What are basic movements and why are they so important?

 · dance
What are basic movements and why are they so important?

What are Zouk basic movements and why are they so important?

When learning social dance, I am very sure that all of us always hear repeatedly from our teachers and other experienced dancers that learning and practicing basics are so important and here is the basics blah d blah, blah blah blah. You need to learn the basics to dance Brazilian Zouk blah d blah…

However, it’s so rare anyone actually explains WHY!?

First of all, let me list out some of the basic movements of Brazilian Zouk:

  • Passo Basico (Basic step)
  • Viradinha (Open the door, close the door)
  • Lateral (Corridor)
  • Preparação pro giro (Preparation/lunge with turn in place, step pivot for the girls)
  • Giro Simples (Simple turn with girls traveling)
  • Yo Yo
  • Elástico com corporal (Elastic with contraction or body roll)
  • Soltinho (Turn of the guy, turn of the girl)
  • Ondulação (Body roll)
  • Bônus (Boomerang)
  • Básico “Gostosinho”
  • Washing Machine

What you need to understand is that the set of basic movements were created to teach someone who never danced in togetherness, to able to dance in togetherness. However, it does much more than that…

  1. These movements are designed to teach your body how to navigate and move around the dance floor without crashing! Floorcraft 101.
  2. It teaches you how to move musically and on time.
  3. In its simplest form, it allows you to dance safely, in balance and in control of your own body.
  4. They are simple movements that allow you to apply dance techniques and concepts to.
  5. They are also your roadmap, a set of guides and rules. (You may break them once you’ve mastered them)
  6. Help you gain efficiency, using the least amount of energy to dance. Sometimes you feel that you are able to dance longer, it’s not only because you have strengthened muscles, but you are able to move around more efficiently. (This is true, I dance much longer periods now but still getting fat, that’s truly efficient haha)

Each of the basics will teach you to move in particular directions, how to change directions and switch lanes. It’s like learning to drive a car, you will learn many maneuvers and by the end of passing your driving test, you should be able to get around most roads and situations. You get better the more you drive, more awareness, safer, better control of the speed, looking ahead, driving in lane, turning corners all improve as you gain experience and confidence. And if you’re cocky and drive dangerously, you’ll likely crash and injure others!

Remember, the uniqueness of Brazilian Zouk is that we use our entire body to navigate and dance. It’s completely 3D navigation on the dance floor. You’ll need to master navigating the 2D space before attempting to add the 3rd Dimensional movements whether static on the spot or while moving: head movements, tilts, or other off-axis positions. I see far too often beginners trying to navigate in 3D when they barely can navigate in 2D. That’s another discussion to be had :)