Hierarchy of Advancement Workshop Sixteen

Introduction
Having achieved the First Stage of Independence, we enter phase two of the rumba guaguancó development plan where the emphasis is on the quality of execution: increasing detail will be followed by cycles of repetition to achieve naturalisation, and then further to achieve hyper-learning. Hyper-learning is the basis of improvisation, a key skill spanning phases two and three.

The theme of this rumba guaguancó workshop is:

1. to develop a solid understanding and feel for its basic structure;
2. to be able to open spaces in the structure; and
3. to learn how elements may be inserted in these spaces.

Section I - Basic structure of rumba guaguancó

Concept: Joint rhythm on the horizontal plane
The hip movement for women and the knee movement for men is actually executed to a new rhythm timeline, and it contributes to the composite time-code. In both instances the joints move to a "cha-cha-cha" rhythm with the first 'cha' co-incident with the foot-fall on the pulse (to a count of 1-and-2, 3-and-4). Women's accents are 'chá-cha-chá', whereas men's are the inverse 'cha-chá-cha'.

Practice: Male knee action for guaguancó
Solo, without music, then stepping pulse to rumba clave only track. Forward walks. The feet are placed on two parallel tracks, the gauge between the tracks is one important variable. The knee orientation for the 'cha-chá-cha' is 'straight-out-in' (relative to the centreline).

Practice: Dancing to rumba clave
Solo, to rumba clave only track. Performing in order of priority: stepping on pulse; clave vocalisation "pa, pa, pa-ún; pa, pa"; torso engine; chachachá hip/knee rhythm, clapping pulse (centre-left-centre-right-).

Practice: Dancing to rumba clave, full music context
Solo, to En El Malecón De La Habana tracks. As practice above but to timba music, same order of priority.

Discussion: Nature of the engine and gender movement differences
Women's chachacha hip action dissipates the lower stroke of the engine cycle, therefore the torso pulse can only be implied when it is deployed. Men's knee action does not interfere with the torso pulse. Hence women must be discerning as to the choice of application between the engine stroke or the chachacha hip action.

Practice: Female upper limb action in guaguancó
Solo. As per the above two practices, except the hand claps are substituted with holding two ends of a shawl or kerchief, or two folds of a skirt. Hands move centre-left-centre-right- on pulse beats.

Section II - Opening up rhythmic spaces in rumba guaguancó

Concept: 'Stopping' and 'starting' points
Ceasing the step rhythm i.e. stopping; and resuming the step rhythm i.e. starting, does two things: it

1. creates rhythmic tension; and
2. emphasises preceding and following movement through juxtaposition.

At this stage of development, the engine cycle is maintained even when the step rhythm stops.

There are several potential stop-start points relative to the clave vocalisation. Given that previous learning was with instructors of European bias, we will begin by using two points which European find easier to comprehend:

• on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún' i.e. on European beat one; and
• on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún' i.e. before African beat one.

Practice: Stressing the first pulse beat of the European rhythmic cycle
Solo, to En El Malecón De La Habana tracks. Stepping on pulse; clave vocalisation "pa, pa, pa-ún; pa, pa"; torso engine; chachachá hip/knee rhythm, clapping pulse (centre-left-centre-right-). Emphasis is placed by a stronger step on the pulse beat immediately after 'pa-ún', and a louder clap (centre-left-centre-right-).

Practice: Stressing the last pulse beat of the European rhythmic cycle
Solo, to En El Malecón De La Habana tracks. Stepping on pulse; clave vocalisation "pa, pa, pa-um; pa, pa"; torso engine; chachachá hip/knee rhythm, clapping pulse (centre-left-centre-right-). Emphasis is placed by a stronger step on the pulse beat immediately before 'pa-ún', and a louder clap (centre-left-centre-right-).

Concept: Four combinations are possible
With these two points on the European timeline, four shapes of rhythmic space can be opened. These combinations are, in order of increasing difficulty for 'Europeans':

1. Stopping on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún', Resuming on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún'
2. Stopping on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún', Resuming on  the pulse beat before 'pa-ún'
3. Stopping on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún', Resuming on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún'
4. Stopping on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún', Resuming on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún'

Practice: Stopping-Resuming to rumba clave, solo
Solo, to rumba clave only track. Stepping on pulse; clave vocalisation "pa, pa, pa-ún; pa, pa"; torso engine; chachachá hip/knee rhythm (optional). Stopping and resuming using Combination 1 above, one cycle pause, maintaining engine cycle. The pause should then be lengthened from one to two, three and four cycles.

Practice: Stopping-Resuming to rumba clave, partnered
Partnered, to rumba clave only track. As above. Partners are given the discretion to pause:

• asynchronously
• synchronously
• synchronously, as with a verbal/non-verbal cue from the leader (each partner taking turns being leader).

