Salsa Go With The Flow

What is dance? Its life! Well, at least to me it is. Ive been dancing before I could even walk. Dancing has always been and will always be so important. Its such a healthy, active way to have fun. I mean, I cant even imagine a day in my life where Im not able to express myself by moving rhythmically to music. Now that I am older dancing has become my only true outlet. I dance to almost every style of dancing and now I am obsessed with Latin American dancing; which so happens to be what my independent book is about.

 Latin Dancing by: Dessi & Orod Ohanians they teach you step by step of many of the styles of Latin Dancing such as Salsa, Lambada, Meringue, etc. (1)
As for now Im going to get into Salsa."...a melting pot of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances.."(Dessi,10)
Lets get started!


The first part is pretty simple, its just forward and backward steps, but with hip movements.(Dont worry guys, this part is the same for men too.)
1.) You stand with your feet together.
2.) Take the first step forward with your left foot.
3.) Make sure that your hip follows the direction of the foot.
4.) On the 4th beat make sure your feet come together.
5) Follow the same steps but on the opposite foot.
(19)



You can burn some serious calories if youre doing it correctly :)

Did you have fun? I know I did. Its honestly more enjoyable if you add music some suggestions could be...

• Har-You Percussion Group Welcome to the Party
•  Los Titanes Merecumbe 
• It’s a Man’s World Ray Barrett

Next time Ill try to show you the Merengue

Piano Techniques Fingering Listen to LET IT GO from FROZEN on the Piano!!!!

For the next topic in the book Improve Your Piano Playing, Dr. John Meffen moves on to talk about piano techniques. The first technique he discusses is fingering.

Fingering is the act of articulating your fingers to play notes on the piano. There is rarely one correct fingering because it really depends on you and what makes you comfortable (Meffen 42). It also depends on your hand size, finger span, and ability to reach. Appropriate fingering is important because it "allow[s] smooth and accurate movement[s] to be accomplished" (Meffen 45). This way, you can play beautifully and sound amazing without having to worry about your fingers tangling up. It is meant to be simple and helpful, so the transition to your next move is effortless and flawless (Meffen 46).

To practice good fingering, Meffen shares a strategy from Chopin, a famous pianist and composer. Chopin said "Standard fingerings for scales and arpeggios form a strong, safe, and memorable basis. (Meffen 47). Meffen agrees with Chopins teachings and adds on that fingering used from a scale or arpeggio can be helpful when playing any composition. (Meffen 43). Here are videos of me practicing some scales and arpeggios to help improve my fingering.

                                Arpeggios                                                               Scales

Now that I have practiced, I can apply what I learned to a song. Notice how the precise fingering helps my left hand move up and down the piano.

Let It Go - Frozen

QOTD: What do you think sounds better, scales or arpeggios?

Citation: Meffen, John, Dr. Improve Your Piano Playing. New York: Allworth Press, 2007. Print.