Working with your Partner

Hey all!

Ballroom Dancing is a partner dance, so everyone has to do their job to make it work perfectly.  If someone doesn't pull their own weight, it can completely destroy the experience for either one or both partners.

Because of this, I thought I would write a small list of important things to focus on while partnering.

Follow the link to see more!

Back on the Competition Scene

Hello all,

In the last few months I have been back competing again.  I don't think I have competed in the last two years!

I've been practicing at a higher level with my partner of a few months.  I can't believe how much I've missed it!  I tend to be a highly competitive person, and I don't do many things casually, so naturally competing in Ballroom is something I enjoy, not necessarily to be better than everyone else, but to be the best version of myself I can be.

I'd say competition with yourself is pretty intense at times!

Anyways, just thought I'd give you an update about myself.

Hit me up if you'd like to start competing in Ballroom.  I'd be more than glad to give you instruction!

Best,

-Aaron Mullen

Divisions of Ballroom Dancing

Hello all,

Below is a little chart I made.  I hope this clears up some confusion as to how Ballroom is divided into styles and dances.

Notice how American and International both have the same names for certain dances.  For example, Foxtrot is a dance in Standard and Smooth.

While this happens in several places, this by no means indicates that they are the same dance, although they are quite similar in most cases.  The problem is, some genius American decided to name half their American Style dances after their International counterparts, and this proves to be quite confusing for some students, and understandably so!

Enjoy, and I hope you learn something!

Aaron Mullen

"Step" is not equal to "Figure"

Hello all,

I want to make an important distinction between the terms "Step" and "Figure."

Step:  A single weight change, or  a single foot movement.

Figure:  A series of weight changes/movements, or "Steps" as we call them.

Far too often I will hear the word "step" used to define what is actually a series of steps, or a "figure."  I myself am guilty of this at times, so to make everyone's lives easier while teaching, I have been training myself to say "Figure" when it is proper.  Using these words interchangeably can cause confusion, so I am hoping to eliminate some of that confusion myself!

-Aaron Mullen

Guest Writer Kelsey Molton

Hello all,

I decided that it would be a good idea to hear about other people's dance experiences on this blog, so today we have an article from our very first guest, Kelsey Molton!  I hope you enjoy her touching story as much as I did!  Its nice to know that other people have been touched as deeply by dance as I have.

Also, visit her Custom Design website here!

-Aaron Mullen

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Dancing, it will change your life forever

Written by Kelsey Molton

 First of all, I would like to thank Aaron Mullen for letting me guest write.  Now, onto my story.

Kelsey aged 4 (middle)

    When I was a little girl, 4 years old to be exact, I got to join my sister in ballet and tap dancing.  I was quite happy about this, because this meant I got to get new clothes, a duffel bag, and new shoes.  I enjoyed my first lesson quite a bit, my only problem was my asthma.  Of course this made me have to stop several times, and I was stuck without my nebulizer. (an old machine that us asthmatics used to use in the 90's and 00's before inhalers. Unfortunately some people still use these old fashioned things that don't work. That's another story however.)

    Even though my asthma always got in the way, I loved dancing to music, doing what my sister was doing, and making friends.  The only person who found this to be a problem was our teacher, Miss Connie.  One day when we came a little early, we were the only ones there at the time.  My mom, sister, and myself, other than our teacher.  Miss Connie found this to be a perfect opportunity to "have a talk with us."  My sister Brittany ran out onto the dance floor to play, and I stayed next to my mom, to play with the crayons and coloring book that was always there.  That's what I always did because I didn't want to cause an asthma attack (what my family calls them instead of flare ups). Miss Connie looked to my mom and I and said, "If you start feeling like you have an Asthma attack, pretend like you're blowing up a big balloon instead of taking breaks." "But I can't!" I cried.  I could never even catch my breath when I had an asthma attack.  I ran off to play with my sister, because I didn't like what she was saying.  Apparently she had said other things to my mom while I was away, because my mom was quite mad when we left that day.  To see my mom upset, upset me.

     I decided to quit dance class after we had our recital.  Miss Connie always seemed to have a problem with me having asthma attacks anyway.  I didn't mind doing the recital because of the pretty outfits we got to wear, and the makeup. 

Outfit from Kelsey's first recital

After that though, I was gone.  My sister left with me.  I missed dance class so much that I went back about 6 months later.  Although Miss Connie still had a problem with me, I tried to enjoy myself anyway.  Eventually, I left again, but after the recital once again.  I didn't like the second recital as much as I did before, because we had to wear ugly outfits that I thought looked like the should be for a clown rather than a ballet and tap dancer.

