Editors Blog: Susan Hill
 Welcome to our newest contributor to latinlover.com.au - Susan HillHi Everyone, you may know my face from the Latin scene in Melbourne and nationally, and perhaps spotted me dancing overseas. I have just returned from a dream holiday dancing around the world and I'm very excited to share with you my own experiences and insight into dancing from a 'Ladies perspective' seeing Alexander Cork is looking after the guys! Hope to bring you some interesting reading soon! Happy Latin scene everyone Contact Susan Hill : info@latinlover.com.au That Don’t Impress Me Much July 2010 For me, life is one big movie musical, which is probably becoming more obvious by the fact that I like making reference to songs and this time is no exception! But this time, not only does a song spring to mind, but a movie, or at least a portion of a movie. Who remembers Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Who remembers what she was famous for? Gum chewing! Yes, gum chewing. In the Oompa Loompa song from the 1971 version of this movie (there have been three releases; the original being in 1964 and the latest in 2005) the Oompa Loompas sang that chewing gum once in a while was fine because it stops you smoking and brightens your smile, but it was repulsive and rotten and wrong chewing all day long the way a cow does. So where is this all going? For me, one thing that really takes the fun out of a dance is looking at a person who is chewing like a cow while they are dancing with you. So when it comes to chewing gum with your mouth open Shania Twain said it best; “That Don’t Impress Me Much”!! When I am dancing with someone I want to see their smile (without a wad of chewy wedged at the side), I want to see their natural expressions. The last thing I need to see is what is inside their mouth and I especially don’t need to see their tonsils, fillings or whether or not they have fur on their tongue. So ladies and gentlemen, the next time you’re popping a bit of gum before hitting the dance floor remember to take heed of your Mom’s advice to chew with your mouth shut, but also ask yourself, what impression do I really want to give this person I am dancing with? The choice is, after all, yours. June 2010 A character in a movie once said that to write well you need to write about what you know. So this is what I know! Compared to the social dance floors overseas, the dance floors here are ‘feral’. The lovely Sophie Ellis-Bextor could not have said it better! “It’s Murder on the Dance Floor”. People talk about it; about how many bumps and stomps, etc. they have received social dancing. I’ve even heard some people say, “Well that’s Salsa dancing in Melbourne”. Ladies and Gentlemen, I ask you; why should we accept this and where is our floor craft? The dance floors overseas are far more crowded than here and yet everyone has a great time and people rarely get harmed. In almost 6 months of dancing overseas I was stomped on ‘once’ by a guy who was demonstrating a step to a friend (and for some reason forgot there was a dance floor behind him). So that’s once; once in almost 6 months! Now Guys, I know and get the fact that you have a lot to think about with leading and listening and all that, but when the dance floor is crowded, know your limits, understand your environment and above all, keep your Lady safe! Ladies, you need to keep an eye out too for things! Keep your steps small, look for danger and adapt your styling and movements! Believe it or not, even complex moves should be able to be done in very limited space without interfering with or encroaching on another couple. My first Dance Instructor and I would at times during a lesson use objects to box ourselves into a small space near a wall, with the idea being to do all the advanced moves we would normally do with unlimited space in this small space and not touch the objects or the wall. It was one of the best ways to train for a social dancing environment that I know. So I pose this question to everyone. Do we need to consider bringing in Dance Police to remove couples from the floor who are not using appropriate floor craft; or should each and every one of us make a concerted effort to make dancing safe and fun? I vote for option two, we make the effort! I’ve put together a list that might help provide some guidelines for floor craft and making the social dancing scene here more enjoyable for everyone! (These points are in no particular order.) • Establish a dance spot and do your best not to drift into someone else's space. Especially, do not drift in behind another Leader (a blind spot) as this drift can lead to collisions. • When the orientation of dance spots/slots has already been established by other dancers, follow that orientation. • Leave enough space behind a Leader to permit a cross-body lead, and for the Follower to change position from one end of the slot to the other. • Leave enough space on each side of a Leader for the Follower to execute cross-body underarm turns. • When dancing on small floors, use a compact dance hold and small steps. • When entering the dance floor, first check to see if you have enough space to establish a dance spot and do you best not to invade someone else's space. • When the dance floor is full, wait until the next dance. And, most importantly; if you do bump into or step on someone, apologise. June 2010 What A Girl Wants!! Christina Aguilera sang about it. She sang about what would keep her in her man’s arms. Her perspective was from a romance point of view. So what about from a dancing point of view? What does a girl want!? There are many things a girl wants when it comes to dancing, but let’s break it down into bite size pieces so it’s more digestible for the guys (read between the lines - there will be more stories on this topic). Believe it or not, before any dancing has even begun, first impressions count!! Overseas the guys have this down to a fine art. From the way they first approach you (yes, even the way they walk up to you), right down to how they escort you from the floor. Even though you know it’s not love (it is after all just a dance), they let you know in their body language, in their smile, that they are happy spending time with ‘you’; that they really want to dance with ‘you’. Perhaps it’s something from the old European Court days where a man would walk up to a woman and take her hand gently in his and then kiss it whilst he looked her directly in the eyes! Now Guys, I’m not saying you need to act like you are from a European Court to ask a lady to dance. All I’m doing is suggesting that you find your own unique way to make each and every lady you ask to dance believe you really want to dance with her. No one wants to feel like you are just dancing with them simply because the ‘hot girl’ you really wanted to dance with got whisked away by someone else. After spending just over two months in Spain in the Salsa scene there, every time I was asked to dance I was made to feel like I was the only woman in the world for that man at that moment, even with the guys I danced with every single night!! I never got tired of that feeling!! Guys, if you try this approach each lady will be so enchanted (or be so amused) that she will not even notice that you only know three steps or that you might have done a few bad leads, regardless of her level of dancing experience. But it’s not only about the guys here. Ladies, a dance is just that, a dance, not an invitation to get married! So be in the moment and enjoy it! There’s no harm in trying and the guys also need some sort of indication that you really want to dance with them as well. So Guys, if you want real romance, invite us for a coffee. But if you want to enjoy your dancing, make your lady feel special and be in the moment with her! You never know, love can bloom from just friendship, but like everything precious it needs to be nurtured and cared for and respected. Respond to Susan Hill : info@latinlover.com.au READ Articles from: Alexander Cork Julie Sultana |