements for after the class. During the class, learn all that you can, take all that you can from the teacher. Even if you don't agree, put your opinions aside first. Your teacher may have a different approach to what you are used to learning but it may produce the same or better results, but you never know it works if you don't try with an open mind.
You are there to learn, not teach the
teacher or disrespect or humiliate him. So focus your energies on
learning. If the teacher is open to it, you can share what you feel and
humbly and respectfully present your opinions to him after the class. But don't go into an argument with him in the class.
You take a class to learn. Reserve your judgements for after the class. During the class, learn all that you can, take all that you can from the teacher. Even if you don't agree, put your opinions aside first. Your teacher may have a different approach to what you are used to learning but it may produce the same or better results, but you never know it works if you don't try with an open mind.
Wednesday, July 31
Expressive Expressions... Is it instinct or is it learned?
I have no idea how it was like for you growing up as a child, but for me, my childhood were filled with dreams, fantasies, stories of fairies, princesses, sword fights, elves, wizards... I flew high among the stars, I fought with big evil dragons, I danced with my prince charming... I had it all, I was what I wanted to be, I was basically a nerd. With my nose stuck in books after books of fantasies.
Besides my love for reading passed on to me by my father, I danced too. I took ballet classes since when I could remember. This love was passed down by my mother who said, "When I was young, I always wanted to learn Ballet but we were poor. Now I bring you to learn Ballet".
I remember my first lesson. I was wearing a dress and together with my sister, we went into this huge empty space brightly lit and full of mirrors. We were soon running around and before I knew it, we were taking Ballet classes. One month later would see a little me stubbornly refusing (for reasons that I couldn't fathom even then) to go into class, clingling tightly to my mother. Soon, I was going for Ballet class every Saturday, to sit and watch my sister take classes.
You would think that the teacher and dancer you see now would have taken to dance like ducks to water, but I didn't like dance when I first started. In fact, I refused to take classes. So my very kind teacher then allowed me to sit in the class and watch my sister and her dance mates learn all the steps. It took a year for my mum to coax me back to join the class. I have to thank my teacher, Ms Ho & my dear mum for their determination and persistence to put me into dance school. (in hindsight, I really don't know why they were so persistent, but I'm thankful they were!) After that, I fell in love with Ballet and the rest is history.
You would think that I was a great dancer from young... I was good, but not the best. I was above average but not the best, at least I thought so. I was a strong dancer (ok in terms of technique), but didn't have a clue about how to be expressive when dancing. My teacher used to get a fellow student of mine to demonstrate 'expression' in class, while I was usually amongst those called out to demonstrate technique. I used to look at her and wonder what did she have that I didn't, and why didn't I look like her? It used to puzzle my little mind...
Things changed for me one day when I decided that I would play a little game everytime I danced. I painted my fantasy world around me with each dance. I imagined that I was dancing in the most beautiful places: beautiful meadows, gorgeous waterfalls, etc. The classroom faded out of sight and the music transported me into my fantasy world with sparkling sunshine, lush greenery, astounding snow-capped mountains and pristine lakes. And suddenly, my teacher was praising me for having great expression and I was being called to demonstrate "expression". I thought nothing of it, and was a bit sheepish that I was bored and hence distracted myself in class with this game... "So this is what expression is about?" I asked myself, "just imagine that you have amazing scenery around you and get lost in that?" It seemed so... superficial, I didn't dare say how I did it.
But it brought my dancing into a whole new level. I scored the highest in class that year for exams (first time ever and I had been dancing for 4-5 years then). I also won a junior Ballet competition that very year. I was so young, I didn't even know what happened... All I knew was that I could spin quite well because I had saw the prima donna in the Nutcracker dancing and was happily copying her at home and pretending to be her and doing all her spins and jumps; and I was daydreaming in class, trying to create (in my imagination) the best scenery to dance to. Ahhh... the marvelous thoughts of a little child...
I guess all these experiences (and more) taught me some things about expression... You have to dare to do it; so long as you try, people will give you credit for trying and if you keep checking on your expression, you will get it the way you want it to look eventually.
Also, technique is only half the marks that the judge will give you. You can have perfect technique, but that will only give you 50% of the marks. The rest comes from your expression. The way I see it, our steps are not perfect/complete unless your have the right 'feel' / expression in place. Also, expression is something that is special because it comes from the heart; it's personal and unique. No 2 people will have the same feel (unless they work very hard to look the same).
Many people are scared to express themselves when they dance, feeling vulnerable. But i always tell them this:
1) People will give them credit for trying, and will support you for trying. Your expression doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to try. If you are good, others will compliment you; if it's not that good (yet), others will commend you for trying. I have seen students who are 'favorites' when performing because their faces are so entertaining, and people cheer them on for putting on a good 'face', even though it is not the most perfect.
2) Practice it now, when you are training so that you can have a good guess how it will look like when you try to use it when you perform/ compete. Many people put expression in the back burner, telling themselves that they will smile when they need to, and they always realize that it is not always the case when they see themselves later on video (it's too late by then though).
3) By trying to put at least some kind of expression, you will give me something to work on to correct you. I can't comment, correct or teach you expression if you don't try. If the face just clams up into what I call "zombie" mode, there is nothing to correct; expression is simply not there. It's like me asking them to do a bodywave and them refusing to do it. I can't correct it if I can't see it.
People kinda assume that expression is a given, it's instinct and it's either you have it or you don't. Consider this: expressions (happiness, sadness, mischievousness) are controlled by muscles. If you put in so much effort training your body muscles to perfect your techniques like spins, splits, jumps... Why can't you put in as much effort learning how to control your facial muscles? Sure it doesn't look good when you first start, but neither did your spins or your bodywaves look good at the beginning.
Another food for thought: If expressions are natural and instinctive, then how to actors make a living? Why do they go to acting classes? How do they make themselves cry/ be angry/ meek/ chirpy when they need to do so on screen? Simply put, they practice them. In fact, most acting classes contain a lot of practical exercises that focus on loosing your inhibitions and becoming less self conscious.
Besides my love for reading passed on to me by my father, I danced too. I took ballet classes since when I could remember. This love was passed down by my mother who said, "When I was young, I always wanted to learn Ballet but we were poor. Now I bring you to learn Ballet".
I remember my first lesson. I was wearing a dress and together with my sister, we went into this huge empty space brightly lit and full of mirrors. We were soon running around and before I knew it, we were taking Ballet classes. One month later would see a little me stubbornly refusing (for reasons that I couldn't fathom even then) to go into class, clingling tightly to my mother. Soon, I was going for Ballet class every Saturday, to sit and watch my sister take classes.
You would think that the teacher and dancer you see now would have taken to dance like ducks to water, but I didn't like dance when I first started. In fact, I refused to take classes. So my very kind teacher then allowed me to sit in the class and watch my sister and her dance mates learn all the steps. It took a year for my mum to coax me back to join the class. I have to thank my teacher, Ms Ho & my dear mum for their determination and persistence to put me into dance school. (in hindsight, I really don't know why they were so persistent, but I'm thankful they were!) After that, I fell in love with Ballet and the rest is history.
You would think that I was a great dancer from young... I was good, but not the best. I was above average but not the best, at least I thought so. I was a strong dancer (ok in terms of technique), but didn't have a clue about how to be expressive when dancing. My teacher used to get a fellow student of mine to demonstrate 'expression' in class, while I was usually amongst those called out to demonstrate technique. I used to look at her and wonder what did she have that I didn't, and why didn't I look like her? It used to puzzle my little mind...
