On Todays episode we have the amazing Ilias Benz. He is a Salsa Performer, Dancer and Instructor. He opened his first dance school in 2004, Baila Productions He currently runs 3 separate dance schools in the Greater Region of Montreal.     On this episode we talk about:   A video with a million views - 0:00   Self Defense Salsa – 1:00   Two Left Feet Podcast – 02:30   Why did those videos gain 1 million views? 06:45 His Background – 10:40   His Beginner Stage in Salsa – 11:30   Should you join a performance team? – 13:40 What to do if you are plateauing in Social Dance – 14:30   Do you need to know 1000 turn patterns? -  16:40   Stage Fright – 24:00   Boring Dance Performances -26:50   Art That makes you forget  you exist – 28:24   Hilarious Story Time – 28:54   Chasing the Dragon – 33:05   Falling in Love on the Dance Floor – 34:20   Advice on Running/Owning a Dance Studio – 40:00   Life on Guam - 42:30   High level Followers – 55:45   How a Follower can Take back Control/Power – 56:15   Relax – 58:05   Is the lady smiling when you dance with her ? – 01:01:25   So you think you are good ? – 01:02:40   Appreciation and Value - 1:05:26   Covid in Guam – 01:07:02   Influx of New Teachers on Social Media – 01:10:23   Advice for being stuck in a beginners rut – 01:17:31 Brazilian jiu-jitsu Intermission – 01:22:19   Musicality - 01:31:51   Good Social VS bad Social – 01:34:33   One tip – 01:35:50   It’s the followers fault – 01:37:50   Its always the leads fault – 01:39:10   Outro – 01:43:11   **Social Media Links ** https://www.facebook.com/BailaProductions/ https://bailaproductions.com/en/ https://www.instagram.com/bailaproductions/ https://www.youtube.com/c/Bailaproductionstv/videos   #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Rueda #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #Ginga #Forro #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #Socialdance #Socialdancing #Partnerdance #Partnerdancing #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers     2LF Links    _______________________________________________   Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor:  https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast

How to "feel" the rhythm / How to improve their musical interpretation   Whatever music genre you are dancing to, Listen to that music genre often ! As you become more familiar and comfortable with that genre of music, you will start to notice when the songs change energy. Maybe the feel is more sensual or the beat disappears, or you notice more 8th & 16th counts that feel more energetic, etc. Then you can start paying attention to the flow of the singer or the lead guitar and it adds another element you can match your dance to. Don't focus on all of these elements at once, it's too much to implement and can be overwhelming, and frankly requires knowing the song very well. Instead, focus on changing the energy of your techniques to match the energy of the song as these energy changes typically happen very predictably. You should also Count. You don't need any musical talent to do an 8 count. It will keep you on time with the music. Plus you are training your brain to associate where your feet should be stepping.   When you find a song you love, listen to it as often as possible. While listening to it,  visualize leading someone through a dance. The great thing about visualizing is that you are a perfect lead in your head and your partner follows everything perfectly. Repeatedly listening to a song also helps you become more familiar with the cues in the song that indicate an energy change.   Next, watch some videos for ideas - just do a search for your favorite songs on YouTube . I'd be a little careful in who you select to watch, Watching these videos isn't to help you learn techniques you don't know yet, but more to help you figure out what parts of the music people play with and how they change a basic technique to do that. Also, keep in mind that many of these dances are choreographed/rehearsed, so some of their chosen musicality may be difficult to implement socially.   Take more musicality/body movement workshops.  if you have a good foundation with body movements it will definitely show in your dancing because you look more fluid and less robotic.   #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Dance #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #RetroZouk #Ginga #Bolero #Forro #Lamba #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #Socialdance #Socialdancing #Partnerdance #Partnerdancing #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers     2LF Links    _______________________________________________   Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor:  https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast          

Snippet From the Interview with Ilias Benz   #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Rueda #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #Ginga #Forro #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #Socialdance #Socialdancing #Partnerdance #Partnerdancing #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers

