Magna Gopal: Learning Through Curiosity, Missing Piece in Dance Classes, Rough Dances

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The following is a conversation with Magna Gopal.
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Magna discovered her passion for salsa dancing
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while studying at the University of Toronto.
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She pursued a career in dance, which facilitated
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travel to over 80 countries and allowed her to
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teach thousands of students across the globe.
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Magna learned valuable lessons about entrepreneurship,
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relationships, authenticity, and creativity that
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she shares with her community within and beyond
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dance. Magne developed a personal brand that
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focuses on empowerment through movement, communication,
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and mindset. I'm here with Magne Lopal at the
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2025 Big Solsa Festival in New York City. It's
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not a congress, it's a festival. It's a festival.
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I actually don't know the difference between
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the two. I don't know either. I don't know if
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one's supposed to be bigger or not, but so far
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it's been pretty cool. I mean the New York Salsa
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Congress way back when I believe used to take
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place in this hotel back in 2005. So same venue,
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same rooms, festival and a congress were held
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in the same place and both of them packed the
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spaces. Do you know how many approximately, how
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many congresses they have in New York City? In
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New York? Oh, what a tough question. So I just
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found out this weekend that there is another
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event happening simultaneously. I think it's
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a Cuban salsa -centered event. So the fact that
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we have two on the same weekend tells me there's
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a lot. Yeah. I mean, we have 52 weekends. You
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would think that things could be staggered, but
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it is also the long weekend, so... You know,
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of course everybody wants to get the best time
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for the maximum number of people to show up.
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Yes, yes. I think the other one is Violin New
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York. That sounds familiar, yes. Yeah, it's a
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great lineup as well, for sure. So first time
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we spoke, it's been almost a year ago, and we
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did a live chat on Instagram and you shared a
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lot of interesting insights with me. So one of
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the things, just to do a quick recap, I guess,
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as far as how you got into dancing, because you
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mentioned you watched the movie Dance With Me,
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I think it's called. Yes. Then you got curious
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about dancing. Then you took some classes. Sounds
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like you were taking some Colombian lessons.
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Yep. Started going to socials and really kind
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of went from there. Not even socials, like nightclubs.
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They didn't have socials at the time. So the
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nightclubs were full of, you know, every variety
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of person. You had your hardcore dancers, but
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you also had your hardcore drunks. So you just
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never knew who you would get when you were out
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there. And sometimes the coolest looking people
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were actually the worst dancers, as was I when
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I first started dancing. I used to always get
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like very dressed up, which I know there's always
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these criticisms, how come she doesn't dress
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up more and all this nonsense. But back then
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I was always in like a dress. And I think people
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used to look at me and say, oh, she must be a
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good dancer. Then they come and ask me to dance
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and realize, nope. Nope, she cannot dance. So
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that was my experience as well when I was going
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out all the time. Yeah. Yeah. So one unique thing
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about what you shared previously is that you
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learned pretty much on the dance floor. You said
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you barely practiced or didn't practice at all.
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All of it came from social dancing or dancing
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in general. And you said you were hyper analytical,
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I believe, the term that you used. Take me through
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this process. How did it work for you? of being
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hyper analytical? Well, hyper analytical in the
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sense that how did that learning process took
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place? Meaning, did you just always continue
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to learn as you dance and what was going through
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your mind? So I would I would attribute the hyper
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analytical nature to a very innate nature of
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curiosity that I have. I am, I'm childlike. I
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have a childlike curiosity. And if you look at
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kids, when they get curious with something, they
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explore every aspect of it. You know, if you
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give them a toy and it's supposed to just be
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balanced, you might find this kid like trying
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to peel it apart. Well, that's not, we didn't
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know that that's something that you could do
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with a toy or that it can actually stick in certain
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places, right? So when you get curious about
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something, when you get really, intensely focused,
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hyper interested in something, you start to explore
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it in different ways beyond how it was presented
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to you. And I feel that that's been my approach
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to... not just dance, but anything I've found
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interesting. I'll give you the example. During
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COVID, there was QFit that I started running.
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So I did 60 days of workouts every day, live
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on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and then after
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continued that program for, I think, 15 months
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as a paid program for the membership base. And
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in that program, like I would work out at the
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gym. It was pretty basic what I would do. But
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through that program, I came up with all sorts
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of exercises because I got so invested in like,
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what can the body do? I can't go dancing, right?
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I don't have a partner here to practice with,
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but what can my body do? What are all the ways
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I can do something with it with minimal equipment,
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without having access to a gym, without being
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outside, right? And how can I keep other people
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interested? And that was one of the things about
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The QFit program, which is still available online
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on my website, but everyone was like, I don't
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know where you come up with these exercises.
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You know, we had like one exercise that was called
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rabbit donkey, right? That was challenging your
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shoulder strength, your ability to invert, your
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core strength, mobility, agility, balance, like
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all these things. So dance has been the same
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thing for me. I got into it, I fell in love with
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it, and then I just wanted to understand every
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part of it, particularly that revolved around
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connection. And I feel like I need to clarify
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that because I don't know if we talked about
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this in our last interview, but... Sometimes
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people say, oh, how come you don't know the history
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of salsa? How come you don't know Cuban salsa
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and all of these other elements of it? Well,
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that hasn't been my focus. My focus was purely
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on physical connection with my partner and being
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able to read them. And I actually don't need
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any of that background to be able to do that.
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But I've dived into this in a much deeper way
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than other people. who dance socially, for example.
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And you haven't performed or competed, right?
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I performed. Yeah, I performed. I performed from
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the very beginning. OK, yeah. So you've been
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doing it. But I mean, I haven't in a while. It's
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weird to say I'm like retired because I'm not
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near that age. I hope nobody ever thought that
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I was close to that age. But yeah, the performances,
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I kind of stopped doing that maybe. 2025, I don't
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know, three years ago, four years ago. Competitions,
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I have competed in kind of like friendly competitions,
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you know, where they have like social dancing,
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Jack and Jill's, like that, but not like the
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world's also, I don't know what they're called,
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but championships or something like that. I have
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not done competitions on that level, but something
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more fun. Yeah. And I did compete in a West Coast
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Swing competition as an absolute beginner and
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managed with the worst technique on Friday, but
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good enough technique to get to the finals unanimously
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on Sunday. But again interest right like I I
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really liked it I had so much fun the people
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were entertaining the music was great I Knew
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the songs I was allowed to dance to these songs
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in a partner dance versus just solo dancing and
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I got I was like I was determined to I was like,
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I'm going to be here for this entire weekend.
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I'm not planning on going to other events, so
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I'm going to make the most out of this. I'm going
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to get the most out of it. I'm going to try and
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give back the most to it. And yeah, Friday, I
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think I was doing cha -cha steps, basic steps.
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And then the judges were like, oh yeah, that's
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not the step. I'm like, okay, take some of the
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classes and then put that into my mind when I
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was social dancing at night. Like, yes, it's
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fun, but I want to get better, so. Don't be casual
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and lackadaisical about it. And then by Sunday
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competed and managed to get to finals Yeah, it
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absolutely works but You gotta want it, you know,
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yeah, you gotta want you gotta want more than
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what you're given So with this way of learning
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Was this always sort of sporadic did you have
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some checklist that you would go over or I'm
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just curious how it worked because you said there
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was more in the moment type of deal so in them
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because in the moment I'll tell you why I'm asking
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is because in the moment what helps me videos
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for example because when I have a video of myself
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dancing I can actually see okay here I'm not
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doing this or I'm doing this too much. So it's
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easy for me because I visually can see because
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in the moment that could be really connecting
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with another person and I know I would not be
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able to recall a lot of things if I was just
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trying to recall it by memory. So that's why
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I was wondering how you did it because obviously
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you still had quite a bit of videos I believe
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as well right but that's not how Not how I started.
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How old are you? I'm in my forties. Oh, you are?
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Okay, because I feel like you should know that
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like 20 years ago, 25 years ago, we didn't really
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have videos, right? I mean, if somebody recorded
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you, it was on... An actual physical device that
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needed to be transferred to a computer before
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you ever got a chance to see it and nobody did
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that You know, it was so rare. That's why you
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would have what was in VHS is from Congress's,
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you know Something out because who the hell is
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walking around with these big? Devices so videos
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were not an option. Yeah, you know, it wasn't
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something I could like go out and dance Record
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myself come back and see it It really was just,
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I mean, if it was a checklist, then the checklist
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was make sure I go out. And then once I got there,
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the checklist was ask. Ask, keep asking. Oh,
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we didn't get that dance? Keep asking. And that's
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what I would say the checklist was. And then
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the internal checklist, once I get the dance,
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was what are you doing? What do you remember?
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What feels off? How can you Micro correct yourself
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so that that doesn't feel off like you're gonna
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dance with this person again Or you feel like
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something that they gave you a move that they
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led on you is very similar to something they
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led 30 seconds before Why is this different?
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You know, or if you mess that up, how can you
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do it better this time? All right, so if I extended
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too far and felt pain, all right, well, next
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time I feel like he's pushing me back, I'm not
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going to take as big of a step. Right? But with
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some of these things, normally feedback like
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that, how did you know what was right and what
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was not right? Because I think with some of these
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things, the feedback comes from an instructor.
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or somebody who, you know, you've been working
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with, somebody who's been teaching you, right?
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Maybe it's not a formal instructor, but somebody
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who is your specific coach. But in the beginning
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for you, were you just self -evaluated? Evaluating,
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I mean, based on what you knew and kind of went
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from there? Well, I didn't know much, right?
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So to clarify, I didn't know much. I got onto
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the dance floor, danced with people with... without
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even knowing the proper timing. I was pretty
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much just fucking around, you know? And as for
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the feedback coming from an instructor, like
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it's interesting that you say that because I
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think sometimes we start to limit our ability
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to grow, explore. reflect and revise when we
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think feedback is external only. Like we don't
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take the time to reflect ourselves. And when
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the feedback comes from instructor or somebody
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else, it's their way, right? It's kind of their
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way. Like if something feels, if an instructor
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says, this is how you should lead a spin and
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lead is strong. Now, I'm going out there as a
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leader, and I'm leading a spin, and I'm strong,
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and I see the feedback. The feedback in the moment
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is the follower's arm collapses, her face, she
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winces. That's feedback. But if I've heard from
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somebody else, this is the way it's done, who's
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giving me feedback that this is right, then why
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would I reflect? Why would I change anything
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even though I'm getting feedback in the moment
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that it's not? Right? I'm kind of glad I didn't
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get any feedback. Because most of the feedback,
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and it wasn't feedback per se, but most of the
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comments, right? And they were friendly. But
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it was like, oh, you know, you're doing too much
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of this. You're doing too much of that. That's
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not how salsa is danced. If I listened to all
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of that, I would be in a box. I would be just
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another variation of all the dancers out there.
