Injecting a little passion

[Gadget]

Following on from the 'slease/sexy' thread, anyone got any tips for injecting a little more passion/chemistry into a dance? Which moves do you feel convey most electricity? {dips and seducers don't count}

eg.
On the Comb: if the man bend's his knees with his back straight so that the eye level is dropped to the same as his partner, it gives more direct eye contact and you don't have to pull the lady close enough to touch. (I find that one leg bent and the other straight out to the side or beside your partner feels more comfortable)

I think that a lot of the 'passion' I try for in moves is borrowed from my concept of what makes spanish flamenco and salsa look so intense: Posture and pose, an occasional 'crisp' start/end to a move, the occasional 'stalk' move...

[Divissima]

Gadget wrote:the occasional 'stalk' move...

Please describe
I think chemistry/passion is one of those difficult things to pin down - for me it is all in the connection between the dancers, whether eye contact, body contact or that almost psychic quality which means that although they aren't looking at each other or even touching, their movements are harmonious and they somehow aware of the other's position. Maybe something about taking time to finish a move, re-establish a connection and move into the next move together. Often there's no noticeable pause - it's more like a subtle deceleration to collect and acceleration into the next move. Amir does it just brilliantly - swears it's all to do with microleads.
I'm not sure that's very helpful.

[Chicklet]

Can we buy little tartan microleads for those of us that could do with being on the end of one to get us to go and do what we're supposed to?????


This popped into my head.....not exactly mainstream but has anyone who has done the blindfold thing found it particularly sexy / passionate...not sure what connection I'm making in my head...... probably imagining it

C

[Gadget]

Originally posted by Divissima
Please describe {stalk}

... I would say "walking around each-other or one partner walking around another", but that's too simplistic; generally a move or part of a move that is shoulder to shoulder (or side to side), with the head turned to face your partner and a definite placement of the feet - like strutting, but with focus on your partner... just doing one or a half revolution, then continue with another move or resume the rest of the move that was broken with the 'strut'...

That make any sense?

[John S]

Originally posted by Chicklet

has anyone who has done the blindfold thing found it particularly sexy / passionate...

Now that WOULD be telling.

[Chicklet]

So does this mean you must be a man of action then John who would prefer to show than tell??????

[Bill]

Originally posted by Chicklet
but has anyone who has done the blindfold thing found it particularly sexy / passionate

C

Shouldn't this be on a different thread...............or even a different kind of forum???

I assume you mean while at a beginners class !

Closed my eyes but no blindfold....as yet

and thanks for the lovley dances last night Chicklet....

[spindr]

Before passion, you have to have interest...
...at least eye-contact, or mirroring body position, etc.... then you can start to heat it up

Otherwise it's just dancing at each other, not with each other.

Cheers,

Neil.

P.S. Of course, passion doesn't necessarily imply a positive attraction.

[Wendy]

Originally posted by spindr
Before passion, you have to have interest...

And in the beginning there was music....????

Wxxx

[Divissima]

Gadget wrote: That make any sense?

Yes - thank you Such moves definitely have the element of 'connection I was trying to get at.

[Chicklet]

Originally posted by Bill
Shouldn't this be on a different thread...............or even a different kind of forum???

I assume you mean while at a beginners class !

Closed my eyes but no blindfold....as yet

and thanks for the lovley dances last night Chicklet....

Really really really only talking about DANCING with the blindfold.......on this forum anyway.

And as for Saturday night, I'm sure the pleasure was all mine sir!!
Think I can still count my slower dance experiences in single figures so it's all very new and exciting to me and was wonderful to enjoy a turn on the floor with one of the masters!!!
(Up on the toes for BWCCT was a quite a challenge in that heat too!!!)

C

[DavidB]

I'm starting to think I'm the only dancer out there who isn't trying to inject every ounce of passion possible into every dance.

Passion is just one feeling or emotion you can put in your dancing. It is not the be-all and end-all of good dancing. If passion is all you ever think about, then your dancing can become very one-dimensional. That is still better than zero-dimensional, but it can make you very predictable to dance with.

The emotion you want to portray can come from anything - the music, your partner, the environment, etc. Passion is ideal for a tango in a dark, smoky dance-hall, but would look pretty silly busking to S Club 7 with your mum.