Outfit from Kelsey's second recital

    Years later, when I was 11, I started Tae Kwon Do.  I liked it a lot, until I got to my yellow belt (but that yet another story).  It took until I was 12 for my instructor, Mr. Rodgers (yes, Mr. Rodgers), asked me, "Kelsey, were you a ballet dancer?" When I told him yes, he explained that I did everything so gracefully instead of tough, he figured.  I did do everything gracefully actually, more like a dance than a fighting stance. Yea, that would really scare people.

     To this day, I still do things with grace, and I don't even try.  Dance is just a part if me now, even though I only went for two years all together.  Dance taught me something...  No matter how long (or short in my case) you dance for, dance will never leave you, even if you try to be tough.

Thank you Kelsey for writing this heartfelt article!

Visit Kelsey's website here!

Counting Beats per Step

Hello all!

I am going to summarize three ways of counting musical beats per step.

Note:  For each example below, we will be using the standard Foxtrot count, which has a single two- beated step, followed by two single-beated steps, for three steps in total.
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Method #1:  This method is probably the most widely used out of all three.  We say one word for every step.  We use either "Slow" meaning the step is two beats or "Quick" meaning the step is one beat.

Example:  "Slow, Quick, Quick"

Method #2:  In this method, we are still using one word for every step, but we are using numbers instead of "Slow" and "Quick."  So the first step would correspond with "One" the second with "Two" the third with "Three" and so on.  The quicker the step, the faster we say the number to emphasize how many beats the step has.

Example:  "One(Prolonged), Two, Three"

Method #3:  This method is efficient, but I would consider it the hardest to follow for a beginning student.  In this method, we just count beats, and then we simply dance to the timing we have formed.  So for a slow we would count "One, two" and then the next quick would be "Three" and the next quick would be "Four."

Example:  "(One, Two), Three, Four"

Method #4:  A method I actually formed myself.  I find it to be the best way for conveying beats per step to a student.  It is similar to method #3 above, but instead of continuing with rising numbers, we reset our count at the beginning of every step.  So every two-beated step gets a count of "One, two" and every one-beated step gets a count of "One"

Example:  "(One, Two), One, One"

I am certain there are other methods which I have not stumbled upon yet.  If I missed any, please bring them to my attention!
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Thanks for reading!  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!

-Aaron Mullen

Sway Revisited

Sway is an important part of any Standard Ballroom dance.  It gives a certain musicality to the dance that couldn't be possible without it.  It allows us to continue moving and lets our energy flow even if our feet come to a close.

Like I mentioned in a (much) earlier post, sway is often meant to counterbalance sideways movement.  Because of this counterbalancing, sway allows us to make an even LARGER sideways step than we could initially, because it prevents us from moving our weight past the catching foot and losing our balance.  This larger step in turn helps our motions become more defined and flow better into the next motion, instead of stopping and killing our momentum.  Sway essentially allows us to store energy and lets us release it when we need it.

Hopefully I will be making a few posts on how to best achieve sway in your own dancing!  But this gives you a good idea of why it is important.

-Aaron Mullen

Teaching at Parks & Recs

Just a little update about myself.

I've just recently started teaching a few group classes at parks and recreation departments in my area.  So far its going well.  The people are all enjoying themselves.  One thing I have realized is how difficult it is to manage time during class.  The problem is the large difference in skill levels of the students.  Some require a lot of time and attention, while others require less.  As a teacher, I would like to give everyone equal time, but that isn't always possible like I said, everyone has different needs.

I found a good way to make time for everyone.  You have what I would like to call 'practice time' during class, and during this time, you make everyone practice a specific figure individually, and then you walk around fixing issues and giving out encouragement.

It's been interesting, and I hope I can continue teaching far into the future!

-Aaron Mullen

Promenade Vs. Promenade

What is this?  How can a thing be different from itself?

Let me clear up this confusion.

Despite what one may think, Promenade and Promenade are not the same thing.

Still confused?  If you are, then this is rightly so.  If you already know what I am talking about, then good for you!  You're a step ahead of me!

Now, on to the actual difference.

There are two kinds of Promenade.  The first kind of Promenade is a dance position.  Essentially it is when the man "opens" the lady.  The man turns about 1/8 of a turn to his left, and the lady turns about 1/8 of a turn to her right.  This means there is a 1/4 angle between them, or 90 degrees.  Less turn would be ideal, but for the purposes of this blog, 1/4 is a good amount.