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I would have never explored. all of these other
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things that I've had a chance to explore and
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introduce into this community, right? So feedback
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is good. Feedback is definitely great if you've
00:15:08.990 --> 00:15:12.009
got someone who's more knowledgeable, but you
00:15:12.009 --> 00:15:15.090
have to always be open to what is the feedback
00:15:15.090 --> 00:15:17.830
in the moment because even your instructors,
00:15:17.889 --> 00:15:19.690
whatever they're telling you, they are telling
00:15:19.690 --> 00:15:23.009
you from their experience. And if they tell you
00:15:23.009 --> 00:15:25.850
to do something a certain way, it's because they
00:15:25.850 --> 00:15:29.440
are in that space doing things that way. Like
00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:35.860
even our biggest name instructors, how many people
00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:40.360
do you think they social dance with? Right? They
00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:43.879
are probably spending most of their time practicing,
00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:47.720
rehearsing with their own dancers. So they are
00:15:47.720 --> 00:15:51.700
even more firm about the technique. Whereas they're
00:15:51.700 --> 00:15:55.059
teaching that technique to someone who's going
00:15:55.059 --> 00:15:58.320
to go out and dance with... 50 people to this
00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:01.960
night and then another 50 people tomorrow Right.
00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:04.700
It's different like you have to be open. You
00:16:04.700 --> 00:16:07.440
got to take everything with a grain of salt and
00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:12.080
and always be Open -minded to the feedback and
00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:15.000
not just open -minded and receptive but curious
00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:17.220
about what feedback is coming your way and I
00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:20.039
think that's One thing I've done from the start
00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:23.440
and I still do today All right. I did it in the
00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:25.580
start because I didn't know I do it now because
00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:29.940
I know That's what I should do. So you never
00:16:29.940 --> 00:16:34.080
had second thoughts about what is correct or
00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:37.799
if I'm doing it correctly? Oh, I had plenty of
00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:39.399
thoughts about whether I'm doing it correctly
00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:42.100
because I would have a lot of disconnect, you
00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:44.259
know, with these people that I'm dancing with.
00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:48.960
And if somebody said something, I was always
00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:51.779
open to hearing it. I would definitely take it
00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:57.529
in. But a big... Part of the dance for me has
00:16:57.529 --> 00:17:03.029
been how do you move with someone seamlessly,
00:17:03.370 --> 00:17:08.150
effortlessly, fluidly, in harmony? And you don't
00:17:08.150 --> 00:17:10.809
need technique. You don't need timing. You don't
00:17:10.809 --> 00:17:14.250
need the strict nature of the dance to be able
00:17:14.250 --> 00:17:18.130
to do that. We do that every day. If we started
00:17:18.130 --> 00:17:20.609
walking down the street, if I didn't know you
00:17:20.609 --> 00:17:23.569
and we started, we just met... crossing the paths.
00:17:24.069 --> 00:17:25.869
And we started walking down the street and you
00:17:25.869 --> 00:17:27.849
walk really fast and I'll walk really slow. I
00:17:27.849 --> 00:17:29.650
promise you that we will walk at the same tempo.
00:17:31.609 --> 00:17:34.569
We will find a way to synchronize with each other
00:17:34.569 --> 00:17:39.390
because there's a desire to connect that dominates
00:17:39.390 --> 00:17:42.230
everything else we're doing. So dance I feel
00:17:42.230 --> 00:17:45.670
is the same. And that's why with dance, you know,
00:17:45.690 --> 00:17:47.809
some people say, oh, like dancing with somebody
00:17:47.809 --> 00:17:51.190
who's off time. right, is painful. I'm like,
00:17:51.250 --> 00:17:53.549
no, you just got to try and, if you try and connect
00:17:53.549 --> 00:17:56.250
with them, the timing, you find your way around
00:17:56.250 --> 00:17:59.650
that. But if you limit yourself, that timing
00:17:59.650 --> 00:18:01.130
is the only way. If you don't have the timing,
00:18:01.190 --> 00:18:04.049
you cannot connect. Then you've limited yourself,
00:18:04.410 --> 00:18:09.210
your ability to connect with someone. It's like
00:18:09.210 --> 00:18:13.049
a vocabulary, a language, but we all speak so
00:18:13.049 --> 00:18:14.769
many different languages. We have so many different
00:18:14.769 --> 00:18:17.250
words in our vocabulary. Just because I don't
00:18:17.250 --> 00:18:19.279
have the same speak the same language as you
00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:20.880
does not mean I can't understand you. It doesn't
00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:23.839
mean that we can't communicate, right? So this
00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:26.420
is a very interesting concept that you brought
00:18:26.420 --> 00:18:30.619
up because I know you mentioned the connection
00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:33.359
and importance of connection in our first chat,
00:18:34.099 --> 00:18:36.059
which is, by the way, if you haven't seen that
00:18:36.059 --> 00:18:38.400
live talk, highly, highly recommended. A lot
00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:41.880
of great insights there. And so with connection,
00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:45.359
if there is no structure, especially for somebody
00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:49.160
who is new, who is relying on structure, What
00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:51.839
are your thoughts on that? How they should even
00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.000
perceive connection if they don't have structure?
00:18:57.220 --> 00:19:02.940
So this is probably the hardest thing to relay
00:19:02.940 --> 00:19:07.079
to people. And it's because there's so much instruction
00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:09.859
available. Even when I was dancing, there was
00:19:09.859 --> 00:19:13.279
so much instruction available. I just happened
00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:16.230
to be kind of this oddball. who started going
00:19:16.230 --> 00:19:18.150
out all the time, but most of the people I was
00:19:18.150 --> 00:19:20.910
friends with in Toronto, they were in school,
00:19:21.069 --> 00:19:23.089
they were in classes, they would travel, take
00:19:23.089 --> 00:19:26.410
lessons with someone from another city and then
00:19:26.410 --> 00:19:28.789
come back and instruct everybody else and they
00:19:28.789 --> 00:19:33.109
would exchange that information often. So I'm
00:19:33.109 --> 00:19:36.049
a bit of an oddball there. And today we have
00:19:36.049 --> 00:19:38.529
so many schools, so many dance teams, you know,
00:19:38.529 --> 00:19:42.210
there is no end to how many places you can go
00:19:42.210 --> 00:19:45.859
to learn. So everything becomes about structure.
00:19:47.299 --> 00:19:52.400
It's hard to, at this point, get people to think
00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:56.539
about connecting with another human being as
00:19:56.539 --> 00:20:02.400
the primary motive to be in a social dance, in
00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:07.259
a partner dance environment, right? It's like,
00:20:08.779 --> 00:20:11.380
since we're the same age, yeah? So it's kind
00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:15.220
of like social media. You talk to people who
00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:18.180
are 20 years old and say, oh, why don't you just
00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:19.880
go outside? Well, leave your phone at home. Leave
00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:23.079
my phone at home. When I was a kid, I used to
00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:25.900
go outside with nothing. We'd pick up rocks and
00:20:25.900 --> 00:20:29.000
sticks and make a whole game out of it. But they
00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:31.339
can't do that now because they forgot about the
00:20:31.339 --> 00:20:34.119
creativity and the mind to make something out
00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:36.480
of nothing, whatever is around you, and just
00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.599
find a way to connect with the person next to
00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:41.049
you, with whatever you have. Right? And today
00:20:41.049 --> 00:20:42.849
we have so much and we can't connect with the
00:20:42.849 --> 00:20:46.410
people next to us. Right? So not to say that
00:20:46.410 --> 00:20:49.329
that's what the dance is, but I think that it's
00:20:49.329 --> 00:20:56.470
hard to bring that into the equation when there's
00:20:56.470 --> 00:20:59.329
such an emphasis on competitions, which require
00:20:59.329 --> 00:21:02.410
a strict adherence to structure, when there's
00:21:02.410 --> 00:21:05.450
so much emphasis on performances, which also
00:21:05.450 --> 00:21:08.630
require everything to be perfect. Right the perfect
00:21:08.630 --> 00:21:11.630
execution and the social dancing it has become
00:21:11.630 --> 00:21:14.589
very secondary or tertiary, you know It's it's
00:21:14.589 --> 00:21:18.950
not the main thing. Whereas I guess back then
00:21:18.950 --> 00:21:22.490
People would perform but I mean every performer
00:21:22.490 --> 00:21:25.509
was on the dance floor immediately I mean held
00:21:25.509 --> 00:21:27.890
like they were performers who were dancing in
00:21:27.890 --> 00:21:31.410
their costume before going to perform and then
00:21:31.410 --> 00:21:33.170
right after Dancing a little bit and saying,
00:21:33.289 --> 00:21:34.670
oh, you know, I should change my costume before
00:21:34.670 --> 00:21:37.819
I ruin it right that The social dancing was a
00:21:37.819 --> 00:21:41.240
big part of the community back then. Right. And
00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:44.079
so connection, right, with another person was
00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:47.119
important, more important. Yes. So you're not
00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:49.920
the first person who emphasized the importance
00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:52.960
of connection and I'm a true believer in it.
00:21:54.680 --> 00:22:01.539
The thing about it is with performances, like
00:22:01.539 --> 00:22:05.160
you said, there's a very strict aspect when it
00:22:05.160 --> 00:22:08.299
comes to technique. Same thing with competition,
00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:12.900
even more so. With social dancing, connection
00:22:12.900 --> 00:22:15.279
is not really taught. Like if you're gonna go
00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:17.799
to, I'm judging based on my experiences, when
00:22:17.799 --> 00:22:20.539
you go to different studios in Orlando, they're
00:22:20.539 --> 00:22:24.740
going to teach you patterns mostly. They're going
00:22:24.740 --> 00:22:28.220
to teach you hopefully music, if you're lucky.
00:22:29.099 --> 00:22:32.619
They're going to teach you some other technical
00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:36.599
components, but... like connection is an afterthought.
00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:40.359
So I'm with you on the fact that connection is
00:22:40.359 --> 00:22:44.400
extremely important and it's probably undertowed.
00:22:45.539 --> 00:22:48.259
But I'm still coming back to kind of our original
00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:51.980
question because if you're a new dancer, everywhere
00:22:51.980 --> 00:22:57.200
you go, you've been told how to step and you've
00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:59.579
been told one, two, three, five, six, seven.
00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:04.539
And so when you come to social dance or club
00:23:04.539 --> 00:23:07.720
or anywhere. I think in your mind, you should
00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:10.660
be doing one, two, three, five, six, seven. So
00:23:10.660 --> 00:23:13.920
what you just said about instructors and schools,
00:23:14.339 --> 00:23:18.200
your experiences, mine as well, what I've observed,
00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:22.579
this was actually, I can't remember which live
00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:25.319
chat of mine that I talked about this, but there
00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:30.160
is an onus, there's agency for a student. You
00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:33.380
have to want to explore something, again, beyond
00:23:33.380 --> 00:23:37.259
what is given to you. That's you. No one can
00:23:37.259 --> 00:23:40.380
make you interested. And no one can make you
00:23:40.380 --> 00:23:45.299
feel inspired. No one can make you dedicated.
