Seasonal Greetings!

Posted a little late, after writing it on facebook, but it's finally here:

Bubbling springs gurgling
Sap of joy shooting arms
Reachin to sky's warm slate
Green despite-
Winter's winds bluster
...
Here's wishing all of us to be like the evergreen this Christmas season. The same joie de vivre - vitality - through x'mas, dec 31st, and through the 365 days of next year!

Relationships

Life is all about making connections

Music is a great way to do so

But it's even better when...

moving with the music...

with someone ;-)

Keeping the flow in casino

A lot of people learn rueda and then get stuck converting it to couple dancing in a way that makes it flow. Going back to the same starting point after each move is limiting and can break up a dance. It is only when one begins to treat move combinations as made up of components that can be mixed together that flow can happen. Take the move balsero for example, which consists of [3] 8 counts. At the end of the first 8 count one can then do besito [4] 8 count combination. At the end of the 3d 8 count one is in a perfect position to do an exibe [1] 8 count next, and then one could do abanico starting from the 2nd 8 count of that move combination. I could go on for quite a bit more, but I hope that you see the pattern. And it is something that every rueda/casino dancer should learn in order to improve their dancing.

As you dance and with time you start to see patterns. Some that I have seen as well as ideas how to explore this "flow" concept:

1.Any veil where L Rh veils F at end of 8 count => next abanico starting from 2nd 8 count

2. Exhibe - dedo guarapo y bota can always be done

3. Any combinations with 2 handed R-R L-L enchufe-veil in an 8 count => next exhibe - abanico/sombreo doble/sombreo complicado/sombreo recomplicado/juana la cubana These are montana, montana bella, besito - do after penultimate 8 count

3. exhibe with L Lh-F Rh => exhibe for first half of the eight count and then transitioning into any setenta for the second half of the eight count, ending at setenta position (end of the 2nd 8 count). These are kentucky after 2nd 8 count, setenta abajo after 2nd 8 count, setenta cubano after 3rd 8 count

4. Think about possibilities using the other hand/or not switching hands. e.g. at end of 2nd 8 count of kentucky one can switch hands to do enchufe doble next. One can also do enchufe doble with a L Rh - F Rh handhold for a different feel

5. Anytime L Lh - F Rh at end of eight count- think of moves starting that way which might work: adios/enchufe, evelyn

6. Anytime L Rh - F Rh at end of eight count - think of which move combinations that start that way would work: dedo family, hecho

Move combinations:

balsero-besito-exhibe-juana la cubana-abanico-ponle sabor

kentucky-exhibe

juana la cubana-exhibe

setenta abajo-exhibe

dedo-enchufe doble-exhibe-dedo guarapo y bota

habana = candado-setenta

sombrero doble-exhibe

Why do I dance

I dance to find myself:

The more I dance, the more I love
The more I love, the more I understand
The more I understand, the more I dance

BARCODE FAITH

The barcode scanner sweeps over any barcode and spits out the information recorded. It does not matter to the electronic eye where the barcode is placed, or on what it is placed - whether it is the correct item or not. Are we barcodes and electronic eyes, simply responding to what is provided?

Elements of the Salsa Song

There is more to a song than just the underlying 4/4 time and finding the 1/2/3 depending on what beat one breaks on. There is the 2/3 or 3/2 clave, the cowbell, conga, maracas, piano, timbales, bass, bongos, guiro. In addition an instrument can play different rhythms. The more you can understand the song elements the better your dancing can get and one neat little tool that can help one understand more of these different elements is the SalsaBeatMachine. Check it out for yourself and see whether it can help you.

Whole wheat bread

Ingredients:2 2/3 cup wheat four, 1/3 cup gluten, 2 tsp brown sugar, 2 slightly heaped tsp yeast, 1/3 tsp salt, 5 tsp oil, water as needed

Warm up some water in a bowl, and add 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp wheat gluten, 1 tsp wheat flour. Dip finger to make sure water is luke warm. Add yeast. Let sit until the surface is covered with reacted yeast and bubbles. It usually takes couple minutes. Add this mixture to remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl. Knead, adding water as necessary until all the flour is incorporated and dough stops being sticky. Add 5 tsp oil and then knead until oil in incorporated. Total time from adding liquid to dry ingredients to final dough is usually under 30 minutes.
Cover bowl and put in luke warm oven (I heat oven for a minute or two) to rise. After an hour take out, put in oiled baking pans (you can make little more than a loaf or buns) and put back in oven to rise for 45 minutes. Remove, preheat oven to 350, then bake for 25 minutes.