Practice: Stopping-Resuming to rumba clave, partnered, full context
Partnered, to En El Malecón De La Habana tracks. As above.

Practice: Learning the remaining combinations
Repeat practices sequence of the rumba clave, solo / rumba clave, partnered / rumba clave, partnered full context (above) for start-resume combinations 2, 3 and 4.

Section III - Inserting elements in rumba guaguancó

Concept: Filling the rhythmic space
Combinations are improvised to fill the rhythmic space opened up in Section II. But as we've learned in Section I, improvisation arises from hyper-learning. The strategy is therefore to emphasise practice-to-mastery of two elements so that a simple combination can be executed.

Element: Shimmy
The basic shimmy action is generated identically in both sexes; from the core muscles around the spine centred between the points of the shoulder-blades. The action is genderised:

• females - hands constrained by shielding the groin, 'shoulder-points' forward allowing the upper arm to partially shield the side of the breast. This results in a 'coquettish' upper-body action.
• males - hands upper and either side of the groin, elbows out, decreased distance between the upper shoulder-blades. This results in a 'bravado' upper-body action.

Practice: Shimmy, solo

Solo, rumba clave only tracks. Fast and slow shimmy, over one and then two clave phrases.

Practice: Shimmy, solo, to music

Solo, Ay Díos, Ampárame tracks. Fast and slow shimmy, over one and then two clave phrases.

Practice: Shimmy, partnered, full context

Partnered, Ay Díos, Ampárame tracks. Full basic guaguancó then stop, pause (with engine), fast and/or slow shimmy (over one and then two clave phrases, no engine), pause (with engine), resume guaguancó basic.

Element: Slow turn
The simple version of a slow turn is achieved by:

1. the placement of one foot behind (and to one side of) the other, resulting in a crossing of the legs; and
2. the legs uncrossed though rotation of the pelvis, pivoting through the control points on the front of both feet.

Practice: Slow turn, solo

Solo, rumba clave only tracks. Slow turn over one and then two clave phrases.

Practice: Slow turn, solo, to music

Solo, Ay Díos, Ampárame tracks. Slow turn over one and then two clave phrases.

Practice: Slow turn, partnered, full context

Partnered, Ay Díos, Ampárame tracks. Full basic guaguancó then stop, pause (with engine), slow turn (over one and then two clave phrases, with engine), pause (with engine), resume guaguancó basic.

Case study: a basic combination, inserted into guaguancó rhythmic space
Partnered, rumba clave only track.

1. guaguancó basic
2. stop the basic (your choice of stop point), vacunao (lead)
3. defense (follower)
4. pause
5. shimmy
6. slow turn
7. pause
8. resume guaguancó basic

Note: the shimmy and slow turn may also be executed simultaneously

Practice: basic combination, inserted into guaguancó rhythmic space
Partnered, full music context of students' choice.

Additional materials
Ay Díos, Ampárame by Los Van Van
En El Malecón De La Habana by Los Van Van
Como Se Formó Una Rumba (DVD) film by Iván Acosta

Loo Yeo

Hierarchy of Advancement Workshop Thirteen

Section I - Rumba Guaguancó

Exercise: Guaguancó basic walk, accenting with a 'drop'
Revision of this practice from Workshop Ten and Eleven. Additional refinements: the reaction force of the 'drop' on the floor is used to reinforce the up-stroke of the engine; the stroke size of the engine is varied according to prevailing conditions e.g. partnership strength and musical characteristics.

Exercise: Guaguancó static basic, vocalising the basic drum rhythm
Solo. This exercise articulates the relationship between the dance rhythm and guaguancó's a capella music. It also establishes a two-component time-code. The Havana variant is used and vocalised as 'gung-ging-ging-gung'.

Exercise: Guaguancó basic walk, vocalising the basic drum rhythm
Solo. Basic walk with 'drop' accent. The walks are initially side to side, then forward and backward, then with changes in orientation.

Exercise: Guaguancó basic walk, vocalising the basic drum rhythm
Partnered. Basic walk in pursuit-and-capture mode.Without and then with music.

Exercise: Rumba torso engine development
Solo. Static practice, feet shoulder-width apart. Shifting weight every torso cycle: centre-right-centre-left-(repeat). Ensure that shoulders remain level, and that weight is fully transferred to each leg when cycling to the right and the left. Add vocalisation of drum rhythm.

Section II - Contratiempo

Concept: Synthesising a time-code to musical forms
Rhythmic timelines exist in all forms of popular music. In Cuban-derived music, a dancer:

1. recognises at least one existing auditory timeline;
2. creates a dance rhythm timeline
3. synchronises the dance rhythm timeline to the auditory timeline; and 
4. synthesises a time-code of two (or more) timelines.

He or she might optionally add physical interpretations of other timelines e.g. torso synchronised to the pulse. Time-code stability is enhanced with successful incorporation of each rhythmic timeline. 
 
