Hello!
I learned the ASWAT (Arabic Shimmy with Arm Variation and a Turn) step at the General Skills in B'ham last April (2007). Tried to bring it back to my class, and we we go the ASWAT part down fairly well, but when I tried to remember the fade, I mucked it all up, and we we just have been using ASWAT on it's own. Of note, when trying to do the fade at the G.S, I totally CRASHED into someone since I was trying to travel and turn (which is wrong!), that should have been my first clue that I didn't understand the fade quite right!
Nearly a year later, at TribalCon 2008 I am reminded of the ASWAT with a fade by the lovely Megha of Devyani, and I GET IT. I understand it, and can do it, so I feel confident about trying to reintroduce it to my students last night.
What a hard subject to try to teach!
I try counting. I try demonstrating with a student that attended TribalCon and tend to pick up following fast (thanks Laura!)
Lots of blank stares. Lots of glares. Lots of "I can't follow that, I don't see the cue" (even after it had been explained and shown). One lady actually left class for awhile because she was so frustrated.
This is such a beautiful step and I know it is hard to grasp the fade, but it shouldn't be this hard to teach! I am going to bring my Volume 7 to class to show it to those who have never seen it 'in action', and I intend to just bring this step out ever week this month to practice (it was ALL we did for about 45 minutes last night, and THAT WAS HARD on me!) but I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to best teach this??
Any suggestions are welcome!
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Florida
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 11:40 AMIts the same count and movement as the stationary ASWAT, but you're just traveling during the first 4 counts. Making sure that you're doing the turns while not traveling, which means you have to get to your turning spot within that 4 cts. Plus, while traveling, the leader still needs to cue the turn. That can be tricky. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 11:44 AMThanks Sandi!
I got that part down (travel THEN turn for the fade), but for reason it is not sinking in. I think this is one of those things were we will just have to drill, and drill and drill and drill. I don't understand why this is so hard! The fade part is actually easier than the arabic shimmy! -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 11:49 AM"(travel THEN turn for the fade) "
Please turn AFTER the fade. I'm sure thats what you meant, but just wanted to be clear. ;}
Yes, drilling is key for this. Moving backwards is not a natural thing to do, so it takes practice to get used to learning spacing, angles and moving back in a straight line (perpendicular to the front, not angled to the corners).
Good luck!
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 11:57 AMSandi - yes, I meant what you said!
I kept saying (and doing) ....
"travel ( which = the fade) THEN turn in your new place :)
They we finally getting the idea of it by end of class, but by then I was exhausted from trying to explain in 5 different ways!
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 26, 2008 - 8:27 PMWe were working on this move in class last night. As I understand it, we have three options with the ASWAT:
•stationary ASWAT
•ASWAT w/fade
•ASWAT w/circle
Is there a cue to the fade? I thought if you did one stationary before doing a fade that would be enough. Just thought I'd check in. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, March 27, 2008 - 8:40 PMYeah, if you do one in place, everyone should be ready for a fade. Or at least be thinking that a fade might happen. Because it can. ;} -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 12:45 PMthanks, sandi!
i would use this same "best practice" for going into a circle?
also, does one ALWAYS do an arabic shimmy prior to going into the ASWAT? -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 12:50 PMWell, the ASWAT is an Arabic Shimmy, so yes. Go into the AS before doing the ASWAT. Its a good lead-in. :}
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 12:56 PMAnd yes, same practice for going into a circle. Thats the thing about ATS. There's no spacing out and you have to be ready for anything. There's a little catalog in all our brains that pulls up any variation on a movement that "might" happen. And when you see an Arabic Shimmy, the catalog shows, if you're following, the leader could just pivot in place, fade, travel fwd & back, tread water until the phrasing in the music says to change, or go into an ASWAT. Then that can bring up all kinds of other options. Dig?
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, April 3, 2008 - 11:42 AMFor the fade, I think the cue is looking down over the right shoulder... is that correct? i thought that's what Megha taught at Tribalcon.
I LOVE the ASWAT fade---- it is downright inspiring! -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, April 3, 2008 - 12:08 PMThats the cue for the turn. But when you start the fade, you still have to cue for the turn. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Fri, April 4, 2008 - 5:14 PMAh geez--- thats what I was thinking but i got mixed up I tink. Agh--- I'm too much of a spaz for tribe sometimes. thanks!
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 11:47 AMHaving your students see a video of the fade should help. Once they get a visual on it, that might make it more clear to them what it's supposed to look like. Just keep doing what you're doing. They'll start to catch on.
Ah the joy of teaching ATS. The eye rolling, the blank looks, the glares, the "I can't do it!s" :-)
Thank goodness for balance. For enthusiasm, open-ness, being willing to make mistakes......
