Learning Salsa

When we ride a bike, the act of pushing down on one pedal while releasing the other results in the bike and us moving forward as one unit. If we want to continue this forward movement, we repeat this same process of pushing and releasing on the other side of our feet. Thus, the foot that once was releasing is now pumping, and the foot that was once pumping is now releasing. Motion is only possible when both feet behave in this cooperative manner viewed as interplay working in an interdependent way. Both feet are not seen as opposites but complementary to each other. The common crank joining both feet via the pedal arms allows such interplay. And within this interplay, the left foot cannot begin to pump until the right foot finishes pumping. When the right foot is at the bottom of it’s stroke the left pedal raises past the highest point for the left pumping to start, so there is interdependency. The left foot needs the right foot so it can be most effective, and vice versa.

Part 4 of Awareness

 

Good social dancers are said to be “light on their feet”. What should also be understood there is “light on everyone else's feet too!” It's not just a matter of bad luck when someone steps on another's feet or spins into them – it is a lack of control. Everyone at some point does a spin too far or step on someone else - so the question is "how often and how hard?"

 

Secret Revealed: if you are regularly the one getting stepped on, you are also very likely to share some of the blame with the mis-stepper and of course you get all of the pain.

 

However it is not hard to change your luck and be a dancer who is light on their feet, rarely gets stepped on and who has control over themselves dancing and spinning – the key lies in mastering some fundamentals. In the case of light on the feet, mastering the basic step and in the case of the spinning, developing the correct body alignment starting with the foot.

Anthony Persaud from Addicted2Salsa put together a nice little video on getting started with shines. This is a very key concept for learning how to really "dance to the music" and express one's self on the dance floor. As he mentions, for leaders it is important to give your partner some "hands free" time where she can express herself and not just run through pattern after pattern. Advanced dancers often do shines for 50% or more of a song.



One of the great things about this example is that it is timed to be usable in almost any situation and he shows going from a connected postion to the shine and then coming back together again. Nice job!

Part 3 of Awareness

What is “your space”? For want of a better definition, your space is the area that is more or less reasonable for you and your partner to use on the dance floor. Generally speaking in club dancing, that space is a rectangle with a line running down the center where you and your partner stick. In formal terms, this is called “slot-dancing” and it is generally the best way to make a predictable and comfortable dance space. The key for dancing in the slot is drawing these imaginary lines -- North, South, East & West -- and following them without fail.

The Slot

Probably everyone has heard of "the slot", but not many of us dance with a real awareness of it. Most styles of salsa dictate that you move in straight lines. Every cross body lead, enchufla, and turn must start and finish on the lines. For leaders, that means getting out of your partner's way (being exactly perpendicular) and establishing a clear path that can only be followed one way. For followers it means following that line and staying within the boundaries your partner is trying to set. Dancing with this awareness and control will not only make you safer, it will improve your turns and make everything you do even better.

Adjusting to the Dance Floor

As other couples on the dance floor change positions, and the floor becomes more or less crowded, you may also have to re-orienting your slot. As the length of the slot you are in changes, you need to change your movement. When space is limited one can not expect to go very far so your movement must be smaller too. Leaders can initiate turns earlier and followers can reduce the length of their steps. This is of course common sense, but few us are truly aware of how far we are traveling and what exact direction we are going.

A Shining Example

Here is a couple doing a great job of staying in their space on a crowded dance floor -- Andres Giraldo and Elisa.

Notice how close they stay to the center of their space, maintain that straight line and how close they stay to each other. All the while they are dancing full out. The are also completely aware of the people dancing next to them and the instant she starts going further than he feels is safe, he is right there. The average salsero probably can't pull everything off as cleanly as them, but hopefully we can all learn a bit.

Practice Makes Perfect

No doubt if you take lessons, your instructor is constantly telling you to stay on your lines. There are some simple things you can do to see more clearly how well you are staying on your lines:

• Mark a spot on the floor when you are practicing and see how well you stay at that spot as you practice your turns.
• Draw lines on the practice mirror with a dry-erase marker and see how close to center you stay when practicing footwork or partnerwork.

Most of us will see that we drift a lot more than we think. But this awareness is a step towards gaining control and advancing your dancing.

Observe the Floor

If you observer a typical dance floor - you will notice that most of the couples (beginner, intermediate and even some advanced) drift without a clear pattern or a set location. This is really why the dance floors are so difficult to navigate. Most couples are completely unaware. Imagine how much room there would be if the couples maintained the center of their space and and moved on their lines...

Hit the Floor

With all that in mind, hit the dance floor and see if it makes a difference in your dancing. It takes a lot of practice but dancing in one's space and more in control can make it a better night for everyone,

Previous: Protect Your Partner <--> Next: Step Lightly, Turn Tightly

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Salsa Dance Styles

This article is a first draft for trying to explain or reinforce key concepts about Rueda de Casino to those who are already learning rueda -- input is very welcome.