Briefing: Importance of the tumbao moderno's slap stroke
The slap stroke is a dry sharp sound which though distinct, can be masked by other sharp sounds like the wood-block or bell. In the basic tumbao moderno, it is located on the second African downbeat or first European backbeat (European beat 2). Locating the position of the slap stroke is important because one step of the dance rhythm is synchronised to it.

Practice: Drumming the African downbeats/European backbeats
Solo. Playing the double-open tones and slap strokes. Without music, and then to music.

Exercise: Vocalising the African downbeats/European backbeats
Solo. Playing the double-open tones and slap strokes, then vocalise "gung-gung" and "pak" synchronously, respectively. Without music, and then to music.

Practice: Converting a count to non-verbal cues of action
Solo. Contratiempo example, to music.

1. Initiate a four-beat count: "one–two–three–four–"
2. substitute 'pak' and 'gung-gung' accents: "one–pak–three–gung-gung–"
3. substitute a ghost syllable 'um': "um–pak–um–gung-gung–"
4. synchronise dance rhythm to the vocal accents, where the first beat/step of the dance rhythm coincides with 'pak', and the third beat/step of the dance rhythm coincides with the first 'gung'
5. subvocalise the cues.

Exercise: Comparing the synchronisation of movement to verbal and non-verbal cues
Solo, to music. Assessing the qualitative nature of verbal and event-led (non-verbal) cues to movement.

Exercise: "Is the difference between the use of verbal and non-verbal cues externally discernible?"
Partnered, to music. As the exercise immediately above. Can your dance partner tell the difference?

looyenyeo

Hierarchy of Advancement Weekend Workshops Ten & Eleven

Note: In the following schedule, I will use term 'African' to  describe those who are cultural insiders to African or African-derived practices, and 'European' to describe cultural insiders to West European practices. This division, extreme and artificial, is purely for explanatory purposes.

Introductory briefing
In 2003, Brochard and his co-investigators reported a seminal piece of research; finding that their subjects perceived a monotonous metronomic sound as a 'tic-toc-tic-toc' and not a 'tic-tic-tic-tic'. In other words, the human brain added subjective accents to every other beat; and that the first beat was accented. Therefore odd-numbered beats were perceived as stronger than even-numbered beats.

This little-known work in the dance world is crucial to understanding an element of salsa's cultural diversity, and forms part of the basis of the "Why Men Shouldn't Count" dance research paper I will present to Conseil International de la Danse UNESCO. This weekend workshop provides the ideal opportunity to explore the phenomenon of subjective accenting, the European cultural bias of transnationalised salsa, and the redress of bias.

Concept: The beginning of the African rhythm cycle
Africans perceive the beginning of salsa's rhythm cycle as occurring one beat earlier, which coincides with the tumbao moderno's double open tones (as interpreted on the congas); what Africans hear as beat one, Europeans hear as beat eight! Therefore, from the findings of Brochard et al. (2003) where Africans would subjectively accent beats 1,3,5,7; to European ears these accents would fall on beats 2,4,6,8.

Evidence of this can be garnered from Afro-Cuban rhythms, which accent:

1. the African downbeats (odd-numbered beats), perceived by Europeans as being on the backbeats (even-numbered beats); and
2. the start of the African rhythmic cycle called the ponché [punch] explicitly or implicitly.

 For example,

• conga - the tumbao moderno's double open tones (the first accenting ponché) and slap stroke;
• bongó - the martillo's open tones on the hembra (accenting ponché) and macho;
• timbales - open (accenting ponché) and closed tones on the hembra;
• clave - the last beat of the 3-side (accenting ponché) and the first beat of the 2-side; and
• bass - the tumbao's 'anticipated' beat (accenting ponché).

Supporting material on the above is available:
http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/VidTutor/salsatwo/tutprogsal2.html
http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/forplayers/onstage.html

Section I - Son

Exercise: Listening for the African start of the conga's tumbao moderno
Solo. Locating and indicating the rhythmic location of the correct set of open tones which denote the start of the African cycle. Using the 'gung-gung' vocalisation.

Exercise: A side-step on the ponché
Solo, then partnered. This is an event-action practice of synchronising the taking of a side-step with the onset of the ponché open tones.

Concept: Contratiempo and Dance On2
It's very important to recognise that both of these terms are culturally European-biased as they reference features of rhythm relative to the start-point of the European cycle, with contratiempo literally meaning 'counter-time' backbeat emphasis. Although both contratiempo and Dance On2 have the same dance rhythm, stepping on (European) beats 2,3,4 and 6,7,8; they differ in accents and phrasing:

• Dance On2 - accents on beats 2 and 6; phrased 2-3-4, 6-7-8
• Contratiempo - accents on beats 4 and 8; phrased 8-(1)-2-3, 4-(5)-6-7

Exercise: Son basic, contratiempo
Solo, then partnered. To tumbao moderno on congas, and martillo on bongó. Understand which parts of the step rhythm synchronise with the instruments' accents. Note the feel of contratiempo phrasing.

