I had a total “duh” moment in salsa practice tonight.
There’s a move in the choreography where you drop down in a wide stance (grand plie in 2nd position), drop your head and torso over the left knee while straightening the right leg, and the shift your weight, lunging over to the other side. Think Pussycat Dolls. However, I had been feeling decidedly un-sexy when trying to execute this move.
When I asked the director what was going on, it turns out I was staying too tucked in. 
In translation, with my knees bent, I needed to be sticking out my butt out and arching my back. As soon as I realized this was the problem, I was able to revert back and the whole choreography felt more fluid. This is correct salsa posture. It’s something that felt very natural to me when I first started dancing, and it’s something I taught my students when I was teaching. Yet in the year that I have been devoting myself to the study of modern dance, I have lost the instinctive placement of my body into a posture that used to come so naturally to me.
A year ago, it was so hard for me to get that tucked-in, tight core, straight spine posture required in my modern dance class. Now it seems that I have re-molded my body to instinctively put itself into the opposite of what had come naturally. On the upside, it means the modern training has been working. It also explains all the comments I’ve been getting while social dancing salsa about how I must do ballroom (I don’t. Never have.).
I hadn’t been to a formal salsa class/practice in about two years. As of last week I’m doing modern Sunday/Tuesday and Salsa Monday/Wednesday. I have to figure out how to “flip the switch” each day. I actually view this as an excellent opportunity.
My director likened it to switching between dancing salsa on 1 and on 2. In the beginning it’s very challenging and you need to focus on one, but with time you are able to easily switch between the two (as I do).
In September, I wrote a post about how I was able to devote myself to my two “dance addictions.” Everything I wrote still holds true, but I must add to the list this more specific point about differences in posture between the two styles. At the time, I wrote “I am not sure if I am sacrificing one technique for another by doing both salsa and modern simultaneously.” I think that up until this point, the answer has been “yes,” but from here on out, I believe that I’ve reached a moment in my development where that can change.
My “duh” moment gives me the knowledge I need to be intentional in the placement of my body. I don’t think it’s at all an insurmountable challenge, and I look forward to applying my new intention to my dancing.
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December 17, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Bernadette
I’ve been thinking about this since I read it, um, a while ago. When I took my first West Coast workshop, I drove straight from the Saturday lessons to a Lindy dance that was being held in my hometown which I didn’t want to miss for personal reasons. When I got there and started dancing, suddenly it was so hard to follow guys I danced with all the time. I realized that my brain was still stuck in Westie, and until I could transition, my Lindy, well, sucked.
It’s the same thing with ballet. It’s done wonders for my posture, but now I have to constantly work on being grounded and feeling the pulse. I think it’s a little like languages, taking Latin and Spanish at the same time. They’re confusing and annoying, then suddenly something clicks in your mind, everything begins working together at hyper speed and you’re off and running.
It’s very exciting that you’ve hit that point in your dancing. One day, I will too.
December 18, 2007 at 11:45 am
Selly
The worst one is going from ballet (my fave) to hip hop (fun,but I suck. A lot). I’m already hilariously bad, but then you add me still thinking about corrections from the barre… yikes!
December 21, 2007 at 12:25 am
Maria
Selly, your comment about the corrections makes me wonder if it’s more in your head than your body. At any rate, I’m sure it’s a little of both. Just being aware of the specific differences as they apply to my own body are making a big difference.
Bernadette, I think my mind is there and hopefully my body’s not too far behind!
By the way, thank you two for being such loyal followers and commenters. It means a lot to have your perspectives and I love that you both come from very different dance genres than me.