Then there is Promenade in American Foxtrot.  Promenade in American Foxtrot is simply a dance figure in which we use the Promenade POSITION as I outlined above.

Confusing huh?  Don't ask me why someone thought it would be a good idea to name a step after the position, as it can cause some confusion.

This confusion could be overcome by calling Promenade Position another name, which is Open Position.

In the end, it is simple just to remember one refers to a step, and the other to a position.

Hopefully I helped clear up some confusion!

-Aaron Mullen

Alignment (Part 2)

(If you aren't sure what is going on here, refer to the previous post)

So, alignments change in relation to where you are in the room.  Remember how I talked about Line of Dance before in this post?  Line of Dance is very important in defining alignment.

The official definition tells us that Alignment is "In relation to the room" which is accurate, but it is not the entire truth.

Alignment is more in relation to what Line of Dance you are moving along, and Line of Dance is indeed relative to the room.

So to figure out your alignment, all you would have to do is take the chart here and place it on the floor with the arrow pointing down the line of dance of your choice.  Remember, there are only four lines of dance in a room, one going along each wall.  Here is a little graphic of how the above chart could be used:

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Dance Floor

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Notice how the arrow points in the direction you want to be moving down the floor at your current position.

Don't worry, it isn't entirely necessary that you be able to read it.  This is just a guide on how to use the alignment chart.

Basically, all you must remember is that the line with the word "center" must be pointing towards the center of the floor, and the line with the word "wall" must be pointing towards the nearest wall, or the outside of the floor.  Once again, remember there are only four possible lines of dance.

This is very important as it helps a teacher efficiently and quickly convey the direction he wants the couple to face.  Memorizing these will help you spend less time talking, and more time dancing!

So get to it!

-Aaron Mullen

Alignments (Part 1)

Hello!  I finally have time to write blogs again!

Now, on to alignment!

What is alignment?  And why is it important?  Well, the official definition of alignment is, "The direction the feet and body are facing in relation to the room."

Now, what exactly does this mean?  There are eight alignments in total.  Here is a graphic of the eight alignments in Ballroom:

(Click to enlarge)
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You should memorize these alignments, and in my next post I will demonstrate how to use them and understand what they refer to.

-Aaron Mullen

Christmas Time is Coming

Hello readers!

So, Christmas time is nearing.  Here I am, busy as ever, wishing I had a few minutes to make a nice post, but I rarely get that chance anymore.

Do not fear though!  I have not forgotten you!  During Christmas break when I have more time I will definitely make more frequent posts.  I have learnt so many interesting things in the last few months, it will be wonderful to finally share them with you!

See you around Christmas time!

-Aaron Mullen

Offset Dance Position(Standard/Smooth)

Here is a relatively simple thing to do while dancing your Standard or Smooth.  Never stand directly in front of your partner.  You always want to be slightly offset.  This always holds true, regardless of whether you are a man or lady.

Now why is this?  And what exactly does it mean?  Think about it for a second.  If you stand directly in front of your partner, and you take a really long step forward, you're going to step on him or her!  To fix this little dilemma, we change our position slightly so that our right leg and right hip line up with the center of our partner's body.  Because of this little adjustment, our right leg will tend to go between our partner's legs, and the left leg will  tend to step to the left of our partners legs, instead of on top of them!  How absolutely convenient!  No longer is there the need to look down to check where your partner's feet are!

Couple this with a close dance hold as I mentioned in a previous post about body contact, and you will most probably avoid stepping on your partner 99% of the time!

-Aaron Mullen

Take Your First Steps

So, you want to dance but you've never danced before?  No problem!  I have the perfect place to start!

There is this little dance called Foxtrot.  American Smooth Foxtrot to be exact, but we won't delve too deep into those details right now.

All you need to start are your own two feet!

Okay, but in all seriousness, here are the two basic figures you will be using in the very beginning.  I get other maneuvering steps for you later.
                                                                              
Forward basic:  

Men:  Step Forward on Left foot, forward on right, then to the side on your left, and close the right to your left.

Ladies:  Step Back on Right foot, Back on Left, then step to the side on your right, and close the left foot to the left.

As you can see, the term "Forward Basic" is referring to the direction in which the man is moving.  We always refer to the direction in which the man is moving when talking about ballroom.  This is mainly because he is leading.

Back Basic:

Men:  Step Back on the left foot, back on the right, then side on the left, and close the right foot to the left.

Ladies:  Step Forward on the right foot, forward on the left, then side on the right, and close the left foot to the right.
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So, as we might be able to tell, both these figures move us to our left the tiniest bit, which brings us to the very important fact of line of dance which I discussed in an earlier post.

