From "Wall Flower" to "Dancing Machine" – HOW TO GET MORE DANCES

This blog, originally posted back in November 2007, is dedicated to an iFreeStyle student and friend who, like many shy intermediate salsa, bachata and cha cha dancers wanted to know how to “crack the code” on how to get more dances… This one is for you! Enjoy my friend and I hope it helps!

If you’re SHY or NEW to the Latin dance community in your city, it may be scary to ask complete strangers to dance.  You might be a beginner (stay tuned for more on that), or you may have been dancing for a while and you don’t understand why experienced dancers aren’t asking you to dance. We all have some insecurities and fears of rejection, but know this… rejection has happens to EVERYONE.  The best of the best dancers out there were obviously NOT the best when they started.  You’re not alone.  And there’s ways to get out of the barren dance experience.  

It’s partly a numbers game…  The nature of partner dancing requires some sort of explicit or implicit invitation to dance.  Many times in one night.  Sometimes the answer is “yes”, sometime “no”, or sometimes “later”.  We put ourselves out there and rejection is a real possibility. The frequency of this invitation also invites more opportunities for “no’s” and yeah, that might not sound very encouraging.  If you want to be a dancing machine instead of a wallflower, prepare to put yourself out there.  It’s going to take some courage and know-how to maneuver your way to success, but chances are good that results will come fairly quickly if you give these tips a try.  

These 10 tips on HOW TO GET MORE DANCES apply to both men and women ☺

1. Smile :) This seems pretty basic, but many people don’t realize that they might have a miserable look on their face – frowning, angry, bored, blank… Someone who wants a fun dance is looking for someone who looks happy and fun.  Check your misery, diva attitude and stress at the door and get ready to have a good time!
2. Show welcoming body language.  Uncross those arms, face the dance floor, pay attention, stand up, put your drink down…  Like #1, your body language can either say “I love dancing!” or “stay away from me”.  Be yourself and show your happy, fun loving personality - we're drawn to people with a positive outlook and vibe!
3. Easy Access.  Be near the perimeter of the dance floor (not ON the dance floor unless you want to get smacked in the head or irritate those dancing).  Unless you’re one of the top dancers, most people aren’t going to travel to the other side of a room, behind the plant, or reach across a table to ask you to dance, especially if the person is shy or afraid of getting a “no”.  So, make yourself available.  Easy access, in this case, is a good thing.
4. Dance on the sidelines:  If you’re not dancing with a partner, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dance or enjoy the music.  Many experienced dancers look out for people on the sidelines who show a good sense of rhythm and are enjoying the music.  So why not do a bit of advertising?  Move to the music and show them you can groove!
5. Be gracious while you are dancing. Many people pre-select their next dance based not only by dance ability, but also attitude and how they observe people treating his/her partner on the dance floor.  There have been many AWESOME leaders I’ve seen on the dance floor who make their partner feel inferior, and that is a BIG TURN OFF.  Also, ladies are notorious for giving that dreaded “bored” look.  This is a guy’s worst fear.  Keep in mind that people may be watching, and a bad attitude towards other people could lose your ticket to a dance with someone awesome, and even worse all of his/her friends.
6. Thank you partner after each dance.  It’s just common courtesy to thank your partner for sharing 3-5 minutes of dancing together.  You’ll likely be more memorable and perhaps get an invitation to dance again later.
7. Put together the best you.  Okay, many of you are not going to like this one because it seems shallow.  Hear me out…If you put together a great outfit, shoes that look good and feel good, nice hair, smell good… you’re likely going to feel more confident.  And people are naturally more attracted to confidence.  This doesn’t mean look slutty, or that you need a million $$ outfit with dark shades in a nightclub to look cool.  Present the best you possible. And when you can back up that up with confident dancing, you’ll be on your way to super-dancing-machine status.
8. Go out dancing more often.  When dancers see you out regularly, they start to recognize you as someone in the community.  People naturally connect with people who enjoy similar things.  With each new dance, you’ll meet new people and even develop a “favourites” list!  Those people know people who know people.  It’s networking.  Soon you’ll have a new group of dance friends who you can enjoy dancing with on a regular basis. Success!!
9. Share. If you’re out with your friends, make it a point “share” favourite dancers with each other.  You’re getting the endorsement from your friend that you’ll probably enjoy the dance.  And it helps to grow your network of people to dance with.
10. ****Be proactive & just ask.  This is by far, the easiest and fastest way to transform that barren dance experience to an oasis of dance filled nights.  If you want to dance with someone, ASK.  Simple.  Take control of the situation and go ask them yourself (nicely, of course).  And ladies, it’s equal opportunity in the dance world.  Gone are the days when men do all the asking (although it’s still nice when he does).  So unless you like being a spectator all night, learn to get over it and just ask! 

