Hello.

My latin instructor told me that I am never supposed to lower a heel during any latin dance. We were working on runmba and he said that everything stays on the ball of the foot and he does not want to hear my heel. I understand about using the inside edge, but am I never supposed to lower my heel during cha cha, rumba, and samba?

Find another instructor.

i agree- when people talk and refer to 'foot action' , this refers to the working of the feet. It's impossible to have good foot action if you stay too high all the time. He's very wrong.

Thanks for your replies. Can someone please tell me what is the proper foot action when taking steps in the rumba?

Thanks.

This is difficult to explain in words! Maybe someone can do it, but I would recommend to watch the top dancers and watch them again- but the second time just their feet. The control needed for rumba is also needed in the feet along with the rest of the body. It's not simple, and like I said the greatest dancers do it best. ;)

Bryan and Karen's instructional videos may be a good reference . Please visit danceuniverse.TV

I wouldn't necessarily be so quick to blame the instructor. It's certainly true that he should not hear your heels. Your putting weight into your heel should be smooth enough that it doesn't make noise. You don't say what level dancer you are, but some instructors start out by teaching latin on the balls of the feet, especially if the student has a tendency to be backweighted. Then, when the backweighting habit is broken, they'll re-introduce how and when to put weight into the heel. That's what my instructor did when I first started and it was a very effective approach.

I have a very different experience with this approach to teaching. Before I started ballroom, I had 11 years of dance in jazz, tap, ballet, and modern. It was very easy for me to pick up new steps and technique. The first teacher I had decided that it wasn't in his best interest to teach as fast as I could learn, since it wasn't as profitable. He full well knew that my goal was competition at champ level, yet he chose to tell me, when teaching me the basics of samba- that it had no hip action!!! I knew he was wrong. I can happily say that after being with a new instructor for 2 years I am dancing at champ level and searching for a partner.

Latin Lover, I wish I could see your lessons to help you out, but you are the only one who can know whether your teacher is doing this to benefit you or to hold you back. The best thing I can recommend is to educate yourself by watching the best, and don't be afraid to ask your instructor questions.

"I have a very different experience with this approach to teaching. Before I started ballroom, I had 11 years of dance in jazz, tap, ballet, and modern. It was very easy for me to pick up new steps and technique. The first teacher I had decided that it wasn't in his best interest to teach as fast as I could learn, since it wasn't as profitable. He full well knew that my goal was competition at champ level, yet he chose to tell me, when teaching me the basics of samba- that it had no hip action!!! I knew he was wrong. I can happily say that after being with a new instructor for 2 years I am dancing at champ level and searching for a partner."

Students have such a way of making their former coaches sound like idiots... consider the comment about no hip action - could very well mean that a much more subtle hip action than the beginner student was putting in was required - could even mean the coach wanted to take the wrong action out entirely and then recreate the right one.

Dancing champ? And searching for a partner? No, you'll be dancing champ when you have a partner and are earning some reacalls.

And of course the new coach is always so much better... because the new coach has a business interest to convince you that they will provide what the old one didn't, regardless if its good for your dancing or not.

Wow thanks for making all of those assumptions about me without knowing anything! I HAD a partner. We were preparing to dance champ at and upcoming comp and he had to move when his grandparent he was living with died. My trainers are in the works of searching for someone else for me. And you know nothing about my studio or my coach- he happened to be 5th in Poland in pro standard and 10 dance back in the day. His trainer is Peter Eggleton, who is often at the studio and who've I also trained with. I was stupid to have taken lessons with the other one in the first place since soon after (before I switched) many people recommended him to me.So no I don't just dance open steps, I have a very good foundation in technique. He's very hard on me, making sure that my basics are strong before moving on to anything else.

About my old coach- yes he is an idiot. He was interested in having me be another pro-am dancer who spends $1000 on each comp (which I can't even afford!). Please don't attack what I say anymore- you don't know me! I don't need pessimism and negetivity and neither does anyone else here.