Tips for better following Follower has been told that she anticipates moves. When you're practicing, ask your partner to sometimes throw in other moves as well! Preferably that starts somewhat the same. Try not to practice choreographies you see in classes in their entirety, but just their individual parts. Or you could even try practicing with a blindfold on. Obviously, ask the lead, someone you trust, to do this only basic steps and easy turns in a safe, well lit location where it’s just you and the lead on the floor. Try with and without music. Attending socials and dancing with different leads will help. Particularly if you see new faces or leads who learned elsewhere. I think something that's quite important psychologically for following to really work is trusting the leader and letting go of control. It's why the role is called following - you're not the one calling the shots. You're going along with what the leader is doing. This requires comfort, vulnerability, feeling safe. Those are not easy things to have especially starting off dancing with complete strangers who are clueless as well. So remind yourself of that and give yourself time to acclimate. Now another aspect of it has to do with the quality of communication between leader and follower. Part of why you're predicting moves may be because of a poor ambiguous signal of a move from the leader. That's something that can only be determined by dancing with solid leaders. So ensure that in classes the instructor leads you through a move a few times so you know what it should feel like. Another part may be that you've got to work on your framing, body control and positioning. This is basically what sets you up to be lead appropriately. If you're too loose, it'll be like trying to get cooked spaghetti to dance, it just goes everywhere. If you're too stiff it's like trying to move something really heavy across the floor which sometimes jerks around or gets stuck. From what I've seen, the best followers are excellent at shines and I believe that's because it gives them a solid amount of body control and positioning and a good understanding of what a person would need to have their body moved as they know how to move their own body. So I really recommend working on shines. If I was to start dancing anew - I'd prioritize shines over partnerwork. I'd film the instructor, practice solo, film myself, compare videos and slowly pick one thing at a time to fix about my movement and work on it. Another common thing I found in my area with the best followers is that they did private lessons with a well-known specialist in teaching following. If there's someone like that in your area, it'd probably be a good idea to do a few lessons. Ask the good follows in your area and see what they say. #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Dance #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #RetroZouk #Ginga #Bolero #Forro #Lamba #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #Socialdance #Socialdancing #Partnerdance #Partnerdancing #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers 2LF Links _______________________________________________ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor: https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast

How to politely tell leads they are not leading right? Follower was nervous to dance with a particular lead, due to him almost hurting her during a pattern.  She also complained about the lead squeezing her hand too tight.   Pain or danger of getting hurt warrants clear communication. Point it out in a direct manner and if you can, right after it happens- sometimes an "ouch" will suffice with the hand squeezing. Don't be shy about it! There is no need to be nervous about protecting your physical integrity.   During lessons you should and are expected to provide feedback to the leads. It’s a fundamental part of their learning process. Now, I want to make a distinction between differences in opinion and comfort. If it’s painful then he should listen to you, period. There’s no argument. You should never be feeling pain. If you are, your lead is doing something wrong - even when you as a follow do so something wrong it’s the lead’s responsibility to prevent you harm, always On the topic of hand squeezing, this is something I am dealing with as an experienced lead with beginner follows. I guess this is just an issue with beginners. You can say something like “Hi, when you lead, you squeeze my hand and it makes me uncomfortable and it hurts. Can you please not do that again?” Be direct. Your safety in dancing, especially as a follow since you’re have less control, is greater than the lead’s feelings. If they can’t accept it, don’t dance with them, or tell your instructor. Or if being direct is too much for you, tell the teacher and have them handle it for you.   I will say as a leader I WANT feedback about my dancing.  So please do not withhold your opinion. Unless it’s negative, don’t tell me that. Tell me how good I was and how amazing of a time you had J       #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Dance #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #RetroZouk #Ginga #Bolero #Forro #Lamba #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #Socialdance #Socialdancing #Partnerdance #Partnerdancing #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers     2LF Links    _______________________________________________   Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor:  https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast      

On Today's Episode, we have the amazing and wonderful Ms. Stella Anastasaki She is a Kizomba y Bachata Instructor in Greece. She specializes in Ladies' Styling and Afro styles. She was born and raised inChaniá, Greece. In this episode we talk about: Childhood - 1:20 How was she introduced to Kizomba - 03:40 Why does she enjoy Kizomba - 10:45 Musicality - 17:50 How to improve yoru musicaltiy - 19:55 Lessons Learned From Dancing - 21:40 Kizomba Scene in Greece - 26:00 Stuck in a beginners Rut - 32:35 Advice for Teachers - 35:30 Common Mistakes From students - 38:30 What makes for a Good Leader ? - 42:40 What Makes for a Good Follower ? - 46:40 How to be present when dancing - 48:21 Intermediate to Advanced - 50:30 A Good Social vs a Bad Social = 52:10 Shoutouts - 55:00 Final Words - 58:25 **Social Media Links** https://www.instagram.com/estrella_kizz/ https://www.facebook.com/people/Stella-Anastasaki/100010247293668/ #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Dance #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #RetroZouk #Ginga #Bolero #Forro #Lamba #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #Socialdance #Socialdancing #Partnerdance #Partnerdancing #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers 2LF Links _______________________________________________ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor: https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast      

Where to look while dancing? Where should I look while dancing? In the eyes of the follower? Or just don't overthink and keep it natural. Try to keep your head up and have a mixture of of connecting with follower and intentionally scanning your surroundings to make sure you aren’t dancing into anyone/anything and no one dances into you. Connection with follow can be a brief smile, quick scan of surroundings, then a smile again, broken up of course by your turn patterns and other moves, in which case you are looking in the direction you are leading the follow, ready to adjust course as needed. If looking at their eyes feels too much like staring into their soul, you can look between the eyebrows, or at the nose Remember you ALSO use your eyes to lead, so if you're going to move to the left maybe look to the left for the moment to indicate that's where the dance will go. The best leaders are enjoying the dance and music, and are trying to make sure I'm enjoying it too! You can tell when they are smiling authentically, and their partner is like an extension of their enjoyment of the music. Personally, when I'm really having fun I don't even think about where I'm looking.   #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Dance #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #RetroZouk #Ginga #Bolero #Forro #Lamba #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #CapeVerde #Caribbean #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers 2LF Links _______________________________________________ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor: https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast

Can you forget how to dance if you take a break? If they take a break, stop dancing for the next year, will they forget everything they learned? Initially, it depends on how long you have been dancing. 6 months or less of training and you will probably forget most of the moves you learned. You probably will not forget things like how to step on the beat, your basic step, or the basic technique. So yes, you will forget parts of it. Not everything of course. You will learn faster when you return, though, as things you already knew once, come back quicker. I think it could be safe to assume that most skills are like riding a bike. You do not completely forget how, you might forget the routines or specific patterns. But they should come back after a couple of dances. If you are unable to dance for an extended amount of time, it does not have to be all or nothing. I do not advocate for skipping all socials/classes and forgetting about it, but do what's possible for you, and just also practice a bit on your own and listen to the music. Going to classes, or socials, or doing some practice at home from time will help. The more the better of course, but even just once a month will help. #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Dance #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #RetroZouk #Ginga #Bolero #Forro #Lamba #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #CapeVerde #Caribbean #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers 2LF Links _______________________________________________ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor: https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast

On Today's Episode we have the amazingly talents Mr. Stephane Kizomba He is a Urban Kizomba Dancer and Teacher based in France.  In this episode, we talk about:   His Childhood – 0:30 Lessons Learned from Taekwondo – 03:00 How has France Changed – 04:15 Introduction to Dancing – 07:10 Beginner stage in Kizomba – 08:40 Do not give up – 09:50 Leveling up – 11:20 Skin Color – 12:50 Urban Kiz in Paris – 14:20 Urban Kiz vs Kizomba – 16:05 Skill Level of the Instructors in Paris – 17:45 Social Dancing Scene in Paris – 19:30 Practice Time – 24:50 Qualities of a Good Follower – 30:20 Why does he love Kizomba – 32:00 Beginner Stage in Teaching – 33:30 Frame for a Leader – 36:10 Kizomba Basic Step & Weight Transfer – 38:25 What Makes for a good Lead – 41:15 Musicality – 43:50 One Tip – 46:45 **Social Media Links** https://www.instagram.com/stephane_kizomba/ https://www.instagram.com/stephane_agls/ https://www.instagram.com/stephane.annika/ https://www.facebook.com/Stephane.Agls #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Dance #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #RetroZouk #Ginga #Bolero #Forro #Lamba #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #Socialdance #Socialdancing #Partnerdance #Partnerdancing #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers 2LF Links _______________________________________________ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor: https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast        

Social Dancing Burnout? This person has been social dancing for the past 5 years, and they consider themselves at an advanced level. Lately, I've been experiencing a bit of monotony with social dancing. They are starting to feel that all the socials are more or less the same. Same people, same songs, same patterns, etc. They go to dance class 4x week. Try mixing up your class training with some cross-training. Ballet, jazz, contemporary, afro-Cuban, hip hop, whacking, popping, etc. Humans crave new things all the time, and you can avoid burnout by giving your body something new to chew on. Be a beginner again; it’s wonderful with the right attitude. And the beautiful thing is…it will all still help your salsa in the end. Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s ok to take a step back and see how it is. It is okay to try out a different dance style. It's probably good to think about the reasons a bit more deeply. Why do you need new people? Why do you need new songs? Why do you need new patterns? What are you lacking? If you live in a small place with very few places to dance. That's how you know you need to start traveling and going to festivals. I highly recommend going to festivals. That’s such an energy and inspiration boost. And it will open your eyes to the potential, to the level you can aim to. Going to festivals and start meeting teachers from other cities/countries and learning from the very famous teachers you'll discover that the very high level you thought you have is not so high. Realizing that you still have room to grow and learn will bring your passion back and will open a whole new world of dance for you. You might even want to move cities to somewhere with a better dance scene If the dance scene around you is not engaging enough, start your own projects. Get a group of like-minded dancers and meet weekly to practice. Once the ball is rolling you can invite some good instructors now and then. If your scene is not that big a handful of motivated dancers can make all the difference Have you considered joining a team? Usually, they will dedicate more time to body movement drills and styling/technique and will help fine-tune the moves you already know. #Salsa #Bachata #Kizomba #Podcast #BrazilianZouk #Dance #Tarraxinha #Zouk #Passada #RetroZouk #Ginga #Bolero #Forro #Lamba #LambaZouk #Afro #Latin #African #Socialdance #Socialdancing #Partnerdance #Partnerdancing #Pachanga #Lambada #Dance #Dancers 2LF Links _______________________________________________ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tw0LeftFeet Instagram: tw0_left_feet Website: https://2leftfeet.blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2171874589599779/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoLeftFeetPodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-left-feet-podcast/id1454425997 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bQSnwKDmHbDQdgnZ0OrC3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Twoleftfeet Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR109vJ4Pbl146Ok1u5vSuA Anchor: https://anchor.fm/twoleftfeetpodcast