Ho wrote:Welcome to Indiana...
...you're the best freestyler we've got!
I love your relaxed yet naturally high-energy style.
Don't kid me! But remember, that was back in 2002. I learned to be a lot more relaxed when before I used to be more tense when I started out (see STMB video on DDR Freak from 2001). Then again, being a girl... I naturally get away with stuff like blowing kisses on this video. =P
Ho wrote:In the case of your video, I was really impressed with how much you faced away from the screen.
Actually, that must be my best routine in terms of memorizations, because I generally don't. Sana Molette Ne Ente (I think it was on Light) is not that hard to memorize on the spot. If you notice, sometimes I turn my head to the screen... if you can't see it, I might be looking out of the corner of my eye, because the song has a lot of places you can easily remember 3 to 5, maybe more, arrows on the spot. =P Even my brother was impressed, because it was generally known to the old school NorCal DDR'ers that I sucked at memorization and facing the audience for most of the song. The judges liked that (and I knew all the judges), and I think I got brownie points for that and the kiss... but it must've been like 11th or 12th place. The STMB was like 5th place.
Ho wrote:The few times I try, I feel like the memorization really takes the fluidity out of my style because I'm concentrating too much.
If you really work on a routine and find an appropriate song... I think a very valuable piece of advice I remember from someone else is "If you would do your dance/DDR routine at a public dance, club, in front of people OFF the DDR stage, then you're doing a good job." (See Miss Toy's freestyle guide on DDR Freak). I guess if you don't do impromptu all the time, you can always work on one routine and if you memorize your dance, you don't necessarily have to memorize the arrows. Just your dance routine. (If you know what I mean...) =P
Ho wrote:My biggest complaint on my own freestyle is that I don't feel like I face the audience enough since I am still reading the arrows.
On impromptu, you'll notice I do look down at the arrows a lot... I do it on my Sana video, too. I know I made this a habit because I wouldn't step far enough when I began to play, and when I started I was 11 and I was shorter. Still, my feet are practically the same size now, 7 years later and so I still have that habit because I'm still small. It was also made habit when I tried to start memorizing songs... I don't like looking at other people when I play, so I just look down, because I can't look anywhere else. And it would look totally dorky to close me eyes! =P
I will definitely check the videos out some time. =)
I saw some videos of Joe when he used to freestyle, impressive stuffs. You are very good Gattchoon, nice! 
