I'm not sure I've ever tried, to be honest - move them how, exactly??!

I spent 10 years of my life horse-riding or swimming, so it's been a pretty big leap from these toballroom/latin!

Did about a year of tap but got bored and school work took over.

Did a bit of Indian dancing too at school, and picked it up fairly quickly, also didn't mind dance lessons in Performing Arts at school.

Then July/august 2006 I started ballroom and latin and started it properly in October time.

Not so good at the ballroom, it's too elegant for me (much like I could never do dressage because it was so elegant and controlled!) , but I thought I'd be better at ballroom than latin, oh how clearly not!

I'm a Dressage judge and trainer (haven't ridden for years now).

Dance teachers have given up trying to understand HOW I know what they're talking about - but they know its something to do with horses !!!

Aaaah, my dear sf, let me be the first to introduce you to separate buttock shimmying otherwise knownn as booty dancing.

Couldn't find a true African one that really give you a good luck on such short notice, but this one is funny as and gives you a good introduction to the technique...enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYpDV...eature=related

Umm, yes, so that is exactly how it is done.

Oooh, even better just found a really cool Punjabi booty shake (she's really good): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAm6k...eature=related

Oh my word LOL that doesn't look real...

Is it bad that I now feel the urge to try that?

It's only bad if you try and don't take a video and post it for us and all the world to see

Now that would be an interesting new thread....

*laughs* I absolutely promise I'm not going to be posting myself trying to make my bumcheeks dance ANY time soon....

Moving independently behind is not a patch to moving independently upfront.

That booty dancing looks unreal. Not sure I wanna try it, and I'm sure no-one would want to watch!

Peely, you'll never know how good it is unless you try it. And then of course, it's only polite to share and share alike.

It was definitely an interesting class. I was with women from all over the world and you could tell exactly where they had been born by the way they tried to move their lower halves. The women from South America kept slipping in salsa-type hip movements and well we of European descent were having a hard time understanding that there were two buttocks that could be moved separately.

And soulmate...what a comment. Shocked I tell you. He he, from someone called soulmate no less.

Woo!

You might have taught me...though I doubt it!

It's like dressage...full of fancy moves...all controlled..if you go wrong eeek.

Ballroom...full of fancy moves...all controlled..if you go wrong eek.

I would love to learn the Argentine tango, but my boyfriend said No, No, No...

Maybe for my birthday this year! *Wistful sigh*

xx

From what I have seen the Argentine tango amounts to making love in public.

i've done dancing since a very young age, with a small gap to complete my gcse's and a levels
i do tap, ballet, jazz, disco, modern and street jazz.

i have a also done a little salsa.

i just love dancing, i love being on stage, i love the challenge of a new step, i love laughing at myself, i just love it.... if i could do nothing else to my final breath then i'd dance

Makes me think of the Pressburger film Red Shoes.

I've danced for just over twenty years but not ballroom/latin. I'm qualified to teach freestyle and modern dance and I'm in the process of working towards my teachers' exams for ballet and tap as well. I absolutely love dancing, I loved performing but made the decision earlier this year that I would focus only on teaching now as I'm getting on a bit! I also spent quite a few years figure skating - I know it's not dancing but it's very close - and I absolutely love that too, I really miss not being able to get to the rink like I used to when I was younger.

Because I've been missing dancing myself and because SCD is so inspiring I've signed up for ballroom/latin classes starting this month. I've done a little bit of salsa and a jive course (it was more that leroc stuff than real jive) but this is the first proper latin/ballroom stuff I've ever done so I'm really excited!

Have only ever danced Standard and Latin seriously, and of course that is where my passion lies, and always will.

I was forced into Disco which I really didn't enjoy, that lasted all of about 12 weeks.

Gave up Standard to concentrate on Latin, recently began to venture into Ballet, a little bit here and there . . . wow, I never realised before I tried it exactly how opposite the energies are that you use between Ballroom and Ballet.

We'll have to compare notes when I start Becca because we seem to be working in completely the opposite direction! I think I'll find the idea of heel leads really difficult. The idea of stepping forwards onto anything other than my toe is so different from ballet and modern. What things did you find the most difficult to adapt?

I find it so hard to bring the energy higher up in my body the way that Ballet requires, as I have such a strong connection to the floor. I am so grounded I find it impossible to bring my weight away from my centre and upwards, as it is so drilled into me by now to use the relationship I have with the floor in the way that Latin requires.

I heard that when Hanna started dancing Exhibition with Victor, although he is so physically strong and she is so tiny, he could not lift her at all, the reason being that she was so grounded after all her years of Latin training. But she evens performs en pointe now . . . so much of it is all in the mind. All forms of dance train us not only physically but so much mentally also.

Wow, very interested hear about the ballroom-ers transition to ballet. I do ballet, but have only dabbled in ballroom and to that small extent I have managed to get away with using ballet techniques, no one has ever explained to me the "energy from the floor" thing.

My ballroom or Latin dancing friends always admire the fact that I can do ballet as they say it's much tougher, I expect they are just flattering me, though. I enjoy the discipline of ballet, but most of all I like the escapism provided by dancing; it's so relaxing to think of nothing except the movement of my body for a couple of hours, forget about work and the laundry and everything else out there!

xx

Oh I can symapthise ..... finally managed to get my OH to take a class and now he's more addicted than I am.

Think AT might be a good dance to try for the more reluctant males out there - it's based on simple walking plus you don't have to wiggle your hips or doing anything too "showy".

Unlike those booty shakers OMG Wow!!!!!

Didn't realise you were a horserider too, Gritty! I did dressage for 15 years, and loved every minute - never got the hang of going over bloomin' jumps of any kind, though!

Because I loved the controlled precision of dressage, I always expected Ballroom to be my forte, but as time is progressing, my Latin FAR excels my Ballroom. I guess that's because I have had to work SO damned hard on my Latin technique, where as I just tend to mosey along through the Ballroom dances on instinct alone instead of really thinking hard about it.

I did tap and ballet as a child, but Ballroom and Latin have always been my one true love!

I think there is an issue of people who watch the programme but don't dance thinking Ballroom is more technique and Latin is more performance.

Whereas Latin requires just as much technique as Ballroom.

I have good news to report...

I can do the booty whachamacallit

Not gonna be posting it on youtube though...

I did some ballet and tap dancing when I was really young. Appeared on stage in pantomine at our town hall. I'd forgotten all about that and it was only your thread sarah-flute which reminded me. My ballet was rubbish (I wasn't flexible enough), but my tap dancing not bad, and I can still do a bit.

Did some ballroom and latin more recently. Originally started with social type dances (social waltz, foxtrot etc as well as some dances which are less mentioned such as bossa nova) but changed instructors and found myself doing more serious ballroom style dancing with some limited latin (e.g. rumba, jive, cha cha). Was going to take exams but was ill for a short time and didn't resume. Have never learnt tango or paso doble and never got the hang of the samba (just can't do it!).

Have also done some argentine tango, taught in different styles (focussing on steps/patterns first and then walk/balance/weight distribution etc). I find argentine tango easier to do than ballroom, at least at a superficial level, since the stance and walk is more natural.

Had about two salsa lessons. Have been meaning to do more of this since it would be good exercise for me and there is a very local dance class, but work commitments have got in the way. Maybe in the summer..........