'Passion' to me implies two people who can't get enough of each other, and are right on the edge of their self control. That translates into lots of eye contact, with spins etc done as quickly as possible to minimise the break of the eye contact. The bodies should be projecting towards each other like there is some sort of magnetic attraction. The rhythm can keep changing, with plenty of contrast.

'Romance' is completely different. The look should be of two people who trust each other. The eye contact is minimal - you don't have to constantly check your partner is looking at you. You can have a lot more shadow positions. You can lean away a lot more or just stand upright. You are not trying to force yourself on your partner - you have already won them over. The movements can be more graceful. The changes in rhythm are more subtle - more 'light and shade' instead of 'black and white'. It is a similar emotion to 'passion', but looks and feels completely different.

Or you can just look 'cool'. Or 'exuberant'. Or however you want to look. Just don't try the same look for every dance.

David

[Chicklet]

Sir,

Thank you for penning this, your definitions of and distinctions between passion and romance are superb,

C

[TheTramp]

Or you can just look 'cool'. Or 'exuberant'. Or however you want to look. Just don't try the same look for every dance.

Hmmm. Yeah. I was told on Saturday that I had the 'Moody Spanish Bastard' look right down to a T. Well, it was a moody Latin number.....

Steve

[Gadget]

Originally posted by DavidB
I'm starting to think I'm the only dancer out there who isn't trying to inject every ounce of passion possible into every dance.
~snip~
Or you can just look 'cool'. Or 'exuberant'. Or however you want to look. Just don't try the same look for every dance.

as elequent as ever.

I can see your point and I agree that the same 'look' would quickly tire, however I still think that every dance should have an element of 'passion' in it; a spark or flirtatious feel. Not necissaraly throughout the whole dance{/song}, but in appropriate places for the direction/feel of the music.

Too much of any specific 'look' will not work as well as balancing several elements, depending on the music; Too much 'passion' and it looks sleasy, too much 'cool' and it looks aloof, too much exuberance and it looks messy, too much romance and it looks staged...
The balance depends on the partner and the song, I also think that the good dancers have a deeper scope of these 'looks' that they can fine tune depending on the music. eg David is good at the 'cool' look, Bill is good at 'passion', Franck is good at 'exuberant', Tramp is good at 'moody spanish bastard'... but they all are excelent at interpritation and don't just limit themselves to the one 'look'

A long winded way of justifying the thread's {intended} focus on one element - passion.

[Franck]

Originally posted by Gadget
Franc is good at 'exuberant', Tramp is good at 'moody spanish bastard'... but they all are excelent at interpritation and don't just limit themselves to the one 'look'

Hey, I can do the 'moody French bastard' look too

Franck.

[TheTramp]

Originally posted by Franck
Hey, I can do the 'moody French bastard' look too

Franck.

Would that be to Dany Brillant then Franck??

I'll start practising my moody Welsh bastard to Tom Jones now

Steve

[Chicklet]

too clean to be moody I think but have you ever played any Johnny 'alliday at a ceroc night Franck???

[Bill]

Originally posted by DavidB
Or you can just look 'cool'. Or 'exuberant'. Or however you want to look. Just don't try the same look for every dance.

David

It's alright for you .............you can look cool and laid back - a bit like the man Gilbert up here..... but I've tried exuberant and just looked stupid and don't have the style to be 'cool'.

Even tried to look passionate at one point on Saturday ........you know the look, slightly closed eye, slightly raised eyebrow etc...... and what happened ......my partner just laughed


But ( as usual ) you're correct David. Passion goes with some songs, in some venues, with certain dance partners. Certain songs just don't lend themeselves to 'passion' but I don't agree that it means or suggests two people can't get enough of each other. Although it might do for some couples I think the point would be that the 'connection' others have mentioned - the eye contact, the 'feel' for the song etc... and almost an intensity at times which makes all else on the floor a blur and takes the dance on to another level.

Difficult to define and I've heard many women describe a good male dancer as having the quality to make them feel special and as if they were the only people dancing. I think it's something a few very good men do.

need to go home and practice those mean and moody stares then......... :sorry

[Aleks]

Originally posted by Bill


Even tried to look passionate at one point on Saturday ........you know the look, slightly closed eye, slightly raised eyebrow etc...... and what happened ......my partner just laughed

And I told why I laughed at the time !