Things changed for me one day when I decided that I would play a little game everytime I danced. I painted my fantasy world around me with each dance. I imagined that I was dancing in the most beautiful places: beautiful meadows, gorgeous waterfalls, etc. The classroom faded out of sight and the music transported me into my fantasy world with sparkling sunshine, lush greenery, astounding snow-capped mountains and pristine lakes. And suddenly, my teacher was praising me for having great expression and I was being called to demonstrate "expression". I thought nothing of it, and was a bit sheepish that I was bored and hence distracted myself in class with this game... "So this is what expression is about?" I asked myself, "just imagine that you have amazing scenery around you and get lost in that?" It seemed so... superficial, I didn't dare say how I did it.
But it brought my dancing into a whole new level. I scored the highest in class that year for exams (first time ever and I had been dancing for 4-5 years then). I also won a junior Ballet competition that very year. I was so young, I didn't even know what happened... All I knew was that I could spin quite well because I had saw the prima donna in the Nutcracker dancing and was happily copying her at home and pretending to be her and doing all her spins and jumps; and I was daydreaming in class, trying to create (in my imagination) the best scenery to dance to. Ahhh... the marvelous thoughts of a little child...
I guess all these experiences (and more) taught me some things about expression... You have to dare to do it; so long as you try, people will give you credit for trying and if you keep checking on your expression, you will get it the way you want it to look eventually.
Also, technique is only half the marks that the judge will give you. You can have perfect technique, but that will only give you 50% of the marks. The rest comes from your expression. The way I see it, our steps are not perfect/complete unless your have the right 'feel' / expression in place. Also, expression is something that is special because it comes from the heart; it's personal and unique. No 2 people will have the same feel (unless they work very hard to look the same).
Many people are scared to express themselves when they dance, feeling vulnerable. But i always tell them this:
1) People will give them credit for trying, and will support you for trying. Your expression doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to try. If you are good, others will compliment you; if it's not that good (yet), others will commend you for trying. I have seen students who are 'favorites' when performing because their faces are so entertaining, and people cheer them on for putting on a good 'face', even though it is not the most perfect.
2) Practice it now, when you are training so that you can have a good guess how it will look like when you try to use it when you perform/ compete. Many people put expression in the back burner, telling themselves that they will smile when they need to, and they always realize that it is not always the case when they see themselves later on video (it's too late by then though).
3) By trying to put at least some kind of expression, you will give me something to work on to correct you. I can't comment, correct or teach you expression if you don't try. If the face just clams up into what I call "zombie" mode, there is nothing to correct; expression is simply not there. It's like me asking them to do a bodywave and them refusing to do it. I can't correct it if I can't see it.
People kinda assume that expression is a given, it's instinct and it's either you have it or you don't. Consider this: expressions (happiness, sadness, mischievousness) are controlled by muscles. If you put in so much effort training your body muscles to perfect your techniques like spins, splits, jumps... Why can't you put in as much effort learning how to control your facial muscles? Sure it doesn't look good when you first start, but neither did your spins or your bodywaves look good at the beginning.
Another food for thought: If expressions are natural and instinctive, then how to actors make a living? Why do they go to acting classes? How do they make themselves cry/ be angry/ meek/ chirpy when they need to do so on screen? Simply put, they practice them. In fact, most acting classes contain a lot of practical exercises that focus on loosing your inhibitions and becoming less self conscious.
Thursday, July 11
What Men & Women want, how to find the right kind of people, and how does dancing help!
Why dating events are good way of meeting ppl...
In events (and my area of expertise is dance), participants
are put in situations / activities and it's a great place to see how ppl
behave in situations. High-stress situations can show how we react to
stresses in our life, especially when we are out of our element.
After
viewing the dating show, 'it's a date', you get to see how ppl react
and the impression it leaves on others. Of course it doesn't truly
reflect our normal characters, but we can learn from these situations and learn how to react and
how not to behave.
Another
interesting observation is that the best looking ones are not the
winners here. Rather, the most adorable girl or the most 'damsel in
distress' get picked; the guy that can make the girls feel
the most comfortable and who take charge without being dominating tends
to win out in this game.
Is
it really a surprise? Not really. Even though it seems obvious when we sit down n think about it, somehow
on the superficial level we tend to forget it. Men like to help women, but not be taken advantage of. When they can help out, they feel important and useful. But the thing they hate most is to be taken advantage of. They like to be respected. (Actually this applies to women too!) When it comes to dating and relationships, many women tend to forget that, and usually, that's when things go haywire.
Women, on the other hand, like men who can entertain them; men who can tell jokes and can see humor in things that they do can make women laugh and that's important to them. They like men with quiet confidence, who are secure in who they are, but who also respect them, who can take charge when needed, but is not domineering.
Actually, when we take a step back and see, we can tell that the qualities that we are looking for are the same, be it for a man or woman. We are all looking for someone who is comfortable in their own skin, and are secure in who they are. We are looking for someone who can find humor in things they do, with a zest for life, but who also can be serious and get things done when needed. Someone responsible, but who doesn't take themselves too seriously and can laugh at themselves if needed. We also like people who respect us, and by respecting, it means that they take the time to listen (not dominate), and are not afraid to change their minds if they feel that their partner has a better solution to problems.
Looking at this, it seems that the qualities we are looking for are character qualities, not superficial qualities. However, our actions don't necessarily reflect this. For
example, we seem to automatically gravitate towards better looking,
attractive ppl and place the less attractive ones on the sidelines, especially in situations that only allow for short interactions. Nobody likes being labelled and stereotyped, but we tend to do so -all to some degree - because sometimes we don't have the time to learn more about each other.
Teaching many ppl how to dance and seeing many interactions between people has opened my eyes to a lot of things (though I don't claim to be an expert). I have learnt to understand characters by their responses (mannerisms and speech). I also learn to understand them by their innate unconscious responses in daily menial tasks. People who spontaneously help out without asking, who offer assistance in things are the keepers. They may not be the best speakers or the most charming, but they 'got your back' and will help when you need. These are true friends; whether they become more than friends, time will tell. But I want them in my life as friends and buddies because I know I will have a great time in whatever we do.
Some people go around frantically from boyfriend to boyfriend (or girlfriend to girlfriend) trying to find the someone who 'completes' them. I heard this from my pastor talking about BGR and find it to be so true. If you find someone because he/she completes the other half of you, it never works. After a while, you will still find that part of you empty. You need to first be comfortable, secure and confident in your own skin, find someone who is also comfortable and secure in his/her own skin, and come together to become 200% (100% + 100% = 200%, not 50% + 50% = 100%). Needy people are hard to build life together with as they consume a lot of your energy, you spend time fighting fires (reassuring doubts) rather than growing together. A 'whole' person (for want of a better word) doesn't necessarily need to be super confident and doesn't need to know everything... the opposite actually...
That whole person is wise / humble enough to know that he/she doesn't know everything, and is comfortable with that. He/she doesn't feel a need to demonstrate how much he/she knows; but is more concerned about the welfare of others rather than what others think of him/her. We are attracted to people who give, rather than people who take. Rather than trying to get or find the right person for you, work on being the right person and you will attract the right kind of people,and have many people for you to choose from.
And now where does dancing come into play with all these? (Dance is my life so of course it comes into play! haha...) I may be traditional in thinking, but I feel that there is an element to dancing (partner dances) that subtly and inevitably teaches men and women to behave in certain ways that works in a relationship...
I'm gonna just touch on the surface here, otherwise it will be too long to read. When 2 people come together to dance, the men leads; the woman has to be willing to be led (she has to let him lead). Note that she is not a docile obedient piece of equipment for him to push and pull around, but a living and breathing body that is placed in his hands to guide. He has to cherish her, take care of her, lead her into amazing moves that she otherwise would not be able to do on her own. The lady, by releasing her will to him and allowing him to take over control of her movements, must learn to flow within his movements. She is not 'mindless'; she is balanced on her own, she moves her own feet, etc, but the catch is that she moves in sync with him. She has to learn to listen to his cues in order to flow with him. She assists by supporting him and following him if he falters.
