Thank you for your simple, elegant and brilliant technique for using your feet to move quickly, efficiently and in most importantly, GROUNDED when dancing any ballroom, social dancing or argentine tango dance style! :D
+Ruby Khatcherian Thank you for asking! In the video I'm starting split weight and ending up on the back foot (left foot). To transfer weight onto the front foot, you would extend your left ankle the same way (as opposed to pushing from the ball of foot or toes) and allow the ankle extension to carry your body forward. Doing this will allow you to maintain connection to the floor with both feet. For a full weight transfer forward, you will need to completely extend the left ankle, allowing the toes to peel off the floor until the foot is fully pointed, at which point you will track/collect the left foot underneath the body. Let me know if I can help clarify anything else!
Thank you for the response. It is a new idea for me to move from the ankles. Very interesting point of reference. Although I do not ballroom dance I am a yoga teacher and have had sore Achilles tendons. I am working on extending through the heel more then articulating the foot (not dropping the heel & arches). What is a good way to strengthen the ankles? Seems to be an overlooked area that is very important.
+Ruby Khatcherian To strengthen the ankles, I would focus more on developing clarity of movement over muscle strength. Maybe start by slowly pointing and flexing the foot sitting on the floor with legs extended, using the image that I give in the video of the gates opening and closing. Be aware of where the foot tends to deviate left or right and try to get rid of the deviations. Then I would start to add some resistance with a theraband, focusing again on clarity of the movement, so that the foot doesn't wiggle right and left as you flex and extend the ankle. Then you could move up to standing and rising on the balls of the feet, either together or one foot at a time, again focusing on clarity of the movement and trying to use as little muscular effort as possible, so that you train the muscles to work efficiently and avoid any unnecessary compensations. Hope this helps :)
Thank you for your simple, elegant and brilliant technique for using your feet to move quickly, efficiently and in most importantly, GROUNDED when dancing any ballroom, social dancing or argentine tango dance style!
:D
Thank you for your feedback! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the video & found it helpful :)
very interesting. Can explain why losing balance sometime! Thank you Amber
+Francine Girard My pleasure :)
You should do a video how to balance in higth wheels it would be so helpful 😉
That's a great video topic :) Thank you for your suggestion Mafalda!
Hi Amber -- Wonderfully enlightening video. Thanks so much for that important information.
+Donna Yatesadelman Thank you Donna! I'm super happy to hear that you found it helpful.
Excellent and useful
+barbara day Thank you Barbara :)
Hi Amber, Can you talk about which foot the weight in on before & after transfer. You show yourself standing right foot before left. Thanks
+Ruby Khatcherian Thank you for asking! In the video I'm starting split weight and ending up on the back foot (left foot). To transfer weight onto the front foot, you would extend your left ankle the same way (as opposed to pushing from the ball of foot or toes) and allow the ankle extension to carry your body forward. Doing this will allow you to maintain connection to the floor with both feet. For a full weight transfer forward, you will need to completely extend the left ankle, allowing the toes to peel off the floor until the foot is fully pointed, at which point you will track/collect the left foot underneath the body. Let me know if I can help clarify anything else!
Thank you for the response. It is a new idea for me to move from the ankles. Very interesting point of reference. Although I do not ballroom dance I am a yoga teacher and have had sore Achilles tendons. I am working on extending through the heel more then articulating the foot (not dropping the heel & arches). What is a good way to strengthen the ankles? Seems to be an overlooked area that is very important.
+Ruby Khatcherian To strengthen the ankles, I would focus more on developing clarity of movement over muscle strength. Maybe start by slowly pointing and flexing the foot sitting on the floor with legs extended, using the image that I give in the video of the gates opening and closing. Be aware of where the foot tends to deviate left or right and try to get rid of the deviations. Then I would start to add some resistance with a theraband, focusing again on clarity of the movement, so that the foot doesn't wiggle right and left as you flex and extend the ankle. Then you could move up to standing and rising on the balls of the feet, either together or one foot at a time, again focusing on clarity of the movement and trying to use as little muscular effort as possible, so that you train the muscles to work efficiently and avoid any unnecessary compensations. Hope this helps :)
+Mind-Body Ballroom Thanks, I am paying attention to the gate action :-)