Question about dancing, etc.

Good Evening

 

Maybe this is not the right place to ask questions about dancing, but I know here are some dancers on the board.

 

I can dance only some advanced disco fox. The steps/moves are easy to learn for me, but I have (huge) problems with feeling the rhytem and moving to the beat... My tactic now is just counting it, but as soon as I don´t do I will get out of tact.

I only go to my dance-school once in a month or less with my girlfriend, so I don´t get much practice either...

 

I would really like to improve my "feeling of tact". Do you have any tips for me?

 

To improve I thought I could learn some solo dance like shuffle. Something that goes into the direction of the video.

Maybe I could do some basic shuffle-training as a warm up for my foundation training.

Would this be a good place to start?

 

( the guy in the video is an epic dancer!)

How do you call his dancestyle?

 

Thanks for all the answers!

(sorry, if my english is not that good^^)

 

 

Counting the beat is the best way and only way if you are going to do advanced foot work and choreo. It does take awhile to get comfortable (make sure you count in your head as you might develop a bad habit of moving your lips when you dance). you can count the full 8 beats but if you just wanted to dance and not worry about counting start with music that only has a 1 -2 count like merengue or just bounce to hip hop. 

 

dancing by yourself is one of the best things you can do. It improves creativity and freedom, you are actually dancing and not just copying someone else. This is big with beginners they copy what they see and aren't dancing or having fun which is the best part of dancing.

Thanks for the reply!

 

So I will keep counting the beat, I always tought it would be bad and a sign of lack of rhythm. ^^

 

I will try it and use it as a fun warmup or cool-down. Thanks maybe I will learn some cool dance stuff now!

A sense of rhythm is absolutely one of those things that improves with practice. Some people might look like it's always been easy for them, but even they had to learn at some point. Try drumming or clapping along to the rhythm when you're listening to music. Can you feel the down-beat of each measure? Try just walking to the beat. My dance teacher has us do this when we're learning a new rhythm - just walk with it, feel the down beats. Eventually this becomes second nature, and it gets hard to *not* move to the beat .

 

If you play any musical instruments, or have any desire to learn one, that will definitely help your sense of rhythm. That's not the most useful advice if you don't already play, but I thought I'd throw it out there. Interacting with music in pretty much any way is useful for developing rhythm.

You could also try to mentally go through a choreography, focussing on the tact.

i took salsa lessons and had no rhythm at the beginning.  it took me 8 months of consistent practice to feel the rhythm.  a specific salsa style called rueda really helped me to feel the rhythm.

 

if you can get the rhythm while you are counting, then it sounds like you are on your way to getting it.  just keep up practice.

practice practice practice.    Like they say in dance class-  5, 6, 7, 8!

 

Your local community college/music school may offer a course in something like "Rhythmic Analysis", that will stay different beats and tempos, and break them down thoroughly. Or you could take an African Drumming class. That will really help you feel the rhythm, because you'll be making the sound yourself.

Some advice from when I was taking dancing lessons:

 

You can count the beats you said.

You probably know that the male partner usually starts each section with his left foot.

There are three basic steps:

STEP STEP; TAP STEP; TRI-PLE STEP. Each takes only 2 beats of music.t

So Step Step is a left foot weight transfer and a right foot weight transfer.

Tap Step is Left foot touches the floor but the weight remains on the right foot, then lifting the left foot and stepping down and transferring the weight to it.

Triple step is three weight transfers. Left on beat 1, Right on the "and" of beat one and then left on beat two. (1&2, 3&4)

If you get these three down so that they become automatic, most dancing becomes variations on these patterns.

the main thing I noticed in lessons was that the weight transfer has to take place ON the beat, not behind it. some people delayed transfering the weight and were always behind in a pattern.

 

I hope this makes sense, Dancing was one of the most enjoyable things I've done.