BAILA TIPS: Explore How to Make Things Work

I find that when experienced beginners or intermediate students come to take my group or private lessons they often share how things are just not working and most of them conclude that it must be them. They must be a slow learner or they must have two left feet. In reality that is rare. Enquiring into how to make things work is a valuable journey.

Here are 3 suggestions of where to start looking and some solutions you may want to try:

Get more information: You may be missing a key piece of technique that would make your dancing flow more easily.

Solution: Take lessons with many different instructors and class sizes. Diversify to get more perspectives. Repeat beginner levels i.e. Bootcamps, workshops, and group lessons. You may have missed something that was said in class. Vancouver has many amazing teachers and we each have our own way to explain and help our students grow.

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Get more coaching: You might need personal attention, where an instructor spends a lot of time with you. Even if you are a good student and pay attention in class, dancing with your instructor and one on one attention is invaluable and a really good way to leap forward.

Solution: Private Lessons or attend a specialized class with a limited number of spots so you have the instructor’s attention for longer periods of time.

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Get more practice: Repetition is one of the fastest ways to get better. 10,000 reps are needed to solidify movements in your body.

Solution: Choose non-intimidating environments to practice like Sunday Afternoon Socials and Monday Practicas and dance every single song.

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Baila Dance Tips: Stay Connected the old fashioned way!

I received an interesting Stat in Jen DeTracey’s newsletter: “Pop sociologist Malcolm Gladwell, author of “Blink” and “The Tipping Point,” stated that about 10% of the population felt isolated in 1985, while in 2010, 25% of the population felt isolated. Ironically, while social media has connected people more than ever, it has further isolated people, whereas in the past people had more of a direct connection to family and neighbours and had stronger, community-oriented relationships.”
I strongly believe that we can’t lose focus on creating real relationships, nourishing them, building them if we stick to staying behind our computers, only staying in dance class mode, and not getting out there.  I have outlined 3 effective ways to stay connected…some maybe out of your comfort zone but really good for you!

Here are my Tips …
1. Go take a dance class with different instructors, expand your horizons and it will help your dancing to hear things explained in different ways
2. In class make Practice Meetups with your new friend. Come earlier to practice what you are learning to the dance nights. Don’t confuse this with a date, as it should be all about the dancing!
3. Go out dancing and make it a point to ask new people to dance. Get out of your comfort zone… the No’s will build your character and the Yes’ will build your relationships. No way to lose.

Written by Nina Perez director of Baila Vancouver Dance School. Expert Dance Instructor in Argentine Tango, Salsa, and all the latin social dances. For more information www.bailavancouver.com

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Facebook: ninaperez@live.ca

How to build instant rapport with your dance partner…

When we are learning how to dance there are a lot of thoughts and feelings going through our minds and bodies and it is often missed why we are doing it in the first place. Most people when asked WHY say : For FUN! !

Many of us forget to make sure we are both having fun because we are too concentrated or engulfed in perfection.

The quickest way in my opinion is to SMILE. Not only when asking your partner to dance but specially DURING THE WHOLE DANCE . Often when people start concentrating they are serious and do not have a friendly smile and a lot of the times their dance partner starts thinking that they are not doing a good job.

A simple smile will help in at least these three areas instantly and help you build a dance connection that you will consistently start feeling in every dance.

Benefits of smiling during the whole song:

1. You partner will start feeling at ease with you and start relaxing and enjoying the music, the connection and specially your energy.

2. After 12 seconds of smiling your body starts releasing endorphins that make your body be in a relaxed “feel good” state improving body coordination.

3. Smiling is very uplifting, attractive and contagious. You will have people waiting and wanting to dance with you.

So how do you go about implementing this technique of well being and good dancing ettiquette? PRACTICE. Become aware of your facial expression while dancing and then make a conscious effort to change in that moment