Friday, February 04, 2011

Glossary - Fan Position

When you are looking at steps such as the Open Hip Twist into Fan in either Rumba or Cha Cha, it is integral that you really hit Fan Position properly for the rest of the movements to work. As it can sometimes be a little difficult to picture exactly where your bodies are positioned, here is a breakdown of both foot and body placement.

The whole shape of the position, when looked at from above, is much like its name suggests: a fan!


Your bodies are slightly more open than your foot placement which means that the opening of your fan, using your upper body and arms is as important as what your feet are doing.

2 comments:

  1. My understanding is that the lady and the man have symmetric positions. Man's weight is on his right foot. Man's left foot is pointing to the lady. Man's right foot is open to the right. Man's upper chest is pointing towards lady's left shoulder.

    From there you can do:
    - Alemana
    - Hockey stick
    - etc...

    Patrick

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  2. Rather, let us say a "Mirror Image" position or close enough; Symmetry is not a simple term (viz.Mathematical: Bilateral, Radial, et al.)
    True follows may include those you listed and other figures (see Spencer, Peggy, and other disparate authors.
    Actually, if you consider standard and ballet foot positions, it is an extended third position (cf. labanotation).
    If I (or anyone) were to take a more simplistic perspective it would do you a disservice which actually is what most uninformed and less academic instructors (as well as uneducated dancers, even the best) often do. What you get out of dance, is what you put into it: i.e. the more work, study, and practice you do, the more proficient, informed, clear-minded and fulfilled you will become, in that realm.

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