Great site.

Just wondered:

1. Anyone ever experienced/danced Northern Soul?
2. How on earth do I spiral turn?

At least I think that's what it is. It's several spins (on the spot) using both feet alternately.

I am considered to be an energetic and competent dancer, but cannot fathom how to spin. I have dancer's block.

Anyone know of any websites that explain it in full detail?

With thanks in anticipation.

http://thumbs.villagephotos.com/index.asp?id_=986553

never done northern soul..... never even heard of it.


Spinning on the other hand I can help with. I don't know how to do the specific spin you asked about but when I learned how to spin, I was a wreck and a danger on the dance floor. So what I did was I moved to a private area on the floor or in a practice room and just spinned for a few minutes every day. I started easily, one spin on one foot each direction followed by the same thing on both feet.
Everyday I would build up a bit more, maybe a couple of more spins here and there and after a couple of weeks, my balance really improved and I was even able to start incorporating star spins into my dancing which was very helpful.
The main thing to remember is to not over do it in a day because after awhile, your spins are going to get worse and worse due to your imbalanced equilibrium.

good luck!

~LB

The question everyone should ask themselves before starting each day: Quo Vatamus

Like the others, I have no knowledge of northern soul, and I'm guessing the term for spiral in NS is not the same as for ballroom, so I can't help you with foot placement. However, it kind of sounds like what I call a "reckless abandon spin": you spin your body, and your feet just keep moving underneath you. If that's the case, don't worry about your feet and just spin your body...thinking about your feet will just throw you off. In any case, a couple of general tips for you:

1. When spinning, keep your abs pulled to your back, and squeeze your thighs together. The centrifugal force of the spin makes everything want to fly out, so pull everything in to keep more compact--for balance and speed.

2. Keep your feet on the floor as much as possible. Picking them up throws off your center of gravity, slowing you down and throwing you off balance.

Good luck...sorry we haven't been able to help you further so far!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by twnkltoz:
Like the others, I have no knowledge of northern soul, and I'm guessing the term for spiral in NS is not the same as for ballroom, so I can't help you with foot placement. However, it kind of sounds like what I call a "reckless abandon spin": you spin your body, and your feet just keep moving underneath you. If that's the case, don't worry about your feet and just spin your body...

Yep, that sounds like it. I definitely need to work on the equilibrium thing to start with. Sigh.... they make it look so easy.

Any particular dance style that could help me with this? Local classes include Ceroc, Salsa, and ballet.

Thanks again.

Glad you liked the link Hoofer. Just type in Northern Soul on your search engine .... there's loads of sites. Some with really interesting history pages. None that show how to spin tho!!

First of all, with this post, I don't want to sound like a know-it-all; I'm far from it. I can only repeat what I learn from instructors.

Sorry, I have never heard of Northern Soul Dancing.

However, I took a 8-week workshop on spins and turns. It was quite an eye-opener for me. A "spiral" is actually a type of turn, not a spin, and I have only seen them done in the latin dances. A spiral is actually a 3/4 single turn, done so that one leg "wraps" around the other (kind of what the colors of a candy cane look like), giving the effect of a "spiral." The spin you're refering to, several spins on the spot, is a whole different game. Although this type of spin was part of the workshop agenda, its name eludes me. During the workshop, we started out with one spin, then tried two spins. The instructor did challenge us to try a triple (haha on me). Like UlfChild said - a little bit at a time.

Something else that will help you with spins: Learn how to spot and practice it throughout your dancing, not just for spins. In any case, spotting greatly neutralizes your equilibrium. Start out slow in practice.

Regards, Hoofer

I checked out the website for this. Quite interesting! I think it's a shame when creative things get "lost in the shuffle." After I last wrote, I emailed a friend of mine to see if she had ever heard of this (if she's not dancing, she's surfing the web). She replied negatively but was also curious. Thank you - I'll share this with her, too.

Equilibrium is definitely an issue for spinning. Spotting is a must. When I first started spins, I would stand in front of the mirror at home (don't we all do this?), turn my body but keep looking at my eyes in the mirror until I couldn't turn any more. When I couldn't go any further, I would then stop turning my body and turn my head around to look at my eyes in the mirror again, then turn my body around the rest of the way. In the beginning, this was done very, very slowly. As it got easy, I would go a little quicker (not fast) each time. This took months of practice. Eventually, I was able to accomplish a fast spin.

Well, here I am 13+ years later, and although I try and try, my equilibrium still gets the better of me. I will say, however, that I actually spotted properly once. Since I like to spin, I tell my instructor to "do a whole bunch of spins" as we're dancing hustle. Only once was I able to clearly see (spot) his face between each spin. FYI, my current record is 40 consecutive spins.

In any case, spotting does apply no matter what type of spin or turn you're doing. Also, I agree with twnkltoz regarding the distance the feet are from the floor - the closer the better.

Regards, Hoofer

Well, thanks very very much, but sadly, I feel none the wiser.

I guess the best option is to get my finger out of my earhole, get a regular babysitter and join a class.

I understand the need to practice, but you have to know the logistix in the first place, ie where your feet go and how. Northern soul dancing is not too intricate or complicated, it's a kind of cult thing I suppose. The steps are pretty standard, but some of the more adventurous do such things as kicks, spins, and even drop to the floor backwards and up again (I'm sure there must be a name for that).

It's 60s/early 70s music. Link posted just in case you're interested.

http://www.soulsurfin.currantbun.com

Thanks again.