00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:49.279
or that has to come from within. If you are someone
00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:51.700
who is like, okay, well, I'm just gonna take
00:23:51.700 --> 00:23:54.099
classes and then I'm gonna dance with those people
00:23:54.099 --> 00:23:55.779
and this is what I'm gonna do because that's
00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:59.119
what I learned and not question anything, not
00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:02.660
experiment, right? Not try to fail actually,
00:24:03.339 --> 00:24:06.640
right? Try to succeed and fail. Try to fail.
00:24:06.819 --> 00:24:09.319
Make some mistakes. Go do something that you
00:24:09.319 --> 00:24:11.960
are certain it won't work. And maybe it actually
00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:14.079
does end up working, right? That's some of the
00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:18.250
stuff that I started doing. But just go and have
00:24:18.250 --> 00:24:21.529
fun, right? Because I can't make it fun for you.
00:24:21.609 --> 00:24:23.670
I can give you tools to have fun. There's the
00:24:23.670 --> 00:24:26.569
same tools I'm using to have fun. I can't make
00:24:26.569 --> 00:24:29.470
you happy. I can't make you have fun. You have
00:24:29.470 --> 00:24:31.630
to explore that. You have to pursue that yourself,
00:24:32.130 --> 00:24:36.029
right? So I think there's that element too that
00:24:36.029 --> 00:24:40.769
is missing now. Back... I hate saying that. Like
00:24:40.769 --> 00:24:45.730
back in the day. But I want to say I'm emphasizing
00:24:45.730 --> 00:24:48.630
it because it allowed me to focus on connection.
00:24:49.849 --> 00:24:53.130
Because everybody just wanted to social dance.
00:24:53.309 --> 00:24:56.369
Social dancing was of prime importance for almost
00:24:56.369 --> 00:24:59.529
everyone I knew, instructors and just regular
00:24:59.529 --> 00:25:04.809
dancers alike. But back then, I feel like you
00:25:04.809 --> 00:25:08.769
could take a class, but you were always like,
00:25:08.769 --> 00:25:12.200
oh, I want to try what I learned. you know, immediately.
00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:16.940
You're already in the space outside. You're not
00:25:16.940 --> 00:25:19.380
recording a video so you never watch it for the
00:25:19.380 --> 00:25:22.740
next 10 years, right? You don't have a video,
00:25:22.740 --> 00:25:25.019
actually, right? You have nothing to record.
00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:28.819
The only way for you to have that information
00:25:28.819 --> 00:25:31.059
ingrained in your body is to practice it and
00:25:31.059 --> 00:25:33.759
try it out. And I remember after workshops, right?
00:25:33.779 --> 00:25:35.559
Someone would try something, like, oh, man, let
00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:37.779
me try something with you. And then after me,
00:25:38.209 --> 00:25:39.769
They're like, did that work? I'm like, yeah,
00:25:39.769 --> 00:25:41.089
well, that was a little bit rough. Oh, let me
00:25:41.089 --> 00:25:42.970
try it again. And then we'd see another person.
00:25:43.049 --> 00:25:44.990
Oh, let me try it with you. You would already
00:25:44.990 --> 00:25:47.690
be trying to connect what you learn with multiple
00:25:47.690 --> 00:25:50.869
people. Whereas now it's like, okay, I don't
00:25:50.869 --> 00:25:53.509
get anything in the class. I'm not going to ask
00:25:53.509 --> 00:25:57.109
any questions to clarify for myself because I
00:25:57.109 --> 00:25:59.190
don't want to look stupid like the person who
00:25:59.190 --> 00:26:00.849
doesn't know even though questions are great.
00:26:01.089 --> 00:26:03.789
And I say questions are great because for instructors,
00:26:03.950 --> 00:26:06.420
we're always teaching from what we know. Right?
00:26:06.579 --> 00:26:09.319
The challenges we face. I don't know your challenges
00:26:09.319 --> 00:26:11.539
until you tell me you have a challenge. So I
00:26:11.539 --> 00:26:14.279
appreciate questions. When someone says, what
00:26:14.279 --> 00:26:16.380
do you mean by that? Maybe I never thought about
00:26:16.380 --> 00:26:19.059
it because it was so obvious to me. So I appreciate
00:26:19.059 --> 00:26:21.299
those questions, but students don't even ask
00:26:21.299 --> 00:26:25.799
anything. Right? So that element of like, of
00:26:25.799 --> 00:26:29.460
having agency of your own learning and agency
00:26:29.460 --> 00:26:33.210
over your own enjoyment. and not expecting that
00:26:33.210 --> 00:26:36.690
any teacher or any school or any dance group
00:26:36.690 --> 00:26:41.809
can give that to you, hopefully, right? For a
00:26:41.809 --> 00:26:45.430
new dancer should give you like, all right, this
00:26:45.430 --> 00:26:47.809
is how I'm going to approach this. You know,
00:26:47.809 --> 00:26:50.750
this is the information I'm getting. These are
00:26:50.750 --> 00:26:55.190
the tools I can use, but the drive must come
00:26:55.190 --> 00:26:59.230
from within. And if I look at any dance floor,
00:27:00.069 --> 00:27:03.289
I can see, even if it's all beginners, I can
00:27:03.289 --> 00:27:05.589
see there is much more on this dance floor than
00:27:05.589 --> 00:27:09.750
what I was just taught. There's much more on
00:27:09.750 --> 00:27:13.029
this Congress dance floor, festival dance floor
00:27:13.029 --> 00:27:17.809
tonight, you know, than what I have seen in all
00:27:17.809 --> 00:27:21.630
my years of dancing. That's where curiosity comes.
00:27:21.930 --> 00:27:23.549
It's not saying I've been here, done that, I
00:27:23.549 --> 00:27:27.269
know everything. It's I've been around, I've
00:27:27.269 --> 00:27:30.069
done a lot. I don't know everything. What's new?
00:27:31.890 --> 00:27:35.069
That's the approach. And I think a beginner dancer
00:27:35.069 --> 00:27:41.990
can adapt, adopt that approach too. So going
00:27:41.990 --> 00:27:46.430
off of that, if you had your own studio, how
00:27:46.430 --> 00:27:50.650
would you teach connection? Oh, if I had my own
00:27:50.650 --> 00:27:54.509
studio, I would not have drop -in classes, first
00:27:54.509 --> 00:27:59.710
of all. Classes would not be even one month or
00:27:59.710 --> 00:28:02.930
two months. It would be like a school year or
00:28:02.930 --> 00:28:06.690
a semester, at least. I want commitment. I can't
00:28:06.690 --> 00:28:09.109
give you something. Like, I've had it even with
00:28:09.109 --> 00:28:11.369
private lessons. I've had students come and sign
00:28:11.369 --> 00:28:13.369
up for 10 hours, you know, and they're like,
00:28:13.390 --> 00:28:15.569
oh, well, I'm learning from Magnet Powell. You're
00:28:15.569 --> 00:28:17.890
like the best social dancer. I was expecting
00:28:17.890 --> 00:28:20.250
to be the best social dancer after 10 hours,
00:28:20.250 --> 00:28:23.130
right? Like, and I was like, what, through osmosis?
00:28:24.980 --> 00:28:28.980
You touch me. I'm going to be amazing tonight.
00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:32.700
I mean, I wish I could, right? I mean, who wouldn't
00:28:32.700 --> 00:28:35.140
want that power or be able to even like drink
00:28:35.140 --> 00:28:37.319
from the fountain of youth and say, okay, I'm
00:28:37.319 --> 00:28:40.980
blessed for life. But I had given like these
00:28:40.980 --> 00:28:44.039
students exercises, simple exercises. Like I
00:28:44.039 --> 00:28:46.900
want you to take these patterns that you've learned,
00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:51.400
break them into eight counts. I'm sure you've
00:28:51.400 --> 00:28:53.140
learned tons of them, and they were taking classes
00:28:53.140 --> 00:28:56.180
from prominent instructors in the city. I'm like,
00:28:56.480 --> 00:29:00.279
just grab five A -counts, rearrange them, okay?
00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:02.440
And then come back to me. And they never did
00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:04.019
the homework. And then they were like, well,
00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:06.299
you know, I just feel like I thought I'd know
00:29:06.299 --> 00:29:09.660
more. I was like, but you didn't do more, right?
00:29:09.960 --> 00:29:15.059
Like I can't make you become who you want to
00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:19.160
be. You must want it enough to pursue it. And
00:29:19.160 --> 00:29:23.200
then I can give you tools and information and
00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:26.539
guidance and redirect you if you're veering off
00:29:26.539 --> 00:29:30.779
course. But I can't make you step. I can only
00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:34.619
show you a path. And that's a problem. The example
00:29:34.619 --> 00:29:37.319
that you just gave me about people did not want
00:29:37.319 --> 00:29:40.190
to rearrange... A few counts. Is that hypothetical
00:29:40.190 --> 00:29:42.849
or is it actually? Oh, no, it's real. Yep. Yep.
00:29:42.970 --> 00:29:46.250
Oh, wow. It was a simple exercise, but and the
00:29:46.250 --> 00:29:50.390
reason was because my student felt frustrated
00:29:50.390 --> 00:29:54.250
that he didn't feel like himself. You know, he
00:29:54.250 --> 00:29:55.670
was trying to remember all these patterns and
00:29:55.670 --> 00:29:58.029
he was very diligent about practicing, recording,
00:29:58.289 --> 00:30:01.529
reviewing. And I was like, okay, well... I mean,
00:30:01.529 --> 00:30:03.430
how are you going to know if you're good at leading
00:30:03.430 --> 00:30:06.150
something if you're only able to practice it
00:30:06.150 --> 00:30:08.289
in a certain sequence with a certain people?
00:30:08.750 --> 00:30:11.210
So, let's change something, right? This is your
00:30:11.210 --> 00:30:13.009
environment. What can we change? You can't change
00:30:13.009 --> 00:30:14.809
the people. You see them all the time, right?
00:30:14.930 --> 00:30:17.150
Obviously, they know. You can change the sequence.
00:30:17.990 --> 00:30:20.269
What can we change, right? You're scared to go
00:30:20.269 --> 00:30:24.630
out to the other social events where there are
00:30:24.630 --> 00:30:28.150
people not in your class. So you don't want to
00:30:28.150 --> 00:30:29.750
do that. You want to stay in that environment.
00:30:29.869 --> 00:30:33.930
What can we change? Right? You need to do that
00:30:33.930 --> 00:30:35.730
though. I'm not going to do that for you. And
00:30:35.730 --> 00:30:37.589
it doesn't mean anything if I do it because I
00:30:37.589 --> 00:30:39.309
will get better at it and you will still be where
00:30:39.309 --> 00:30:41.809
you're at. You know, but that's simple exercise.
