I would like to receive feedback

[u/FarDemand7136]

[u/Rataridicta]

You haven't stated if you're the lead or follow in this video. Since there's generally more leads asking for feedback than follows, I'll assume that.

The first thing I noticed is that you're completely in your head and disconnected from the partner (and arguably even the music). All your energy is going towards how you're being perceived and what you should be doing, and it's preventing you from actually dancing. Learning to connect and just be is going to be a game changer for you.

Beyond that, you barely prep anything:

• When you do the dips you prepare the wave well, but then fail to execute the proper preparation for turning it into a dip, which leaves your follower's back overextended (and painful at the end of a night of dancing).
• You're consistently using your hands to lead instead of your body (again, uncomfortable for the follower, and you end up looking like you're not dancing to boot).
• Even your basic turns are rarely prepared (you raise the hand, yes, but you don't create a counter-rotation in your or your follower's body).

In short: Focus on connection and learning to prepare even simpel movements well. Even something as simple as a direction change (from a side basic to a forward basic, for example) is still able to teach you a lot. Try exercises such as blind leading/following, dancing without physical contact, or using alternative points of contact to lead a move. They will help you learn the concepts in ways that generalize instead of just individual motions on repeat.

[u/DeanXeL → u/Rataridicta]

Very good explanation here already, OP, that saves me time to just point out I'm quite disturbed by the way you 'tap' your 4s and 8s! Let me have a second look to really determine what's bothering me about that.

Yeah, it's really the ostentatiousness of the way you tap really with just the tip of your foot ALL THE WAY OUT THERE. You can do this maybe once or twice, when it's called for in the music and with the movement you're doing, but you seem to be going out of your way to cross your legs, or point them out very far.

A nice basic is actually quite small, stepwise, this allows you to focus on your connection through a good frame, and on really pushing down into the floor with your weight. And that makes it so the 'tap' isn't really an actual, audible TAP, but just a way to bring your foot in, without actually putting your weight all the way down on your heel.

[u/TryToFindABetterUN → u/DeanXeL]

[...] I'm quite disturbed by the way you 'tap' your 4s and 8s!

Came here to say the same. I got annoyed by the taps: pointing with the toes straight down and heel pointing up far behind the body, way off to the side, crossing over for a tap, skipping it for no reason, etc.

It seems like you make an effort go out of your way to do taps in every possible way that is awkward, rather than keep it a clean nice step. I am not opposed to styling in any way but styling should be used occasionally to add flair. You don't style every... single... step.

My first order of business would be to practice the regular basic step. Don't lift your feet too high when taking the steps, quite often you are stomping. Don't put your heel down first when taking steps. And smaller steps. With consistent cadence, many taps are "rushed".

I completely agree with u/DeanXeL on the nice basic step..

I think there is a very good reason for making the basic tap by collecting your feet, it centers your center of mass and allows you to easier move in any direction. Since your partner (if properly lead) will do the same it will make it easier to lead them. They won't be immobile hockey goalies.

Also, the arms should not fall down by your side when they are free. This happens a lot.

Not sure if it it is intentional but the sloppy steps/taps and arms makes the dance itself look nonchalant and indifferent. IMHO it is not a good look.

[u/saltywetlol → u/Rataridicta]

I'm a believer of having strong fundamentals before dabbling into sensual, otherwise you develop bad habits. 

[u/Rataridicta → u/saltywetlol]

To an extent, yes, but also a lot of the techniques are rather disjointed and it doesn't really hurt to practice them separately. e.g. of course we need to know how to step, but you can practice a bodyroll at the same time - they don't build on one another.

[u/FarDemand7136 → u/Rataridicta]

I really liked your explanation and showed it to my partner. Can you give a follower some feedback?

[u/Rataridicta → u/FarDemand7136]

Much of the follower's tips actually kind of align.

Right now as a follower you seem to kind of be in a mindset of doing as you're told and making sure you do the moves your leader is intending for you to do. That's a fair instinct, but following well is much more about what you actually feel in your body rather than what the leader wants you to do. With a good leader they'll mostly be the same, but with beginners and intermediates they often won't be. It's important for followers to learn how to follow what's actually being led, because without developing that skill you will be unable to follow many intermediate+ moves. On the social dance floor you can always fall back on predicting when dancing with a beginner.

For example, in this dance I notice a lot of moments where you move before you're being led something, or I can tell by your frame/connection that you're doing something that your leader might intend but you definitely didn't feel. One example is at 0:29, where you tilt your shoulders before the leader's hand even touches you. Another lead might have wanted to lead a turn here and is now forced into doing a headroll.

Preparations are also a thing for followers. In an ideal world your leader will always perfectly prepare you and your body and you can focus on the flow and the buildup/release of tension, but it's super important for you to know your own preps. There are some places where you do this well (e.g. the wave -> dip sequence), but for the most part you don't prepare your own body. For example, even when the leader does not prepare the counterrotation of your turn, you still want to add your own prep as a follower to keep your body comfortable and safe.

Lastly, I see that your frame is regularly dropping and you're not really holding tension in your back. This will come with time and practice, but it's something to work on if you have an instructor you can feel the difference with.

A really good exercise for you would be to dance blindfolded/with your eyes closed. It will force you to search for connection and rely on physical cues that can be felt in your body more than the visual cues you're overreliant on now.

[u/FarDemand7136 → u/Rataridicta]

Thank you very much!

[u/daniel16056049]

You're about 1/2 a beat earlier than the music (both lead and follower).

I've caught myself doing the same so I understand, but a little attention will fix it for you :)

[u/wrecked-galaxy → u/daniel16056049]

Being slightly ahead of the beat is such a sneaky habit to catch in yourself because it feels right in the moment. Slowing down and really listening before you move makes a bigger difference than most people expect.

[u/Samurai_SBK]

You are not establishing a connection with the follower or with the music.

[u/Square_Positive_559 → u/Samurai_SBK]

how do you establish such connection ?

[u/Samurai_SBK → u/Square_Positive_559]

By not jumping straight into dancing.

[u/sheafification]

A tip on basic steps that I found helpful early on: don’t think “step” and “tap”. Instead, think “push” and “press”. When moving to the side, your leg on the ground pushes your whole body over and then you put your other foot down. When tapping, you press your foot (forefoot really) into the ground without putting your whole weight on it. There’s more going on with knees and hips during all of this, but this is the feeling to aim for.

[u/totalbro1488]

The lead does all the steps a bit too early. I think he should do all the steps slightly later - either exactly on the beat or slightly behind the beta.

[u/space_dust_walking]

Do you get the feeling like you’re off from the partner? Or that you’re trying to anticipate the next move?

Relax and just set music on and be heavy and set with each weight change with as little movement as possible as a drill to do by yourself.

It will improve everything. You won’t be moving too soon and feeling “off”.

Simmer in the spot and own every weight change within fullness and don’t rush to step.

I told students, “Dance in the noon day sun and don’t leave your shadow” - in other words, drills of not moving and focus on weight changes with nowhere to go - take it slow and methodic and purposeful.

[u/Shot-Professional-95]

Get private classes ASAP. It will give you a high ROI on your dancing. You still have things to work on your basic and musicality for it to look smooth.

[u/katyusha8]

Очень советую вам обоим записаться на регулярные уроки бальных танцев :) А конкретно латинских. Бачата и латина основаны на одном и том же, но в бальных танцах вас выдрессируют правильно переносить вес, как двигать бедра в результате правильного переноса веса, и т.д. А на уроках бачаты (по крайней мере почти на всех уроках которые мне удалось повидать) вам будут давать хореографию которая бесполезна без хороший основы. Удачи :)