The man has to plan his moves, and the planning of his moves includes his partner's, and move both of them to flow together so that they both move in sync together flowing from one movement to the next. The key is that in order for them to move fluidly together, they have to learn how to communicate: listen to each other's movements, and react to accommodate and flow from one movement to the next. It's a piece of art that is different with every partner, and someone who understands this can relate it to life.
Of course it's not an exact science and there are other things to observe, but I find this to be true and feel that this kinda helps us to become better partners in a relationship. =)
Thursday, July 5
On Learning Choreography
One common question that students often ask is why does Actfa Dancers all look the same: their variations are the same; their stunts are the same; their styling are the same; the way they spin are the same….?
This must be taken in a positive light that the school has taught its students so well that they look identical when they dance! As a teacher, we proud that we have taught students who have put in so much effort to learn and perfect the steps, stunts and styling that people can tell which school they are from.
Some people may think that it’s silly to have ‘clones’ of Person X dancing on the dance floor; or to have 5 couples performing exact same moves. But there is a reason for doing so.
From the point of view of a teacher, all students need to go through a training process within the school to understand the fundamental techniques of certain steps. Naturally, all schools teach a certain of set variations/ shines/ stunts to its students when it trains its students for a group choreography. At the initial stage, all the students will learn a similar set of variations/ shines/ stunts in the class. Also, at the initial stage, the student will not have enough knowledge in the dance to vary much from what he/she has learnt in the class. Hence, he/she will look similar to the teacher and other students when he/she dances.
Those who comment about looking the same when they dance are missing the essential point in this aspect: When a student begins to learn about a variation, stunt or shine, he is not only learning the steps (on the surface), but is also learning the fundamental techniques to the steps (the underlying aspect). For example, a student learns how to shimmy his shoulders in a particular shine. The teacher may only ask him to shimmy at one point in the shine, but once he has learnt how to shimmy, he can actually put it in anywhere he wants to while social dancing. In the case of a stunt, eg, the death drop, the student is not only learning the technique and execution of the death drop (on the surface), but more importantly, he is learning how to keep his body stable, how to watch out for potential injuries while doing the stunt, how to protect his partner so that she feels safe while doing the trick, how to execute the moves cleanly and with precision, etc (the underlying aspect). Another crucial factor when learning dips and tricks is that the student also learns to believe in himself, and discover that he is actually able to execute such a stunt. Most people don’t believe that they can ever dance like professionals, and teaching the trick is not as important as convincing the student that he can actually do the amazing stuff that professionals do. And once the student believes that he can do these higher-level moves, the door opens for him to try all sorts of things in the dance like other shines, more complex variations, more difficult spins and other dips and tricks.
Actfa teaches its students to perform many shines, stunts and variations and is dedicated in pushing its students to execute them cleanly and precisely so that they look good while dancing. I feel that the school has done its job in opening the doorway for its students to explore the different aspects of dance but it is eventually up to the student to take the initiative to perfect, practice and later on try out new things on their own. The teachers are always there to encourage, teach and guide the students through them, but it is up to the students to decide what they want to learn and try. And if all else fails, the student can at least fall back on what he has learnt from the school.
One common question that students often ask is why does Actfa Dancers all look the same: their variations are the same; their stunts are the same; their styling are the same; the way they spin are the same….?
This must be taken in a positive light that the school has taught its students so well that they look identical when they dance! As a teacher, we proud that we have taught students who have put in so much effort to learn and perfect the steps, stunts and styling that people can tell which school they are from.
Some people may think that it’s silly to have ‘clones’ of Person X dancing on the dance floor; or to have 5 couples performing exact same moves. But there is a reason for doing so.
From the point of view of a teacher, all students need to go through a training process within the school to understand the fundamental techniques of certain steps. Naturally, all schools teach a certain of set variations/ shines/ stunts to its students when it trains its students for a group choreography. At the initial stage, all the students will learn a similar set of variations/ shines/ stunts in the class. Also, at the initial stage, the student will not have enough knowledge in the dance to vary much from what he/she has learnt in the class. Hence, he/she will look similar to the teacher and other students when he/she dances.
Those who comment about looking the same when they dance are missing the essential point in this aspect: When a student begins to learn about a variation, stunt or shine, he is not only learning the steps (on the surface), but is also learning the fundamental techniques to the steps (the underlying aspect). For example, a student learns how to shimmy his shoulders in a particular shine. The teacher may only ask him to shimmy at one point in the shine, but once he has learnt how to shimmy, he can actually put it in anywhere he wants to while social dancing. In the case of a stunt, eg, the death drop, the student is not only learning the technique and execution of the death drop (on the surface), but more importantly, he is learning how to keep his body stable, how to watch out for potential injuries while doing the stunt, how to protect his partner so that she feels safe while doing the trick, how to execute the moves cleanly and with precision, etc (the underlying aspect). Another crucial factor when learning dips and tricks is that the student also learns to believe in himself, and discover that he is actually able to execute such a stunt. Most people don’t believe that they can ever dance like professionals, and teaching the trick is not as important as convincing the student that he can actually do the amazing stuff that professionals do. And once the student believes that he can do these higher-level moves, the door opens for him to try all sorts of things in the dance like other shines, more complex variations, more difficult spins and other dips and tricks.
Actfa teaches its students to perform many shines, stunts and variations and is dedicated in pushing its students to execute them cleanly and precisely so that they look good while dancing. I feel that the school has done its job in opening the doorway for its students to explore the different aspects of dance but it is eventually up to the student to take the initiative to perfect, practice and later on try out new things on their own. The teachers are always there to encourage, teach and guide the students through them, but it is up to the students to decide what they want to learn and try. And if all else fails, the student can at least fall back on what he has learnt from the school.
Friday, May 11
How to Apply Choreography in a Social Context
The benefits of choreography
Many people say that Salsa is a social dance and that the most beautiful aspect of Salsa can be seen on the social floor where the dancers play and dance their moves to the music, all in an impromptu fashion. I agree with that and I have seen some amazing dancing on the social floor. However, I feel that there are certain benefits to choreographing a dance that some people tend to overlook. In my opinion, choreography is important for beginners who are not seasoned dancers as it provides them with a good starting ground in their social dancing for the following reasons:
1) Easy to remember/recall steps while dancing
Many newbies to Salsa have very few moves to execute while dancing because their knowledge in dance is limited. Their variations are often interspersed with a lot of basic steps because they are thinking of the next move to execute. A simple choreography that is taught to them will allow them to constantly practice one variation after another, so that they can train their muscle memory to execute simple steps one after another on the dance floor without worrying about what the next step is.
Some people may think that this will make their dancing boring and repetitive as they constantly repeat the same things. However, I stress that this is for beginners and that doing repetitive steps again and again is better than doing many basic steps while worrying and ransacking your brain over what steps to execute next on the dance floor. Furthermore, the dancers can rearrange the sequence of steps after they are more familiar with the steps.
So beginners out there, put what you learn into a series or combo that you can easily remember. Don’t make it too long as that will be hard to remember. I suggest that you choreograph Combo 1 which comprises of variations A, B, C and D, Combo 2 which comprises of variations E, F, G and H, etc. That way, you also practice how to transit from one move to another!
2) Posture and other tiny details corrected – confidence in the steps obtained
A choreographed routine will ensure that you have executed the moves many times in that sequence. This will make sure that you familiarize yourself with the steps quickly as you repeat them many times. In addition, you will gain confidence in your dancing as you become more secure in your leading and following of the variations. If you have a teacher correcting you in your choreography, this is a plus point as a good teacher will not only correct your lead but also your posture, hands, expression and other tiny details to make you look good on the dance floor. It is easy for the teacher to correct you in such a scenario as you repeat the steps and he/she can check if you slouch in a particular step or if your hands are placed wrongly in a particular step. Once you are sure that you look good, you will get the confidence to dance and enjoy yourself.
