Salsa Wednesday

Right salsa it is. First of I found out that we are doing New York (Cross Body) style of salsa. Given that I don't know anything about the Cuban style that's popular I'm not really sure where the differences are. Anyway first they teach an interesting dancers frame (higher arms elbows out) and leading with the shoulder for a spin. Apart from my lack of balance I was finding I could project myself through a double spin occasionally. Had totally forgotten the left hand turn from last week. I think the key point being that I kept trying to put a spin into it (there really is only a pivot). I probably asked less people this week than I did last being content to chat to people. I really should have danced with more people though. At times I also find trying to get the correct beat in the music difficult and in moves that are prone to falling out of beat I often don't correct. I'm also prone to rushing through the silent beat as well.

They did do a good job at telling you about using the balls of your feet rather than heels and how to distribute your weight; frame technique and such. Even if I can't, at the end of it all, still get that salsa feel I think I'll still walk away feeling that I've learnt a lot. They teach a good grounding in the theory of dance :D.

Anyway we did a cross body lead which involved using the first part of a left turn but stepping out to the side creating a gap for the woman to walk through. Guide her with the frame (so pushing on her high back and pulling with your left hand) then turn her to face and move back into "the line". Revisited some of the stuff from last week. I also lead a left turn using the ladies left hand and a right handed turn for the lady where you break her turn with a flat right hand (to her left) and turn her around for a left hand turn. The intermediate class did a multiple cross body lead that I tried to shadow with a friend. Basically its the cross body but rather than pivot to face your partner you pivot to the other side and keep an open line so you can cross lead your partner again then do the same again (you are transfering momentum at this stage) and release into an open hold. I'd say that I successfully did it about 25% of the time :(.

Tags: Salsa