Hi girls, I just ordered The Dance Volume 1 with Carrie Konyha, I hope it's a good one as I don't have a whole lot of money. I want to take lessons, but I live in a small town and am having a hard time finding someone who teaches. I've never done this before so I'll start with a video. I hope I like it.
In Cali you should have no trouble finding an instructor locally. They may noy be in your hometown, but maybe within a 30 minute drive??? Go to www.shira.net and search in the instructor directory by state. Not all instructors are listed, so if there is no one listed nearby, contact an area dancer listed-they may know of a closer dancer to you.
Ladies, how long before a class/performance do you eat?
I have two and a half hours left before tonight's class (it lasts an hour). I'm nowhere near the amount of calories I need for the day, but I doubt I'll be very hungry after class, either; I remember last week I was super-hyper afterward.
But I don't want to eat more than I really want now, just because of that; it would be just my luck to get sick to my stomach in the middle of dancing because I "overate". Advice?
Wheee! Why didn't anyone ever tell me how much more FUN practice is with a hip scarf? I'm all jingly now.
My instructor's assistant was selling handmade scarves; I picked out a beeeeauuuutiful hunter-green velvet one with silver coins, because I'm a Harry Potter nerd and like Slytherin colors.
I can't stop practicing now; the noise and weight of the scarf is too much fun! lol
I really, really have to practice isolations here before I start teaching again. I feel so "out of it" since Saber was born. I really need to drill belly rolls and floorwork moves-ab/back/core moves REALLY badly.
It has been rough since I have been so sleep deprived, and Saber is a very "high maintenance" baby, as in, he won't let anyone put him DOWN. EVER.
I am hoping to perform in a show this holiday season...so I better get my groove back and try to get some dancing in so I don't feel so rusty.
Aw, Aphil, I'm so sorry that it's been rough on you. Is there anyone you could trust to watch Saber for an hour or two each day so you can have some "you time"? (I hope that's not an offensive question. I know NOTHING about babies.)
But with all the dancing you've done, you can at least feel assured that your muscles will remember the proper movements, so whenever you DO get to practice, I know it will come right back to you. I'm sure you miss the feeling of it, though. Good luck!
Well, the problem with someone watching Saber is that we relocated to this new town in February for my husband's work. It has been rough, because I had to lose all of my regular performing gigs/classes. I traveled to dance with the performing company I was with until right before Saber was born, but with him the 2 1/2 hour drive is too much.
Upon the move, I have had to "start over" here-and offer new classes, and I am networking area festivals, art councils, restaurants, coffee houses, and such to try and get clientele here in this area.
All of our family (grandma's etc.) are all 1 1/2 to 2 hours away because of the move...and all of my friends are anywhere from an hour to 3 hours away now...so it is pretty much my husband and I. When he is home in the evenings he helps a LOT-but he only really has time to help with dinner/homework and baths with our older two children and a few things like that. There just isn't enough time in the day for him to do anything to help me with "me" time each day. My roots look awful.
I am going to try to get Saber to go in the baby swing for 20-40 minutes each day so that I can dance or exercise. (I SHOULD be napping though...I am averaging 1-4 hours of sleep a night total.) Hopefully it will work.
I am going to have to pump some milk this weekend sometime, though-so DH can feed Saber while I do my roots. My hair color is driving me CRAZY. (I have some grays showing....)
I'll pop back in and let you all know if I got to dance or not...
Is it normal to not really "get" the moves during a class, and have to practice all week in order to nail them in the next meeting? And is my coordination likely to improve enough during this course, that I won't have as much trouble keeping up with the instructor in the next one? I just feel like I'm constantly a week behind, and while I adore learning the choreography, it's a little frustrating.
I've never done anything physical because I was embarrassed; I never played sports, never ran, and rarely danced in front of anyone--as a matter of fact, until I took this class, my husband was the only human who'd seen me dance in eight years. So I don't really have any frame of reference as to how difficult this should be. Help?
Everyone learns at their own pace...and everyone will master moves at their own pace. As with everything, you will have a movement or aspect of the dance that will seem to come naturally/quickly to you...and you will find that another thing is more diffcult. One student may be naturally good at hip movemments while someone else has trouble with them, and someone else may be able to learn to play zils very easily...while another dancer is much better at veil.
Every dancer lears at their own pace...and has things that they are good at, and things they have trouble with-and these things are different for every person. If you ever get to see and become familiar with professionals-this is why one dancer may be famous for her belly rolls and another for her skirtwork. This is why it is good, if you plan on going further in the art, to attend workshops and learn from different instructors.
The students in my classes are in all different levels of ability.