Exercise: Son basic, Dance On2
Solo, then partnered. To tumbao moderno on congas, and martillo on bongó. Understand which parts of the step rhythm synchronise with the instruments' accents. Note that the phrasing is shorter with less flow.

Exercise: Change phrasing between contratiempo and Dance On2
Partnered. Preferred social dance movement vocabulary. Developing the African perception of rhythm.

Section II - Rumba guaguancó

Concept: Rationale behind rumba guaguancó's dance rhythm
Basic guaguancó's regular dance rhythm is a structural counterpoint to the drum rhythm, which when combined, create genre's rhythmic tension. The dance rhythm's simplicity is to allow for easy transition into and out of the improvisatory mode and other more advanced dance rhythms.

Exercise: Guaguancó basic walk
Solo. The first walks are sideways to the left and the right, comprising side steps with chasing-close steps: side-close-side-close.

Exercise: Guaguancó basic walk, complete rhythm
Solo. Interleaving each step in the basic walk with an accent: side-tap-close-tap-side-tap-close-tap

Exercise: Guaguancó basic walk, complete rhythm, to music
Partnered. Facing each other, mirror imaged. Full guaguancó basic dance rhythm i.e. side-tap-close-tap-side-tap-close-tap, to music.

Exercise: Guaguancó basic walk, substituting the tap with a 'drop'
Partnered, to music. The 'drop' is achieved by flexion of the knee of the supporting leg, such that the sole of the foot of the non-weight-bearing leg contacts the floor entirely simultaneously. The drop is timed by/further accented with the downward phase of the torso engine cycle.

Exercise: Isolating and understanding torso engine synchrony with the lower-limb rhythm
Solo. Static practice. Fire up the torso engine, accentuate the up-stroke and down-stroke further with (discreet) amounts of knee extension and flexion respectively. Then transfer weight from one leg to the other with each engine cycle. Add the 'drop' accent.

Additional materials
Salsa Gitana by Orquesta Gitano
La Llave de Mi Corazón by Juan Luís Guerra
My Latin Soul by Bobby Matos
Güajira Natural by Polo Montañez

Loo Yeo

Hierarchy of Advancement Workshop Eight

Introduction
Building on the arm-functionality begun in the previous workshop, this session uses an actual flamenco rhythm interpreted on the hands in synchrony with lower body movment. More complex body isolations and arm positions are detailed.

Section I - Basic flamenco castanet rhythm

Warm-up reprising Exercise: A basic hand and foot rhythm to Nuevo Flamenco
Solo. Basic rhythms on castañuelas (hands) and zapateo (feet). All wrist gates.

Concept: The basic flamenco castanet rhythm
Left hand is the time-keeper; and
Right hand plays the roll from little finger to first finger.

Exercise: Basic flamenco castanet rhythm co-ordinated to a simple walk
Solo. Basic flamenco castanet rhythm on castañuelas (hands) and walking (feet). Heart wrist gates.

Exercise: Basic flamenco castanet rhythm co-ordinated to a simple walk, to music
Solo, to music. Basic flamenco castanet rhythm on castañuelas (hands) and walking (feet). Heart wrist gates.

Section II - Lower body action

Concept: Knees as regulators of the lower body action
The rate of extension of the knee joint is critical to the timing of weight transfer; its alignment with the heel and the hip determines the nature of the hip deflection: whether achieved through muscle tension or relaxation. And yet is probably the most overlooked aspect of the lower body action. As salsa dancers are least likely to be developed with respect to the proprioception and cortical mapping of the knees, the final section of basic lower body action will address this.

Exercise: Pedalling revisited
Particular emphasis on the smooth, horizontal plane, backward travel of the knee joint. Detecting the initial effect of the backward travel of the knee by sensing pressure on the sole of the supporting foot. Detecting the advancing effect of the knee by detection of pressure and displacement around the hip joint.

Exercise: Pedalling to flamenco castanet rhythm, static
Synchronising the pedalling action to the basic flamenco castanet rhythm:
heel - knee (commence) - knee (continue) - knee (complete) - hip

Exercise: Pedalling to flamenco castanet rhythm, walking
Without, then to music.

Section III - Compound body movements, horizontal plane

Practice: Body isolation exercise, seated, upper body (torso), compound circular paths
Figure-eight motif e.g. centre-west-centre clockwise one rotation, centre-east-centre anticlockwise one rotation. Repeat. (Note: Inverting the direction of rotation i.e. anticlockwise and then clockwise creates the reverse figure-eight.)

Practice: Body isolation exercise, seated, upper body (torso), compound linear-circular paths
Horizontal-plane loops e.g. north-west linear to north, full clockwise circle plus 90degrees to east, linear to south-east.

