how are your lessons going? thread II

Sounds like a great lesson all around!

Only within the past few months have I started to enjoy Viennese waltz ...actually feels pretty good...

...but heaven help anyone who is in pro's and my path coming down the floor...would not be good.

Sunday lesson cancelled due to Sandy, Monday lesson cancelled, studio closed due to Sandy... Today, wind is still too strong for my little 2 seater car, which would of become airborne on the highway.... I cancel...

Off topic a bit.... So instead go out to dinner with husband and I tell him that I am using our AMEX points to go to Ohio. I tell him he is welcome to come, he declines, whew!!!....

I tell him my expectations are minimal, about my fears. This might of been better than a lesson... He lectures me to expect greatness. Tells me a story about his years in college football, a no fear kind of discussion...Really, nothing beats a kick you in the butt husband who supports your dreams, emotionally and financial....

My boyfriend (and standard partner) and I take turns in kicking each other in the butt (figuratively) as competitions and uncertainties come up.

not really imo

Had my first jazz movement class where we learned a small jazz routine. Never moved my body like that before. A lot of fun, but my body paid for it. Need to work on better stretching.

Also had a class on spinning techniques. Much more difficult than I initially believed.

I'm on a budget but I've had a bunch of coaching sessions with some accompolished pros. I finally have found the dvds that teach the exact same principles. It's nice to be able to not spend 80 bucks an hour for closely guarded ballroom secrets along with being able to rewind if I need to refresh my memory on something.

What DVD's have you liked?

i wasn't on the receiving end of the lesson, but yesterday i taught 7 straight lessons with no breaks in between! i was in a bad auto accident in august and ripped my internal and external oblique's off of my hip bones. had to have a serious surgery and both muscles had to have mesh sewn to my muscle and drilled into my hip bones. i felt great teaching yesterday and really felt like i was back to my old self again on the dance floor.

The specialty videos on dancevision.com. They break down the fundamentals of good dancing better than anything I've ever seen. Things like posture, swing, and sway are explained so that one understands the physics behind these beautiful movements.

I agree. The Dance Vision DVD's are very good. You may also wish to try the DVD's by Emilio Libero. They cost a little less than the Dance Vision DVD's and have some patterns on them that the Dance Vision DVD's do not have. Also Dance Vision has some patterns that the Libero DVD's do not have. In addition, I would recommend that you try some of the USISTD or the ISTD instructional DVD's. You can find the ISTD and Libero DVD's by using Google. I have found them all to be very helpful when I use them as a supplement or back-up to the group classes and/or private lessons. Good luck.

Why are tango contra rocks so difficult for me? They make me feel like a klutz.

Well, in general it feels good. I suspect it doesn't LOOK as good as it could.

I had my first Latin lesson today since before Millenium. I have to say, it's particularly surreal being the "experienced" half of a partnership in *Latin*. Still, the lesson went well and I don't doubt my am partner will pick things up quickly enough.