These tips are doable, right? Ultimately, pro-active people get more out of life. So don’t wait.  Ask. Give some or all of these tips a shot and see how it goes.  Take charge of your night and you may just kick yourself in the butt for allowing yourself so many dance-less nights… Go get’em.  Have fun!  

7 WAYS TO RE-IGNITE YOUR PASSION FOR DANCE

Remember these days??

Many of us have been there before… when you’ve been dancing a while, it’s not uncommon to suddenly feel uninspired, unmotivated, almost empty inside.  It sucks.  Maybe you feel like you’ve plateaued.. It feels like someone threw a bucket of water over the fire that has been burning inside of you to dance your heart out year after year.  You feel lost because you can’t remember life without dance… What happened?  And what do I do now? 

Is this you... sad, confused.. but hopeful that you'll get out of the slump?

 At this point there are a few common reactions..

1. You second guess whether or not you should be dancing.  Maybe it’s not for you anymore. 
2. You figure that it’s just a phase and you’ll eventually crawl out of this dance death hole.
3. You throw yourself into dance and fight your way back to inspiration.

In some ways these lapses can help us appreciate how much dance can make us happy.  Frustrating at times, yes… but for the most part, DANCE IS FUN.  The music is awesome, meeting people is awesome, talking about dancing with other dancers is fun…  and the social aspect of Latin dances takes it a step further and provides a whole other salsa life with new “non-salsa” friends at “non-English” clubs in the middle of the work/school week.  Your non-dancer friends, family and co-workers just don’t understand how you dance late on a work night… if they only knew how it was worth the fatigue...

If you’re feeling blue about this emptiness and think you want to get back into it, don’t despair.   Here are some ways to help re-ignite your passion to dance.  In reverse order…

#7) TAKE A BREAK   

Sometimes, what we need is to step away… not forever, but maybe for a couple weeks, a month or so.  Maybe your mind is telling you that you’re neglecting something else that needs attention.  Maybe you're tired and your body need some rest.  If dance is really important to you, you’ll crave it again.  Unless within that time, you find a new passion (love, new hobby etc.).  Not to worry though, dance is always there, and welcomes you back with open arms when you’re ready.

#6) WATCH VIDEOS

This is probably the easiest, fastest, cheapest way to find inspiration. YouTube and Facebook (among others) are endless resources for finding inspiration.  Top dancers around the world have footage of their performances, competitions, social dancing, rehearsals, workshops (although there’s nothing like learning live, from a real person who can give you feedback).  WARNING – Do this in moderation as surfing YouTube is highly addictive and extremely time consuming.  You know this already, right? Just saying :)

#5) REFRESH YOUR MUSIC PLAYLISTS

Music that "moves you" is what dancers crave. When you hear a tune that touches your soul, it's tough to resist getting into it.  How old is your playlist? If your music playlist has gone stale, so has one source of inspiration.  The cool thing about dancers is that we like to share our favourite songs on social media. It can't get easier than that to find new music.  So mix it up.  Keep you tried and true favourites, and give your playlist a facelift with new music.  Not only do we need variety to keep things interesting, it's also great education to learn about the artists who feed our soul. 

#4) TAKE CLASSES

If you feel like you've plateaued, please be advised that this is nearly impossible to accomplish in Latin dances.  If you look at the sheer variety of styles in any one genre (salsa, for example), it would take several lifetimes to be a master at all of them.  And when I say master, that means knowing everything there is to know.  There’s simply an infinite amount you can learn to improve your technique, musicality, and artistry.  Liken Latin dances to the galaxy.  There IS NO END.  Are you getting the visual?  Perhaps you’ve only been exposed to a small sample of what’s out there, and you need some variety, or just need to be educated on what else exists within the dance galaxy.  Be curious.  Investigate the dance world outside your immediate circle.  There’s ALWAYS something new and exciting to learn.