Practice: Body isolation exercise, seated, upper body (torso), compound linear-circular paths
Vertical-plane loops - "rocking the cradle".

Likewise:

Practice: Body isolation exercise, standing, lower body (pelvis), compound circular paths
Figure-eight motif e.g. centre-west-centre clockwise one rotation, centre-east-centre anticlockwise one rotation. Repeat. (Note: Inverting the direction of rotation i.e. anticlockwise and then clockwise creates the reverse figure-eight.)

Practice: Body isolation exercise, standing, lower body (pelvis), compound linear-circular paths
Horizontal-plane loops e.g. north-west linear to north, full clockwise circle plus 90degrees to east, linear to south-east.

Practice: Body isolation exercise, standing, lower body (pelvis), compound linear-circular paths
Vertical-plane loops - "rocking the cradle".

Learning point:  Side-of-hip points to little toe
Observe that the lateral mobility of the hip is constrained by the supporting joints beneath it; the ankle and the knee. A general, though not absolute, guide is that 'the side of the hip should point to the little toe of its supporting foot' when that side of the pelvis laterally rotates to its forward-most position.

Concept: A fundamental difference between rumba and son action
The 'side of hip to little toe' phenomenon is used in defining the movement characteristics of rumba and son:

• rumba action has less foot turn-out and hence the hip rotations are further forward, resulting in an even 'figure-eight' pelvic movement-path when viewed from above.
• son action has more foot turn-out and hence the hip rotations are hardly forward, resulting in an asymmetrical 'figure-eight' pelvic movement-path which is flattened on the frontal side (facing the partner) when viewed from above.

Section IV - Arms

Concept: Constraints of the castanet positions
Having to hold the castanets from audience view behind the hands of the dancer, limits the distance which the castanet arm gates can be located distal from the body's centreline - the wrist of the outer arm can only bend inward so far.

Concept: Fan and skirt gates
Gates more distal from the centreline can be defined, and understood more easily, with the hand fan and the skirt. If necessary, a cape can be substituted for males.

Concept: Inner gates, castanets. Outer gates the fan and skirt/cape
These constructs determine the spatial location of the limbs and the routes of travel they trace. Additionally, they determine the conformation/shape of the hand(s).

Exercise: Positioning the arms through the external gates
Upper (fan), upper-outer (fan), outer (fan or skirt), lower-outer (fan or skirt) gates

Section V - Guaguancó fundamentals

Concept: The elemental guaguancó dance rhythm
The basic dance rhythm is a regular one alternating between unaccented and accented beats. This is translated into movement as step-accent-step-accent-(repeat).

Concept: The basic guaguancó movement mode is lateral
The functional constraint of the male having to circle around the female, yet still facing her, results in the foundational movement being laterally-based. Culturally the definition of the circle is important as it represents the circle of creation. Guaguancó is classic pursuit-and-capture.

Exercise: Basic guaguancó walk
Solo. Lateral movement. Side-tap-close-tap-(repeat).

Exercise: Basic guaguancó walk
Solo, to music. Lateral movement. Side-tap-close-tap-(repeat).

Yeo Loo Yen

Hierarchy of Advancement Workshop Six

Introductory briefing
We can use salsa as a stepping stone to rumba. The first section of the workshop will involve the development of skills in the salsa context which are transferable to the rumba rhythm group. The second section is directly pertinent to guaguancó: the timing, or at least one possible timing, of the vacunao and the defense against it. An introduction to a dance gearing in columbia is the subject of section three.

Section I - Salsa's Heartbeat

Concept: locating, hearing and feeling the conga open tones of the tumbao moderno
Hearing the tones as the 'lub-dub' of the heartbeat.

Exercise: tapping the 'lub-dub'
Solo, to the isochronous conga track. Tapping on the chest over the heart (a la Dirty Dancing).

Exercise: tapping the 'lub-dub', dancing
Solo, to the isochronous conga track. Tapping on the chest over the heart while dancing the salsa step rhythm.

Concept: in dialogue with the open tones (salsa context)
Call-and-response between the drum (conga open tones) and the dancer (salsa dance rhythm).

Exercise: the dancer calls, the drum 'responds'
Solo, to the isochronous conga track and later the conga plus piano track. Note that this is an illusion, a pre-recorded drum cannot respond.

Exercise: the drum calls, the dancer responds
Solo, to the isochronous conga track and later the conga plus piano track. Note the slight latency in timing which softens the attack of the dancer. This is a prerequisite skill for rumba and dancing to live music performances.

Practice: both call-and-response variations, partnered
Using the isochronous conga track, then the instrument layers tracks in increasing complexity, and finally complete pre-recorded salsa tracks.

Section II - Vacunao and defense timing

Practice: playing martillo on the bongó

Exercise: stopping on beat one, starting on beat eight
Solo. Beats as counted by Europeans. Drumming the martillo on the bongó. To bolero, chachachá and timba tracks of increasing tempo.

