I have two methods of demonstrating how much connection will give others a sense of your presence: 1) individually hook the fingertips of your own two hands together, then pull just till it locks and becomes firm. 2) make a big circle and take hands with the joined hands all slightly in front of the bodies, and the elbows all bent. Then I tell them to peel their toes off the ground, so their weight is only on their heels. Suddenly they all need each other and the sense of using the community to mutually hold everyone up is made evident. I tell them to keep the electricity running through the ring as they put their toes down and circle L then R, and say that every time they have hands, in pairs, in fours, or with the whole room, they need to make that same kind of firm connection, because it's all about making units out of disparate parts. Andrea
Sent from my iOnlypretendtomultitask > On Jun 24, 2015, at 1:22 PM, Rich Sbardella via Callers > <[email protected]> wrote: > > My main concern is how to acquire that tension/counterweight in a swing, if > you do not lean back. > Rich > >> On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 3:33 PM, Kalia Kliban via Callers >> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> On 6/24/2015 11:29 AM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote: >>> >>> How do you descibe giving weight, and how do you teach it for circles, >>> allemandes, and, swings? >>> Rich >>> Stafford, CT >> >> In my beginner sessions, I have them form a ring and then circle left and >> right a couple of times. Then I ask them to bend their elbows and feel >> "that springy tension between you and the dancers next to you. If you can >> keep that elasticity while you're connected to other dancers, then you're >> all supporting each other as you circle and turn, and it makes everything >> easier." And then we circle again, with the extra bit of sproing, and then >> do the same with allemandes. Just for fun, sometimes I'll have them go back >> to the floppy arms, just to feel the difference. I also let them know that >> with a little bit of tension in the connection, it's easier for the person >> they're dancing with to give them physical cues. >> >> And I know there's a better word than tension, and I'm pretty sure I've used >> it in the past, but right now I can't think of it. >> >> Kalia >> Sebastopol, CA >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
