 |
|||||
 |
 |
|
|||
Magna Gopal is one of the top international performers and instructors in the salsa scene. Originally from Toronto, Canada she is now based in New York/New Jersey, USA, and is internationally known for her grace, fluidity and precision on the dance floor. Her creative interpretation of the music, ability to effortlessly follow any lead and spin with speed and accuracy has made her an extremely popular dancer around the world. She has taught many people her intricate footwork patterns, body movement, how to spin, feel comfortable and express themselves on the dance floor. Her creativity in styling and shines is enhanced by her sense of musicality and the ease with which she has incorporated other forms of dance. Magna has been dancing, traveling, performing, and teaching since December 1999. She has performed with great dancers such as Ismael Otero, Sekou McMiller, Shaka Brown, and Jayson Molina. When she is not on the road giving workshops, dancing and performing, she's in New York choreographing and teaching. Thank you and your team for allowing me this opportunity. Yes, I do have relatives out in Vancouver. My older sister and my dad live out there. My mom will also be relocating there shortly. Great! We also look forward to having you with us in the not-so-distant future. I'm sure all the “salseros” and “salseras” will be thrilled. Actually, you might not remember this, but I had a dance with you last year in N.Y.C., which inspired me to write my first article about Salsa. If memory serves me correctly, I excused myself for dancing only ON1 and you pointed out that that particular song was primarily an ON1 song anyways. To me, that was a unique answer; and I have to say that you looked just as good dancing on the one. By contrast, my girlfriend got turned down five times in a single night for not dancing ON2. Some might say that NY dancers are entitled to having an attitude because their level is generally so high; however, it seems as though wherever you go – even though people make fun of each other's style – the number of dancers that can look just as good in either style is in fact very small. Now, I know you prefer dancing ON2, but don't you think it's a good idea to be versatile? You made a couple of points and I’d like to address them both. As for anyone “entitled” to having an attitude because of their level of dance, I disagree. First of all, we all started somewhere. I can at least speak for myself. When I began dancing I thought timing should be reserved for mathematicians because I enjoyed every beat equally (laughs). I’ve been dancing for seven years now and it’s been growth and progress all along the way. At any point that I could think “I’m great” I also said to myself “I know I have a long way to go.” I think all good dancers tend to think that way; it keeps us/them humble. So, my opinion on attitude: no one’s “entitled” to it. We’re all dancers, not royalty. Versatility is always a good thing. I started out dancing On1. Hmmm, come to think of it I started off dancing on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (laughs). Seriously, I started dancing On1 Colombian style (no cross body leads), and I’m very thankful for that. Almost everywhere I’ve travelled with the exception of New York City has had an equal share of On1 and On2 dancers. Now, I’m a dancer – I love to dance all night and I will if I can; being able to dance On1 and On2 permits me that opportunity to dance all night, practice my following with different styles of leads, and have a good time. As for your girlfriend being turned down, I do hope that she didn’t take it personally. For leaders that can only dance on one beat, it’s sometimes very difficult to adjust. Where a follower can just follow regardless of what beat she’s on, the leader has to think ahead not only of his next move but also of counting it out and making sure he’s leading on the right time. So, sometimes it’s excusable. In the end, as dancers (followers/leaders), we want to enjoy our dances and have fun. A week ago I asked a woman whom I had neither danced nor spoken with before for a dance. She looked at me from head to toe and asked me in return if I danced Cuban style. I said I could try, to which she immediately replied: “if you don’t dance Cuban style then NO.” Let’s talk about Salsa etiquette a little: What is the most appropriate way to decline a dance? I commend your approach and the fact that you said you would try. That’s how I learned On2. People would ask if I could and I’d reply with a no, but I’d like to. Now her response I’d say is probably a bit harsh. If she falls in the above category of just not being comfortable dancing anything but Cuban, then there are definitely nicer ways to say that. Declining a dance is a difficult thing because sometimes it has nothing to do with how you say it but rather how it’s received. When I started dancing I was asking people left, right, and centre. I had a tendency to ask the best dancers also. Of course, a pretty girl in a dress was hard to say no to….the first time (laughs). Once most of the dancers realized I didn’t even know my basic, “No” became the common response to my requests. Fortunately, I’ve never had a fear of rejection and when someone said “later”, I looked at my watch and came back in 30 minutes. Persistent or a pest? I’ll let you decide. As I’ve improved in my dance I’ve become a little more selective as well so I can understand now why people would say “no.” There are some songs that I want to “throw down” to and I won’t dance with just anyone to a song like that. The same goes for romantic songs, slow songs, fast songs, etc. I have a different level and type of chemistry with really great dancers so even there, I have a preference. Being that I have these preferences, I’m not quick to feel personally offended if someone does not want to dance a song with me. To address your question about declining a dance, there definitely is some etiquette involved: • If you say “no,” say it nicely and not in a condescending and demeaning manner. If you can, complete the phrase with “thank you,” acknowledging the other person’s effort and courage to risk the rejection. • If you say “later” or “next song,” try to stand by your word. Generally if I say that, I will actually go and find that person whether they look for me again or not. And this person could be one of the best or a beginner wanting to practice basics. • If you notice that the person approaching you is drunk, by all means, decline politely with no offer of a dance at a later time in the night. • The above approach applies to “rough” and “disrespectful” dancers as well. When I started dancing, I would dance with anyone and everyone. If my arms hurt at the end of the night or if I had a bruise on my head I figured that it just comes with the territory. Now, however, I’m much more careful. I avoid dances even with very cautious dancers if there’s no space on the dance floor or if there are couples around us that are not watching their own space. I know of someone who lost an eye dancing. And I’m sorry, but there’s no dance out there that’s worth my eye, limb, etc. • Try not to lead anyone on. If you do not want to dance with them at all, don’t say “later.” Two rejections from the same person are harder to deal with than just one. So, that’s one side of the question: declining the dance. The other side is avoiding it: • Being completely drenched in sweat is not inviting regardless of how good of a dancer you are or how cute your smile is. Take a moment for yourself, hit the bathroom, dry off, change your shirt if you like, and hit the dance floor again. I know tons of guys that bring 3 or 4 shirts to a salsa event. In the end, the dance is more comfortable for both the leader and follower. • Odour is another deterrent. I know for some people it’s natural and prominent but there are ways to mask it and stay fresh. The change of shirts always helps. Even the type of clothing is important as some fabrics breathe much more than others. I recall one night at a Toronto nightclub a few years back. I had just bought a peasant top from a flea market. It wasn’t made of cotton but some odd fabric and I should have washed it before wearing it but I needed it for that night. So, I wore it. I danced all night as usual and half way through the night I was drenched. The fabric and my sweat did not mix. At first, I had no idea where the smell was coming from but it was following me. It wasn’t body odour but something else. Finally I smelled my sleeve and realized it was my top. Fortunately, one of my friends had a bottle of cologne for me to take a shower in (laughs). The point is, it happens to all of us; just try to be aware of it and rectify it if you can. • Being drunk, a rough dancer or one that doesn’t respect the other person’s space is also a very easy path to rejection. I had a dance once where a guy grabbed my hands with his entire hand. Generally, I pride myself in my resistance and following. Not that it’s always perfect but I sure don’t need to be man-held. Well, this gentleman would squeeze my hands and try to turn me. Needless to say, my hands began to hurt, so much that I said “your lead hurts.” He replied with “no speak English,” so I said “me duele.” I stopped dancing, said thank you and walked away. I didn’t know he was rough; I gave it a chance but I would be very hesitant to accept a dance with him again. Let's change the topic a little. In Salsa we often say that it isn't “what” you do but “how” you do it that makes all the difference. Many advanced dancers have mesmerizing styling, but I also see a lot of people really overdoing it. This makes me wonder: what is social dancing really all about? Is it about interpreting the music, about connecting to your partner, or about looking good and showing it to the world? Social dancing is about connecting with your partner, connecting with the music, and not connecting with any other dancer’s elbow (laughs). I think the difference between mesmerizing and overkill is the level of comfort that a dancer has with him/herself. Often, most dancers learn styling