Exercise: stopping on beat one, starting on beat eight
Partnered. Beats as counted by Europeans. Dancing the rumba basic. To timba of increasing tempo.

Exercise: a basic vacunao and defense timing
Partnered. Beats as counted by Europeans. Dancing the rumba basic. To timba of increasing tempo. Addition of the leg-raise vacunao on beat one (or five), with women's defense on the 'and' of beat one (or five).

Demonstration: points of flexibility in a basic
Two fundamental variables:

• how a rumba basic may be flexed in its centre to give rise to changes in orientations; and
• how the close step can be substituted with a front cross step.

Exercise: dance-creating four variations of a rumba basic
Solo, to music of increasing tempo. Maintenance of orientation discipline is stressed.

Section III - Dance Gears

Briefing: tresillo as a common motif in Caribbean music
Identifying the tresillo as the 3-side of son clave.

Exercise: clapping tresillo
Solo. Moderate tempo salsa and timba music. Begin by clapping son clave, then substituting all 2-sides with the tresillo.

Demonstration: tresillo as an alternative gear in rumba
Dancing a rumba basic using the regular downbeat-based dancer's rhythm, and then switching to a tresillo dance rhythm.

Exercise: dancing rumba, switching gears
Solo. To 'Sandore' by Suzzana Owiyo. Dancing rumba basic, switching between the regular down-beat gear and the tresillo gear.

Additional Materials
Loo's Instrument Layers CD
Timba Teaching CD1
Timba Teaching CD2

Yeo Loo Yen

Hierarchy of Advancement Workshop Five

Introduction: workshop objectives
One of the greatest challenges of Afro-Cuban dance is the learning of gestures which aren't present in the Western/European cultural lexicon. The theme of today's workshop involves the learning and practice of component movements from which the gestures are constructed; and understanding the importance of repetition in cortical mapping and building internal models of movement in the cerebellum.

Briefing: The impact of commercialisation with the Cuban cultural boom
Cuban (and non-Cuban) cultural mediators have had to consider the questions "what can I sell?" and "what do I think non-Cubans are interested in?" This has had a filtering/accentuating impact on their cultural information abroad, both subtractive and additive.

One of these is the portrayal of the guaguancó which has been hyper-genderised; disproportionately accentuated for performance purposes, and to render it more obvious from yambú. The spectrum of transition has been lost, creating perceptual genre boundaries. Portrayal of the guaguancó with greater emphasis on performance, in what is already display-based pursuit-and-capture dance, heavily biases its learning by cultural outsiders in favour of type A personalities.

Section I - An African Context

Concept: Luo movement as a context for women in guaguancó
The Luo peoples are river-based with a soft vowel rich language, who have had significant interaction with the Bantu (from whom some important aspects of Afro-Cuban culture is derived like the conga drums). The Luo women based around Lake Victoria dance from their shoulders; providing an alternative 'back-to-the-source' context for the learning of movement by non-type-A women, which can be translated into the guaguancó.

Practice: a Luo basic, in place
Dancing from the shoulders: lateral over vertical.
How the shoulder-blades meet: upper, middle and lower positions.
Quality of movement: legato (smooth) over staccato.
The effect of head position: "ears pulled up".

Practice: Luo basic, with weight transfer

Practice: Luo basic, with weight transfer, and slight change in orientation

Practice: Luo basic, timing cycles
Performed to Western cycle. Performed to African cycle.

Section II - Body Skills

Concept: 'shoulder-blades back' versus 'chest out' - more than just semantics

Practice: body isolation exercise, seated, upper body, north-south
As per link below, with emphasis on shoulder-blade movement.
http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/VidTutor/bodyskills/chest_front_back.html

Practice: body isolation exercise, seated, upper body, east-west
As per link below, with emphasis on shoulder-blade movement.
http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/VidTutor/bodyskills/chest_sidetoside.html

Practice: body isolation exercise, free-standing/supported, hips, north-south
As per http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/VidTutor/bodyskills/pelvis_front_back.html

Practice: body isolation exercise, free-standing/supported, hips, east-west
As per http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/VidTutor/bodyskills/pelvis_sidetoside.html

Section III - Rhythm Skills

Briefing: playing open tones on the bongó
Effect of finger extension on speed.
All fingers of the hand extended, index finger slightly depressed.
Striking zones on the drum head.

Practice: bongó open tones, accenting whole beats
Alternating hands, dominant hand accent.

Practice: bongó open tones, accenting upbeats
Alternating hands, non-dominant hand accent.

Practice: bongó muffled tones, upbeats
Alternating hands, non-dominant hand thumb and fingers (in alternation) on macho drum head.
Dominant hand open tones on hembra drum head.

Practice: bongó muffled tones, upbeats
Alternating hands, non-dominant hand thumb and fingers (in alternation) on macho drum head.
Dominant hand open tones on  macho drum head.