00:30:43.549 --> 00:30:46.269
Five counts. And this person had been taking
00:30:46.269 --> 00:30:52.170
classes for almost a year with three to four
00:30:52.170 --> 00:30:56.329
classes a week. Right? Sorry. Yeah. Like one,
00:30:56.349 --> 00:31:00.630
two hours. each time. That's a lot of things
00:31:00.630 --> 00:31:03.349
you're learning, right? And if you're not willing
00:31:03.349 --> 00:31:04.809
to, that's what I'm saying, you're getting all
00:31:04.809 --> 00:31:06.309
of this. You have to want more than what you're
00:31:06.309 --> 00:31:11.490
getting, what you're presented. That makes me
00:31:11.490 --> 00:31:14.289
think of something that I have experienced too,
00:31:14.309 --> 00:31:19.529
because it still happens to me. It's like I sometimes
00:31:19.529 --> 00:31:22.609
try to do things the way I learned it. And I
00:31:22.609 --> 00:31:25.380
would execute a pattern. like from hammerlock
00:31:25.380 --> 00:31:29.140
and I would do certain two to three moves and
00:31:29.140 --> 00:31:31.119
sometimes I'm trying to like get out of it like
00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:34.059
oh no like I catch myself doing it I'm like oh
00:31:34.059 --> 00:31:37.779
no but it's like it's it's exactly what you're
00:31:37.779 --> 00:31:44.619
talking about it's I think I see a sort of a
00:31:44.619 --> 00:31:48.960
benefit to learn and to get some things in your
00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:53.049
head but I also think If that's the only way
00:31:53.049 --> 00:31:56.349
you can do it, it becomes... It becomes a crutch.
00:31:56.950 --> 00:31:59.250
Yeah. And there's nothing wrong with it, right?
00:31:59.430 --> 00:32:01.609
I'm not discouraging anyone who's listening,
00:32:01.869 --> 00:32:04.430
watching. I'm not discouraging you from taking
00:32:04.430 --> 00:32:07.029
classes. I think it's great that we have so much
00:32:07.029 --> 00:32:09.250
instruction out there. I don't think it was like
00:32:09.250 --> 00:32:14.460
this back then, right? So I think it's great,
00:32:14.599 --> 00:32:18.039
like definitely go and take lessons and practice
00:32:18.039 --> 00:32:20.859
where you get to meet people too, right? These
00:32:20.859 --> 00:32:23.519
are now students in your class that are your
00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:25.900
peers that you don't have to be as shy about
00:32:25.900 --> 00:32:28.539
when you meet them in a social versus me going
00:32:28.539 --> 00:32:31.039
to a lot of the socials not knowing anybody and
00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:34.799
just kind of being like, you know, it's great.
00:32:35.900 --> 00:32:40.980
But don't limit yourself. That's my entire message
00:32:40.980 --> 00:32:45.799
is Don't limit yourself because everyone who
00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:50.599
comes to me saying, I feel limited does not acknowledge
00:32:50.599 --> 00:32:54.660
that the limit is self -imposed. That's a problem.
00:32:56.440 --> 00:32:58.759
There's such a dependency on the instructor.
00:32:58.920 --> 00:33:01.859
There's such a dependency on a school, on other
00:33:01.859 --> 00:33:06.740
people making your journey have value, making
00:33:06.740 --> 00:33:11.119
you enjoy. what you're doing, making you progress
00:33:11.119 --> 00:33:16.140
and grow and get creative and zero acknowledgement
00:33:16.140 --> 00:33:20.079
of the agency you have in that space to actually
00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:21.980
pursue those things yourself. Like no one else
00:33:21.980 --> 00:33:26.480
can do it for you. Yeah and I think body works
00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:28.559
in a very interesting way because I think if
00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:35.079
you practice Suzy Q, you know, eight count and
00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:38.559
you always do half to the right, half to the
00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:41.880
left, or vice versa, I think this is how your
00:33:41.880 --> 00:33:45.779
brain is going to be wired. I think it's a self
00:33:45.779 --> 00:33:50.799
exploration type of journey. If you go three
00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:53.900
counts to the right, and then right turn instead.
00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:56.680
And you tried something new, like you said, or
00:33:56.680 --> 00:33:59.740
maybe you do Susie Q into the right turn, or
00:33:59.740 --> 00:34:01.940
something else. And then all of a sudden, it's
00:34:01.940 --> 00:34:04.019
no longer about any pattern. You're breaking
00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:07.109
a pattern. It's about... Allowing your body to
00:34:07.109 --> 00:34:09.769
feel the movement and then realizing that you
00:34:09.769 --> 00:34:14.489
can be free. Right, exactly. It's about allowing
00:34:14.489 --> 00:34:20.309
yourself to explore freedom of creativity. Being
00:34:20.309 --> 00:34:25.909
in a place where everything you know is in your
00:34:25.909 --> 00:34:31.929
sandbox. You're not in class, you're not in a
00:34:31.929 --> 00:34:35.329
test. You're just in a playground. And everything
00:34:35.329 --> 00:34:37.570
that your instructor tosses to you is just another
00:34:37.570 --> 00:34:40.250
toy. Your choice how you want to arrange that.
00:34:40.369 --> 00:34:42.269
Your choice which one you want to play with today.
00:34:43.289 --> 00:34:47.590
But I would say one of the easiest ways to explore
00:34:47.590 --> 00:34:54.210
your personal expression is to rearrange. And
00:34:54.210 --> 00:34:57.030
it doesn't have to be a lot. Just take one thing
00:34:57.030 --> 00:34:59.750
out of there and put something else in there.
00:34:59.829 --> 00:35:02.530
Just in the mix and see how well you do with
00:35:02.530 --> 00:35:06.329
it. And if you don't do well immediately, then
00:35:06.329 --> 00:35:08.449
there you go, right? Here's something that you
00:35:08.449 --> 00:35:10.789
can work on. And if you got it really quickly,
00:35:11.010 --> 00:35:13.469
then make it more complicated. Like that was,
00:35:13.969 --> 00:35:16.449
I'll go back to Q -Fit because fitness wasn't
00:35:16.449 --> 00:35:18.230
something I ever approached. I just did it for
00:35:18.230 --> 00:35:21.090
myself. But here I was now doing it like I was
00:35:21.090 --> 00:35:23.650
with salsa. I was teaching other people, I was
00:35:23.650 --> 00:35:26.510
providing to other people. And so I wanted to
00:35:26.510 --> 00:35:29.090
make them as excited about it as I was, right?
00:35:29.090 --> 00:35:31.960
So with like push -ups. Right? First time. Yeah.
00:35:32.059 --> 00:35:33.699
Okay. Everything was like a regular push -up.
00:35:33.960 --> 00:35:36.460
Then the push -ups became staggered, you know,
00:35:36.619 --> 00:35:42.059
or deficit push -ups. Or with a slider, with
00:35:42.059 --> 00:35:44.559
a sock where you would like push up and slide
00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:46.980
your hand. There's so many ways to do push -ups,
00:35:47.380 --> 00:35:50.380
right? But we end up just doing this. And this
00:35:50.380 --> 00:35:53.699
is great. It's a great workout. But you're really
00:35:53.699 --> 00:35:56.000
only going to work certain muscles. You'll never
00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:58.860
be able to hit everything. unless you try to
00:35:58.860 --> 00:36:01.679
explore more things. And when you explore, you're
00:36:01.679 --> 00:36:05.340
like, wow, I thought I was strong here, but I'm
00:36:05.340 --> 00:36:08.039
actually weak here. And once you get stronger
00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:10.579
there, then all of a sudden it just opens up
00:36:10.579 --> 00:36:12.619
another door. It's like playing a video game,
00:36:12.699 --> 00:36:15.099
right? Like you advance to the next level and
00:36:15.099 --> 00:36:17.739
you're like, wow, I got armor and I got a sword
00:36:17.739 --> 00:36:19.559
now. I don't have to fight with a wooden stick
00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:23.059
anymore, right? But you got to pursue it. Yeah.
00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:25.969
You have to at least give it a try. Yeah. And
00:36:25.969 --> 00:36:29.110
not at least give it a try. It's not that even.
00:36:29.550 --> 00:36:32.690
You've got to keep trying. Yeah. It's not a one
00:36:32.690 --> 00:36:35.409
-off. And that's the most important thing. It's
00:36:35.409 --> 00:36:37.809
really not a one -off. You just got to keep on
00:36:37.809 --> 00:36:44.110
trying. Otherwise, why? Right? Why this? Yeah.
00:36:45.110 --> 00:36:50.989
Well, you know, it's so funny the timing of this
00:36:50.989 --> 00:36:53.289
conversation because I think I'm on that cusp.
00:36:53.500 --> 00:36:58.340
I'm on the cusp of coming to socials and trying
00:36:58.340 --> 00:37:02.440
to let go. In the sense that I just, like a lot
00:37:02.440 --> 00:37:04.639
of times I just, you know, dance to the music.
00:37:04.840 --> 00:37:07.480
Sometimes it's cool to just stand there and just
00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:10.719
groove to the music by yourself. And then a few
00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:15.239
times when I do something that was not planned
00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:18.139
on the dance floor, I like celebrate it. It's
00:37:18.139 --> 00:37:21.980
like, yes, like I did something without thinking.
00:37:22.300 --> 00:37:25.579
about it or pre -planning a move, you know. And
00:37:25.579 --> 00:37:27.780
it's like a best feeling ever because I think
00:37:27.780 --> 00:37:30.059
that's what real improvisation and real connection
00:37:30.059 --> 00:37:33.099
in a sense of connecting your body to the music
00:37:33.099 --> 00:37:37.699
is. Yeah, yeah. I mean, there's so many times
00:37:37.699 --> 00:37:42.059
that I've had dances with certain people and
00:37:42.059 --> 00:37:45.260
my highlights for those dances are the moments
00:37:45.260 --> 00:37:48.809
where my partner is like, oh, shit. Like, what
00:37:48.809 --> 00:37:53.829
happened there, you know? And I feel proud of
00:37:53.829 --> 00:37:56.349
that moment because some of these people I've
00:37:56.349 --> 00:37:58.389
known for years. I've danced with them for years
00:37:58.389 --> 00:38:01.409
and I'm glad that I can still surprise them.
00:38:01.869 --> 00:38:07.170
And that's beautiful, right? That's so beautiful
00:38:07.170 --> 00:38:10.030
in this dance. And I wish we approached it more
00:38:10.030 --> 00:38:14.809
like that, like where you really looked at...
00:38:14.829 --> 00:38:17.269
Like, you don't get complacent with connection.
00:38:17.429 --> 00:38:20.309
Because I think we're getting to that part, too.
00:38:20.530 --> 00:38:25.170
And I would liken that to romantic relationships,
00:38:25.289 --> 00:38:28.389
even more than friendships, right? Where you're
00:38:28.389 --> 00:38:31.730
like, I'm good here, right? Whatever this is,
00:38:31.849 --> 00:38:34.849
however it started, I was curious initially.
00:38:35.449 --> 00:38:38.329
Now I'm good. I'm comfortable. I don't need to
00:38:38.329 --> 00:38:41.050
keep on learning about you. I like what I know.
