. . : watching myself : :

Watching myself dance on the video they made for me has got to be one of the scariest moments of the competition. The only reason for this is that I know what I should be doing but am unable to perform it with my body. Seeing myself not doing everything I know I should be is a terrible feeling. Of course, the only solution is practice, which I haven't been doing as much as I should. In order to prepare for Vegas again in December, I've made the following resolution:

I must practice during the school week every single day after 2:15 just like any other athlete would do. This means going in to see Ms. Cory and allotting time for practice in the dance hall. About 1 hour every day I do not have dance should do.

Even though the video is, for me, scary and embarrassing, it provides a lot of insight into what I forget most. Some blunders were unavoidable, but I must remember these next time:

The Waltz:
* Never, ever lift the feet off the ground! I should be sliding and gliding along - not stepping.
* A strong connection must always be present, meaning that the left hand should be pressing away his shoulder, and the back should be firmly against his right hand. The head should also look away to the left as if it's opposing his.
* A pleasant expression must always be worn! That means smiling nicely, of course. This is so important, I'm ashamed I sometimes forget this... As Yolanda says, I am dancing with the hottest man out there! I should be happy about that!
* The left hand needs to look energetic and should be "pinching" his right bicep. I'm not supposed to really pinch it, but the thumb and middle finger should appear like they are.

The Rumba:
* This may have been because I was a little nervous having been contested for the first time at the Nevada Star Ball, but nevertheless my posture was horrible. I need to be confident in what I dance and I need to lift my sternum and press down my shoulders.
* I think I need to also be more fluid with my shoulders and upper body and include their movement in my dancing.
* I also can't neglect arm styling. With the arms, it's all or nothing. Literally. The arm needs to be plainly to the side, with the hand styled, or performing the complete movements.
* Overall, my rumba lacks attitude. Gott attitude? I sure don't. Heeheehee~ But this will come in time along with confidence. I'm just so bad at looking sultry...
* Also, the 1 and 3 beats should be lengthened so that the dance looks truly like a rumba. However, this is not necessary at the Newcomer's level.

The Cha Cha:
* The cha cha is a fast, sharp, energetic dance, and therefore the arm styling needs to be the same way. I just need to work on the arm extensions on the triple lock steps and the New Yorkers.
* The lock and chasse steps just need to be performed correctly; however, only practice will help this.
* As in the rumba, and probably due to the steep competition, my posture was horrible. Don't forget to think and look confident!

The Tango:
* In the tango, it is so important to bend those knees and feel like the hips are low and centered.
* I forgot the staccato-ness of the tango, especially in the feet. My whippings of the head were alright I suppose. ^_^
* I also feel like my head lacked the opposing appearance that should have been there. My head looked sort of dead and it looked like I was staring.
* The hips should be locked into his, and the body is located more to his right than in the waltz. Connection was lacking but never should be!