A lot of dancers think that if they learn a lot of steps they will become masters. And that’s not true. The easy things, like a basic step with feeling, are not so easy.
Today you learn on the video how to transfer the weight, how to change from 1-2 to 1-2-3, and a little combination for you to practise.
Guys: you can lead the move with your right under arm at the same time as you transfers the weight from one side to the other. You can move free through the space, dancing the basic and keeping the contact with your partner. Be sensitive about your partner adn lead her carefully.
For the ladies: you have to press with your belly to the front and keep the contact with the guy. Your left arm is over his shoulders.
Let’s practise the long left turn on the line (bumerangue) with a nice variation.
For the guys: Very important if you are turning that you focus on your partner and that you “cross the street” to the other side, becasuse you have to let the line free for the lady. If you are leading the second bumerangue, you do it with your right hand on 1, then on 2 the lady accepts the “chocolate”. Try to think about the line of the lady and help her to stay on the line. In every turn you are first pulling into the line and after that you lead the turn.
For the ladies: To stay on the line is very important and to focus on the guy too. If you are dancing the bumerangue, imagine you have a miniskirt, so you don’t go long steps. You need the feeling, your thighs are together.
It’s so nice to show you this beautiful step! Let’s go!
For the guys: At the very begining we put our right arm a little bit up for you to support the lady better. The first step backwards you bring the head of the lady to her left side (your left hand is up and your right hand is down). The second step you bring the lady in front of you (both shoulders are on the same line). The third step you bring the head of the lady to the right and you change the contact of your hand (the light blinds you!). You go to the side with the lady another step while you continue leading the turn (forth step). Being in front of the lady you lead her head half of circle backwards and then the next head movement comes. You bring the lady into the line with your right hand. The first two steps you lead with the hand up and while going the third step you bring the hand down, so the lady goes down with the head) and after that you bring the lady up with your body and your hand.
For the ladies: Your head isn’t active, your head is always following the shoulders. At the beginning keep the contact with the arm of the guy and very important too, do it while turning. Don’t loose the connection with the partner. If you are painting half of circle backwards, please stretch the frontal part of your body (your pelvis is to the front too). If you are turning and doing anything with the upper body or with the head, you have to close your ribs to keep the balance. The last turn with the head, stay on your line and don’t go with the head to the front before the leading comes. Bringing the head to the front you are opening a space with your chest in, please don’t bring your upper body to the front because in this case you will loose your balance. When you are bringing your head up, feel the weight of your hair, to now how much energy you need.
We repeat today the step of the last week and do some more head movements for the lady.
Guys: if you are leading the lateral step from the right to the left you have to go on 1 like in slow motion and keep the lady on her left foot. This will be her axis. Then turn the lady on one foot and block the lady if you are behind of her. You block with both hands, the left hand is blocking the lady up and the right hand is pulling to the right.
From here you want the lady goes to the right but she has to stretch and go first with the hips, so your left hand is pulling to the left (the lady lets the head fall to the left) and your right hand down leads the hips of the lady to the side. Then you have to play with the weight of the lady and her head. Please, watch the video for the explanation.
Ladies: for the turn on one leg you have to keep the tension on your center and to see your axis. While stretching two things happens at the same time: your head goes to the left and your hips to the right. From here you have to be sensitive, because the guy can play with your weight and with your head.
For the head movements. Guys: Respect the path of the lady and don’t force her to do any head movement if you see, she cannot do it. Ladies, think about on stretching always the opposite site of your neck. In this way your are protecting you. Important: If you are doing anything with your upper body and you are turning on the spot, your axis is the leg of the direction of the turn. If you are turning to the right, your right leg is your axis and if you are turning to the left, your left leg is your axis. In this case you are turning to the right.
Guys: you want to lead a left turn for the lady from lateral. You have a lot of possibilities for the turn. It depends on how are you holding the hands of the lady. Today your left hand will be up and your right hand down. While turning the lady you go with the right foot to the right. From here you will do the lateral step just to the side the hole time and lead the lateral step for the lady. Three things:
1. Your left arm is always over the shoulder line of the lady, so you have more space for her turn.
2. You start the leading of the turn of the lady on 1. If the lady is going to the front, just before she puts the foot on the floor you lead the turn (lateral step is half of turn) from your body and arms continue the leading.
3. If you want to do the basic step don’t go with the right to the right but let the lady go, do your steps more oder less on the spot and get the lady with the right hand on her back.
