Tuesday, April 03, 2007 . 4:15 PM
Ballroom 'Check' pose..
A pose from our Argentine Tango ..
I've been alittle caught up practicing for my dance performance to blog last week. I was practicing on Thursday and a last minute brush up on Saturday.
I feel as if i'm always putting myself to some challenges. Each time after i go through some major dancing thing like performance, i feel FREEDOM. It's that kind of feeling you get every time your exams ended.
Saturday, i went for driving lessons at Bukit Gombak. And after driving, i took the mrt all the way to AMK. I'm getting quite acquainted with the north line ah... always traveling to and fro along the north. I started my practice with Derrick from 2pm till 6pm. Any professional dancer would tell you that 4 hours are nothing. You can only achieve that little during that 4 hrs. I was feeling the stress mounting up as i struggled to remember the steps in Argentine Tango, my other half of the brain thinking about the worse about how am i going to make it for performance when i couldn't even remember the steps! It was rather frustrating. Our steps were not finalised until probably 4pm...since we only just choreographed the steps, just for this performance, we kept changing the steps etc until i was really lost. The 2nd half of the dance, i struggled so hard to remember the steps. I learn steps very fast. But remembering is another matter. I don't REALLY remember everything by hard. It's the guy's job to lead anyway, as long as i know wat am i supposed to do can aldy. There weren't enuff time to hone my dancing steps anyway. I kept making Derrick go thru the dance again n again n again with music till i can dance without mistakes. ANyway it was a full dress rehearsal. Cos you have to get accostumed to ur costumes so that it won't b ur 1st time during the performance, it will affect ur performance.
Then alittle of practicing of salsa flips, we went back to argentine tango one more time. At some point, when im supposed to lift my legs up, i kicked derrick's fingers, his left thumb's nail almost got dislodged.... my right leg oso got a cut and blueblack from it. My feet were sore from all the dancing, and not to mention we always kicked each other's legs accidentally. Sometimes im the one who kicked my own other leg while dancing, the skin coming off at the toes.
The price to pay for being a dancer.
The next day i didn't go church cos i had to arrive at Carriagebar by 4pm. The buffet would arrive and arranged to b positioned on the dance floor cos they lack other places to put the food. So we had to arrive b4 the food, to try out the dance floor.
No one rule about dancing is th at you should always try out the actual dance floor for many reasons, such as getting a feel of the dance floor. Different dance floors may feel sticky, slippery or just right for your shoes. We always carry two pairs of dancing shoes with us. One that is seasoned (for floors that are too sticky), and another that is not so seasoned(for floors that are too slippery). Dancing on actual dance floor would also helped us to see the direction of where the audiences are etc, so that we can familiarize with the place. You really won't want to b looking for your directions ONLY when ur performing cos you will panic. Another reason is to know where you wanna stand to start the dance and roughly how much space u need. You also really wouldn't wan to go on the stage not knowing where to start lor...
But my performance is scheduled at 10pm. 4 to 10 pm? *smack head* sighz...
I have two costumes. So i have to drag them, two shoes, and makeup to the place. The toilet in the bar is not so clean and i knew many pple would b occupying the toilet later on. I couldn't change till it's 9.30pm mah... There's another toilet, 2 floors up, which belongs to York Hotel. And it's really clean.
By 7+pm, i went up to do my makeup. I think the highlight of performing for me is always the make up part. I spent more than half an hr inside the toilet slowly enjoying myself with the make up. It's so therapeutic man.
And then it was back to stoning around and socializing. Some aunties and uncles from the dance class came to support us and to dance. There would b band playing and pple get to dance b4 our performance.
Another thing about the dance shoes was that there is a layer of velvet under each shoes.That's y they cost so much, and of cos the designing of the shoes ensure great stability for turnings,spinnings etc. The shoes CANNOT touch water, thats cos the velvet would soak up the water and cause your shoes to feel stucky/sticky. That means i can't spin much etc.. won't b so smooth.
When i went up to the 2nd floor to change into my Argentine Tango dress (btw i bought a new dress not the greeen flambouyant one..), i accidentally touched water with my shoes. you probably can imagine my panic. I couldn't wear my dress without my hands trembling with panic. I always feel like i could explode with nervousness before i go up the stage, but once on stage i'll look like im so calm.
While i was waiting during those hours, the aunties were saying that i always look like im not stressed out nor nervous, like i very heck care the fact that i have to perform later one. I can still go around enjoying myself etc... i didn't tell them y....i just smiled and surprised they actually said that...that's mainly cos i 4got i have to perform later. Once i get into the mood of nuaing i juz continue to nua and do watever, i'll 4get abt wat i have to do..till the time comes and i'll panic aldy.
The thing about dancing is that you have to warm yourself up before going on stage or else u will definitely not b stable and will cause more panic n stress for yourself. So before i went to change,we went out to practice, to dance ard till our bodies are warmed up. Drinking some warm water oso helps.
Argentine Tango's dress was really very sexy, all the aunties and uncles were like woah. The dance itself, well we made many mistakes but they won't know anyway cos it's our cheorography. The reviews were also mixed. Some aunties said it's beautiful, some said we need more big actions..but the thing is real argentine tango on the floor is all about the legs and the FEELING ah....But yeah for performance we need some big actions lar. So we will b re-cheorographing the steps again.
Then, Derrick went on to perform hip hop salsa with Joanne, Catherine and Jackie. Derrick zai lor. He performed 3 dances. And so many steps to rem. I can imagine the stress. it's very very tiring as well. So while they performed hip hop salsa, i went up 2 floors to change into my salsa dress.
Climbed up n down..alamak... The salsa performance was great. Everyone was geared up; they cheered, clapped etc..cos i did flips as well...so it looks like it's got big actions.
After that, we were all worn out. Decided to juz head home. My body has been aching for days.
I would say, my life is nothing short of being boring. I'm always being challenged to do more, to do betta. New experiences comes along, new dancing places, getting to know new pple etc.
All the dance pple in my class knew how little we had to put our argentine tango, they commented that we were very good, and i'm a fast learner. And so salsa, just in a matter of few months i'm able to dance to this standard. I was told by people that to reach my standard now, it usually takes pple around 5 years. And can u imagine how little i practice compared to other pple? i oso think im not bad man. haha not being egoistic here...
The performers, Joanne, Jackie(he's wearing a brown n black stripe shirt; not like his flesh is exposing...)me, Derrick, Catherine
Some of the pple from my classes who were present that nite..