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 12:04 PMHi. I'm not a FCBD teacher and I learned this move from the Vol. 7 video, but I do teach it and my students LOVE it, so I thought I'd throw in a few pointers that have worked for me.
- You write as if ALL of your students are frustrated and not getting it. Is that true? Or is it maybe only 1 or 2. If that's the case, maybe one of the students who does get it can explain to the one(s) who do(es)n't. Honestly, I've often found that students use different words and ways of explaining and sometimes when I can't get something across, they can.
- I noticed in the video that the leader tends to cue the fade by taking her first step back, or at least pulling her center of gravity back, on the "8" of the previous sequence, just before she takes the really big step back on the "1". (Maybe I'm making this up, but that's what I see in the video.) So I've taught that to my students as the cue. Most of them catch on after a short time. And as I say, they love this move and use it all the time. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 12:14 PMHi Sharon,
At TribalCon I beleive that Megha taugh for the lead to step back on the 78 (to cue the fade). Right now I am just trying to get them to see the cue, and follow it and even with that part there is trouble with about half of the students.
This class, which is only about 8 students, is still advanced beginner to beginner intermediate, but some of them have been doing primarly ATS (and a small amount of ITS) for almost 3 years now.
Of the half that are having trouble, they do TRY, but are getting frustrated, and while I think I am good at explaining things in differnt ways, last night was very taxing. I almost wonder if this is something that might be too complicated for them, but at the same time, I saw an entire BALLROOM full of poeple, some without any ATS experience at all, doing it, so I don't think I am trying to teach something too advanced. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 12:18 PMNo, you should finish 5678 and start stepping back on 1. That might be cause for some confusion. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 12:22 PMOh!!!! I need to go watch my DVD again, but I swear Megha said step back on 7/8 (I need to go consult my notes too!) <scratches head> but we learned a lot at TribalCon so maybe I am confusing it with something else!
Wendy, that would make being the leader SO much EASIER!! Step back on the 1!!! Yes!
Thanks! -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 8:09 PMI love the ASWAT (good acronym) too and send youtube.com links for my Level 2 students to watch.
I also find that my students can do the step in place, but once we add in the fade they freak out and loose some of their spatial awareness, even though we drill Arabic fades starting in Level 1.
Great topic, love the advice/feedback from Wendy and Sandi - :)
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 5, 2008 - 8:30 PMSpatial awareness!!!! Exactly!!!! What a great word! -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, March 6, 2008 - 5:29 AM"...but I swear Megha said step back on 7/8".
Yup, Megha did say to step back on the 8. I was with my troupe at Tribal Con and we not only practiced it that way, but Megha watched us and I asked her if it was correct. I remember this really well because I was having some trouble stepping back on the 8.
I haven't used the DVD though, so I don't know the information that's on it. Does the DVD state to step back on the 1?
Maybe asking Megha is the way to get it all cleared up? I'd hate to see us all running around doing it differently! : ) -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, March 6, 2008 - 9:11 AMSome clarification on what was taught...
Your left foot lands (with a step) toward the back on the 7-8 part of the movement. Your right foot travels back on the 1.
She used 7(right foot lands out of turn) - 8 (left foot lands toward the back) to show where the feet would land to get ready for the fade and how your partners would know you were fading or now.
"Step back on the 7/8" - seems the "step" word was understood a different way then was intended.
Hope this helps. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, March 6, 2008 - 9:27 AMDeanna, that helps immensely!
I knew I heard 7-8! But you are so right, the intended use of 'step back on the 7-8 was misunderstood. this should help a lot with explaining (doing it is easy, trying to explain it is a whole 'nuther issue!) -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Fri, March 7, 2008 - 8:13 AMAh! I thought when she said "step" she meant "land" with the back foot on the 8. I didn't realize we were talking about the right foot. I thought this whole time we were talking about the left foot that lands on the 8. Sorry if I confused anyone!
Thanks, Miss D!
That helps clarify things immensely!
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, March 13, 2008 - 7:53 AMYes, the "step back" on the 8 is more of a "landing with the left foot to the back" from the leader to indicate that the fade is coming. Everyone else can start moving on the 1.
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Wed, March 12, 2008 - 2:40 PM
We went over this move with the fade in class again last night, and with the clarification from Sandi, Wendy and Deanna, I think we understand how to do it now! We used a song that was PAINFULLY slow for regular 'fast' tribal (Irajick on Chai Room - great drilling song for baby bellies!) so that everyone could get each count correctly (and so I could count it out loud for them) and we actually were doing the fade in class, with 6 students (odd formation, but we had movement on the correct counts!)
