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Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.
Not many students spend their lunch periods transforming their bodies into pendulums. Swing Dance Club members are a little different. We like delving into the unexplored realms of swing aerials and committing them to muscle memory. Our latest challenge was what we (appropriately) termed "The Impossible Double Judo Flip".
Picture a girl swinging her legs like a pendulum around her partner's extended arm, spinning in mid-air on his shoulder into a handstand position, not once touching the floor. She swings around a second time, rotates while flipping herself over, and lands gracefully into some Charleston. Yes. It is very, very complex.
As Co-President, I deciphered these steps by treating them like a puzzle-my partner and I combined moves until arrangements looked remotely feasible. Naturally, most of my first week was spent on the floor. By week two, we realized that decoding the flip need not involve constant purple knees and sore shoulders; we took a break and had a long talk with our Honors Physics teacher.
We discussed each step through a physics perspective. To have enough momentum for the first flip, I needed to collect force from my partner's hand, shoulder, and the floor simultaneously. I worked out how fast to swing my legs and when to curl up to have enough torque. By using these concepts and practicing daily, we had the flip mastered by the fourth week.
The process was incredibly stimulating. Physics and dance were two skills I never thought to combine-who would have thought that what you learn in the classroom is applicable on the dance floor? And yet, it was my curious, exploratory nature that fueled my adventurous dancing spirit. I can now proudly explain the physics of swing dancing while performing "The Previously-Thought-Impossible Double Judo Flip".
Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.
Not many students spend their lunch periods transforming their bodies into pendulums. Swing Dance Club members are a little different. We like delving into the unexplored realms of swing aerials and committing them to muscle memory. Our latest challenge was what we (appropriately) termed "The Impossible Double Judo Flip".
Picture a girl swinging her legs like a pendulum around her partner's extended arm, spinning in mid-air on his shoulder into a handstand position, not once touching the floor. She swings around a second time, rotates while flipping herself over, and lands gracefully into some Charleston. Yes. It is very, very complex.
As Co-President, I deciphered these steps by treating them like a puzzle-my partner and I combined moves until arrangements looked remotely feasible. Naturally, most of my first week was spent on the floor. By week two, we realized that decoding the flip need not involve constant purple knees and sore shoulders; we took a break and had a long talk with our Honors Physics teacher.
We discussed each step through a physics perspective. To have enough momentum for the first flip, I needed to collect force from my partner's hand, shoulder, and the floor simultaneously. I worked out how fast to swing my legs and when to curl up to have enough torque. By using these concepts and practicing daily, we had the flip mastered by the fourth week.
The process was incredibly stimulating. Physics and dance were two skills I never thought to combine-who would have thought that what you learn in the classroom is applicable on the dance floor? And yet, it was my curious, exploratory nature that fueled my adventurous dancing spirit. I can now proudly explain the physics of swing dancing while performing "The Previously-Thought-Impossible Double Judo Flip".
