I almost didn't take that workshop - it was getting late, and I had long drive ahead.
Further, I generally avoid classes on volcadas. Teachers don't always explain the technique well, and even when the instruction is clear, many students have difficulty with the execution. Imagine a roomful of eager but under-prepared students hanging desperately from each other's shoulders while struggling to keep from tumbling to the floor.
As an aside, on occasions when I have had a chance to teach volcadas, I stressed safety first and put the students through exercises to prepare them to execute the technique properly. With proper technique and clear advice on avoiding mistakes, most students can learn to perform a smooth and relatively struggle-free volcada in a short amount of time. And no one gets hurt, which is the most important factor.
Anyway, back to that fateful day. The instructors promised to show a new volcada technique that was (supposedly) gaining popularity in Buenos Aires.
Wow! That sounds interesting! Please tell us more!
Alarm bells went off in my head when they described what we were going to do. "That doesn't sound like a good idea!" I should have listened. Instead, I decided to keep an open mind and try it.
The "new technique" was to execute the volcada with a momentary separation between leader and follower. The leader encourages the follower to lean forward, lets go of her for a split second so she is literally falling forward, and then catches her before she hits the floor.
Oh, that sounds so dramatic! So exciting! So lucrative for orthopedists and chiropractors!
One of the cardinal rules of partners dancing is that you NEVER, EVER, EVER put weight onto your partner's shoulders - not by leaning, not by hanging, and definitely not in the process of falling. Doing so puts your partner's spine in extreme danger.
One of the dirty secrets of dance instruction is that many professional dancers are forced to cope with lower back injuries. They sustained these injuries when someone - often a student - grabbed onto them for balance. One moment, one slip, can easily turn into a lifetime of pain.
Your legs are there to support your weights; that's their job. Let them DO their job. If you walked into the building without hanging on to the walls, you can dance without hanging onto a partner.
During the fateful volcada workshop, one rather tall young lady followed the instructions and fell forward. But instead of waiting for me to catch and support her torso, she threw all of her weight down on my shoulders through her left arm. I felt a horrible "pop."
During the fateful volcada workshop, one rather tall young lady followed the instructions and fell forward. But instead of waiting for me to catch and support her torso, she threw all of her weight down on my shoulders through her left arm. I felt a horrible "pop."
Boom! Welcome to the back injury club! You're now a lifetime member!
The pain went away after two months, but it get aggravated from time to time. I have been struggling with it this week. I bent down to tie my shoes one morning, and as I stood I felt that old familiar pop. One moment can change your life.
If something seems risky, if you feel that a technique isn't being explained well, or if someone is making you physically uncomfortable with their embrace, please, for the sake of your health and your future in dance, get out of that situation. Even at the risk of seeming rude, just stop and walk away. I would rather be a person that no one likes than one who has to live with a spinal injury.
Be safe. And don't put up any nonsense, even from dancers and teachers that you otherwise respect and admire.
¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!
The pain went away after two months, but it get aggravated from time to time. I have been struggling with it this week. I bent down to tie my shoes one morning, and as I stood I felt that old familiar pop. One moment can change your life.
If something seems risky, if you feel that a technique isn't being explained well, or if someone is making you physically uncomfortable with their embrace, please, for the sake of your health and your future in dance, get out of that situation. Even at the risk of seeming rude, just stop and walk away. I would rather be a person that no one likes than one who has to live with a spinal injury.
Be safe. And don't put up any nonsense, even from dancers and teachers that you otherwise respect and admire.
¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!
Daniel
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