Hey xanga,

How is everybody? I'm doing good, just riding the rollercoaster of life, stirred but not shaken, lost, yet found again.

So, I found a very interesting article on salsa dancing, altho reading through it, I think it would apply to almost any type of coordinated social dancing...

By Josie Neglia
Sitting in a restaurant one day, a student asked me to break down my interpretation of what skills are necessary to be the ultimate salsa dancer. I broke it down into six levels.

Level 1
Beginner level. Two people are just learning how to move in unison without stepping on each other and not hurting each other.

Level 2
The man and lady are now dancing in time to the music while doing basic patterns and variations.

Level 3
The man is now dancing more complex variations and patterns. They begin to use the space more interestingly with rotation and changes of direction while maintaining flow.

Level 4
The man stops worrying about his own steps and starts leading the lady with ease and control. This is when his leading skills excel and he understands what the follower needs. It is often the time that the man starts to "show-off" his lady with more elaborate variations.

Level 5
This is when the man and lady start to play with the rhythms. Syncopations, changes, slows, quicks, accents, and stops are all used and then the dancers can find the beat again to continue dancing.

Level 6
The ULTIMATE LEVEL...when it all comes together. This is when the dancers become "the physical instruments" of the music. If a deaf person were to watch them dance, he/she could SEE the music through their movements and interpretation. This is when the man leads his lady to the stops, accents, energy level and mood of every song. Therefore, every song looks different because the dancer is inspired in that moment to feel that piece of music. This is when I personally achieve the "dancer's high", Euphoria, or Ecstasy. When I can feel an accent building in the music, and my partner gives me the opportunity to do a move that punctuates the "break", I get such a feeling of thrill and satisfaction.

By Nicole DaSilva
A Summary of Progress as it Relates to Learning:

Unconscious Incompetence (Zone 1)
This zone is not so bad, as you are usually completely unaware that you may be doing it wrong anyways. This zone represents the very beginning of learning something new. If you discover that you really like to dance, the next zone will confirm just how great your desire is.

Conscious Incompetence (Zone 2)
Perhaps the absolute worst zone to be in. By this point you've seen enough capable dancers and may be wondering if you will ever be able to dance like the rest of them. This is when you know what you're doing wrong, but just can't do anything about it---YET! Your mind understands the desired result but your body may often refuse to cooperate causing a not so desirable outcome. This is the stage we all pass through before we can begin to master something. Dancers who are at this stage are about to embark on a lesson in perseverance. Hang in there! Your confidence will be restored in zone 3.

Conscious Competence (Zone 3)
This is where it finally starts to come together. You're doing it right and you know it! Still a little shaken from the previous zone, but nothing a little practicing can't fix. This is the intermediate phase of development and perhaps the longest. This is when a new dancer begins to discover that their feet have a mind of their own and that follow/lead is not the name of the team you're on. Your physical response time is quicker and your mind often feels left behind. This is called "muscle memory". This is the time to liberate your body & feet with a less conscious approach. Trust them, they just might surprise you.

Unconscious Competence (Zone 4)
Your efforts and commitment are well worth the results you are realizing about now! You are confident in your ability to learn anything new that comes your way. This is the point that your dancing begins to soar. You have a source to tap into for movement to rhythm. It feels almost unconscious and effortless. By now you know that the entire body dances. The music has become the basis for your choreography. You've developed a stronger repertoire and you hear music differently. You're testing all the rules to see which ones you can break. The advanced dancer can look forward to feeling good, looking good and getting only better! You will find different areas of development that will take you back to zone 1 but this time you're ready and willing to experience the wonderful frustrations that can be a part of learning. From here on the only thing to stop you is your desire.

Don't forget zone 2: Share your experience and ability with others. Remember what it was like when you were just starting? As an experienced dancer you can have a tremendously positive influence over someone who is at the beginning. Be kind, as you can also have a very negative effect. Don't offer your advice or correct your partner on the dance floor unless they ask you. This, as I hear it, really bothers most dancers. Besides, you never know who you are offering (what may be) the wrong advice to. Leave the teaching for teachers and do your best to make your partner feel good and enjoy dancing with you.

So where am I at?? Right now it seems I'm at level 2, trying to reach 3, and oscillating between conscious incompetence and conscious competence.

The moral? The key is perserverance, and like many things a mental, emotional, and physical exercise. Learning something new will be frustrating the first few days, even months, it is like starting a new job, learning a new sport, being challenged and probably surrounded by people who excel or have more experience than you in the same activity. However, transform your intimidation into inspiration, and above all have fun! The perserverance, practice, and commitment, will pay off in the long run, you reap what you sow, no deposit no return...

So what dance level are my xanga friends at? What comfort zones?

Cheers,

Patrick 

Currently Listening 30 Pegaditas de Oro By Joe Arroyo Yamulemau see related

A few updates

- Have another temporary roomate. My friend Smith, different dynamics w/ a new person. But it's working out fine. Just as long as I have my space and we communicate well should have no problems.

- Moving to Lakewood. Moving is such a fuckin onerous task...

- Looks like a new program and/or function is on horizon at work.

- Very busy, studying for GRE. Not stressing it, but time consuming.

