Step-by-Step Latin Dance Weblog

Latin Dance Tricks & Tips

Posted by: stepbysteplatindance on: January 23, 2009

Dance Tricks & Tips

If you lose the beat and find yourself out of step with the music don’t try to catch up. It will make things worse and confuse your partner. Instead just close your feet to return to the start position (do nothing). Wait for the second beat of the next bar of music and start again (step forward or back).

Guys be considerate of your partner. You might want to perform some fancy move but she might be on the wrong foot, not ready or someone has got in the road making it hard or even dangerous for her to do the move. Be aware of what is around you and always lead the girl into an open space before you do a move and most importantly, before you do a move, wait until you are both obviously in the correct position. She’ll appreciate it and consider you an above average dancer.

Girls you can’t both lead! So let the guy lead. After all it is his job! If he is having trouble be considerate and show him what you are expecting but be warned, he might be leading you into a move you haven’t learnt yet, so before getting too helpful, see what he has to offer.

Guys and Girls: a lot of moves have been invented from people making mistakes. If either of you does something the other didn’t expect and it felt or looked good – assume it’s a new move. If you started to do a standard move and something happens where you have to modify the steps (eg: you forgot what to do) – fake it (innovate), you might have just invented a new move!

Dance is about partnership and team work – a marriage of two minds, if not bodies. Guys you might be leading but you are not the center of attention (nor are you girls). Co-operate with each other! Your partner doesn’t have eyes in the back of their head. So if your partner is stepping backwards, and something will obstruct their step, its your responsibility to prevent them from stepping back. Guys, be prepared to accept a lead from the girl, it might save you from injury!

Latin Dance Positions: Leading – Closed Position = Partner Contact

Posted by: stepbysteplatindance on: November 21, 2008

Traditionally in Salsa Dance the Man is the Leader and the Woman is the Follower. These are the basics that must be learned and internalized by the dancers, salsa classes and salsa dance videos initially teaches this lessons. Together the Leader and the Follower are known as Dance Partners or simply Partners. The Man guides the woman by giving her “claves”, These “claves” are little tugs, pushes, or checks given at the right time in the momentum of the dance that let the Follower know when to turn, hesitate, dip, cross-body, etc.

Here is a good Example of a leading and following routine, The Closed Position = Partner Contact:

The Salsa Basic Dance Step is danced in closed, also called “European”, position with the Man facing the Woman.
There are four points of Contact between the Man and the Woman.
1.) The Man takes the Woman’s Right Hand with his Left Hand.
2.) The Man places his Right Hand on the Woman’s back.
3.) The woman places her Left hand on the Man’s shoulder.
4.) The Man and the Woman look into each others Eyes.

These basic idea is essential in any type of dance, leading and following in a sense is the foundation of dancing, Lessons from classes and salsa dance videos must be taken and learned to the heart to be  a great salsa dancer.

Improve your Salsa

Posted by: stepbysteplatindance on: November 5, 2008

Practice is the best way to improve anything, Salsa in ways can be improved through practice, either in your salsa dance classes or salsa dance videos but sometimes it just ain’t enough, there is still that extra mile you need to know in order to grow.

It may take two to tango, but Salsa requires three distinct types of practice as you grow. Maybe a few can dazzle in the clubs by just “dancing”. But most people require a systematic approach if they want excellence in a reasonable timeframe. Few dancers want to crash and burn in the club while working on new material. You can accelerate your success by making sure you are actively managing your practice. On a regular basis, you’ll want to incorporate different types of practice as your dancing matures.

Practicing breaks down into the following categories:

  • Personal
  • Partnering
  • Club/Social

Knowing this idea of systematic practice, you may be amazed how drastically you can improve your salsa, added with extra lessons from your peers, partners or even from salsa dance videos you can pretty much reach your goal of not just improving but mastering your salsa dance moves.

Latin Dance Lesson – Salsa 1st Step: The Forward Basic Movement

Posted by: stepbysteplatindance on: September 3, 2008

There are two measures of music, both with four beats or counts each. On the first count, you tap your left foot, specifically the front of your foot or the balls of the foot and the toes, in place. Some salsa styles will merely ask you to hold the first count, but dancers have found that tapping the foot makes it interesting, and even activates the first foot so that you’re ready to go. On the second count, you actually make a step forward with that left foot. But you can’t go far because, on the third count, you rock back onto the right foot, transferring your weight backwards. Then, on the fourth count, you close your left foot to join your right foot again.

That entire sequence is called the forward basic movement. The next measure of four counts is the backward basic movement, and goes backward instead of forward, stepping right instead of left. So, what happens is you tap your right foot in place on the first count, then make a step backward with that same right foot. On the third count, you rock forward to transfer your weight to the left foot and close your feet together with the right foot on the fourth count. And those are the basic salsa dance steps. Aren’t they easy?

These steps outward from the closed position are called breaks. The breaks are always consistent on the same beat of the music, no matter what digressions and improvisations of the steps are made by the dancers. Breaks are usually where the couples turn or when they try something fancy.

There are many styles of doing basic salsa dance steps, but as long as you know the basic steps, adapting to the different styles won’t be difficult. These styles usually vary according to where the breaks are set, also according to the rhythms played, and particularly in which location you find yourself dancing. For example, the basic salsa dance steps are called On 2, because the break is on the second step, or rather, you step on the count of two. These are performed all over the US and in most Latin American countries. But there is a special style On 1 practiced in Los Angeles where the break is done on the count of one, and the hold is done on the count of four.

Latin Dance Lessons: Step-by-Step Salsa Dance DVD Lessons

Posted by: stepbysteplatindance on: September 3, 2008

SalsaCrazy Presents: Learn To Salsa Dance DVDs. These Salsa Dance Instruction Videos are your definitive guide to learn to salsa dance. Salsa dance steps are fun, healthy, and extremely sexy! These Salsa Dance Classes on DVD walk you through all the fundamentals of Salsa Dancing in a fun, social and energetic, step-by-step way!

If you want to learn how to dance? If you want to learn to dancequickly and easily , using step by step proven techniques for even the most two left footed of us, you’ll want to learn to dance salsa with our learn to dance videos