#3)  TAKE CLASSES IN OTHER DANCE FORMS

This can open up a whole other world of movement.  In street dances like salsa, cha cha, bachata, or kizomba,  there are many other genres that have been infused over the years – like hip hop, tango, ballet, modern, jazz etc.  Venture out and learn new ways to move your body that you could infuse into your style. The process of re-inventing yourself is fun, exciting and keeps the wheels turning. 

#2) PERFORM OR COMPETE 

If you haven’t tried performing or competing, let’s just say this is a whole other level of challenge beyond social dancing.  What you’ll learn through preparing for a competition or performance is a combination of extreme growth, pain, elation, frustration, excitement, anxiety, self-satisfaction, fire.. oh… wait.. did I just say “fire”?  Mission accomplished.

#1) TRAVEL TO A CONGRESS/FESTIVAL IN ANOTHER CITY… OR EVEN BETTER, ANOTHER COUNTRY

In Zurich, Switzerland with my team (iFreeStyle Bachata from Toronto & Jose Maldonado Pasofino Dance, Atlanta)
Take a second look, each of us are in this photo twice :)  

Sometimes a routine of the same ‘ol same ‘ol can get a bit tired… boring.  I saved this one for last because this “cure” works almost every time, at least for me, and hopefully for you too!  Travelling to a new city to experience their "scene", watching and dancing with local and regional superstars, has almost always opened my eyes to something new and fresh.. and achieves the goal of re-igniting the passion in a big way.  There's SOO much is going on in the world right now, and it’s there for you to experience.  (Thank you to a good friend Wesley Small for the many Babaluu chats about how travel has kept his dance passion alive!)  There are zillions of congresses to choose from, so go to ones are recommended by your well-travelled instructor or fellow dancers.  Make sure to get involved – take workshops, social dance with the locals and the headliners, watch the shows, do some sight-seeing if can.  You’ll come back a brand new dancer, full of life, and excited to get dancing again.  Maybe you won't be so full of life the day you get back, but give it a few days to recover.

Friends, I hope at least one of these ideas could help the ball rolling. And as mentioned before, this happens to almost everyone at some time or another, and when you’ve been dancing for years, it’s likely to happen more than once.  The nature of music & dance, and what it does to the soul is magnetic and has a way of attracting people back.  Enjoy the journey back to dance heaven :)

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HOW TO BE A BETTER DANCER: Master your Basics

We live in the era of instant gratification.  

We want to see results ASAP, right now… yesterday even.  

We like challenge, but don't let your ego get in the way of your own growth. When it comes to dancing, it’s a bad idea to skip or rush through learning the fundamentals.   

If you want to know why, READ ON.  While the reasons can apply to dances in general, we’ll focus on the Latin street dances – salsa, bachata, cha cha.

5 REASONS WHY INVESTING TIME IN LEARNING THE BASICS IS A GOOD IDEA

The basic steps, timing, and technique in dance provide a foundation for EVERYTHING that you’re going to learn going forward. With great fundamentals, you’ll acquire knowledge and skills that can serve as “short cuts” to learning new things.  You’ll ALREADY understand and can execute the most elementary skills like timing, lead and following technique, weight transfer so you can focus on what’s NEW. 

1)  SKIPPING LEVELS AND FAILING TO ACQUIRE SOLID TECHNIQUE = A HOT MESS

It’s so refreshing to meet students who say “I’m interested in learning to dance properly and don’t mind starting from the beginning”.  That is someone who understands the value of great fundamentals :) Unfortunately, this is more an exception than the rule.  Most people like to be challenged.  Being bored doing the same thing is no fun.  However, if your goal is to be a better dancer, your time and money are better spent taking a progressive route, building on skills that you learn and put into practice on the dance floor as soon as possible.  

2)  RUSHING INTO STYLING WITHOUT SOLID TECHNIQUE = A HOT, AWKWARD MESS

Most ladies can't wait to start learning how to "style", but often it's too early.  And leaders are so eager to add flare to their dancing without knowing how lead a clear basic or cross body lead in salsa, or hold frame in bachata.   Imagine a house built on an uneven foundation – if you try to add new levels, the house is probably so shaky that it's bound to collapse.  Similarly, styling without body awareness, timing, coordination, or contra body movement can turn into an awkward situation for both the dancer and anyone watching.  We all seek challenge, but take the opportunities to learn and practice great techniques from people who know.

