Dance! - The Road to Heavies: lesson 32. June 13, 2014. Rhythm and technical aid
In the week before class, I practice again at work and when I try to do the move on my heavy shoes that still takes so much effort, it suddenly strikes me what it should be. When I try, I get the same rhythm the teacher produces. Unfortunately I only manage to do so once, after that I just can't get the same sound again.
Recording the sound the shoes produce
That's why I brought a sound-recorder to class, so I can record the sound the teacher makes.
After recording I immediately find out what I do wrong when I listen back to the recording. After the first 'hop-back' I want to take on the next steps at the same pace, while I have to pause a while, to do a 'hop-back' at that point and than perform 4 faster-paced steps.
This makes the movement rather complex but when I practice with my headphones on, I reach the point where I start to hear and feel the rhythm and I can replicate what I hear. I do this a little slower, by slowing down the sound on the recorder, a function that really proves it worth.
The legs aren't floppy
Something the teacher has noticed since the first class: the lack of loose legs. The steps I do on heavy shoes aren't that bad, but are very rigid and powerful. When I have to bring one leg behind in a hop-back, I do that with great speed and my kick-outs are far too powerful as well.
The only thing is that I don't know what to do about it. This probably falls in the same category as 'the flow' which troubled me in Haarlem and just like this isn't really something you can learn but can only master by endless practice.
There is 1 thing though where I only have myself to blame: since I started classes again I hardly stretch anymore and also don't take practice to loosen up my ankles and legs.
A few days after class, I decide to try how bad I am and especially the left side of my body is hard to control: I can hardly make nice circles with my left foot at all. I've got work to do!