3) Students who are less talented can learn about timing and rhythm and how to pose to a particular music through the choreography
A choreography to a particular music also helps students with problems in keeping the timing right while dancing as the fixed music will help them to familiarize themselves with at least one song. Once they learn to keep the count in the song, they can gradually learn to keep the count in other songs. The first song allows them to start ‘somewhere’ in learning about the Salsa beat.
A choreographed routine may also have pauses and different rhythms where the students are taught to pose or dance in response to the music. This teaches students how to play with the different musical styles of Salsa.
4) Finally you can piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle to mix and match moves
After learning the choreography, students who have become more comfortable with their routine can then choose to mix and match the variations or shines to vary their repertoire as they dance.
The benefits of choreography
Many people say that Salsa is a social dance and that the most beautiful aspect of Salsa can be seen on the social floor where the dancers play and dance their moves to the music, all in an impromptu fashion. I agree with that and I have seen some amazing dancing on the social floor. However, I feel that there are certain benefits to choreographing a dance that some people tend to overlook. In my opinion, choreography is important for beginners who are not seasoned dancers as it provides them with a good starting ground in their social dancing for the following reasons:
1) Easy to remember/recall steps while dancing
Many newbies to Salsa have very few moves to execute while dancing because their knowledge in dance is limited. Their variations are often interspersed with a lot of basic steps because they are thinking of the next move to execute. A simple choreography that is taught to them will allow them to constantly practice one variation after another, so that they can train their muscle memory to execute simple steps one after another on the dance floor without worrying about what the next step is.
Some people may think that this will make their dancing boring and repetitive as they constantly repeat the same things. However, I stress that this is for beginners and that doing repetitive steps again and again is better than doing many basic steps while worrying and ransacking your brain over what steps to execute next on the dance floor. Furthermore, the dancers can rearrange the sequence of steps after they are more familiar with the steps.
So beginners out there, put what you learn into a series or combo that you can easily remember. Don’t make it too long as that will be hard to remember. I suggest that you choreograph Combo 1 which comprises of variations A, B, C and D, Combo 2 which comprises of variations E, F, G and H, etc. That way, you also practice how to transit from one move to another!
2) Posture and other tiny details corrected – confidence in the steps obtained
A choreographed routine will ensure that you have executed the moves many times in that sequence. This will make sure that you familiarize yourself with the steps quickly as you repeat them many times. In addition, you will gain confidence in your dancing as you become more secure in your leading and following of the variations. If you have a teacher correcting you in your choreography, this is a plus point as a good teacher will not only correct your lead but also your posture, hands, expression and other tiny details to make you look good on the dance floor. It is easy for the teacher to correct you in such a scenario as you repeat the steps and he/she can check if you slouch in a particular step or if your hands are placed wrongly in a particular step. Once you are sure that you look good, you will get the confidence to dance and enjoy yourself.
3) Students who are less talented can learn about timing and rhythm and how to pose to a particular music through the choreography
A choreography to a particular music also helps students with problems in keeping the timing right while dancing as the fixed music will help them to familiarize themselves with at least one song. Once they learn to keep the count in the song, they can gradually learn to keep the count in other songs. The first song allows them to start ‘somewhere’ in learning about the Salsa beat.
A choreographed routine may also have pauses and different rhythms where the students are taught to pose or dance in response to the music. This teaches students how to play with the different musical styles of Salsa.
4) Finally you can piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle to mix and match moves
After learning the choreography, students who have become more comfortable with their routine can then choose to mix and match the variations or shines to vary their repertoire as they dance.
Thursday, April 5
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"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).
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).
Friday, March 2
Girls and Make Up
I recall that make up used to be a hassle. Firstly, it took a lot of time. Secondly, I looked weird after making up because I looked different. Third, I didn't know what I was doing and so I looked funny after I put those stuff on my face. All this excludes the hassle of removing the layers of paint on my face. I didn't like to put make up. I didn't realise it then, but it was because I didn't know how to do it properly so I thought looking natural was probably the best coz make up looked fake on my face.
Little did I know that I just felt insecure about making up because I didn't know how to do it. Then Teacher Ong told me something: Making up is like dressing up for a business meeting. It's being polite and professional, and it's grooming. You don't wear T-shirts and shorts into an important job interview right? You make sure you've had a bath and brush your teeth before appearing before an important client. Similarly, making up is just a part of grooming. It shows that you care to dress properly and groom yourself properly for the occasion; i.e., the meeting is important enough that you took the time to prepare yourself for it. Also, you're showing that you respect your client or boss by taking care to groom yourself properly.
A friend once told me that his student wore a blazer and tie to a talk by an entrepreneur, while others simply wore t-shirts and berms (it was a talk held in school). The entrepreneur later told him that he was the only one whom he gave his name card to because he bothered to dress properly. Although making up will not be as significant as dressing properly, it is part of grooming. A person who looks polished and immaculate will alwiz tend to look more confident and put together than one who looks messy.
All this made sense to me... Making up is a part of grooming, much like styling your hair or choosing the proper clothes to wear. I think it is important to learn how to do it properly just so that we know how to do it when the need arises. That's why we conduct free weekly makeup classes for our students in Actfa. It's a place for them to learn how to do proper make up and also to experiment with different styles so that they know what suits them best. And now that I know a little more about make up, I'm not so scared of making up. After all, we have so many performances that I have lots of practice!
Of course, making up is a good skill to master but we can't depend on it. When I started learning how to do it, I used to make up everyday before I went out... I started thinking that I looked ugly, sallow and pale without makeup. Then Teacher Ong said this: "It's important to learn how to make up, but it's also important not to be dependent on it". I know that many gals feel sort of naked on the face without make up on and are less confident without it, but I think it's crucial not to be dependent on it and know that what's the most important is what's inside, not what's outside. The outer apearance is important to create a good first impression on others, but ultimately what's important is the inner beauty. I know some people are totally against make up, some people never leave home without it...
Personally, I think that make up can create a good impression coz a woman who bothers to groom herself respects others by making herself look presentable. Of course, the inner beauty is still the most important thing, but making up has its benefits so why not use it to your advantage? Of course, I use it only when I have to... Most of the time, I'm too lazy to make up everyday especially if I have to teach a lot and perspire buckets all over my make up. So I learn to do it for business meetings, presentations, performances and to look professional, but I don't wear it if I have to... Too Lazy lah. Haha...
I recall that make up used to be a hassle. Firstly, it took a lot of time. Secondly, I looked weird after making up because I looked different. Third, I didn't know what I was doing and so I looked funny after I put those stuff on my face. All this excludes the hassle of removing the layers of paint on my face. I didn't like to put make up. I didn't realise it then, but it was because I didn't know how to do it properly so I thought looking natural was probably the best coz make up looked fake on my face.
Little did I know that I just felt insecure about making up because I didn't know how to do it. Then Teacher Ong told me something: Making up is like dressing up for a business meeting. It's being polite and professional, and it's grooming. You don't wear T-shirts and shorts into an important job interview right? You make sure you've had a bath and brush your teeth before appearing before an important client. Similarly, making up is just a part of grooming. It shows that you care to dress properly and groom yourself properly for the occasion; i.e., the meeting is important enough that you took the time to prepare yourself for it. Also, you're showing that you respect your client or boss by taking care to groom yourself properly.
A friend once told me that his student wore a blazer and tie to a talk by an entrepreneur, while others simply wore t-shirts and berms (it was a talk held in school). The entrepreneur later told him that he was the only one whom he gave his name card to because he bothered to dress properly. Although making up will not be as significant as dressing properly, it is part of grooming. A person who looks polished and immaculate will alwiz tend to look more confident and put together than one who looks messy.