For the ladies, remember that you are supposed to do always the third step on the spot. Try to turn alwas your upper body to the guy, so you keep the connection with him. If the guy is turning you the last time, bring our left arm ober his arm.
Today we did a nice move, if you want a nice effect while dancing zouk.
We spoke about the opening from lateral and how guys you have to put amore energy for the lady to open.
The most important thing for the step is how to lead the lady the left for her to transfer the weight to the left. You are you pulling to the right with your hand on the same as the shoulders line of the lady. After she is transfering to the left you change the grip of your hand (watch the video carefully) and you bring the hand in front of the lady and open again to the right. For leading the bumerangue remember: the line is for the lady, so you need to go to the front with your right foot and after that you follow the lady.
For the ladies: while opening the lateral you go a little bit on your right knee and your left leg is stretched to the left. While transfering the weight stay with your energy to the front front (imagine you are dancing this step for an audience). For the bumerangue, keep the contact with the hand of the guy up (you are holding a pizza).
Let’s fly! There are somethings about the zouk-feeling and we want to tell you one today.
Maybe in other dances you are going steps and you can separate these steps from each other. In zouk we don’t like to speak about steps (we need it for the explanation, but real dance is anohter thing), we prefer to speak about move. For example you go two steps to the front while doing the basic step but it’s just one move to the front. One secret: use some more energy by pushing with the last foot (Watch the video to understand)
The combination of today. For the ladies: we do the long turn on the line (Bumerangue) and after that a left turn on the line. Very important for you is to close the legs while turning, you try to put your thighs together (more balance and it’s more beautiful).
For the guys. First turn the lady, then you and then the lady again. The leading: both turns are on the line, so you have to pull first the lady in the line and after that you paint a circle over the head of the lady. For your turn: focus on the lady, so will turn easily. you do your third step on the spot while turning.
Today we speak in the lessons about something very important. What you see in this website are just videos about the steps, but these can’t give you a real feeling about the dance. We want to film some videos to give you an idea about the “zouk-feeling”. Of course it’s something you cannot learn from videos, but we want to give you just an idea. Maybe it helps you to understand zouk a little bit better.
A basic: the beat and our steps on the floor. Something very typical of zouk it’s our beat. The first thing it’s to feel the beat like a heart “beating”. This beat has a strong time and two light times. The strong time has a lot of energy and we can use this energy in our dance. In the video you can see, hiw this energy is going down on the floor and comes back up.
After we repeat the the combination lateral – left turn – lateral:
For the guys. Think about your are crossing a street the hole time. For the ladies: do your third step on the spot the hole time and try to keep your upper body to your partner.
It’s really nice to have the possibility to show you beautiful moves.
Long turn on the line: For the ladies is a normal bumerangue. For the guys: After the first three steps, we will turn to the left and cross to the other side of the line of the lady.
Now guys, you lead the lateral and the and after that you turn to the right (for the ladies a normal lateral step). Guys: now you go down and you turn on your right leg. Keep the left hand on your right shoulder blade.
The turn of the spiral 1. If you want to see the spiral 1 slowly, you can check this post:
Guys: The first thing, bring the left hand as high as possible, so the spiral 1 is easier for the lady. The right hand goes up too, around the head of the lady. Ladies: stretch your body to the front while doing the spiral.
For the turn on the line with the head: Guys, your right hand goes up, bringing the head of the lady to the side. Ladies: Breath to the left side and stay with the head there as long as your right shoulder is up. When the guy brings the hand down, then you start the circle to the front with the head.
After the prison step and the long turn on the line (bumerangue) we can do a turn like in the video.
Guys: You are turning the lady with the right hand up and the left hand stays down. The right hand just holds the fingers of the lady. In this way you can get the left shoulder of the lady with your right hand. Go now in slow motion, briging the shoulder and the head of the lady to the side. Put your under arm on the back of the lady and help her to turn. If you want, the lady goes up, then you go with your body a little bit up too and the hands are following your body.
For the ladies. After the turn you will feel that the guy is bringing your left shoulder down, so your head goes to the side. You have a new contact ith the guy on your back: try to press against the under arm of the guy on your back. While turning on the spot (It’s the same everytime you turn to the right and do something with your upper vody), you will turn on your right leg, this is your axis. After the first step, the guy keep your shoulder on the same level, so your head goes to the front. Don’t go up alone and wait for the leading of your partner.
