stefansolo Mechanics are the fundamental orientation of the body through muscle tone and placement that allows movement to flow through the body. This is important in partner dance, as once mechanics are set up, your body will instantly flow with said mechanics, when external energy is applied. This allows followers and leads to focus on the active components of the dance and let the ramifications play out unconsciously, through the body
Partner turns out their feet channeling external forces into the hips and the rotation between the two differing angles of the feet as the weight shifts.
Partner creates tone allowing external force to be automatically channeled to their center without active though required.
Partner relaxes their legs meaning, when they are moved in a direction, the legs fall underneath them placing their feet always under their weight.
Initiator moves their center forward to initiate movement relying on their tone to carry the energy into their partner’s body in a certain way.
Initiator lines up their feet so that when they move foreword only linear energy is created.
Mechanics cover a majority of how motions play out. Focusing on all of mechanics at the same time is too much.
Person is told to walk but to move each muscle involved intentionally and consciously: Person tries for a step every few seconds and fails to control each muscle Even at a step a minute many muscles are outside a persons specific control.
Student is told to change a specific muscle engagement. With their focus on this change, everything else feels off. They then try to implement the changes they feel through their whole body focusing on everything. All their movements become awkward as they lose awareness of the shifts and thus some parts of their body follow old mechanics designed for their previous engagement and some follow the new.
With good mechanical understanding one can let the mechanics handle most energy flow and focus on high level ideas. One can also modify mechanics to make the next high level idea play our in a different mechanical way. One can also micromanage a particular mechanic to make a unique outcome play out through the remaining unconscious mechanics. One can listen to their partners body and recognize what mechanics they have.
Lag allows one to have time to micromanage a particular mechanic, creates a gradual incorporation that showcases your mechanics step by step,
Ideas for further consideration: Pillar of Proprioception Pillar of Body Mechanics Pillar of Momentum Lag