or complicated patterns and given that that is what they know, that is all they end up doing without any respect for the music. Once you become more comfortable with your own dancing you realize that in some parts of the music a simple cross body lead is all that’s necessary, not a 16 count pretzel pattern. Likewise, it’s not always necessary to have your arms extended or moving your body a lot when the music is very short and precise. Patterns, styling, and movement should compliment the music otherwise they look out of place. In addition, each partner should try to compliment each other. We know how awkward a couple looks when one is dancing smooth and sexy while the other is dancing large and flashy. As for the rest of the world, it’s fine if you’re among friends who you want to play around with in your dance. But generally speaking, the dancers’ focus should be on each other. The lead is better; the follow is better; the synchronicity with the music is better; and the dance is overall, more enjoyable. Talking about connecting to your partner, I saw you leading a girl in NYC and I felt like dropping Salsa and concentrating entirely on my graduate studies instead... In your opinion, what makes a good leader/follower? A good leader understands the music, the partner’s dance level and knows how to accommodate accordingly. A good leader should also know how to stay in his/her space, avoid collisions with other dancers on the floor, and protect the partner. A few more tips: • A good follower understands the music, the partner’s dance level and knows how to accommodate accordingly. In addition, he/she should really be in tune with the lead and avoid anticipation or leading themselves into moves that were never lead—it can be very dangerous. • I find that leading has allowed me to understand both roles of following and leading better. I lead like I follow: light. Because I’m able to execute many of my moves without force, I find it very difficult to appreciate rough leads for less complicated moves. Knowing both has helped me with both but that’s not always the case. For some men, they follow as they lead: rough. Because they can’t carry their weight properly and don’t have proper resistance, they end up being forced through moves. The subconscious registers that and when they lead they sometimes get in the habit of forcing the women through moves, because that’s what they experienced as followers. I've been learning West Coast Swing for a few months now and, compared to Salsa, I'm both amazed and relieved by the freedom women have. Followers look great and leaders feel like it's a 50%-50% relationship. I guess what I want to ask you is: How would you define a lead? Is it an invitation, a signal, or is it something I impose on the woman? A lead is a signal and an invitation before ever becoming an imposition. If, for example, a man leads a double spin and a woman doesn’t get it, he should not force her through it. Maybe she doesn’t have her balance; maybe her arms aren’t held taut; the result can sometimes be injury. It’s best to avoid that. At the same time, as fun as it is, you don’t want to be completely disconnected from your partner expecting her to know what you want. A leader should have good constant resistance in his hands as well as a good frame. As a follower, I not only feed off of what the hands are telling me but also what his frame says. If his shoulders go from being squared with mine to perpendicular to mine, I know that I’m going to soon cross in front of him because he’s opened the way. At the same time, to be effective in a proper lead that’s not forceful, you need a decent follow. A follow needs to return good constant resistance and a good frame to be able to read the signals a leader sends. Cross-body leads: I always thought that my long cross-body leads both felt and looked really good, until I went to NYC and was told by a girl: “you're throwing me all over the dance floor!” I know ON2 dancers tend to travel less. What are the advantages of being space economical? Avoiding injury comes to mind and so does avoiding physical exhaustion. Long cross body leads are nice in contrast to shorter more close-quartered moves. Long cross body leads one after the other, however, are physically exhausting. They force a woman, especially a short one (ahem), to run around. As a result, the follow has no time to do a proper basic, let alone style it out. Conserving space conserves energy which allows all of your moves to look smoother because you use less energy. Given that you are not using unnecessary space, you can use that extra time to add style to your moves; that applies to both leaders and followers. For example, a female that does a big back break every time she exits a cross body lead will be limited to that move and only that move. It takes too much time and energy to get there for her to have any room to do something else. Whereas, when you limit the space that her body travels, she can drop, twist, kick one leg out, etc. She has more options and so does a leader when his arms and body