00:38:42.070 --> 00:38:45.000
But is that relationship going to grow? or is
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.539
it going to become stale? And who's losing? Both
00:38:49.539 --> 00:38:57.699
of you, you know? So, likewise, our dances are
00:38:57.699 --> 00:39:02.760
like five minutes that represent five years,
00:39:03.300 --> 00:39:06.159
you know? And if we can look at those moments
00:39:06.159 --> 00:39:09.400
and approach them with that, like, let me surprise
00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:13.449
you, right? What am I surprised by? You know,
00:39:13.469 --> 00:39:16.130
what is something new about you, the person that
00:39:16.130 --> 00:39:19.190
I've danced with every weekend for the past 10
00:39:19.190 --> 00:39:21.869
years at socials? What is something that's new
00:39:21.869 --> 00:39:25.429
about you? Because there is something new. If
00:39:25.429 --> 00:39:28.010
I can't see it, it's not because it doesn't exist.
00:39:28.070 --> 00:39:32.090
It's because I am choosing not to look for it.
00:39:33.429 --> 00:39:35.849
Is it because you're choosing not to look for
00:39:35.849 --> 00:39:37.650
it or is it because they're choosing not to show
00:39:37.650 --> 00:39:41.559
it to you? Oh, you can always find it. You can
00:39:41.559 --> 00:39:44.559
always find something new and different about
00:39:44.559 --> 00:39:47.139
you. You can find something to get tuned into
00:39:47.139 --> 00:39:50.400
I could Like just now right as I'm thinking about
00:39:50.400 --> 00:39:53.340
this thought. I'm like, why are you you know?
00:39:53.559 --> 00:39:56.139
scratching your neck like is it itchy right or
00:39:56.139 --> 00:40:00.719
is it your hand or I'm curious. What is it? Right?
00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:03.059
I could start asking questions We could drive
00:40:03.059 --> 00:40:06.340
like dive into that. Yeah, right people can hide
00:40:06.340 --> 00:40:07.960
things They might not want to show you something
00:40:07.960 --> 00:40:09.639
but that doesn't stop you from being curious
00:40:09.639 --> 00:40:12.599
about them But right that doesn't stop you from
00:40:12.599 --> 00:40:16.559
asking questions. Yeah and observing and being
00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:21.079
like hyper focused on that person and Revealing
00:40:21.079 --> 00:40:25.679
yourself to invite them to share Yeah, I mean
00:40:25.679 --> 00:40:27.840
that's a big part of it And I think that's even
00:40:27.840 --> 00:40:30.260
more important when you are more advanced as
00:40:30.260 --> 00:40:33.099
a dancer Like if you're more comfortable confident
00:40:33.099 --> 00:40:36.659
in your technique and your skills, then you open
00:40:36.659 --> 00:40:39.829
the doors right This person might not want to
00:40:39.829 --> 00:40:41.730
open the door. Maybe they're scared of what's
00:40:41.730 --> 00:40:43.769
on the other side. You got to open the door.
00:40:43.849 --> 00:40:46.690
You got to take the step through, show them it's
00:40:46.690 --> 00:40:50.469
safe, and then invite them. Not drag them, not
00:40:50.469 --> 00:40:53.730
push them, but invite them. How do you invite
00:40:53.730 --> 00:40:58.610
somebody? I usually laugh and joke. I mean, I
00:40:58.610 --> 00:41:00.829
use humor a lot to my advantage when it comes
00:41:00.829 --> 00:41:02.710
to connecting with someone, especially someone
00:41:02.710 --> 00:41:08.239
who feels nervous. That's one way. If I see them
00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:12.219
doing something, I mimic them. That's like mirroring
00:41:12.219 --> 00:41:17.960
somebody is also a natural human, a device for
00:41:17.960 --> 00:41:21.320
connecting with another person, right? In the
00:41:21.320 --> 00:41:23.760
animal kingdom, right? It's like mimicking. Yeah.
00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:28.320
Can you make some Russian social moves? I can
00:41:28.320 --> 00:41:33.739
try to mimic anything, whether I succeed at doing
00:41:33.739 --> 00:41:40.659
it. properly you know that's to the that's that's
00:41:40.659 --> 00:41:44.420
going to be for somebody else but i mean considering
00:41:44.420 --> 00:41:46.800
i've danced with russian salsa dancers yeah maybe
00:41:46.800 --> 00:41:49.900
yeah but yeah like i would mimic you know if
00:41:49.900 --> 00:41:54.579
i saw somebody doing something um i would especially
00:41:54.579 --> 00:41:58.019
if i one if i've never danced with them and they're
00:41:58.019 --> 00:42:00.760
doing something that i've never really done i
00:42:00.760 --> 00:42:06.170
would try and do it you know i Now, more than
00:42:06.170 --> 00:42:09.469
anything out of this weekend, I want somebody
00:42:09.469 --> 00:42:14.369
to film a social dance and I will just pull some
00:42:14.369 --> 00:42:17.809
folkloric Russian moves. As long as it's not
00:42:17.809 --> 00:42:20.590
that drop, my knees aren't good, but like to
00:42:20.590 --> 00:42:23.329
drop down and do that, I could do that before.
00:42:23.570 --> 00:42:25.889
10 years ago, if you did that, I would have gotten
00:42:25.889 --> 00:42:28.250
you back. Except the last time I think I did
00:42:28.250 --> 00:42:32.170
that was at... Jimmy Anton social, because my
00:42:32.170 --> 00:42:35.110
friend who does Taekwondo, like triple black
00:42:35.110 --> 00:42:37.570
belt in Taekwondo, at the end of the night, I
00:42:37.570 --> 00:42:39.809
was just about to leave. And he was like, Oh,
00:42:39.829 --> 00:42:42.230
why are you leaving? You know, and he dropped
00:42:42.230 --> 00:42:45.849
down into a squat, but he's wearing sweatpants.
00:42:46.590 --> 00:42:49.050
And I was like, Oh, you think you know, you're
00:42:49.050 --> 00:42:50.909
like, you're so young, I could do that too. I
00:42:50.909 --> 00:42:53.210
dropped down into a squat and ripped my pants.
00:42:54.389 --> 00:42:58.639
And I had to go home. And it was a terrible experience.
00:42:58.860 --> 00:43:00.820
So there's some things that I'm very mindful
00:43:00.820 --> 00:43:03.579
of, you know, clothing. Well, we'll practice.
00:43:04.460 --> 00:43:07.739
I can show you what I have in mind and then we
00:43:07.739 --> 00:43:09.639
can, you know... No practice. ...determine. Because
00:43:09.639 --> 00:43:14.239
you see then people are like, oh, she knew that.
00:43:14.460 --> 00:43:17.539
He had already shown it to her. I still remember
00:43:17.539 --> 00:43:20.679
there was some dance with... I can't remember
00:43:20.679 --> 00:43:24.710
who it was. maybe Terry or something with someone
00:43:24.710 --> 00:43:27.070
who I had never danced with. And they're like,
00:43:27.110 --> 00:43:28.949
oh, the only reason they're so connected is because
00:43:28.949 --> 00:43:30.949
they've danced many times before. And I was like,
00:43:31.550 --> 00:43:33.110
that was my first dance with this person. What
00:43:33.110 --> 00:43:35.369
are you talking about? Right? But then even if
00:43:35.369 --> 00:43:36.929
you say it's your first dance with someone, there's
00:43:36.929 --> 00:43:39.170
always somebody commenting and saying, no, it
00:43:39.170 --> 00:43:41.369
doesn't matter what she says. All right. That's
00:43:41.369 --> 00:43:45.869
not her first dance. So no rehearsal. We will
00:43:45.869 --> 00:43:50.260
just do whatever we do on the dance floor. Magna,
00:43:50.300 --> 00:43:54.579
if you wanted to reverse, rehearse, rehearse.
00:43:54.920 --> 00:43:58.380
Well taken. So we'll just have to play by ear.
00:43:59.659 --> 00:44:05.000
So one thing I wanted to do is kind of present
00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:07.960
not challenges, but considerations, I guess,
00:44:08.099 --> 00:44:10.860
when it comes to dance. And I'm curious your
00:44:10.860 --> 00:44:13.800
take on it, given everything that we already
00:44:13.800 --> 00:44:17.860
discussed, because I think dance is so incredible
00:44:17.860 --> 00:44:21.300
because There are so many parts of it and each
00:44:21.300 --> 00:44:25.199
given part can be so deep and is so deep, right?
00:44:25.780 --> 00:44:30.960
So we talked about connection a lot. And I think,
00:44:31.840 --> 00:44:34.000
and I'm just kind of thinking out loud because
00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:37.320
I think there's many different ways to go about
00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:41.460
this, but it seems to me that first connection
00:44:41.460 --> 00:44:44.079
with your body is a must, whether you do it through
00:44:44.079 --> 00:44:46.840
practice or how you did it, which is Unenigma,
00:44:46.860 --> 00:44:51.460
by the way. In many ways, so which is great,
00:44:51.619 --> 00:44:54.460
which is great But the way that I perceive it
00:44:54.460 --> 00:44:57.260
is like I need to connect with my body to know
00:44:57.260 --> 00:45:02.440
how to move my body to find my center to be efficient
00:45:02.440 --> 00:45:07.199
at movement in order for me to feel Then that
00:45:07.199 --> 00:45:09.659
I can connect with music because to me that's
00:45:09.659 --> 00:45:11.519
kind of a natural progression if I don't connect
00:45:11.519 --> 00:45:14.420
with music Then what am I doing? I'm just moving
00:45:14.420 --> 00:45:19.269
for the sake of moving and then which hopefully
00:45:19.269 --> 00:45:22.789
will allow me then connect with my partner because
00:45:22.789 --> 00:45:25.889
the progression is I should be able to control
00:45:25.889 --> 00:45:28.530
my body, then connect with the music, then connect
00:45:28.530 --> 00:45:31.949
with a partner to the full extent. What are your
00:45:31.949 --> 00:45:34.849
thoughts on this? Do you ever thought about approaching
00:45:34.849 --> 00:45:40.949
it step by step that way? I think that my approach
00:45:40.949 --> 00:45:47.579
to it would be, it's more circular to me. I'm
00:45:47.579 --> 00:45:50.960
going to refer to like project management, right?
