Overview
Decided to focus on Physical Qualities, expanding variety and vocabulary, by directing my attention to one move: salsa step. When I’m practicing, often so many thoughts tend to distract me and what I found particularly useful was leveraging the mirrors hanging up on the wall and with the erasable marker, writing down both
1) what I want to work on and
2) what I am actually working on.
Although I sometimes stick to the former, I often will relegate control and follow what comes up organically.
What got practiced
- Direction changes with the salsa step, turning both left and right – reminded of Kev’s comment from last week, about working on one’s weaknesses
- Double time of salsa step
Observations
- Looping double time transitioned me into a flow state, albeit how short
- Established two “checkpoints” when performing the double time of the salsa step – on the “and” of the three, I initiate the salsa step on the opposite side (i.e. if started on the right, then we now step on the left) and on the “6” I begin terminating the sequence on the same side
- Practicing the sequence (double time) at half-speed proved to be helpful – the memory of Rommel sharing (during the battling workshop that took place a couple weeks ago) that he regrets not spending more time practicing moves at half-speed lingered in my mind
- Felt confident breaking away from prescriptions of how double time “should be” done – On the last count of an 8-count, I deliberately did not step on the “and” of “8” and instead ended on “8”
- Maintaining a groove (hip swaying), while difficult, helped keep me on time when performing double time
Summary
Last night, I experienced (yet again) flow state: not too difficult, not too easy. Initially, double time for salsa step was frustrating, to the point of overwhelm. Aware of my tendencies to rush through this difficulty, I slowed down and was able to oscillate between a variety of speeds, slow and fast.