Practice these two figures until you have them down, and you should have a decent foxtrot.

What dance did you take your first steps in?

Leave a comment below!

-Aaron Mullen

New Poll!

I haven't been keeping up with polls lately, but a new poll is up.

The results of the last poll are in.  Only two people voted in the last poll, but to my surprise, both of them enjoyed International style more than American style.

I personally enjoy International more than Smooth, but I was convinced I was in the minority.  I guess perhaps not.

Please vote in the new poll!  It will make the results somewhat more interesting to look at!

Thanks,

-Aaron Mullen

The Importance of Line of Dance

Teacher, what is this important thing you speak of?  This line of dance?

Well, essentially Line of Dance is the proper direction to move around the dance floor on Standard and Smooth dances, as well as some of the Latin and Rhythm Dances which move.

Think of the dance floor almost as a two way street.  Everyone wants to move in the proper direction to avoid accidents.  Once you move in the opposite direction, you start running into people.

Here is a graphical representation of line of dance:

Line of Dance

The arrows indicate the direction in which we need to move around the floor, which is counter-clockwise.

At the areas on the end of the floor, we can move in two directions, while on the long sides we can only move one.  The sizes of these areas will vary with the size of the floor.

You are not allowed to cross any of the lines pictured unless there is an arrow pointing in its direction.  If you cross any of the lines without an arrow pointing at it, you are likely to cause a collision with another couple.

Pay attention to Line of Lance and the direction in which you are moving.  It will make the dancing experience much more pleasant for yourself and everyone around you.

-Aaron Mullen

The International Tango Difference

What is the difference between International Tango and all the other Standard dances?

Well, for starters, our movements are much sharper.  When we move, we want to move our feet relatively quickly.  Also, when executing a Link, which is essentially an opening to promenade, we whip our heads and bodies open very quickly, and stop in proper open/promenade position as quickly as we started.

But the difference I would like to focus on is how we use our knees in Tango.

As I have said before, in standard dances, we never want to get our knees completely straight.  The same is true with Tango, but Tango has one major difference.  There is no rise and fall in International Tango.  We remain with our legs bent as I demonstrate here, and we step without rising or lowering in the ankles or knees.

Often when we do two quicks in a row, we want to straighten the knees a bit.  If this happens, you will pop up.  So you'll end up looking like a piece of toast popping out of the toaster!  That definitely won't look good!.  Try your very best to focus on staying down in the parts of the Tango with two quicks, as it is relatively easy to stay down on slow steps.

So to reiterate.  Do not rise and fall in Tango!  It does not fit the character of the dance!

-Aaron Mullen

Busy Busy

So i just got a partner, and soon I will be going to college.  It would seem I will not have as much time to write blog posts as I did for the past month.  Perhaps I will push the frequency of posts down to once a week or so.  It has been nice having you as readers for the past month or so since I seriously started blogging.  Please continue to return, as I will still be posting about technique and my very own experiences, although less frequently.

Thank you!

-Aaron Mullen

Stepping in International Latin

As I have said, stepping big in International Standard is important, but what about International Latin?

In Latin, almost the complete opposite is true.  We want to take small steps almost all the time.  There are certain exceptions to this, but usually we want to step small.

Why must we take small steps you may ask?  Well, here is why.

As I have said, straightening the knee on every step in Latin is very important.  It makes the dance look crisp, sharp, and full of energy.  But how does taking small steps have any effect on this?  Well, by taking small steps, we travel less.  When we travel less, it is easier to get all our weight over the foot that just stepped.  If we take giant steps, we have to move really far before we can get all our weight on our foot.  If we can't get the weigh over the foot, then it is difficult to straighten our legs with authority and power.  Sure you can straighten your legs without getting over them, but it will look very weak and very limp.

Step small, it will help your Latin technique a lot!

-Aaron Mullen

Leg position

So, how should you hold your legs?  Well, this is my opinion, but you can try it if you like.  I strongly suggest it.

It works like this.  You should feel almost like you are sitting in a chair, meaning your legs will be slightly bent.  Your legs should look something like this:

I drew a few lines to help you see better what my body is doing.  As you can see, I have slightly flexed knees.  My weight is centered over the middle of my feet.  I also have a straight back.  Do not lean backwards or forwards.

Practice holding this position.  It will give you a good idea of how Standard dances should feel in the legs.  Eventually you will have to start moving, but that is a different story.

-Aaron Mullen