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| internet source: Body Mechanics for dancing |
After years of learning of so many different knids of dance styles, one can conclude that the one common elementary ground for almost all dance styles is body mechanics.
This ultimate essenciality works in International Latin, International Ballroom, American Rhythm, American Smooth, other Latin Jazz like Mambo/Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Kizomba, Zouk, Lambada, and the Brothel dance- Tango Argentino too. There are two main ideas within the realm of body mechanics: centre and posture.
Centre means the individual centre, which is the point where you drag your dance energy from, where the muscle should stretch out from, where you get your balance from.
Centre, for partner dances, also means the mutual centre which you attached to your partner. It could be higher or lower than your individual centre, depends on the height difference, as well as the dance style.
However different we look in different dnaces, as long as it is a partner dance we would resist, so as to counterbalance each other. It is easier to imagine ballroom dancers resist each other to keep them in an elegant shape; on the other hand, even though the contact point shifted from the belt area to the chest area, Argentine Tango dancers should also maintain a slight tension between so as not to lose their shape. A noteworthy point is that the contact area is usually at the same time the mutual centre. This is the point where you and your partner give and receive the pressure (even it's the slightest!), means, the point where both give signals to and draw signals from.
Still remember our Planes of Motions? The centre is where you can be able to move the saggittal plane, frontal plane, and the transverse plane, initiate from the centre, move the planes, then you can take your steps!
Body Mechanics (part1)- centre
Body Mechanics (part2)- posture
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