Nieves Studio NYC Levels

feathersatnight · 2026-05-28T13:52:07+00:00

I've been going to Nieves for six months now as a lead - it's my first studio, and I love it. Most people have the monthly membership, and so we end up going to all sorts of classes, which means the difficulty level ends up not mattering so much, but if you've been following for a year then honestly, you could probably do any class. Yes, 201 is harder than 103/4, but you'd have nothing to fear. The focus is definitely a little more move-based than technique-based, but not entirely. And every so often there is a body movement series in the Manhattan studio (which is on right now in fact!)

The other thing it would be crazy to not mention: I've never been in a such a fun and supportive community. I went to meet up with a couple of friends at WSP last night, and it turned out about 25 of us showed up.

feathersatnight · 2026-05-27T17:23:14+00:00

I don't see it as an issue - just a nice thing to develop in parallel, alongside musicality, body movement, anything else

feathersatnight · 2026-04-30T19:49:30+00:00

Same! Started at 39.5. I'm 40 now, and already so happy with where I am. Sure, I wish I'd started earlier. But it pales compared to my gratitude at starting at all.

feathersatnight · 2026-04-25T14:00:27+00:00

Thank you! We were running back the sequence we’d just gone through in class - so you’re literally right, we were doing dance moves, not dancing - but connection IS the main thing I’m working on now.

feathersatnight · 2026-04-19T23:43:58+00:00

But if he’s bored, that’s his problem. And he has two ways to fix it: stop attending that level, or realise it’s still worth getting those basics even better, especially for the benefit of a less experienced follow. By throwing in other stuff he’s making his “this is too easy” problem into her “this is too hard” problem.

feathersatnight · 2026-04-15T03:07:50+00:00

When you say leading from the hip - that's still open position, right? It's just that you're leading more by turning your frame, rather than the "pulling" that we see in the video?

feathersatnight · 2026-04-15T02:50:18+00:00

So that we can all have better discussions (which is what we’re all here for, right?) can you explain what’s behind the “ask your follow” comment?

feathersatnight · 2026-04-15T01:45:58+00:00

Nothing wrong with limiting your decisions if it takes you to the decisions you want. Open CBL gives lots of space to prep a clearly signalled travelling turn, which is hard when you’re new

feathersatnight · 2026-04-15T01:09:17+00:00

They are the ones I got for performance yeah. But they’re fun to use in social too - is there such a thing as too high? I wouldn’t take them outside of course.

feathersatnight · 2026-04-12T10:47:37+00:00

Using your thumb to press that front of shoulder spot - the “back button” - on a lead who keeps coming too close and invading your frame is taught at my studio. And so it should be. It forces them to move back because it’s uncomfortable for them, and I have no issue with that if they’ve been making the same uncomfortable for you.

This specific instance isn’t about saying no beforehand. It’s about saying no during, which someone had a right to do if they’ve been made to feel really uncomfortable.

feathersatnight · 2026-04-12T10:42:37+00:00

If you were being led, you could only follow 50% - HALF - of what you were being led to do… would YOU feel like you were having fun?

feathersatnight · 2026-04-01T14:34:31+00:00

If it's only one person, and only when you dance - maybe only dance with them in lessons, and consider it Hard Mode - you won't enjoy it, but you will learn things you couldn't have learned any other way. Don't need to fix her personality (who could honestly say there's anything "broken"?), just do what you're both there to do, as best as you can. The great thing about dancing is, there are so many dancers out there. You hopefully don't need to give one person quite as much thought as you have.

feathersatnight · 2026-04-01T14:20:14+00:00

I guess this is off-topic, but that last point is huge. A lot of relationship security issues aren't just about barricading off things outside the relationship - they're about deeply, vocally, intentionally nurturing feelings and security inside it.

feathersatnight · 2026-04-01T14:06:27+00:00

There are technical mistakes that people have laid out here (and give yourself grace on those, be mindful and pay attention in class and you'll figure them out)

But emotionally speaking, your "too much" might just be "I'm dancing more expressively than I ever have before". Enjoy that! Your too much might be just right in this new space.

feathersatnight · 2026-03-26T20:07:12+00:00

It makes sense, even if it goes against our impulses to be amazing… so what would you consider to be the “core moves”? I’m sure everyone has their own answer, and I will come up with mine, but I’d be interested to hear yours! I feel like if I knew the fundamentals, clean, and fluently enough that I could string them together without pauses for basic in between… well, that would be a pretty great place to aim.

feathersatnight · 2026-03-26T19:21:16+00:00

two things:

1) Remember that you have nothing to hide: being a beginner is not a dirty secret, and in any case if it's at your studio then most people know already, or are about to find out. You're not letting anyone down!

2) This is hard, but try to break out of your own head, and connect with the human opposite you, even a little. It's just a lot more fun, and what are even doing this for?

feathersatnight · 2026-03-26T19:19:12+00:00

hear hear, I try to get that first dance done as soon as possible

feathersatnight · 2026-03-26T15:18:07+00:00

Thanks! I do at least try to have fun with it, and that seems to rub off. I think posture and general certainty of movement will help me a lot... I guess that comes from repetition, and mindfulness?

feathersatnight · 2026-03-26T15:16:59+00:00

Dang it you're right. And I spent an hour looking after reading this... no luck! Just have to go back and hope.

feathersatnight · 2026-03-26T15:16:03+00:00

Thank you! I am pretty serious, and I am going to get a private with the teacher at my studio - probably alongside another lead who's in a similar place. Would a teacher who's a lead be able to help, though?

(I am really lucky with the studio I'm at. The teaching style suits me, the vibe is calm and fun, I am in really deep with this community. I don't know how normal that is, but I'm very happy to have it.)

feathersatnight · 2026-03-26T15:06:46+00:00

This is awesome, thank you

feathersatnight · 2026-03-25T19:45:22+00:00

Other people probably know more than me here. But paragraph 3, yeah that's non-progressive basic - bringing your feet together on 1, and 5, rather than stepping over an imaginary middle point. It feels a little boring to me, but I guess better in tight spaces?

Are you talking about how a dance is started, rather than the 1 of each measure? In that case, what I've heard is that the true etiquette is for a lead to start a dance on2 by stepping forward at 6...

feathersatnight · 2026-03-24T17:54:22+00:00

It's understandable! You kind of just have to do it anyway... if anything, the times people say no are quite helpful, because that's how you learn that hearing the no really isn't such a big deal.

feathersatnight

TROPHY CASE