All this made sense to me... Making up is a part of grooming, much like styling your hair or choosing the proper clothes to wear. I think it is important to learn how to do it properly just so that we know how to do it when the need arises. That's why we conduct free weekly makeup classes for our students in Actfa. It's a place for them to learn how to do proper make up and also to experiment with different styles so that they know what suits them best. And now that I know a little more about make up, I'm not so scared of making up. After all, we have so many performances that I have lots of practice!
Of course, making up is a good skill to master but we can't depend on it. When I started learning how to do it, I used to make up everyday before I went out... I started thinking that I looked ugly, sallow and pale without makeup. Then Teacher Ong said this: "It's important to learn how to make up, but it's also important not to be dependent on it". I know that many gals feel sort of naked on the face without make up on and are less confident without it, but I think it's crucial not to be dependent on it and know that what's the most important is what's inside, not what's outside. The outer apearance is important to create a good first impression on others, but ultimately what's important is the inner beauty. I know some people are totally against make up, some people never leave home without it...
Personally, I think that make up can create a good impression coz a woman who bothers to groom herself respects others by making herself look presentable. Of course, the inner beauty is still the most important thing, but making up has its benefits so why not use it to your advantage? Of course, I use it only when I have to... Most of the time, I'm too lazy to make up everyday especially if I have to teach a lot and perspire buckets all over my make up. So I learn to do it for business meetings, presentations, performances and to look professional, but I don't wear it if I have to... Too Lazy lah. Haha...
Tuesday, February 27
The Benefits of the AC Exams
After all the buzz of the Hong Kong Fest and the New Year, I finally have some time to conduct some examinations for our students. These exams are important for them to keep track of their progress. Starting with the basic level 1 exam, I plan to guide them through to at least 3 or 4 levels eventually (hopefully by the end of this year so that they can go on to higher level next year). I think the Salsa aspect of the AC Dance is not too difficult to clear so long as the students are familiar with the basic techniques. What's more difficult is the other dances they have to clear, like rueda, maerengue and bachata, coz some of them are not very familiar with these dances. Still, the dances are not that difficult, and if all goes as planned, my semi-pro darlings will have completed their basic level exams, together with the rueda, bachata and merengue aspect of the exams! Yeah!
The good thing about the exams is that we can all keep track of what we have completed and what we have not done. This ensures that those who take the exams are well-rounded and know enough of each aspect of Salsa (and its related dances) to dance it, whether they actually do it or not. Eventually, all our students will be made to go through merengue, bachata, rueda, hiphop, chacha, afro cuban rumba, Argentine Tango, rhumba, jazroc and more! And the conditioning classes will train them up for the demanding body isolations, spins and flexibility these dances require for them to look good when they dance!
Of course, Jaztin amazingly drafts out all the modules for training. Sometimes I'm amazed by just how far into the future he can "see" and how well he can read minds. Because of his planning, everything somehow alwiz falls into plan. Take the conditioning classes he planned for instance, it seems boring right now as the steps repeats itself again and again, but I think everyone who regularly attends the classes will be amazed by just how far their isolations and spins have improved when we do our choreography! The thing about dancing is that you never quite realize how much you've improved or deproved unil you compare your dancing now with that of a few months back.
And I can't wait to show the students their video next time as compared to now! Hee hee...
After all the buzz of the Hong Kong Fest and the New Year, I finally have some time to conduct some examinations for our students. These exams are important for them to keep track of their progress. Starting with the basic level 1 exam, I plan to guide them through to at least 3 or 4 levels eventually (hopefully by the end of this year so that they can go on to higher level next year). I think the Salsa aspect of the AC Dance is not too difficult to clear so long as the students are familiar with the basic techniques. What's more difficult is the other dances they have to clear, like rueda, maerengue and bachata, coz some of them are not very familiar with these dances. Still, the dances are not that difficult, and if all goes as planned, my semi-pro darlings will have completed their basic level exams, together with the rueda, bachata and merengue aspect of the exams! Yeah!
The good thing about the exams is that we can all keep track of what we have completed and what we have not done. This ensures that those who take the exams are well-rounded and know enough of each aspect of Salsa (and its related dances) to dance it, whether they actually do it or not. Eventually, all our students will be made to go through merengue, bachata, rueda, hiphop, chacha, afro cuban rumba, Argentine Tango, rhumba, jazroc and more! And the conditioning classes will train them up for the demanding body isolations, spins and flexibility these dances require for them to look good when they dance!
Of course, Jaztin amazingly drafts out all the modules for training. Sometimes I'm amazed by just how far into the future he can "see" and how well he can read minds. Because of his planning, everything somehow alwiz falls into plan. Take the conditioning classes he planned for instance, it seems boring right now as the steps repeats itself again and again, but I think everyone who regularly attends the classes will be amazed by just how far their isolations and spins have improved when we do our choreography! The thing about dancing is that you never quite realize how much you've improved or deproved unil you compare your dancing now with that of a few months back.
And I can't wait to show the students their video next time as compared to now! Hee hee...
Thursday, February 22
On the Importance of Attending Classes
Social dancing is important as it trains you to react and perform in a spontaneous environment. It also really forces the gal to follow the guys and she has no idea what variations to expect. However it's still important to go for classes and check that the steps look nice. We all need some 'quiet time' in front of the mirror from time to time to re-acquaint ourselves with our body and how it moves. Too much social dancing and no 'quiet time' makes me feel weird and insecure coz I forget how I look. I'm a pretty visual person and I see in my mind how I want to look when I dance so I know how to project my body when I dance... I guess that's the result of staring at my reflection every week since 6 years old. It's become a habit to me, and that's the way I visualize my dancing...
I feel that classes are important as it doesn't have the distractions of the social dance floor and the pace is slower and more predictable. In class, I have the time to just take care of the way I look and make sure it's nice. I have the time (unlike social dancing) to see if my move or my pose looks good coz the teacher repeats the steps over and over and over again and I can try out a hundred different poses until I'm satisfied that the one I eventually choose is the nicest. It also gives me a chance to reflect on my lead or following... coz I don't have to worry about what moves to do next or who is watching at me dance (in the social arena). That's why I love to go for classes! Haha...
Of course you have to know what to look out for while you attend the class. I find that many people overlook simple things like posture and arms in class when they focus too much on the legs... However, I'm quite particular about the arms and posture. After all, it's the first thing you look at when you watch people dance. Who stares at people's legs when they dance unless the person launches into some awesome crazy leg-stunts... Most people look at the faces or upper body (especially in a crowded dance floor) and that's where the posture and arms are noticed. Moreover, the air of confidence about a person usually has to do with 1) how precise he/she executes the steps and 2) the posture...
But the most important factor of all in Salsa is............... the SMILE! The joy and laughter is what attracts people to Salsa. They are there to have a good time, to smile and to have loads of fun! And I think that's why people of all standards can enjoy and dance Salsa. It's the fun they have while dancing. It doesn't matter how good you are, what matters more is how much fun you're having. People are, after all, attracted to laughter! So dance, enjoy and laugh lots! Hee hee
Social dancing is important as it trains you to react and perform in a spontaneous environment. It also really forces the gal to follow the guys and she has no idea what variations to expect. However it's still important to go for classes and check that the steps look nice. We all need some 'quiet time' in front of the mirror from time to time to re-acquaint ourselves with our body and how it moves. Too much social dancing and no 'quiet time' makes me feel weird and insecure coz I forget how I look. I'm a pretty visual person and I see in my mind how I want to look when I dance so I know how to project my body when I dance... I guess that's the result of staring at my reflection every week since 6 years old. It's become a habit to me, and that's the way I visualize my dancing...