Practice: bongó, martillo

Practice: bongó, accents on rumba clave
Alternating hands, macho drum head only, accents on rumba clave.
3-2 and 2-3 orientation.

Section IV - Guaguancó Context

Concept: the damp teacloth exercise
Developing power, commitment, and timing in the arms.

Exercise: variations of elemental arm movements
Three heights - upper, middle, lower.

Exercise: timing of the vacuano and warding it off

Context: choreography ideas
To 'Somos Cubanos' by Los Van Van.

Additional Materials
My Roots by Suzanna Owiyo
Mama Afríca by Suzzana Owiyo
Llegó... by Los Van Van

Loo Yen Yeo

Hierarchy of Advancement Workshop Four

Introductory discussion
As a dancer knowledge of percussion deepens cultural understanding, strengthens relationship with music, increases timing resolution, and helps discern genre boundaries. Put another way, it both raises the potential of a dancer, and the ability to realise that potential. To that end, rhythmic development as a percussionist is explored, and made relevant by using drumming concepts in a dancing context.

The bongó is the instrument of choice because of its:

• wide variety of tones;
• portability;
• presence in a large number of genres; and
• adaptability (can be used to interpret rhythms from other instruments).

Section I - Percussion

Briefing: salient features of a basic martillo
The ubiquitous Afro-Cuban rhythm of the son and rumba (modern) rhythm groups.

Practice: drumming a simple martillo, complete rhythm
To bolero music, increasing tempo.

Briefing: salient features of the modern guaguancó drum rhythm
The similarities, differences and ethos of modern Havana and Matanzas variants.

Practice: drumming a simple guaguancó, complete structural rhythm, Havana variant

Practice: co-operative drumming of guaguancó, Havana variant
One drums the tumba tones (ponche), another drums the conga tones.
Highlights the necessity for a master rhythm (clave)

Practice: co-operative drumming of guaguancó, Matanzas variant

Section II - Guaguancó

Concept: the engine of rumba guaguancó
The upper solar plexus as the seat of power, the cyclic motion of which ripples to the body's periphery. The upper back is a good indicator of strong drive from the engine; stretches for the upper back and shoulders is recommended when training for guaguancó.

Practice: activating the engine of the guaguancó
Solo, in place. Vocalising the guaguancó core drum rhythm.

Practice: guaguancó's basic step
Solo. Matching the basic dance rhythm to the (vocalised) core drum rhythm.
Basic step as per http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/VidTutor/salsaone/cucabas.html

Practice: effect of tilting the engine
Solo, in place. Vocalising the guaguancó core drum rhythm. Preparation for creating contra-body movement in the guaguancó basic.

Concept: gender roles in rumba guaguancó
Introduction to gender affirmation in Afro-Cuban dance. The unique gestures of the vacunao and ward-off.

Practice: a basic hand position and its timing
Solo. Vocalising the guaguancó core drum rhythm, later to music. Male and female positions.

Demonstration: advanced guaguancó rhythms
A comparison of folkloric, modern and popular forms. Reiterating of the centrality of rumba clave in the interpretation of guaguancó.

Briefing: some properties of clave in Cuban music
Understanding the similarities and differences of rumba and son clave. Drumming 'guaguancó con clave' and 'guaguancó contra clave', and its cultural implications.

Practice: clave from a dancer's world
Partnered, salsa. Feeling the difference in relationship between salsa's dance rhythm and rumba or son clave.

Additional Materials
Rumba 3 (Popular) rhythm pages from "Latin-American Percussion: Rhythms and Rhythm Instruments from Cuba and Brazil" by Birger Sulsbrück
Basic Strokes and Martillo rhythm pages from "The Bongo Book" by Trevor Salloum
Guaguancó 69 by Justi Barreto
Tempest by Jesse Cook
Aquí El Que Baila Gana - Live in Miami (Disk 2) by Juan Formell y Los Van Van
Llegó... by Juan Formell y Los Van Van
Pa'l Bailador by Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad
Fresquecito by Elio Revé
Homenaje 50 Años by Elio Revé
El Explosión del Momento by Orquesta Revé

Loo Yen Yeo

A Personal Journey With The Guaguancó: Basic Step

Something I bear foremost in my mind when understanding rumba is the significance of the rooster in Afro-Cuban culture. More than just a key source of protein in the Sub-Sahara, belief has it that a five-toed chicken was instrumental in raising land from water in the creation of the world. Thus much of the guaguancó as a pursuit-and-capture dance involves movements symbolising that of a gallo (rooster) circling around a gallina (hen).

I use the whole-part-whole approach as much as I can when instructing myself; one of self-education's greatest weaknesses is lack of context, so I do everything that I can to protect what little that's there; to preserve the validity of the exercises.

