Step Lively

As it turns out, we did learn a new cha-cha step on Tuesday. I was reviewing my notes before our Thursday lesson and I saw that we had actually done something new. With all the other stuff crammed in my brain, I couldn’t remember it when I wrote about Tuesday’s lessons.

It is kind of a strange little step. Starts from a basic and then I just take the next measure and just walk around her. It does keep the cha-cha timing but it doesn’t move like other cha-cha steps. She’s kind of the star of this little step because she’s doing some kind of grapevine with syncopation.

I could be wrong here but it kind of feels like this step was developed by someone thinking about what it would look like done by a lady wearing a short skirt with some fringe. Why else would you have a step where she’s going around in kind of a circle but taking lots of little quick steps.

Anyway, we finish that part and get into an extended frame and I give her a turn and then just cha-cha after her to pick her up for the next part. I suspect that when they give me a step like this that it is because there is something I should be doing to better lead the step but they always focus on the feet first. You can’t dance until you know where your feet are supposed to go. Its the process which I’m learning to live with even though I just want it all at once.

The next step is a bit strange as well. It is kind of like they had different people doing the Silver 2 and Silver 3 Cha-Cha syllabuses. Or the person developing the Silver 3 was bound and determined to toss in as much syncopation as they could. It starts with a basic and then we do a fifth position (rock to the side) but it is all syncopated. I’d have to remember the count but it is something like 2-and-3-and-4-and-1. It is similar to something OwnerGuy tossed into the open Cha-Cha I did with Kid T except we are still in frame doing this.

Then I bring her around with a turn and pick her up and start to go into a crossover break but instead of turning with her, I remain facing forward so only my left arm moves. She’s got more syncopation and I bring her back to face me and then send her back into another crossover with more syncopated steps. The last step I don’t change weight and we just do a simple underarm turn into whatever comes next.

We also worked on the Viennese Waltz and the newest step OwnerGuy showed us on Tuesday with the canter timing. Discovered the value of good dance notes because we were both stuck in a place and I was in a position where I couldn’t end up closing my feet because I was on the wrong foot. I had recorded in my dance notes that I held the 1 in a part and that fixed everything because it kept me on the right feet. Dance notes are kind of hard to do because I’m usually writing them right before group class and people are yelling at me to get into group class. And I don’t always know the names of the steps so I make up stuff that sounds good and my handwriting leaves a lot to be desired. Still, for me, the process of writing stuff down helps me to form the visual picture I need to remember a step.

I didn’t stay for group or party because I got a text from my wife that our power was off. It was cold and windy last night but I think this was caused by someone running into a power pole. Not that I could really do anything but it just seemed better to be there so I left. Turns out that the power came back on so it was on when I got home.

Had my work out this morning. We got to the end and there was about a minute left and she said we could stretch or do calf raises. Remembering the words of the Thespian’s post, I opted to do some quick calf raises. We do a lot of those when I work with her. My legs are always hidden by my dance pants but it still is something that needs strengthening.

So that was my week. Got a lot of stuff to get done this weekend because we leave in a week for vacation.