I feel that classes are important as it doesn't have the distractions of the social dance floor and the pace is slower and more predictable. In class, I have the time to just take care of the way I look and make sure it's nice. I have the time (unlike social dancing) to see if my move or my pose looks good coz the teacher repeats the steps over and over and over again and I can try out a hundred different poses until I'm satisfied that the one I eventually choose is the nicest. It also gives me a chance to reflect on my lead or following... coz I don't have to worry about what moves to do next or who is watching at me dance (in the social arena). That's why I love to go for classes! Haha...
Of course you have to know what to look out for while you attend the class. I find that many people overlook simple things like posture and arms in class when they focus too much on the legs... However, I'm quite particular about the arms and posture. After all, it's the first thing you look at when you watch people dance. Who stares at people's legs when they dance unless the person launches into some awesome crazy leg-stunts... Most people look at the faces or upper body (especially in a crowded dance floor) and that's where the posture and arms are noticed. Moreover, the air of confidence about a person usually has to do with 1) how precise he/she executes the steps and 2) the posture...
But the most important factor of all in Salsa is............... the SMILE! The joy and laughter is what attracts people to Salsa. They are there to have a good time, to smile and to have loads of fun! And I think that's why people of all standards can enjoy and dance Salsa. It's the fun they have while dancing. It doesn't matter how good you are, what matters more is how much fun you're having. People are, after all, attracted to laughter! So dance, enjoy and laugh lots! Hee hee
Saturday, April 8
Juz did this.... Haiz tired lah a lot of work. haha. Well, at least there's a reference that students can now look at for the dances they wanna join... But still can be improved on lah... Hmmmmmmm..... I think it can pass for the first run. Keekee *happy accomplishment*
Dear Students,
These are the classes we provide in our school. All classes are modular. This means that you can join the class at any time and be able to follow the class (of course, basic knowledge of the basic is required to learn other salsa classes). Please ask our sales personnel or any of the instructors for further inquiry about our classes and special packages/ offers.
Our classes:
Basic
Intermediate
On 2 Basic
Rueda
Shine and styling (Ladies)
Intermediate performance
Yoga for Dancers
Isolation, Spin, Stretch and Posture
Afro Cuban
Hip Hop
Jazz
Ballet
Belly
Sensual
More Details
What
Basic Class
When
Monday to Sunday at 7.15 – 8.15pm (including public holidays)
Teacher
Monday – Joyce; Tuesday – Nigel; Wednesday – Grace; Thursday – Bianca; Friday – James; Saturday – Matthew; Sunday - Manfred
Difficulty
Basic
Description
Basic classes focus on the 4 core variations: Basic, Cross Body Lead, Simple Turn, Cross Body Lead Turn. These 4 variations are the fundamentals to salsa dancing (notice that most intermediate steps are variations derived from the core), and are taught in every class for students to practice and master them.
The core variations are not the only thing you learn in the basic class.
Basic classes are conducted in sets of 5 (B1 to B5). In every class, different techniques of lead and follow will be covered. These techniques are essential because the variations are not fixed in social dancing and you have to learn how to lead and follow to any step.
B1: on Tension (the proper force to lead & how to follow)
B2: on Hook (how to keep hand contact without grabbing)
B3: on Line (how respecting the line makes dancing easier and cleaner)
B4: on Basic (looking good while doing the basic footwork)
B5: on Lead & Follow (important techniques to lead & follow smoothly)
You are encouraged to take at least 100 basic classes to be a good dancer.
Affiliated Classes
For more challenge, try our intermediate classes, on2 basic classes, rueda classes
What
Intermediate Class
When
Monday to Sunday at 8.15 – 9.15pm (including public holidays)
Teacher
Monday – Joyce; Tuesday – Nigel; Wednesday – Grace; Thursday – Bianca; Friday – James; Saturday – Matthew; Sunday - Manfred
Difficulty
Basic/Intermediate
Description
Intermediate classes range from intermediate 1 to intermediate 10. Each intermediate level has 5 classes (e.g., intermediate 1.1 to intermediate 1.5). The different levels are not based on difficulty of the step but on the different kinds of steps (e.g., copa, forehead lead, hammerlock…). It is possible to take intermediate 10 even if it is your first intermediate class.
Each class covers ladies’ styling and different variations.
It is possible and common in our school to take the basic and intermediate classes simultaneously. The basic classes help you to focus on perfecting your techniques while the intermediate classes expose you to the different variations in salsa.
You are encouraged to take each intermediate class at least 3 times. You will find that you have a deeper understanding of the variations every time you repeat it.
Affiliated Classes
For more challenge, try our rueda classes; intermediate performance classes; isolation, spin, stretch & posture classes; or shine and styling classes
What
Rueda Classes
When
Friday at 7.15 – 8.15pm (Yanqing)
Saturday at 8.15 – 9.15pm (Wai Hwang)
Teacher
See above
Difficulty
Basic/Intermediate
Description
Rueda classes are a great way to make new and close friends in salsa. Rueda is a Cuban-styled social dance, whereby dancers form a circle and learn fixed steps to execute together and frequently change partners in the group. It is great fun, lots of laughter and an enjoyable way to learn and practice salsa with friends. Master rueda and you can join any group who dances rueda on the dance floor!
Affiliated Classes
For more challenge, try our intermediate performance class; isolation, spin, stretch & posture classes; or shine and styling classes
What
Shine & Styling Class
When
Monday at 7.15 – 8.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Intermediate/Advance
Description
This advanced level shine is aimed to train the dancer to have the utmost control and awareness of his/her isolations, enabling him/her to dance with confidence, poise and with many different styles to choose from. Shine & Styling class teaches you a whole song of pure shine. A new shine is taught in every class, which connects together to form a dance. Salsa shines are taught, incorporating moves from Sensual, Belly, Hip Hop, Afro Cuban, Jazz, Tango, etc. Master the entire song and you are guaranteed never to lack a shine to do on the dance floor!
Affiliated Classes
Isolation, Spin, Stretch and Posture class, Yoga for dancers, Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet, Sensual, Belly, Afro Cuban
What
Intermediate Performance Class
When
Wednesday at 9.15 – 10.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Intermediate/Advanced
Description
This performance class is choreographed to the music to train our students to dance with confidence, poise and style. The choreography allows dancers to hone their techniques and variations, and focuses on the poise and style that is crucial to look good while dancing socially and performing. New variation/shine is taught every week, which connects together to form a dance. Master this performance and it will significantly improve your lead, speed, style and confidence!
Affiliated Classes
Shine & Styling, Afro Cuban, Belly, Sensual
What
Isolation, Spin, Stretch & Posture Class
When
Friday at 6.15 – 7.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Basic/Intermediate
Description
This class is aimed to train the fundamentals for salsa. It brings about awareness of body placement and poise, trains your isolation control and spin, and also loosens up your joints by stretching. This class is important because it allows you to practice your fundamentals in isolation and spinning in a group. Constant practice is important to ensure that these techniques are not lost.
Affiliated Classes
Shine & Styling, Yoga for Dancers, Ballet, Sensual, Belly, Intermediate Performance class
What
Afro Cuban Class
When
Monday at 9.15 – 10.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Basic/Intermediate
Description
Afro Cuban is a mating-like dance that is used by advanced dancers as a shine in salsa. Its deceivingly easy steps are a challenge to master due to its unique style and flow. The spontaneous interaction between male and female within the dance is more demanding and a challenge that most people enjoy. Try it out to incorporate a different feel into your salsa.
Affiliated Classes
Shine & Styling, Intermediate Performance class
What
On2 Basic Class
When
Wednesday at 7.15 – 8.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Basic/Intermediate
Description
On2 is another style of salsa. It is not as common as On1 in Singapore (the standard LA-style salsa taught in the school), as its syncopated rhythm is harder to follow. On2 has a slightly different feel due to the change in rhythm of the footwork and originates from New York. Those who want to explore other kinds of salsa should try it out, though it can be slightly confusing for the On1 dancer at the initial stage.