00:45:50.960 --> 00:45:54.239
They have waterfall project management and then
00:45:54.239 --> 00:45:59.659
they have agile project management. So in waterfall
00:45:59.659 --> 00:46:02.280
project management, you decide, you make a plan
00:46:02.280 --> 00:46:05.599
and then you start working on it and then you
00:46:05.599 --> 00:46:07.920
finish and you really try your best not to deviate
00:46:07.920 --> 00:46:11.920
from that plan. But in agile, the whole idea
00:46:11.920 --> 00:46:15.730
is to reiterate. to do it quickly and to reiterate,
00:46:16.210 --> 00:46:19.469
get feedback, improve whatever you need to do,
00:46:19.590 --> 00:46:23.010
put it out there, do it again and over and over
00:46:23.010 --> 00:46:29.409
and over, right? So discovering your body, connecting
00:46:29.409 --> 00:46:31.369
with your own body, connecting with the music,
00:46:31.389 --> 00:46:33.869
connecting with your partner, it is not linear,
00:46:34.250 --> 00:46:38.469
it is circular. You discover your body, you end
00:46:38.469 --> 00:46:40.090
up connecting with the music, you start dancing
00:46:40.090 --> 00:46:41.690
with a partner, you discover your body more in
00:46:41.690 --> 00:46:45.250
that process, right? then maybe you're connecting
00:46:45.250 --> 00:46:47.090
with a partner, you're like, oh, through my partner,
00:46:47.190 --> 00:46:52.030
I discovered the music. Right? So, it's constantly
00:46:52.030 --> 00:46:55.829
cycling through those. And that's why I don't
00:46:55.829 --> 00:47:00.650
prescribe a certain path. Like, I think for this
00:47:00.650 --> 00:47:03.809
dance, ideally, it would be great to understand
00:47:03.809 --> 00:47:07.289
the basics. Right? What is the timing? Because
00:47:07.289 --> 00:47:08.829
that's the language. That's what we're trying
00:47:08.829 --> 00:47:12.150
to connect through that language. So, if you
00:47:12.150 --> 00:47:14.420
know it, it's just going to give you an advantage
00:47:14.420 --> 00:47:17.199
getting in there. So, the basic, the timing.
00:47:18.260 --> 00:47:21.699
Listen to music just to get an idea of what the
00:47:21.699 --> 00:47:24.480
tempos are like. How quickly must you execute
00:47:24.480 --> 00:47:27.559
that basic, right? Because when we do one, two,
00:47:27.559 --> 00:47:29.719
three, five, six, seven, that's pretty easy.
00:47:30.159 --> 00:47:32.099
When the song comes on, it's actually one, two,
00:47:32.139 --> 00:47:35.639
three, five, six. It's much faster. Can you execute?
00:47:36.280 --> 00:47:39.650
So, at least get those two. Then get a general
00:47:39.650 --> 00:47:43.289
understanding of some basic movements with a
00:47:43.289 --> 00:47:47.170
partner to connect with a partner. And your discovery
00:47:47.170 --> 00:47:49.630
of your own body is going to change with every
00:47:49.630 --> 00:47:52.090
partner. It's going to change with every move,
00:47:52.150 --> 00:47:54.570
even with the same partner. It's going to change
00:47:54.570 --> 00:47:59.469
with every song or part of a song with the same
00:47:59.469 --> 00:48:03.210
move, with the same partner. Right? There's really
00:48:03.210 --> 00:48:06.070
nothing, and I know I've said this one before,
00:48:06.530 --> 00:48:08.969
there's no moment, there's no second that repeats
00:48:08.969 --> 00:48:13.969
itself. Complacency is a choice. Things are changing.
00:48:14.750 --> 00:48:17.190
They're always changing. They never stop changing.
00:48:18.010 --> 00:48:19.969
And it's really, that's what I mean about what
00:48:19.969 --> 00:48:23.849
is the novelty. Something is new. There's something
00:48:23.849 --> 00:48:26.590
and it's not even one thing. It is many things.
00:48:27.190 --> 00:48:30.750
What is new? Right? Because as soon as you identify
00:48:30.750 --> 00:48:33.510
what's new, you can start to explore its impact.
00:48:34.489 --> 00:48:36.690
But if you cannot identify what's new, you cannot
00:48:36.690 --> 00:48:40.949
understand how you or your partner or whatever,
00:48:41.369 --> 00:48:45.050
how you're interacting with that thing. Right?
00:48:45.090 --> 00:48:48.769
It's the identification of it that allows you,
00:48:48.929 --> 00:48:53.070
gives you the ability to dive deeper. But to
00:48:53.070 --> 00:48:55.369
identify it, you must be curious because it is
00:48:55.369 --> 00:48:59.409
very easy to get into a routine. to identify
00:48:59.409 --> 00:49:02.449
the things that we know, that we've been told
00:49:02.449 --> 00:49:07.929
to identify. What's the timing? Oh, okay, I know
00:49:07.929 --> 00:49:12.050
that. But that's not what it's about. It's really
00:49:12.050 --> 00:49:15.250
about looking at, okay, let's say we danced every
00:49:15.250 --> 00:49:19.050
weekend for 10 years and we go to the same social,
00:49:19.170 --> 00:49:21.449
same DJ and everything. Something is different.
00:49:21.650 --> 00:49:25.280
What could it be? You know, maybe you just came
00:49:25.280 --> 00:49:28.079
back from a festival, right? And you had a great
00:49:28.079 --> 00:49:31.420
interview with somebody and you're feeling inspired.
00:49:32.019 --> 00:49:34.780
That's different. And somewhere in your dance,
00:49:34.780 --> 00:49:38.519
it's going to show, can I see that? Can I feel
00:49:38.519 --> 00:49:40.960
that? And once I do, what can I do with that?
00:49:41.119 --> 00:49:43.239
How did that impact me? And how can I give that
00:49:43.239 --> 00:49:47.300
back to you? It's like, it's a lot of questions,
00:49:47.320 --> 00:49:51.260
right? I think my approach is really lots of
00:49:51.260 --> 00:49:53.489
questions. And that's why I always encourage
00:49:53.489 --> 00:49:56.510
students, just ask. Ask questions. Ask questions
00:49:56.510 --> 00:49:59.130
of your instructors. Ask questions of yourselves.
00:50:00.469 --> 00:50:02.449
Ask questions of your partner within moderation,
00:50:02.750 --> 00:50:04.949
because that's not what the dance floor is for,
00:50:05.590 --> 00:50:07.550
unless you're someone you practice with. But
00:50:07.550 --> 00:50:11.210
ask questions. Constantly reflect. What went
00:50:11.210 --> 00:50:13.449
well? What didn't go well? What did I like? What
00:50:13.449 --> 00:50:16.630
did I dislike? What was my partner giving to
00:50:16.630 --> 00:50:19.230
me? Did I even interpret that correctly? was
00:50:19.230 --> 00:50:21.929
my interpretation of what my partner was sending
00:50:21.929 --> 00:50:24.469
off to me accurate, right? Like, how many times
00:50:24.469 --> 00:50:27.050
do we dance with somebody and say, oh, wow, like,
00:50:27.050 --> 00:50:29.489
so much attitude. And that person was nervous
00:50:29.489 --> 00:50:33.269
as hell, right? They're a total introvert. They
00:50:33.269 --> 00:50:35.550
just got into dance, you know. They're very good.
00:50:35.610 --> 00:50:38.030
They're methodical about their approach. So they're
00:50:38.030 --> 00:50:41.369
good technically. And so they're advanced, but
00:50:41.369 --> 00:50:43.269
they're still introverted. Their personality
00:50:43.269 --> 00:50:45.030
is an introvert, right? They're quiet. They're
00:50:45.030 --> 00:50:47.510
shy. They're nervous still, even though they're
00:50:47.510 --> 00:50:50.230
good. And here we are thinking that they're assholes
00:50:50.230 --> 00:50:54.030
because they're not socializing the way we are.
00:50:54.309 --> 00:50:57.409
So it's not just about, okay, what can I do better?
00:50:57.849 --> 00:51:02.050
But am I interpreting what's around me correctly?
00:51:03.190 --> 00:51:07.570
That was rough. Was it rough? Or was I losing
00:51:07.570 --> 00:51:11.869
my frame in that moment? It can be either or,
00:51:11.889 --> 00:51:16.309
and it can be both. It's not always one way.
00:51:16.679 --> 00:51:19.239
Right, right and that's the idea of exploration.
00:51:19.320 --> 00:51:21.719
That's the idea of questioning things and that's
00:51:21.719 --> 00:51:26.320
what makes you better When we spoke last year
00:51:26.320 --> 00:51:32.380
you emphasized the importance of smile If you
00:51:32.380 --> 00:51:35.360
have a new dancer in front of you who annually
00:51:35.360 --> 00:51:40.119
who can barely dance was super nervous but smiles
00:51:40.119 --> 00:51:44.119
Do you think it's sufficient? Yeah, but also,
00:51:44.260 --> 00:51:47.130
you know, like let me let me Of course, correct
00:51:47.130 --> 00:51:50.250
that a little bit, okay, because even the smiles
00:51:50.250 --> 00:51:56.570
are, it's a socialization that we are used to,
00:51:56.909 --> 00:52:00.309
that I am used to, because I feel very comfortable
00:52:00.309 --> 00:52:03.730
around people, but I have come to meet many people
00:52:03.730 --> 00:52:06.679
who are not as comfortable around people. and
00:52:06.679 --> 00:52:08.860
smiling doesn't come naturally, not because they're
00:52:08.860 --> 00:52:11.039
not happy, not because they don't feel joy, not
00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:12.500
because they don't want to connect with the person,
00:52:12.599 --> 00:52:14.400
but because they just doesn't come naturally,
00:52:14.780 --> 00:52:18.980
right? And then I watched the show, Love on the
00:52:18.980 --> 00:52:21.920
Spectrum on Netflix. Oh my God, what a great
00:52:21.920 --> 00:52:24.960
show. Like I think dancers, I think every dancer
00:52:24.960 --> 00:52:28.050
should watch the show. partner dancer, social
00:52:28.050 --> 00:52:30.369
partner dancing. We should watch this show. Because
00:52:30.369 --> 00:52:33.010
you see the way they talk to each other, right?