aren’t fully extended in a move. I wrote an article recently where I define moves as structures that can sometimes get in the way between me and my partner. In other words, it seems to me that the more moves I execute, the less connected I am with my partner. What's your take on this? How do you feel when you're dancing with someone who's pulling move after move and is fascinated by the process – by the execution of his own moves? Patterns are great and it’s always fun to learn and know more. However, if a leader sees that his partner would like a moment for herself instead of just running around him, then he should accommodate that in his dance. It’s not all about the man or the woman. The dance is best when both have a chance to enjoy the dance and do what they are comfortable doing. Also, unless you’re dancing to a monotonously fast and repetitive song which has no intro, climax, descarga, breaks, or exit (and I have yet to hear one), there’s really no reason to execute complex pattern after complex pattern. It’s not what you know that makes you a great dancer but how you use it in a dance to a particular song with a particular partner. Considering the diversity in rhythms and structure that exist in salsa music, a leader/follower should attempt to equally diversify their dance. In connection to the previous question: what should be the dynamic between man and woman while social dancing? Should Salsa be more like West Coast Swing (a 50-50 relationship including “high jacking”) or should it be a segregated experience – “I only lead and you only follow”? I’d like to think that the dance is a 50-50 dance. Not to say that the female leads it but definitely that the man not only executes his own moves but also plays off of what the female does. It’s a difficult thing to do for a leader because often, the moves that they know are all that they know and the follow can sometimes totally throw them off course. In those cases, a follow should learn to take her share of that pie where she can without throwing him off. For example, there are many moves that I do when dancing that might look like the guy lead it when in fact it was a split second that I knew I had for myself and I utilized it. The only way for me to do that is to use only that split second and nothing more or I may throw him off. Also, I need to maintain my own weight or he will feel my pull and again, I will throw him off. So, I believe the 50-50 exists. It’s just a matter of either the guy giving it, or the woman taking it (laughs). Women’s styling: If you don't have any you just look plain; if you have too much you can get a lot of attention, but not always the kind of attention you're looking for. Especially when you’re learning, I think you always go through a phase where you tend to overdo it. How much is enough? I think musicality has everything to do with looking good when styling. Full extensions of the arm are big and beautiful but not when the music is sharp and fast. Also, too much of the same move takes the beauty away from that move. A head whip, for instance, looks great. Would you think the same if it was done once every eight count for a four minute song? So, again, styling is about accenting the music. It doesn’t always need to be big and prominent; sometimes it’s a matter of stopping everything you’re doing or subtly tilting your head to the side. There are many things that are stylistic that aren’t the traditional things that women are teaching or used to learning. I know you released a spinning DVD a couple years ago and I'm aware that you're currently working on a “Body Movement” DVD. What can you tell us about them and when will the body movement DVD be available? The new DVD, Body Movement by Magna, should be released in a few weeks. Similar to the Spins by Magna DVD which was released in December 2005, the Body Movement DVD is also structured for both men and women, is taught On1 and On2 and is all about technique. It focuses not only on understanding your body and how it works but also includes a variety of sequences that differ in range of movement, speed of movement and rhythm. This allows a viewer to take any 8 count and use it as they see fit and as the music calls for it. There is plenty of information on there for all levels of dancers and because my movement and styling isn’t that common, I’m sure men will find plenty of moves to take away with them. The focus of the DVD is to impart knowledge on body movement technique with the goal not to become my clone but to understand and become comfortable with your own body so that you can create your own movements. As much as we may like a dancer and say we want to dance like them, the reality is that we desire their level of confidence, comfort and creativity. My goal is to help build the foundation that allows a dancer to build upon it whatever their heart desires.
Find out more about Magna at magnagopal.com Magna can be contacted at: Both of Magna's instructional DVDs Body Movement by Magna and Spins by Magna are available online at www.magnagopal.com
|
|||||
|
|||||
