Wing Chun & Dancing

Recently, I have had the pleasure of teaching Maria Hansen, a 7-time US professional ballroom finalist. Today she travels the world coaching high level competitive ballroom dancers. Maria has taken to Dragon Family Wing Chun amazingly and immediately took the concepts I've taught her into her coaching with a considerable degree of success.

Here is her new article which details how the dynamic concepts of substantial and insubstantial play out in the world of ballroom dancing. Enjoy!



The Yin and Yang of it all…

What does it mean to you as a dancer to be told “You need more power in your dancing, more energy…more dynamics”? Every professional or high level amateur couple that I work with seems to be told this constantly. But what does it really mean?

I used to be very confused by this concept. I would try to use more power and energy through the movement by trying to do “more”…bigger steps, more lowering, using my legs. I would try to create more dynamics by trying to get “bigger” and stretch more and do ever so much…”more”. My frustration would then come in because then I would be told…”No, no, no…you’re working too hard..it’s too strong…you need to relax!”. How would I ever find the right balance?

I recently had a major epiphany regarding this subject thanks to my martial arts teacher, Adam Williss from the Dragon Institute in Dana Point, CA. Since my first lesson with him, he has been teaching me the concepts of Yin and Yang energy and how important this concept is to develop true power in the martial arts. I had always thought that I understood the concept, but I now realize that my understanding was far too simplistic. I just thought that Yang was male energy and Yin was female and therefore, the male in the partnership had the Yang energy and the female the Yin energy. I now realize that it goes so much deeper than that!!

READ MORE >

Posted by Adam Williss, Founder of The Dragon Institute

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Recently, I have had the pleasure of teaching Maria Hansen, a 7-time US professional ballroom finalist. Today she travels the world coaching high level competitive ballroom dancers. Maria has taken to Dragon Family Wing Chun amazingly and immediately took the concepts I've taught her into her coaching with a considerable degree of success. Here is her new article which details how the dynamic concepts of substantial and insubstantial play out in the world of ballroom dancing. Enjoy! The Yin and Yang of it all… What does it mean to you as a dancer to be told “You need more power in your dancing, more energy…more dynamics”? Every professional or high level amateur couple that I work with seems to be told this constantly. But what does it really mean? I used to be very confused by this concept. I would try to use more power and energy through the movement by trying to do “more”…bigger steps, more lowering, using my legs. I would try to create more dynamics by trying to get “bigger” and stretch more and do ever so much…”more”. My frustration would then come in because then I would be told…”No, no, no…you’re working too hard..it’s too strong…you need to relax!”. How would I ever find the right balance? I recently had a major epiphany regarding this subject thanks to my martial arts teacher, Adam Williss from the Dragon Institute in Dana Point, CA. Since my first lesson with him, he has been teaching me the concepts of Yin and Yang energy and how important this concept is to develop true power in the martial arts. I had always thought that I understood the concept, but I now realize that my understanding was far too simplistic. I just thought that Yang was male energy and Yin was female and therefore, the male in the partnership had the Yang energy and the female the Yin energy. I now realize that it goes so much deeper than that!! READ MORE > Posted by Adam Williss, Founder of The Dragon Institute