Hello Line Dancers!
I started a new blog called Line Dance Now.
I am also posting dance videos teaching line dances on YouTube.
If you enjoyed Dance in the Line, please consider following the new blog.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Hello Line Dancers!
I started a new blog called Line Dance Now.
I am also posting dance videos teaching line dances on YouTube.
If you enjoyed Dance in the Line, please consider following the new blog.
I look forward to seeing you there!
When we start attending dance classes it can be frustrating realizing how little control we have over our bodies. We use out bodies to perform actions all day, why can’t we do the steps the instructor is calling?
When we start walking as toddlers we had to learn how to use the different parts of our body together to master walking. It was also the same with driving. After years of driving we don’t have to think about which pedal to press to stop or go anymore.
As we dance more we gain awareness of how to move our bodies to music. As line dancers we tend to focus on our lower body, but the really great dancers use their entire body, either for movement or for control.
When I started line dancing two years ago, a friend teased me that my arms hung beside me like a Riverdancer. Even though this was true I had enough trouble controlling my feet and figuring out which direction to turn, I didn’t have time to think about my arms.
However, if we observe other dancers we’ll notice that most of the graceful dancers, at the very least keep their arms bent at their waist. This helps because our upper body isn’t being pulled down, we are holding ourselves up. It also helps with steering and makes our turns graceful.
And in the cases of the real Riverdancers, they use their upper bodies for stability as they move their lower bodies. Just like how we may firm up if we are carrying a baby or a fragile package.
Once our feet know what they’re doing, we can take our dancing to the next level by concentrating on another body part. This can also make line dance class more interesting when the instructor is teaching a dance we already know.
Have you gained greater awareness of your body since you have been dancing? Has anyone pointed out a change since you’ve been dancing?
Do you remember playing video games? In a video game you have to conquer challenges on the course to move up a level. Didn’t it feel great when you finally beat the course and moved up?
It’s like that with dancing, there are different levels. The obvious is in line dancing you have beginner, intermediate, and advanced line dances. Beginner dances are short (32 counts or less) and generally have simple turns in one direction. For example you face the front wall for part of the dance and then you turn left for the rest of the dance and then you start again. As dances become more advanced they get longer, have more turns, and have tags and restarts. As you continue to dance, your ability to keep up with these challenges improves.
There are other milestones to celebrate growth as a dancer. The first one for me was when I learned most of the regular dances we dance at Round Up. It took me about a year to do this. It wasn’t easy. I practiced a lot on my own and with a friend and I learned to read the dance step sheets. If you think it’s hard trying to figure out how to move your body in class with an instructor telling you what to do, try making sense of an intermediate line dance on your own. (There is also YouTube to help.) At first it’s hard figuring out which way to turn and where you need to end up. It’s like trying to find a new place using Mapquest directions. Just like everything else, with practice it becomes easier.
But there were other little victories along the way:
Another cool thing is realizing someone is following you. In the real world stalking is frowned upon. But in dancing it is the ultimate compliment, because out of a giant group of dancers, you sparkled and someone thinks or knows they can rely on you to help them enjoy this dance. Ultimately that is why we’re all out in the dance floor. It’s fun, it makes us happy!
After a year of dancing, I asked someone I admired who had been dancing for six years when you stop feeling like a beginner and she said you never do because there are always new things to learn. So I’m not quite sure yet how many levels there are and what other challenges there are to conquer but I think that is part of the allure.
You can view step sheets at iLinedance.com.
You can view dance videos at iLinedance YouTube Channel.
What are some of your milestones?
Observing yourself is helpful for improving your dancing.
I discovered this by accident. I was out-of-town with co-workers for a conference and they didn’t want to go out after dinner and I didn’t want to walk around by myself at night. I went back to my hotel room and did what I would have been doing if I was at home. (Although, I would have been out dancing at a club with friends and not alone in my room at home.)
I left the curtains open to enjoy the city lights and danced to the line dance songs on my iPhone (75% of the music on my iPhone is probably line dance songs see Are You Addicted to Line Dancing? for more clues that you are addicted to line dancing). As I danced, I noticed my reflection in the sliding glass doors. It was a little scary seeing myself dance at first, but it was worth it.
I broke down the dances and practiced them in small pieces over and over. (This is also helpful to do if you get home after line dance class and can’t remember the whole dance.) I had no idea the impact this was going to have but the next time I went dancing I received many compliments on how much I improved. After that I took advantage of window reflections, picture frames, and mirrors in my house and even at work.
I do, however, make the disclaimer that I don’t think looking at yourself in the mirror ALL the time is beneficial because when you are observing yourself eyes are fixed on one spot. For example, if you turn you are still looking at yourself and not the new wall you are facing.
To really get an accurate picture it is helpful to record a video of yourself. Nowadays with digital cameras and cell phones this is easy to do. You can prop your camera up on something, use a tripod, or ask a friend to record you. If you can get someone whose dancing you admire to dance in the video with you, you can compare and contrast their movements with yours. You can also keep track of your progression.
Above all dancing is just meant to be fun, so don’t think you have to do these things in order to dance. These are just some things that my friends and I have found beneficial for improving our dancing.
Do you have tips to share on how to improve your dancing?