3)  LESS IS MORE

While we all crave to learn the latest and greatest, experienced dancers know that intricate moves are built on top of great technique.  In the Latin dances there are basic steps, basic timing, and essential partnering techniques required to communicate with each other on the dance floor.  Forget styling or fancy moves if you aren’t even dancing together.  Step 1 – connect with your partner!  And interestingly, many experienced dancers enjoy dancing less “busy”, appreciating great connection and musicality over complexity.

4) YOU CAN FEEL MESSY BASICS – NO ES BUENO

Most dancers are attracted to the fun and connection they see in Latin dancers – the magic, the sensuality, the way that two complete strangers can move as one on the dance floor.  It feels amazing when you have a great connection with someone and can actually feel their lead or follow.   It’s heaven on earth.  Things like being off time, bouncing, being too strong or invisible can be distracting, not to mention prevent some playful or intricate partner work from being executed well. 

5)  IF EXPERIENCED DANCERS VALUE & PRACTICE THEIR BASICS, IT’S NOT TOO BASIC FOR BEGINNERS

It seems that the more experience a dancer has, the more he/she understands that you need to practice to master their basics.  In other classical dance styles like ballet or modern, you’ll find dancers with years of experience in the beginner level classes so they can continue to master those elementary skills that they use in more advanced dance moves.  In salsa and bachata, it’s not uncommon to see students with less little dance experience trying to ace an advanced class.  We all need challenge to keep us interested and motivated, but if you want to be a better dancer, master the basics. 

Stay focused on the goal..."To be a better dancer".  Be patient.  LEARN YOUR BASICS.  Practice your basics.  Enjoy the rewards in the long term :)

For information about beginner level classes in salsa and bachata at iFreeStyle.ca Latin dance school visit our website - www.ifreestyle.ca/classes

Top 10 Reasons to dance SALSA!

If you're considering learning to dance salsa, there's a lot of reasons to take the plunge and just do it! Salsa dancing is one of the most social dances in the world...it's a style of dance accessible by people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, professions.  And if you think you can't dance, think again...!

Caryl Cuizon & Angus Dirnbeck (Co-Founders, iFreeStyle.ca)

Here's our TOP 10 reasons why people love to dance salsa...

1. If you thought club dancing was fun, multiply that fun factor by a zillion. There's a reason for the term "salsaholic"... You just won't be able to resist it!
2. Salsa dancing gives you the opportunity to meet A LOT (like a lot) of people who love dancing too.  Whether you are shy or really outgoing, salsa dancing offers a place for you to connect with people.
3. The music is infectious... With so many influences in salsa music (jazz, afro, urban, folkloric), there's so much variety.  It's tough to get bored of salsa music because there's always something to fit every mood!
4. Salsa dancing offers a great night life! Spice up your date night, create new friendships and maybe meet a new love?
5. It's a way to de-stress from day to day chaos (without alcohol).  Salsa music can move your soul and inspire you to let loose and be creative.  Save $$ on drinks and still have a blast!
6. A big attraction for many people is that salsa is not only cool, but super sensual (if you want it to be, of course).  We all have a desire for connection, so some no-strings-attached dances with a few dozen partners a night could be just what the doctor ordered :)
7. You'll get exercise and won't even realize it.  Salsa can be fast, slow, mid tempo...but in all cases, it's the kind of dance that keeps you on your toes!  Why not get a workout AND have fun? 
8. Salsa is meant to be danced socially.  What you can learn in the classroom ca actually be put into practice at the clubs immediately!  You won't have to wait years to start enjoying it.
9. You learn a new skill to keep your mind and body challenged.
10. Take your dancing anywhere in the world.. Just about every major city in the world has a salsa dance community.  You never have to search too hard to find something to do on a vacation, business trip, or long weekend... salsa is awaiting!

Let the fun, experienced instructors at  iFreeStyle.ca Latin Dance School take you on a salsa journey that you only wished you started sooner!  We offer 6-week group lessons, drop-in classes, workshops, performance classes and private lessons.

Visit our website for the latest schedule of classes!

www.ifreestyle.ca/classes
info@ifreestyle.ca

(416) 669-1385


SALSA ON2 | TRADITIONAL BACHATA | CHA CHA CHA