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Author: Fernando (page 24 of 32)

16.03.15. Beginners 1. Turn on line and back (yoyo) after a left turn

März 17, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

In Zouk there are a lot of kinds of turns and it’s very important for you to learn the differences between all of them. Today we will speak a little bit about the normal zouk turn (third step on the spot) and the turn on the line (you open at the end). The main difference in the leading: For a normal turn the guy just paint a circle over the head of the lady. For a turn on the line, the guy first bring the lady on the line and after that lead the turn.

For the combination: we are doing the lateral step, the left turn and after that the turn on the line with return (Yoyo).

Important things for the Yoyo:

Guys: After the first left turn of the lady make space on your right side for the lady to be comfortable. Everytime you bring the lady to you, you think on this space. You are leading the lady to the front with your hole body, not just with your arm. For the turn on the line, first bring the lady into the line and after that you turn the lady. If you are leading the last step remember to get the lady on 2 with your right hand.

For the ladies: Don’t put your weight on your heels while turning on the line because in this way you loose your balance backwards. Your focus is on your partner. For the first turns take care about your right arm and bring it over your left arm (in front of your chest and the elbow in front of your shoulder, not outside). For the last turn is very important to close your legs on 2 before you go your third step, so you will keep better your balance. Please take care too about your left arm and bring it up.

Have fun!

15.03.15. Intermediate. Table Cambré.

März 15, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

Technique is very important if you don’t want to heart yourself. We will learn today how to go down with your partner. PLEASE: Warm up your body and do the step under your own responsibility. These videos cannot replace a zouk teacher. They are like a map, so you know, the possibilities you have with zouk. BUt you need regular zouk lessons!

Ladies: if you are doing the “table cambré”, your feet are parallel under the line of your shoulders. Your knees go to the front. You try to sit over your feet. Your back is straigh and you look to the front. If you go up, you can use the energy of your legs to go up with the pelvis first, don’t get the energy from your back.

Guys: be prepared to support your lady and go down on your left knee. If you bring the lady up, let the move breath (watch the video).

See you next week!

15.03.15. Beginners 1. Basic step with feeling, two basic steps backwards and the wave.

März 15, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

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.

Enjoy the dance! ;-)

11.03.15. Beginners 2. Double long left turn on the line (bumerangue) with a turn for the guys.

März 12, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

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.

See you next week!

11.03.15. Intermediate. Turn on the line with head movement (closed position) and opening to the right.

März 12, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

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.

Practise a lot and see you next week!

10.03.15. Advanced. Turn on one leg, “Tic-Tac” and head movements on the spot while turning.

März 12, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

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.

10.03.15. Beginners 1. Left turn from lateral with left hand up and right hand down.

März 12, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

The beginners 1 course is getting interesting ;-)

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.

09.03.15. Intermediate. Transfering the weight on the line for an audience.

März 12, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

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).

See you next week!

09.03.15. Beginners 2. Long turn on the line with left turn for the guys. Let’s fly!

März 11, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

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.

Have fun and see you next week!

Hugs,

Fernando

09.10.03. Beginners 1.Zouk feeling: The beat. Lateral and left / right turn combination.

März 9, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Hi everybody!

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:

http://zouk-germany.com/16-02-15-beginners-1-combination-side-step-left-turn-side-step/

And the combination lateral – right turn – lateral too:

http://zouk-germany.com/03-03-15-beginners-1-two-combinations-lateral-right-turn-lateral-lateral-left-turn-elastic/

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.

See you next week!

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