Eyeballing the demonstration of the basic step on the DVD, I observe that:

1. it resembles (what I call) salsa's basic cucaracha step;
2. the dance rhythm is complementary to that of the African drumming cycle, being what Europeans would describe as on1;
3. the posture is a semi-inclined torso with softened knees;
4. initiation of the basic is with a physical preparative drop of the body's centre of gravity on the verbal cue of 'y' [ Spanish for 'and'], functioning like a musical 'pick-up';
5. foot placement is ball-flat, without rise, soft and deliberately percussive;
6. weight distribution on the side step is 50/50, that is, weight is not fully committed onto the stepping foot;
7. males: the head does not face the centre-line, but orients to the outward-stepping foot;
8. males: the contra hand (opposite to the outward-stepping foot) is held on to centre-line as a loose fist, acting as counterweight;
9. males: the hand on the same side of the outward-stepping foot is held to the hip where it impacts least on stability, and creates an angle of the arm that resembles a wing;
10. females: the scarf opens out on the sidestep - the hand on the same side of the outward-stepping foot extends to its instep, the contra hand remaining on centre-line;
11. females: the scarf closes when both hands are brought together at the hip above the closing foot.

I choose to learn both roles: to glean more context, and understand the nature of interaction between them.

The role of the rumbero as a percussionist dancer is clear: rhythms of the foot placement and the weight transfer combine to establish the framework in which the accents of the arms, head and isolated body-parts are housed; it is the same principal relationship that the tumbadora/seis por ocho drums have with the quinto. So I've chosen to approach learning to dance the guaguancó the same way I'd teach the drumming of it - framework first.

Practicing the foot placements and weight transfers, I noticed a sluggishness in my out-bound side-step signified by a lack of definition on that beat of the dance rhythm. It was a combination of two problems:

1. not getting weight over the foot quickly enough; and
2. the muscle conformation around the hips required a higher level of tone to maintain stability, so I wasn't perceiving a high enough contrast in tension-release around the joint.

Thinking on it, I solved it with one exaggerated practice: dancing the basic with a deliberate feeling of toe-in (which is quite a habit to break after a lifetime of work developing a foot turn-out). The lateral weight transfer increases load to the front of the foot, then the knee/instep, then the heel, allowing weight to be controlled/located toward the heel-side of the instep upon completion of the action. The shins become vertically parallel to each other with a decent-sized step, legs now bearing equal load properly in tempo.

But most valuable of all is the improvement in the quality of kinesthesia, making the feeling of the rhythm unmissable. It's probably the greatest boon to auditory and movement synchrony. I'm happy enough, at least for now, for this to be the making of the foundation to my guaguancó.

Loo

A Personal Journey With The Guaguancó: Prelude

Rumba Guaguancó has long been an aspiration of mine, both to the drumming and its dancing. You could say that they're one and the same thing, when you get right down to it.

Although I've been able to play the structural Havana and Matanzas variants for several years, the subtleties of the quinto drum have yet eluded me - something I've put down to not having enough depth of experience in its Cuban cultural context. What's been clear for a while is the need to strengthen my ability to dance it and make better sense physically of the accents and phrasing; to inform my hands on skin.

A couple of guaguancó dance workshops were only enough to add some dimension to my salsa, helping me keep up with a Cuban rumbera absolutely born to the art currently living in Sheffield (I have to leave out the vacunaos, which the doormen would very much misconstrue). The only regular lessons nearby are with Santiago-born Guillermo in York, at times which I'd have to clone myself to make.

But I knew that the dream of the guaguancó would only realise itself through a concerted effort to dance it. So I decided on learning from recorded sources, mainly out of necessity but also as a golden opportunity to assess currently:

1. the range, distribution, quantity and quality of material available - this would inform the strategic direction of the website;
   
2. the status of my teaching skills as applied to myself - primarily observation and interpretation;
   
3. my learning abilities - speed of assimilation, adaptability, synthesis, key areas of immediate development; and
   
4. my physical abilities - particularly fundamentals of movement from previous training which might be negatively prejudicial to rumba.
   

I've opted for the material from José Alfredo Carrión's rumba DVDs to establish my foundation because:

• it offers a broad base of understanding of Cuban rumba by addressing both yambú and guaguancó;
• the performers (from Ballet Folklórico Cutumba) and producers (Academy of Cuban Folklore & Dance) deliver with a credible authenticity, free from overt marketing intent;
• the pedagogy favours qualitative learning over quantitative with deliberate pacing;
• the structure is logical and preplanned;
  
• demonstrations incorporate multiple angles where necessary;
• explanations are pre-scripted, concise and succinct; and
  
• musicians are present with the dancers throughout.

It's easy to recognise the voice of a seasoned educator.

I may not be sure how this journey will go, but one thing is for certain - it's time it was begun.

José Alfredo Carrión's rumba DVD is also available from Descarga.com
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/21627.20

Loo Yeo