Affiliated Classes
Basic class
What
Yoga for Dancers
When
Monday at 6.15 – 7.15pm
Wednesday at 6.15 – 7.15pm
Teacher
Bianca
Difficulty
Basic
Description
A stretching class for dancers who want to improve their flexibility and posture. This class covers the sun salutations, postures in yoga that are designed to generate energy and heat within the body, and the triangle poses to stretch the legs and sides of the body. This increases your awareness of the body and places emphasis on the flow breath while executing the poses.
Affiliated Classes
Isolation, Spin, Stretch & Posture, Ballet, Jazz
What
Hip Hop Class
When
Saturday at 5.15 – 6.16pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Basic
Description
MTV style pop dance that tones the muscle and gives the body a good workout to pop music that keeps your body grooving. Hip hop encompasses popping, locking, whacking and body waves which flows in tune with the attitude and style of upbeat pop music.
Affiliated Classes
Sensual, Jazz, Shine & Styling
What
Ballet Class
When
Sunday at 11.15 -12.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Basic
Description
Ballet class for beginners emphasizes on the poise and grace of classical dancers while going through dance steps that trains the balance and line that is key to ballet.
Affiliated Classes
Jazz, Yoga for Dancers, Isolation, Spin, Stretch & Posture
What
Jazz Class
When
Sunday at 12.15 – 1.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Basic
Description
Pop Jazz class teaches dance that is a mixture of modern pop/hip hop and classical ballet. This mix gives Jazz a lively, upbeat feel combined with the grace, flow and line which gives it a unique flavor that tones and shapes the body, while improving the style and confidence in you.
Affiliated Classes
Hip Hop, Yoga for Dancers, Isolation, Spin, Stretch & Posture, Shine & Styling, Ballet
What
Sensual Class
When
Sunday at 1.15 – 2.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Basic
Description
Exotic dance focuses on building the sexy confidence and poise that allows women to discover an alluring dimension within themselves. This class works on toning and shaping the body through isolations that brings awareness to your figure and how to use it to the maximum. It provides an avenue for women to explore and discover their sexy side, tone their body, and have fun in the process!
Affiliated Classes
Hip Hop, Belly, Shine & Styling, Isolation, Spin, Stretch & Posture
What
Belly Dance Class
When
Sunday at 2.15 – 3.15pm
Teacher
Yanqing
Difficulty
Basic
Description
The mother of all isolations, belly dance emphasizes on control of body isolations, whether it is sharp movements or slow and sensuous ones. This class is for those who love to move their bodies and want to discover more about the different ways to dance and shimmy to the music.
Affiliated Classes
Sensual, Hip Hop, Shine & Styling, Isolation, Spin, Stretch & Posture
Thursday, March 30
On Basics
WHAAAAAT? Not Again!
The Importance of Basic Class
Yep, they say it's boring. They say they have already learnt the steps. They say they know it. They ask why they have to repeat the same steps over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over again.
Well, now you're gonna find out why!!! lalalalala............
Yes, I got myself started on the Basics. Hey I'm a teacher, you can't fault me... Good teachers nag. Heehee....
Yep, we discussed this yesterday. And every time we talk about it, I get more clarity. The basics are something we cannot run away from. It's the structure from which everything derives from. Why do we have to take 300 basic classes? Issit a money-making facade? Obviously not, or we won't tell you to keep repeating the same classes 300 times! What do we want you to do? Die of boredom? If this were a money-making scheme, we'd give you a different class everyday until the end of your life, and I think it's possible with the amount of stuff there is in salsa. Curiously, I'm never bored with the basic class. Gosh there are so many things to constantly check and correct, how can I be bored? I've been doing piles in ballet since I was 5 years old, and I still don't like it... I just don't have a good turnout. I'm certainly not bored by it!
Alignment
As teacher ong so aptly put it, every dance has its "settings": where to place your hand, where to look, where to put your feet... Most people do not even know where is the right place to put their hands and feet, and how to hold their body in the correct position. They do the step, but don't understand where the alignment is. The basic training is for you to check your alignment and correct it. Obviously, if your alignment is wrong (e.g., your entire body is slanted to the left rather then standing straight, your footwork is wrong, preparation into the spin if lopsided), don't expect to dance nicely. If you can't even look nice when you're stationary (e.g., a hunched posture), I highly doubt that you'll look beautiful when you're moving to the beat!
An analogy: There are so many ways to step forward with your left leg: one foot-length forward, three foot-length forward, turned in, turned out, heel first, toe first... The nice ones are like 5 out of 1000 ways. If you don't check, what makes you think you're stepping nicely? The chance of hitting that is maybe a lucky 0.5%. However, if you consciously find the nicest way to step forward, the chances of hitting the mark is 99.9%.
The alignment is like an equilibrium you're trying to maintain. One little tilt of your arm and you're out of alignment and you don't look right, you don't spin right, you don't style right.... They are all cumulative because it's the basics. How can you look good if the foundations that hold your dance together is lopsided or weak?
Steps to be a Good Dancer
(1) You have to first know your "settings": where to place the step, how far to step forward and back, how high the hands are held, how the chest and posture should look like...
(2) After you know that, you have to align yourself to it. This actually takes a while to get used to.
(3) Next comes the part of sustaining that alignment. This last part requires discipline more than the previous, and it is the one that people don't understand ("I already know my basics, why do I need to do it 300 times?"). I have one thing to say for this. There are so many ways of doing a step wrong (ugly) and so few ways of doing it right (beautiful). One twirk of your finger can make everything look bad. Are you sure you're doing it nicely now? Or has one of your fingers "twirked"?
"Practice makes Perfect... If you practice the wrong thing, you'll perfect it."
My choir teacher, Nelson alwiz says this: "Practice makes perfect. If you practice the wrong thing, you'll perfect it." Such wise words... Hee hee...
Social dancing on the dance floor actually kills your alignment. Think about it. It's crowded, you step small steps, you slant yourself to avoid hitting someone, the music's too fast to follow... It's a madhouse. What are the chances of proper alignment if you can't do it in your sleep? Practically nil. And if that's all you do (social and only social), will your proper alignment remain in place? Probably not: remember, "Practice makes perfect". And you're perfecting messy dancing during social. That's why it's always important to go back and check your basics, to ensure that no bad habits has been created. I mean, it's very good to social dance and I nag people to go and dance, but you can't rely on just that to look good. If you realize, the things that teachers correct are your BASICS!!! Your posture, your line, your lead, hook and tension... No matter how advanced you are in your dancing, it will always be the basics that are to be corrected! So the shortcut is...... 300 basic classes. Where there are few distractions and you can focus on and check your alignment.
WHAAAAAT? Not Again!
The Importance of Basic Class
Yep, they say it's boring. They say they have already learnt the steps. They say they know it. They ask why they have to repeat the same steps over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over again.
Well, now you're gonna find out why!!! lalalalala............
Yes, I got myself started on the Basics. Hey I'm a teacher, you can't fault me... Good teachers nag. Heehee....
Yep, we discussed this yesterday. And every time we talk about it, I get more clarity. The basics are something we cannot run away from. It's the structure from which everything derives from. Why do we have to take 300 basic classes? Issit a money-making facade? Obviously not, or we won't tell you to keep repeating the same classes 300 times! What do we want you to do? Die of boredom? If this were a money-making scheme, we'd give you a different class everyday until the end of your life, and I think it's possible with the amount of stuff there is in salsa. Curiously, I'm never bored with the basic class. Gosh there are so many things to constantly check and correct, how can I be bored? I've been doing piles in ballet since I was 5 years old, and I still don't like it... I just don't have a good turnout. I'm certainly not bored by it!