00:52:33.090 --> 00:52:38.690
They're all on some level of autism. And me,
00:52:39.550 --> 00:52:42.869
looking at them, watching their behavior in these
00:52:42.869 --> 00:52:45.389
dates, I'm like, oh, that's interesting. Like,
00:52:45.389 --> 00:52:47.570
if I was with that person, I would totally think
00:52:47.570 --> 00:52:49.429
they weren't interested. They go back home to
00:52:49.429 --> 00:52:51.409
their family, they're like, oh my God, I think
00:52:51.409 --> 00:52:54.219
I'm in love. Right, but there's nothing about
00:52:54.219 --> 00:52:56.659
their mannerisms about the tone of their voice
00:52:56.659 --> 00:52:59.679
about the intonation and inflection or Their
00:52:59.679 --> 00:53:03.199
posture or their facial looks nothing to me would
00:53:03.199 --> 00:53:06.840
have communicated interest Right. So how wrong
00:53:06.840 --> 00:53:10.019
can we be? Right. That's that's the idea like
00:53:10.019 --> 00:53:13.139
with connection with another person is not just
00:53:13.139 --> 00:53:16.679
about like I'm right about something because
00:53:16.679 --> 00:53:20.260
we're always looking for affirmation and validation
00:53:20.559 --> 00:53:22.760
that what I thought was accurate, what I thought
00:53:22.760 --> 00:53:25.699
was right. But how wrong can you be? And can
00:53:25.699 --> 00:53:28.380
you accept that? And what can you do to change
00:53:28.380 --> 00:53:31.820
that? Right? So the smile stuff, right? It's
00:53:31.820 --> 00:53:36.480
important. And it's great when it shows up. And
00:53:36.480 --> 00:53:38.679
if there's somebody who's smiling and they don't
00:53:38.679 --> 00:53:41.019
have their basics or anything like that, I'm
00:53:41.019 --> 00:53:45.739
okay with that. But I also don't expect it. It's
00:53:45.739 --> 00:53:48.699
a nice to have, but it is not mandatory. Because
00:53:48.699 --> 00:53:50.900
that might not come naturally to you and who
00:53:50.900 --> 00:53:54.059
am I to project? My personality on you and expect
00:53:54.059 --> 00:53:56.920
you to do the same, right? I will give you of
00:53:56.920 --> 00:54:00.980
myself for sure and if I elicit Something out
00:54:00.980 --> 00:54:04.840
of you like a smile and an alightness great and
00:54:04.840 --> 00:54:08.219
if I don't no problem, you know I'm gonna try
00:54:08.219 --> 00:54:10.619
and go off of the feel because there's a lot
00:54:10.619 --> 00:54:13.039
that The face doesn't need to communicate the
00:54:13.039 --> 00:54:16.559
faces do not need to communicate that touch can
00:54:17.480 --> 00:54:20.119
Touch can tell me if you're comfortable, you
00:54:20.119 --> 00:54:22.579
know? And through touch alone, without even the
00:54:22.579 --> 00:54:26.699
smiles, I can make you more comfortable. And
00:54:26.699 --> 00:54:31.920
we know this when we get a hug. Yeah. Right?
00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:35.099
So it's not even like, oh, what are you talking
00:54:35.099 --> 00:54:37.260
about? Touch or anything. It's as simple as a
00:54:37.260 --> 00:54:39.960
hug or as simple as like someone's like sad and
00:54:39.960 --> 00:54:41.739
you're like, you know, you put your hand on them,
00:54:41.760 --> 00:54:44.840
but you send your emotions to them. and it changes
00:54:44.840 --> 00:54:47.739
the way they feel. Because they've been crying,
00:54:47.920 --> 00:54:50.300
but you can tell that they're a little bit more
00:54:50.300 --> 00:54:57.079
relaxed. Right. A couple more things. I know
00:54:57.079 --> 00:54:58.820
we're approaching... Wow, it's almost an hour,
00:54:59.139 --> 00:55:02.400
so gotta wrap up here. Wow, I was like in a trance.
00:55:04.340 --> 00:55:10.400
Good, good, really good. We spoke about vertical
00:55:10.400 --> 00:55:12.989
ladder. Yes. You remember that concept that you
00:55:12.989 --> 00:55:15.710
explained to me? So vertical ladder. You were
00:55:15.710 --> 00:55:20.530
saying that this is not a linear ladder for advanced
00:55:20.530 --> 00:55:23.210
dancers. If you advanced dancer, if you think
00:55:23.210 --> 00:55:25.570
you are, you should be able to move up and down
00:55:25.570 --> 00:55:28.989
the vertical ladder and adjust to whomever you
00:55:28.989 --> 00:55:32.610
dance with. I'm curious, I guess, about a couple
00:55:32.610 --> 00:55:36.190
of things. Did you create this on the fly when
00:55:36.190 --> 00:55:39.289
we spoke or you created this on the fly? Yeah.
00:55:39.409 --> 00:55:43.460
Okay. I think either I did or I had recently
00:55:43.460 --> 00:55:47.900
just spoken about it. But I like I can't remember
00:55:47.900 --> 00:55:50.920
if it was with you first or in a live chat after
00:55:50.920 --> 00:55:54.280
or in a live chat before. But I know I did mention
00:55:54.280 --> 00:55:57.300
it again in a live chat. But I don't know if
00:55:57.300 --> 00:55:59.699
that came first and then I said it to you or
00:55:59.699 --> 00:56:03.320
if it was first with you. I really love this
00:56:03.320 --> 00:56:06.219
concept of vertical ladder. Can you explain it
00:56:06.219 --> 00:56:08.420
one more time? And I guess why you believe it's
00:56:08.409 --> 00:56:12.190
That way is the way? Yeah, absolutely. So, you
00:56:12.190 --> 00:56:16.329
know, when we think about our journey, sometimes
00:56:16.329 --> 00:56:19.550
the way it's presented is as if we are starting
00:56:19.550 --> 00:56:22.269
here and then going in this direction, which
00:56:22.269 --> 00:56:25.090
means maybe we're not really coming back here
00:56:25.090 --> 00:56:30.119
for any reason. And so you... start as a beginner,
00:56:30.519 --> 00:56:32.760
and then you leave this box and you move to this
00:56:32.760 --> 00:56:34.900
one, and now you're an intermediate and you leave
00:56:34.900 --> 00:56:36.940
this box and you move to that one. And so if
00:56:36.940 --> 00:56:39.880
you dance with a beginner, it's so far away,
00:56:40.079 --> 00:56:42.860
right? Like you're in such a different space
00:56:42.860 --> 00:56:45.300
that this doesn't make sense anymore to you.
00:56:45.619 --> 00:56:48.380
Whereas when you approach it as a ladder, it's
00:56:48.380 --> 00:56:52.300
like this is the first rung. And for you to have
00:56:52.300 --> 00:56:55.099
climbed to the second rung, you have to be able
00:56:55.099 --> 00:56:58.059
to do this rung properly. You have to pass this
00:56:58.059 --> 00:57:00.780
rung to get to that one. And then after that,
00:57:00.840 --> 00:57:03.179
same thing to advanced. So the further you go,
00:57:03.960 --> 00:57:06.780
you actually have a very clear view of what you
00:57:06.780 --> 00:57:10.760
just went through. And ascending and descending
00:57:10.760 --> 00:57:15.079
that ladder feels much easier than traversing
00:57:15.079 --> 00:57:18.070
this distance. I mean, you could also come back,
00:57:18.190 --> 00:57:21.269
right? But I just feel like a ladder, because
00:57:21.269 --> 00:57:22.909
you don't really think of a ladder as, okay,
00:57:22.929 --> 00:57:24.269
I'm going to go up and I'm going to hang out
00:57:24.269 --> 00:57:26.510
here. You think of a ladder as something you
00:57:26.510 --> 00:57:29.809
ascend and descend often, right? Whereas if you
00:57:29.809 --> 00:57:32.130
are on a journey going somewhere, who knows when
00:57:32.130 --> 00:57:34.230
you're coming back? But a ladder is something
00:57:34.230 --> 00:57:35.690
you're like, okay, I got to go up. Oh, no, I
00:57:35.690 --> 00:57:37.650
got to pick up some more tools. Oh, now I got
00:57:37.650 --> 00:57:40.059
to go a little bit higher to make that... fix
00:57:40.059 --> 00:57:42.619
this or fix that, right? You're constantly going
00:57:42.619 --> 00:57:45.219
back and forth. And that is what we should be
00:57:45.219 --> 00:57:48.239
doing, especially the more advanced we are. That
00:57:48.239 --> 00:57:54.519
should be easy. And if it's not easy, then are
00:57:54.519 --> 00:57:57.659
we really as good as we think we are? Is the
00:57:57.659 --> 00:58:00.980
question, you know? Yeah. And honestly, at the
00:58:00.980 --> 00:58:02.820
end of the day, the only one who can answer that
00:58:02.820 --> 00:58:06.599
is you. Like, no one else can answer it. Yeah.
00:58:08.000 --> 00:58:12.460
goes back to not just the, how right am I? How
00:58:12.460 --> 00:58:14.900
many things am I doing right? But how wrong could
00:58:14.900 --> 00:58:18.159
I be? Because you might think you are super advanced.
00:58:19.699 --> 00:58:22.159
What if you were completely wrong about that?
00:58:22.900 --> 00:58:25.380
How would you approach that? What would you do
00:58:25.380 --> 00:58:28.800
differently? Right? Well, and if you are truly
00:58:28.800 --> 00:58:33.420
that advanced and you're not willing to go down
00:58:33.420 --> 00:58:36.079
that ladder, what does it say? Does it say that
00:58:36.079 --> 00:58:40.000
you're not willing to be to have humility to
00:58:40.000 --> 00:58:42.619
come down that ladder to actually meet somebody
00:58:42.619 --> 00:58:46.000
where they at? Yeah, absolutely. Like, so there's
00:58:46.000 --> 00:58:47.840
so many things, right? Like, that's what I mean
00:58:47.840 --> 00:58:52.099
about how wrong could you be? And this is new.
00:58:52.340 --> 00:58:56.000
This is a this is a today moment, because I feel
00:58:56.000 --> 00:58:58.260
like all of this is coming to me now. And I don't
00:58:58.260 --> 00:59:01.880
recall ever saying this before in this way. But
00:59:01.880 --> 00:59:04.159
there is that question of how wrong could I be?
00:59:04.280 --> 00:59:09.460
And I I think I would say probably in this past
00:59:09.460 --> 00:59:12.539
year and a half maybe, and it's not even all
00:59:12.539 --> 00:59:15.679
dance related, it is actually just asking that
00:59:15.679 --> 00:59:18.739
question, how wrong could I be, that has helped
00:59:18.739 --> 00:59:23.460
me get through a lot of moments. Because it's
00:59:23.460 --> 00:59:26.519
easy to find where I'm right. It's really easy
00:59:26.519 --> 00:59:33.780
because my bias and my ability to contort things
00:59:34.559 --> 00:59:37.860
I can make myself right, you know? We can always
00:59:37.860 --> 00:59:39.920
look at those situations where like, oh yeah,
00:59:40.300 --> 00:59:41.719
you share it with a friend and your friend's
00:59:41.719 --> 00:59:44.159
like, fuck that person, right? They're always
00:59:44.159 --> 00:59:46.219
on your side. They can always find a way to tell
00:59:46.219 --> 00:59:47.860
you you were completely right about what you
00:59:47.860 --> 00:59:51.900
did. But what if you asked yourself, like, how
00:59:51.900 --> 00:59:54.539
wrong could I be? What if I was wrong about all
00:59:54.539 --> 00:59:57.780
of this? How would that change you? You know,
00:59:58.000 --> 00:59:59.699
those are some pretty transformative changes.
01:00:00.480 --> 01:00:02.599
When we ask that question, we come up with an
01:00:02.599 --> 01:00:05.869
answer. Because it's difficult to encounter.
01:00:05.969 --> 01:00:09.269
It's difficult to face. And I think in the dance,
01:00:09.829 --> 01:00:13.590
if we can ask that beforehand, you know, that
01:00:13.590 --> 01:00:16.010
I can be really wrong about everything I'm about
01:00:16.010 --> 01:00:20.989
to, like, perceive. So let me check myself, you
01:00:20.989 --> 01:00:23.670
know, and try and approach this with minimal
01:00:23.670 --> 01:00:27.329
judgment and try to bring my best and understand
01:00:27.329 --> 01:00:32.090
that even that is a work in progress, you know?