- Everybody needs something to take their mind of things. For me, the ballroom fills this void. One of the few things I live about OC, is that ballroom dancing is very big here. Pretty much any night, I know what's crackin' as far as the ballrooms are concerned

-Coworker is introducing me to a business venture. Not sure if I will do it yet or not. A lot of work becoming an independent business owner, at this point in life, not sure if it is for me. But the potential professional development, networking, access to a plethora of seminars, leadership conference, business connections know-how, and possibility of a secondary passive income is enticing. Anybody know something about being an IBO, building a stable customer base, and the online sales market??

- Still haven't found what I'm looking for... at least not everything.

Take care ya'll till the next time.

Currently Listening En la Luna By Reyli Barba Amor del Bueno see related

Came into work at 6:45am today, partly to avoid traffic, partly because I woke up and could not fall asleep anymore.

Check out this link, interesting blog and topic. I had been meaning to write something like this, good to see other people know where I am coming from....Sunday evening depression, sunday night insomnia, post-monday everything is a breeze.

http://mitchmccabe.com/2005/03/sunday-football-monday-quarterback.html

And here is a very funny one...

http://www.chrisdiclerico.com/mt/archives/001424.php

Man, if I wrote down everything I thought about in bed, I could fill up pages w/ random shit. My mind is definitely like a whirwind of knowledge, fantasy, memories, premonitions late at night.

Well time to get this day started, gonna do some actual work now.

Have a great week everybody. Adieu.

Currently Playing The Best of the Smiths, Vol. 1 By The Smiths see related

Hmm not much to post about these days.

- I like the rainy, cloudy, overcast foggy weather. Something within me really jives w/ it.

- Days past by so fast, life seems like a blurr, soon it will Friday, then relax on the weeked, then back to work on monday and the cycle continues. Routines. I hate the way most of our lives are spent in transit, in traffic, in waiting, in routines.

- Speaking of cycles, the defense industry seems to be too cylical for me. On monday it was announced that a whole program with more than 40+ years of heritage moves to Colorado. Employees are forced to relocate, some have to re-sign, the lucky ones find  a place within the company and stay local. Sometimes I miss the commercial industry.

- It's always hard to find mutuality in friendships and relationships. Sometimes it feels like someone gives more than the other, one person always expects more from the other, i'm tired of this. I've been on both ends, expecting more and having people expect more from me.

- Went to a quinciañera over the weekend. Very fun times and brings back a lot of memories. Quinciañeras, in latino culutre they are a lavish party they throw for a girl when she turns 15, the scope of the event is on par to a bar mitzvah or a cattelion. The first time I was really forced to dance was at a quinciañera, when I was 16, many years ago. Now I look back, and I remember how I used to be part of the court, and how those parties were the shit, when we were in high school. Now I feel so old seeing those teens perform the waltz, seeing those rigid, nervous teen guys trying to dance. The other day a 20 y/o girl in my swing class said "dang that's old" when I told her my age. Yet i'm not really that old haha, guess it's all relative. All in all a good party, I sat at the "young professionals table", out of college full time gals and guys, fun dancing some cumbia and merengue, and just reconnecting w/ old friends.

- Naruto seems to be my best friend after work. Yesterday I watched four episodes straight. I didn't care much for it before, now I am hooked. Highly recommend Naruto to anybody who used to like Kenshin, Cowboy Beebop, DBZ, etc...

- I think i've overdone it w/ classes, taking four classes weekly on top of full time work. Thinking about quitting one. Trying to step up my dance steps to intermediate/advanced, sometimes feels like the jump from CS31 to CS32. But my roomie and I have a goal to accomplish.

- Realized the necessity for effective, persuasive conversation and presentation styles. Probably will join the toast masters at work.

- Have been remiss on working out and running like I am supposed to. My excuses are my work and my classes drain most of my time. Yet time can always be made for the things you really care about.

- Other things are quickly becomming water under the bridge...

There my quick, consise bullet point, power point style updates. Adieu

Currently Playing The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning By Chicago Saturday in the Park see related

Yeah...I figured my brain would be at least 50% female...not sure if this is a good or bad thing... I do tend to think w/ my heart, and this sometimes leads to problems.

I have never been a big fan of completely cutting people out of my life. Come to think of it, I have never actually been the person to initiate this type of disassociation. But I have been cut out of people's lives, this is normally due to a certain personal history from before. I'm not speaking of friends drifting away, or people moving away, rather i'm referring to situations that got messy by transcending the friendship/dateship bridge.

In retrospect, I can say that I have been very enduring, the type of person who "hopes for the best, but expects the worst", submitting myself to all types of feelings - unappreciation, discouragement, disheartenment, uplifted only by failing hope.

After speaking to a few good friends, I have decided that it may be best to cut ties w/ a certain person. Xanga is funny, you never know who might read this, wouldn't want to divulge too much information, so I'll finish here.

In other news, weekend was good, went to a ballroom, hung out w/ a new acquaintance, althought I think it was the first and final meeting, oh well, went to a party thrown by my financial advisor, then went for more drinking and kareoke w/ some UCLA friends.

Dang, today I woke up w/ a splitting headache, i'm good now tho, just needed to re-hydrate and get some food in my system. Now just taking it easy, listening to some trance...It's very interesting how music has a way of eliciting feelings, flashbacks, mental reconstructions. This trance reminds me of my first rave, very fun times, new EXperiences ...but that was many years ago,  it is behind me, just an interesting memory.

Currently Playing Soundscapes: Live from Melbourne By Thomas Michael see related