Alignment
As teacher ong so aptly put it, every dance has its "settings": where to place your hand, where to look, where to put your feet... Most people do not even know where is the right place to put their hands and feet, and how to hold their body in the correct position. They do the step, but don't understand where the alignment is. The basic training is for you to check your alignment and correct it. Obviously, if your alignment is wrong (e.g., your entire body is slanted to the left rather then standing straight, your footwork is wrong, preparation into the spin if lopsided), don't expect to dance nicely. If you can't even look nice when you're stationary (e.g., a hunched posture), I highly doubt that you'll look beautiful when you're moving to the beat!
An analogy: There are so many ways to step forward with your left leg: one foot-length forward, three foot-length forward, turned in, turned out, heel first, toe first... The nice ones are like 5 out of 1000 ways. If you don't check, what makes you think you're stepping nicely? The chance of hitting that is maybe a lucky 0.5%. However, if you consciously find the nicest way to step forward, the chances of hitting the mark is 99.9%.
The alignment is like an equilibrium you're trying to maintain. One little tilt of your arm and you're out of alignment and you don't look right, you don't spin right, you don't style right.... They are all cumulative because it's the basics. How can you look good if the foundations that hold your dance together is lopsided or weak?
Steps to be a Good Dancer
(1) You have to first know your "settings": where to place the step, how far to step forward and back, how high the hands are held, how the chest and posture should look like...
(2) After you know that, you have to align yourself to it. This actually takes a while to get used to.
(3) Next comes the part of sustaining that alignment. This last part requires discipline more than the previous, and it is the one that people don't understand ("I already know my basics, why do I need to do it 300 times?"). I have one thing to say for this. There are so many ways of doing a step wrong (ugly) and so few ways of doing it right (beautiful). One twirk of your finger can make everything look bad. Are you sure you're doing it nicely now? Or has one of your fingers "twirked"?
"Practice makes Perfect... If you practice the wrong thing, you'll perfect it."
My choir teacher, Nelson alwiz says this: "Practice makes perfect. If you practice the wrong thing, you'll perfect it." Such wise words... Hee hee...
Social dancing on the dance floor actually kills your alignment. Think about it. It's crowded, you step small steps, you slant yourself to avoid hitting someone, the music's too fast to follow... It's a madhouse. What are the chances of proper alignment if you can't do it in your sleep? Practically nil. And if that's all you do (social and only social), will your proper alignment remain in place? Probably not: remember, "Practice makes perfect". And you're perfecting messy dancing during social. That's why it's always important to go back and check your basics, to ensure that no bad habits has been created. I mean, it's very good to social dance and I nag people to go and dance, but you can't rely on just that to look good. If you realize, the things that teachers correct are your BASICS!!! Your posture, your line, your lead, hook and tension... No matter how advanced you are in your dancing, it will always be the basics that are to be corrected! So the shortcut is...... 300 basic classes. Where there are few distractions and you can focus on and check your alignment.
Wednesday, March 22
Award Ceremony at Xenbar Competition, Dec 2005About Salsa... "it totally changed my life"
My gosh, I never really understood the full extent of those words till I started dancing Salsa. Talk about a full-bodied inside-out makeover! Personally I think Xenbar n Teacher Ong contributed a lot to this change. It's not just Salsa per se, but the people at Xen, the stupid things we do, the very fact that we have a place to just muck around, train when we want, sleep, bathe, play x-box (and now the guys are going into online game too- XCC corner: Xenbar City/Country Club -> Xenbar Computer Club??).
Xen's like a home:
cozy, comfortable, cluttered and loved by many...
Maybe we should name XCC to be Xenbar cozy Corner! I mean, dammit!, I can sleep on the massaging chair wif my mouth hanging wide open like an Orang Utan and no one cares! Haha... My deepest darkest secret... (remind me to pray b4 I sleep tt nobody mistakes it for a damn funky-lookin' garbage bin)
And just for your information, I LIKE clutter.
All About Clutter clutter clutter clutter clutter
Call it a quirk if you like, but I think clutter shows something about you: you have a lot of things to do that is so fun and enriching that you have no time to pack!! Haha... More important, it shows that your home is lived in. That there are real people messing up the place, there is life going on, not an empty nest you inhabit every night coz there's no place to go to. I think this was influenced from the Joy Luck Club (Waverly and her child). Blame it on Sec4 Lit... But it kinda stuck with me when my teacher said it. Then again, you could say tt I'm a messy creature, which I dun totally deny. I paraphrase: it's good and disciplined to keep a home clean, but clutter and mess is not all that bad. It show's that you're having fun!
Back to Xenbar: the best school in the world
We've got everything here: costumes, masks, hats, shoes, video screen, gym set, chicken wings, shower, bed, blanket, 3 studios, make up, colored hair wax, posture strap, dvds... All the facilities you need to train and be good.
We've also got all the classes you need: Afro-Cuban, Performance, Shine, On 2, Rueda, Yoga, Isolation, Spin, Stretch, Hip Hop, Belly, Sensual, Ballet, Jazz... All set up with the goal to improve our Salsa dancers... Hmmm... Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, the most important thing: BASIC CLASS EVERYDAY!! (dun get me started on that) And it's so convenient... All the Salsa classes are modular so if I decide that I wanna start learning today, I can join it this week. I dun hafta wait until twenty-something of July or September for the series of classes to start again.
Seriously, it's the ambience of the place. It's a place of healthy competition, lots of laughter, a pyramid of chicken wings and where we can work hard but luff all the way. Yeah sure, it's no Salsa Palace like Union Square, it's far from it in fact. But if you ask me honestly, I don't want a grande ballroom where everytime I step on the dance floor, there are a billion and one people with their eyes safety-pinned on me, calculating and analyzing everything I do. I want a cozy hideaway where I can stick my tongue out when I feel like it (pant, pant, woof!), crawl around everywhere, find the eucalyptus tree to koala... (tt's the full time job of a koala, by the way... They are only awake for 4 hours of the night. The rest is spent in blissful slumber on a eucalyptus tree). Isn't that what life is all about anyway? Living your life. Like scratching your back when it itches: it feels good.
That's what I like about Xen. There is no condemning judgment; there is a lot of forgiveness. I'm not saying that we are so super duper angelic that we don't get on each other's nerves, it happens. But we try not condemn or spread unnecessary rumors around. Like what Teacher Ong says, we always try to see the heart, if the person is sincere. And we practice forgiveness. At least I do. Practice it. I've not mastered it yet, but I'm trying hard! One thing that I learned when I teach: I seldom get angry with someone, but I get disappointed often. And I do get very frustrated. It's very heart-breaking sometimes when you see the potential of the student and try to give him the most important things that you know, but he has pre-decided to do things his way and cannot meet his goal. It's like you have the key to open the door but he refuses it and keeps banging his head against it to force it open.
I guess Teacher Ong, as alwiz is rite on the mark when he says that the teachers are important because they know the road. They have been through the process and achieved the goal (and also helped many others to do so), so they know what path you have to take, they know what is the most important thing you have to do to get there and the miraculous thing is that they can show you the road in the darkness. Damn bloody important. What takes a normal person 2 years to achieve can take you 3 months. I know. I've done it, and I haven't stopped yet, I'm still getting better, and I still have so so much to learn. THAT's why I love Xen!!! I was so thoroughly blessed to go to Xenbar to learn Salsa. I was blessed with such a high calibre teacher who gives us so much. =) Of course, I'm not saying that other schools do not have good teachers, in fact I think they are all pretty good (even though I did not train under them). I'm just saying that I Love my school. I think it's the best. My subjective opinion based on true facts. Haha!!
Koala Koala..
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