01:00:32.760 --> 01:00:36.519
then we can build better connections. Like, I'll
01:00:36.519 --> 01:00:40.320
give the example of rough dances, right? That's
01:00:40.320 --> 01:00:45.880
come up quite a bit. And again, to clarify, I'm
01:00:45.880 --> 01:00:50.119
speaking about just rough dances. Not abusive,
01:00:50.300 --> 01:00:52.679
not anything beyond that. Just rough dances.
01:00:53.980 --> 01:00:57.460
I know in the past, when I would dance with somebody
01:00:57.460 --> 01:01:00.559
who was rough, it was very easy to point the
01:01:00.559 --> 01:01:02.969
finger. They were rough. Everybody would dance
01:01:02.969 --> 01:01:05.250
with them would say oh like that person's so
01:01:05.250 --> 01:01:07.349
heavy like my arm feels like it's gonna get broken
01:01:07.349 --> 01:01:11.510
If I leave it at that right like it's your fault
01:01:11.510 --> 01:01:15.869
This dance is rough because of you, right? I'm
01:01:15.869 --> 01:01:19.309
right Everyone would say I'm right to say that
01:01:19.309 --> 01:01:22.489
but when I when I asked myself like what if I'm
01:01:22.489 --> 01:01:26.889
wrong about that What if this dance? sucked because
01:01:26.889 --> 01:01:31.079
me not because you're rough, but because I'm
01:01:31.079 --> 01:01:34.039
not good. Now all of a sudden I start to look
01:01:34.039 --> 01:01:36.639
at myself. How could I develop my frame? How
01:01:36.639 --> 01:01:39.340
can I counter all of this energy and this tension?
01:01:40.360 --> 01:01:42.360
And you know what? I became a better dancer for
01:01:42.360 --> 01:01:45.519
that question. Now there's no rough dancers.
01:01:47.099 --> 01:01:51.800
None. You know? And it's all because of... Not
01:01:51.800 --> 01:01:53.619
saying that they're not rough. I am certain,
01:01:53.659 --> 01:01:56.599
like, you know, nine out of ten people or everybody
01:01:56.599 --> 01:01:58.599
other than me that they dance with might say,
01:01:58.659 --> 01:02:02.219
ah, it's too strong, too strong. But for me,
01:02:02.219 --> 01:02:04.980
they don't feel like that because when I dance
01:02:04.980 --> 01:02:10.559
with them, I have a different dance dynamic with
01:02:10.559 --> 01:02:14.599
them, you know? And I always say, like, how I
01:02:14.599 --> 01:02:17.599
dance with Terry, for example, is not the way
01:02:17.599 --> 01:02:20.699
I dance with Super Mario. I'm a different dancer
01:02:20.699 --> 01:02:24.460
to these different people. So with a rough lead,
01:02:24.659 --> 01:02:27.559
I am a different dancer with them than someone
01:02:27.559 --> 01:02:31.440
who is very soft. But I would never have become
01:02:31.440 --> 01:02:36.219
that, explored that part of myself if I thought
01:02:36.219 --> 01:02:39.420
that you were wrong. And I have no part to play
01:02:39.420 --> 01:02:42.800
in that. No part to play in the betterment of
01:02:42.800 --> 01:02:53.190
the outcome. I think this is a great place to
01:02:53.190 --> 01:02:55.969
conclude this amazing conversation. Anything
01:02:55.969 --> 01:02:59.449
you would like to add in closing? And of course,
01:02:59.650 --> 01:03:02.030
please, please remind people where they can find
01:03:02.030 --> 01:03:06.070
you and where they can train with you or learn
01:03:06.070 --> 01:03:10.099
from you. Yeah, so to find me, magna -gopal .com,
01:03:10.179 --> 01:03:13.519
just my first name and my last name. There are
01:03:13.519 --> 01:03:16.219
courses online. If you wanted to ever do private
01:03:16.219 --> 01:03:18.699
lessons, you could also reach out to me. We can
01:03:18.699 --> 01:03:21.380
coordinate, find a way to do that. And if you're
01:03:21.380 --> 01:03:23.039
interested about any of the Q -Fit stuff that
01:03:23.039 --> 01:03:25.480
I was talking about, that's also available online.
01:03:26.059 --> 01:03:29.980
I think the entire 60 days of workouts is available
01:03:29.980 --> 01:03:33.710
as a packaged course. And I'll tell you... Out
01:03:33.710 --> 01:03:35.829
of all the things that I've done to stay fit,
01:03:36.409 --> 01:03:38.570
I've worked out in the gym, I've done boxing,
01:03:38.750 --> 01:03:42.230
jiu -jitsu, Muay Thai, and dancing all the time,
01:03:42.869 --> 01:03:45.250
Q -Fit is the fittest I've ever felt. And that
01:03:45.250 --> 01:03:48.809
was with the least amount of equipment. So if
01:03:48.809 --> 01:03:52.429
that's something you want. And then a closing
01:03:52.429 --> 01:04:05.750
thought would be just take agency. your life
01:04:05.750 --> 01:04:10.650
and of your happiness and of your growth Because
01:04:10.650 --> 01:04:13.010
it doesn't matter how much information is out
01:04:13.010 --> 01:04:16.829
there in this world if You don't want something
01:04:16.829 --> 01:04:21.210
if you are not actively seeking to be better
01:04:21.210 --> 01:04:25.110
in some way It doesn't matter how much information
01:04:25.110 --> 01:04:27.250
is out there. You will never get there because
01:04:27.250 --> 01:04:31.500
no one can make you take the step Everyone can
01:04:31.500 --> 01:04:33.820
open a door for you. Everyone can show you the
01:04:33.820 --> 01:04:36.679
path. Everyone can give you a map and give you
01:04:36.679 --> 01:04:38.699
step -by -step navigations, but you must take
01:04:38.699 --> 01:04:43.000
the step. And that is an absolute non -negotiable.
01:04:44.219 --> 01:04:48.900
So taking agency of ourselves, key. If you are
01:04:48.900 --> 01:04:52.599
a student in this space, it's important to make
01:04:52.599 --> 01:04:56.670
sure that you are asking questions. If you can,
01:04:56.750 --> 01:04:59.670
ask questions in classes. I, as an instructor,
01:05:00.050 --> 01:05:02.570
appreciate it. I think most instructors that
01:05:02.570 --> 01:05:05.150
I know appreciate it. If they don't, that is
01:05:05.150 --> 01:05:07.969
not a reflection on you asking a question. It's
01:05:07.969 --> 01:05:10.449
just a reflection on them. And you don't need
01:05:10.449 --> 01:05:12.210
to concern yourself, but it's good that you ask
01:05:12.210 --> 01:05:15.949
the question because we prepare and present based
01:05:15.949 --> 01:05:18.409
on the experiences that we have. We do not know
01:05:18.409 --> 01:05:21.090
your experience until you share it with us. So,
01:05:21.110 --> 01:05:32.349
ask questions. And then three. is get curious
01:05:32.349 --> 01:05:38.210
about every moment that you have about the people
01:05:38.210 --> 01:05:44.090
that are in front of you because life is always
01:05:44.090 --> 01:05:47.909
changing. There's no second that repeats itself.
01:05:48.530 --> 01:05:53.369
Complacency is a choice. And there's so much
01:05:53.369 --> 01:05:59.239
beauty in and around us if we just explored it
01:05:59.239 --> 01:06:02.079
a little bit. Just looked at someone and said,
01:06:02.280 --> 01:06:05.059
I wonder what's different about you today. You
01:06:05.059 --> 01:06:06.940
know, I wonder what's going to be different about
01:06:06.940 --> 01:06:12.000
us today. And then my last point is start asking
01:06:12.000 --> 01:06:17.820
yourself, what if I was wrong? What if I was
01:06:17.820 --> 01:06:22.300
wrong? What if I am wrong about this? What if
01:06:22.300 --> 01:06:25.769
whatever I think not exactly how it is or it's
01:06:25.769 --> 01:06:28.789
not the complete picture because I'm pretty certain
01:06:28.789 --> 01:06:31.650
it isn't there is always two sides and then there's
01:06:31.650 --> 01:06:35.469
also the truth or the reality so oftentimes we
01:06:35.469 --> 01:06:38.590
limit ourselves and what kind of solutions we
01:06:38.590 --> 01:06:41.550
can come up with what kind of steps we can take
01:06:41.550 --> 01:06:45.710
just because we can't see the problem from all
01:06:45.710 --> 01:06:50.489
angles so question things question yourself reflect
01:06:50.489 --> 01:06:55.340
often stay curious and put connection with another
01:06:55.340 --> 01:06:58.300
human being at the forefront of everything that
01:06:58.300 --> 01:07:03.900
you do because life is richer with people and
01:07:03.900 --> 01:07:07.099
and relationships also with like plants and animals
01:07:07.099 --> 01:07:09.980
and nature but We have people right and we're
01:07:09.980 --> 01:07:12.219
social dancers here. So people so let's let's
01:07:12.219 --> 01:07:14.380
talk about people life is richer when you have
01:07:14.380 --> 01:07:16.519
When you try to build those relationships with
01:07:16.519 --> 01:07:20.909
people I'm going to thank you so much for your
01:07:20.909 --> 01:07:24.090
time, for your perspective, and for your knowledge.
01:07:24.309 --> 01:07:26.969
It was amazing. I am glad to have made it. This
01:07:26.969 --> 01:07:30.570
is so formal. We gave hugs. But I think if we
01:07:30.570 --> 01:07:32.230
gave each other a hug right now, there would
01:07:32.230 --> 01:07:35.550
be some tripping. But this is not how we met,
01:07:35.789 --> 01:07:38.949
with a handshake. Thank you so much, Yuri. I
01:07:38.949 --> 01:07:42.090
appreciate everything that you do. I really liked
01:07:42.090 --> 01:07:46.349
our last, our first live interview. It was great.
01:07:47.469 --> 01:07:50.050
I think as an interviewer, you are excellent.
01:07:50.349 --> 01:07:54.630
You provide some very good open -ended questions
01:07:54.630 --> 01:07:59.309
that allows the interviewee to think about things
01:07:59.309 --> 01:08:01.809
differently and you pay such close attention
01:08:01.809 --> 01:08:05.610
to the answers to then pull even more out of
01:08:05.610 --> 01:08:08.969
that person. So you do a great job. And to be
01:08:08.969 --> 01:08:10.969
here with all of you and to be here in person
01:08:10.969 --> 01:08:13.929
with you and finally meet you in person is great.
01:08:14.030 --> 01:08:16.409
I'm glad we got a chance to make this work. The
01:08:16.409 --> 01:08:18.630
pleasure is all mine. Thank you so much. Pleasure.