Walk like a Dancer

    Skippy Blair © 1992 Rev. 9-95, 10-01,6-03  

A Dancer moves through space by the carefully studied use of body control.  The "Center Point of Balance" (Solar Plexus) moves upward as the toes press DOWN into the floor.  Learning to Dance is much more rewarding when the secret of controlling the "Center Point of Balance" (CPB) has been mastered.  This mastery produces a wonderful “Dance Walk”. Think of projecting the "Center" of your body forward - as if you were moving a shopping cart in front of you.   Your foot won’t hit the shopping cart because the cart moves in front of you - BEFORE you move your foot.  Practice this forward movement - and then continue walking, but allow the arms to swing freely.  The right arm will swing back as the right foot moves forward.  The left arm will swing back as the left foot moves forward.  Practice this exercise until you start to feel the freedom and exhilaration of contra-body movement.  A "lifted" feeling starts to develop, which allows you to move forward comfortably, on a straight line. (Single Tracking)

The "Sending Foot" presses down and BACK, in order to propel the body forward. The "Receiving Foot" accepts the weight transfer and immediately starts "pressing" - as it becomes the next "Sending Foot".  The important part here is to identify what is being SENT and what is being RECEIVED.  It is the "CPB".  It is located in the SOLAR PLEXUS and is about the size of a fist.  When the “Center Point of Balance” is tightened - and projected - it carries the whole body with it - in one connected piece.  

Control of your "Center Point of Balance" can elevate your level of dance almost overnight.  Yolanda, of “Veloz & Yolanda”, was known for her “entrances”.  It seems that she would pause in a doorway, and then slowly project herself across the room.  By the time she reached the other side of the room, all eyes were on her - and the room was silent.  We might not aspire to such a dramatic entrance, but we can certainly appreciate the impact of a great WALK.  A “GREAT” Walk requires developing individual elements, one at a time. 

The last element - the finishing touch - is to project the “Centering Knob, at the base of the neck, straight back. That knob is where the base of the neck and the top of the spine meet. It takes practice to keep the chin from going either up or down. - but the result is fantastic.  By pushing that knob back, the “finishing touch” lines up and centers the spine so that the entire body moves effortlessly across the floor, producing Body Flight.  It’s a wonderful feeling - and a sight to behold.  A beautiful “Dance Walk” is created when each element is learned and mastered separately, and then they all join together in their own time.  These elements include:  Sending & Receiving Foot - 3 Toe Base - Individual Connection - a lifted Center Point of Balance (CPB) - Contra Body Movement and control of the “Centering Knob” at the base of the neck. 

I view the dancer’s body as an instrument that needs to be kept in tune.  When we dance to recorded music - all of the music comes out of a little black box.  The Dancer who understands both the music and the dance, becomes the  VISUAL part of the music.