Tim Ferriss Blog - Revisited

Big Daddy is an awesome dancer but it's worth noting that there are really TWO tracks in the Ballroom Dance World.

The track you took, which is what I call the DWTS GamePlan, where you are looking to compete, to be judged and to LOOK good.

I don't want to take ANYTHING away from your amazing accomplishments, but you know some of those people on DWTS did far more in far less time. Remember, you were able to focus on JUST the Argentine Tango, complex though it may be.

But, there's an ENTIRELY different track. The one Big Daddy is on & the one he teaches the ladies.

That's where you're NOT always dancing with the JUDGE inside your head & you could CARE LESS how it LOOKS to others watching.

It's about using the structure of certain Ballroom Dances to make your partner FEEL your masculinity & then to teach her (or better STIMULATE in her) the same in kind.

It's about making super fast connetions (a point you DID make in your previous dance blogs) and enjoying a moment that some people say is BETTER than sex.

NOTE: Big Daddy does NOT say that. haha

So yeah, I've never videotaped myself.
Never had private lessons from male or female and SURE AS HELL never danced w/a dude! lol

I just drew on what makes me (and all other masculine men) different from women and brought out her differences in the process.

I have to tell you, I get a lot of compliments...and have made a lot of women happy...

Big Daddy
NOT DWTS Material by Any Stretch

W. T. F.?



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so, Tim... You have two blogs now? Can you tell us your plans about'em?

Hi Tim,

Thanks for sharing that incredible video! WOW!

I couldn't agree more with points 2 and 3. But in the swing dance world (where I live), the teaching bit is a non-issue. Mainly because "street swing" has never been codified the way ballroom was. Swing dances like Lindy Hop and Charleston were born on the dance floor, and have been growing and evolving since the 1920s. Yes, people do compete, but swing has always been primarily a social dance. Every generation adds its own flavor.

Speaking of social dancing, what makes you a great social dancer is strong basic lead and follow technique and lots of practice with lots of different partners. In the swing world, it's abnormal to show up at an event and dance with the same partner all night, but that seems to be standard at the ballroom events I've attended. So I've found, generally speaking, that street swingers are much better leads and follows than ballroom dancers tend to be (especially the ones from franchise ballroom studios, who seem only to know patterns.)

But the thing that really took my dancing over the top was learning to lead. My favorite dance is Balboa, a fabulous swing-era dance that started in Newport Beach, CA in the 1930s. It's very much a lead-showcase dance. After three years of following, I got bored and learned how to lead (the basic footwork is the same for leads & follows in Bal, so that was relatively easy.)

Once you start leading, you become painfully aware of all the annoying things you do as a follow! I was a good follower, but I became a great follower when I learned to lead. And I'm sure the same is true for leaders who learn to follow. In a perfect world, everyone would know both parts.

Big Daddy, your mileage may vary, but in the swing world, it's totally acceptable for dudes to dance with dudes and chicks to dance with chicks. We really don't give a rip what equipment you have, as long as you can dance. :)

In case you've never heard of it before, here's a clip of two kick*ss Balboa dancers from a competition last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF2ZdKdpXtQ

Thanks for the tips, Tim!

Kathleen

Hi Tim. I'm from Salvador, Bahia - Brasil. This vals ("desde el alma") is amazing. Very beaultiful.

You forgot another tip:
Watch youtube to learn new moves (i did this from this video you post, learning the moves in 1:15 to 1:20) ;-)

When you come back to Brazil, let me know. In Salvador, i have a tango group, and also i'm a Judo/jiujitsu/kung fu student. :-)

:-)

I'm confused on point one. You have two teachers, a male one and a female one? I have a male dance instructor who generally doesn't dance with the students and I dance with one of the other students who is much more advanced than I am, she's my dance partner but not my dance instructor. Do you actually go find two different teachers from two different schools?

WOW!

This is really beautiful.

Tim, I love your book!
I am at my computer almost all the time but I'd love to dance!
I did capoeira and brazilian samba before.

Have a nice weekend,

Eva from Hungary


Now I follow you on twitter. :-)

Ah! Thank you so much for posting this Tim and I hope you post more on Tango (especially for newbies). I've got this page bookmarked for future reference and will look back on it when I get back into learning tango (was introduced 3 years ago by a very...aggressive dancer, and then tried again with a couple friends but their schedules didn't work out-so I will make my 3rd attempt by myself if I have to!).

Always Intrigued!

Hi, Tim! I'll take your word and videotape myself daily. It's about time to view my dancing from a more objective perspective. It's very easy to get caught up in feelings and other internal factors when you're dancing. A valuable lesson I learned is that what feels good doesn't always look good.

I have to get up to "world class" in 6 months. I started dancing late, so it's been a challenge getting over that mental block. I'll be dancing in the Latin-ballroom competition circuit after 2 years of inactivity. My partner is turning pro, so I've got my work cut out for me competing professionally. It's especially difficult if people expect you to be good and you don't live up to the expectation. We've got a comp in 3 weeks and I'm terrified!

Thanks for this piece! Rare to find motivational dance pieces :-)

Tim,

I'm pretty impressed by your achievements in tango, but what about tips on your first love?

B-boying is a sport I've watched and attempted for years. Sadly, the minute I go from uprock to six-step I look like a two-year-old trying to find spilled jelly-beans.

I don't know what to do. Can you offer any tips on learning how to storm floors?

PS: Nice freeze on the Jones Soda. I don't know much about tango, but I do know how hard b-boying is. I'm from Seattle and I'm damn proud. Thanks for your book.

How do you determine if someone is a good teacher? Any tips?

Can anyone explain how I could go about learning dance intensely and "free" ?! Also how I'd get a partner as Id love to learn intense for months and go for competitions.

One thing I wanted to know was how you found a dance partner when you had little experience and how you "afforded" the 2 teachers.. I'm assuming you paid for it but at the moment I wouldn't have the money...
Ps does anyone recommend any other great partner sexy dancing? Is salsa better?