Many thanks to all of you for the help!! -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Fri, March 14, 2008 - 6:22 AMsomeone mentioned youtube clips... can you give me a direction for that? I am not super familar with ATS... that whole baby belly thing, so i wouldn't know what to be watching for but as neat as everyone says this is I would like to watch it!
Thanks!
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sat, March 29, 2008 - 12:25 PMCan someone describe what the feet are doing during the traveling portion of the fade? Moving backwards on 1234, do you step across the left foot with the right foot in front, step left on the left foot, step behind on the right, step left on the left foot again, as in a grapevine, before turning on 5678? Or do you start by stepping across in back with the right foot?
Likewise, how are you traveling forward? -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sat, March 29, 2008 - 12:33 PMI don't believe it is specified. If you get there, you did it right. :)
That said, I *observe* more people stepping in front first, because you are Arabic'ing, and the right foot naturally falls slightly in front of the left on an Arabic.
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 9:44 AMI step back on all counts (left and right feet) except for the turns. Same for stepping forward. So going back, there is some crossover with my right foot, but the left foot is traveling too. But this depends on everyone's traveling distance and how long your legs are and such. I have shorter legs, so I have to make more of an effort than longer-legged dancers to move the same distance. Same with moving it in a circle. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 2:42 PMBut do you start with the first traveling step on the right foot, no matter whether you are moving forward or backwards, or do you start on whichever foot is closest to the direction you want to travel? (In other words, since you're sort of facing left-ish when you move, that would be starting out on the left foot to travel backwards, and starting out on the right foot to travel forwards) -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 10:09 PMHey now, let's not make it more complicated than it already is! ;} Since all our movements start on the "one" with the right foot, then yes, we are stepping back with the right foot.
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 11:29 PMI misunderstood your question. I thought you were asking about grapevine-type stepping, where a foot can either go in "front" or in "back" of the other foot. Sorry if I made it more convoluted with my answer! -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 3:29 AMWe do the moving backwards and forward part as a grapvine:
On the backwards part we cross the right foot in front on the '1', step, back on the left on '2' , cross behind on the right on '3', and step back on the left on '4'
Coming forwards we step forward on the right on '1' , behind on the left on '2', forward right on '3' cross left foot in front on '4'.
My troupe has got the hang of this move now, the only problem we have now is that some of the dancers want to turn more than once!
Sarah
Tribe of Kismet
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 5:32 AMI love this and we are trying to get our head around it.
Watching the lovely Sandi over and over again on Vol 7 does help but it doesnt magically melt into my feet hee hee.
Ive promised to crack it this week - fingers crossed. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 7:24 AMI think there is a definite rhythm and 'feel' to this movement and if you can let yourself go a little bit and flow it comes more quickly. Remember also that it is only the same movement as the ASWAT but you are just replacing the first half with a move back or forward - once my girls got that into their head it came easily :-)
Its one of our favourite moves now !
Sarah
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 11:51 AMTry it without the grapevine? To keep from turning too far, that is - I don't know what y'all are ending up with as your body position when you finish the step, but when we were trying to make it a distinct grapevine step, we found that on the 4 count we were angled too far towards our left shoulders, so when we started the turn we only had 3/4 of the way to go. That meant everyone tried to turn too far. Starting the first two steps sorta grapeviney but focusing on landing at performance angle (or even a little more straight on to the audience) by 4 kept us from turning too much. -
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 12:30 PMI'm having trouble seeing where the grapevine would come in in an ASWAT fade. It's still an Arabic step, so it starts with the right foot stepping forward , at the point where the right foot would step behind in a grapevine, (on the 3?) when *I* do it, my right foot is stepping out to the right to start the turn, not behind the left as in a grapevine.
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 12:50 PMMy opinion here is to leave the term "grapevine" out of the whole thing. Associating this move with another one is going to make it more complicated/confusing, at least for me. It is what it is. Step back on 1 & 2 facing left (rt ft cross over, then left step back). Flip to the right (traveling if you need to) on 3 & 4 to set up for the turn (5-8). Step forward on 1 & 2 (rt ft fwd, then left crosses behind), flip to the right (traveling if you need to) on 3 & 4 to set up for the turn (5-8).
Basically, its the same as Sarah's description, but remember when you're stepping back or forward on 3 & 4, that your are turning to the right at that point and not still facing left.
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Re: teaching the ASWAT fade
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 2:48 PM"My opinion here is to leave the term "grapevine" out of the whole thing. Associating this move with another one is going to make it more complicated/confusing, at least for me. It is what it is."
word.
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