Your ability to execute Salsa moves and shines in a way that is safe, aesthetically pleasing, smooth and technically correct will usually be limited by one thing…
Your body!!
Specifically your mobility, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance
Now before you go and sign up at the nearest gym, there is something you need to understand first:
Dance requires an extraordinarily high level of neuromuscular control.
In other words, your brain and nervous system have to be able to control your movements with extreme accuracy. This involves recruitment of many of the smaller, muscles which are responsible for fine, intricate movements which are not recruited by typical gym exercises like push ups or squats.
It also involves higher level functioning and endurance of your postural stabilisers – with typical gym exercises you are mostly static, whereas In Salsa you are moving constantly, and often at speed.
It is these muscles that help you control your energy and momentum…Too much or too little, plus the added variable of being physically connected to a partner all create extra challenges for your body to deal with.
And the faster the music gets, the harder that challenge becomes.
This is why, although social dancers rarely have professional aspirations, the challenge of mastering even a modest level of dance technique is actually greater for them because they have so little control over their own bodies.
This is a system I’ve designed to help people with no dance training develop the movement skills, core strength, postural stabilisation, flexibility and motor control needed to break through their current technique and style limitations.
It’s not Yoga or Pilates although it incorporates elements of both.
The reason for this is that yoga and Pilates are movement systems in their own right which although have many useful benefits, they are not specifically designed for our particular goals. And what often happens is that people get hooked on the result…nailing a specific pose or exercise, and try and force their bodies to go there when they are simply not ready.
My aim with this system is to get you hooked on the PROCESS – so good posture and correct movement patterns become an unconscious habit rather than something you only do when you are in front of a mirror.
My Body Mastery Matrix is not exercise in the traditional sense – it’s not about going for the burn, as working to failure or high levels of physical stress is not useful when you are not physically conditioned for it, and can trigger physiological panic responses which will PREVENT your body opening, relaxing and releasing in the way we want.
This is what I have personally experienced – as a highly trained exercise and fitness specialist, I’ve trained my body using most of the different methodologies on offer to the mainstream. I’ve tried EVERYTHING that’s been in a gym or fitness class over the last two decades….from step aerobics to body pump to spin and pilates.
I’ve tried many stretching protocols and scientific strengthening regimes,
But NOTHING has come close to delivering the results I’m getting now using this exact system…
It’s not mindless repetitive movement, as many of the movements are very subtle, requiring a high level of focus. This will create the body awareness that all dancers need, but is lacking in those who come into dance as adults.
it’s not mindfulness or meditation either, although you will find you gain calmness and clarity and a sense of wellbeing when you use the system as a daily habit.
So having told you what it isn’t, now let me tell you what it IS!!
The Body Mastery Matrix is a series of movement sequences designed to slowly and gradually, subtly and progressively improve your physical movement skills over time.
It will teach you how to perform the body isolations and segmental spinal movements which are essential to Latin dances like Salsa, but most people struggle to feel comfortable doing.
It will teach you how to move with precision, presence and poise, transitioning smoothly from one movement to the next with excellent balance and control.
There are 10 increasingly challenging levels which will improve your posture, enhance your ability to do body rolls etc.
It’s gentle, non aggressive, and it won’t take up hours of time either – each level takes 10-20 minutes maximum.
It’s suitable for those with low levels of physical conditioning but will still challenge those who have been in and out of gyms all their lives due to the strict focus on technique – for this reason I recommend everyone starts at the beginning with Level 1.
Each movement sequence is designed to work with a specific piece of music so you will be improving your musicality at the same time.
I’ve been performing these on a daily basis for many months now, and my posture and dance technique has improved beyond all recognition.
I’m so excited about the changes I’ve experienced that I really want to share the whole system so you can experience it too.