What do you guys think of dance sneakers?
I’ve had dance shoes since September and I’ve worn them so much that they’re becoming impossible to brush and extremely slippery.
Plus I will need something to dance with when the outdoor dance floor opens up in the spring at the Old Port in Montreal.
http://www.ekclothing.com/details.php?id=cvfsn&file=tab_details/dance_sneaker_details.txt&cat=SH
Hello friends,
I had a question and please don’t laugh at it. I was wondering if there are any patterns in which guys spin like the way girls do? I was thinking it would be cool if guys spin like 2-3 times like the way girls do but in my area i don’t see guys spinning at all. I see a lot of girls spinning. By spinning I don’t mean the usual right or left turn but like spinning fast 2-3 times in say 4 beats. I am thinking there must be patterns like that but most guys in my area just don’t do that?
Salil,
I think that if you youtube search for Paul Baarn, he has a male turns tutorial.
There are two ways in which I do multiple spins in partnerwork that are relatively simple.
1) I often just do a double or triple left spin while my partner styles in place. I ‘drop’ my partners right arm at my ribcage or waist while I spin so that we stay connected.
2) Another option is to do a shoulder turn off a cross body lead, and stop your partner one half turn before she is completed to do a ‘check’ or reverse of direction. Once you stop her, you can both prep simultaneously on 1,2,3 (assuming on1), and spin individually on 5,6,7.
I hope these make sense…if not, let me know and maybe I can put them on video for you.
Best,
D
What kind of non-latin dance styles have people integrated into salsa. Like hip hop or ballet.
Hip-Hop and Swing. For footwork stuff, I like to take a few moves from my hip-hop classes and for a few different styled partnerwork, I take it from Lindyhop.
I’m waiting on this girl to get back to me on Raggaeton lessons. I took some already. I use some of it for styling, very subtle though.
A couple Jazz classes (that also covered some ballet basics) helped me quite a bit with posture and spinning, and African and Afro-Cuban with the spirit (symbolism) of dance and body movement, respectively.
Jazz; I need to look that up on YouTube to see what it’s about.
Thanks for a great service. Keep up the good work!
Leif from Norway
Baila Society (NY) has a lot of ballroom and ballet in their routines.
Masacote (Boston) has a routine (called Afterlife if you want to see it on youtube) that is a very integrated mix of salsa with modern/contemporary.
As far as the social dance scene, I’m with Anthony…swing influence is most common in partnerwork, and hip hop and jazz are most common in footwork.
I remember that one of the moves that we were taught in class was the jazz pointed star or pointed tip. That move where the guy is on stage, props himself up against a cane and tip-toes from left to right.
hola a to’s
i’m probbly gonna sound like a prick but… i don’t know i think is my o/c disturbed ego.
i think that one of the core building blocks of salsa dancing is a non latin one (of course i’m speaking latin as in the word’s real meaning)
and that mainstream would be african dances, but of course not really african . instead afro-caribbean.
after that it’s been mentioned, jazz, hip hop lately, even some travolta-esque (reminds me of certain anthony’s video) disco, there’s a youtube video about a guy that seems pretty much inspired but flamenco dancers (but of course that WOULD BE latin)… but i can’t find it
good luck
My private lessons teacher’s background is Ballet. She is big on posture. I think it’s good to not have a latin background. That way you are more aware of the differences between the dances.
Quote of the Day: “Casino is for robots on merry go rounds” . I just saw this posted as a comment to one of our videos. What do you think about Casino Rueda in comparison to Salsa?
buahahahahahah
yeap me thinks the same.
me no likes casino…
at some point it looks like the ladies should be too uncomfortable with the awkard arm possitions.
and if we talk about rueda, it feels like there’s no real freedom does it?
anyway i don’t really know i’m just talking out of a viewer perspective…
I took a 3 week intro class for rueda. The impression it gave me was of Latino Square Dancing. Without the frilly smocks and the Do-Sy-Do (Dile que no?)
I remember the first time I saw it at a big dance event in Detroit. I was up on a balcony and had a great vantage point and thought it looked really cool for exhibition purposes.
My final verdict on Rueda was that it’s hard enough to get one person to dance with you…another six would be harder.
Nice to dance for performance!
Nothing more 
Rueda is a fantastic dance.
Social, fun, playful, and from a sociology stand point its a very rewarding experience.
Robots though? Really? What about performances where you have 3 couples doing the same routine but on2? Still robots? Does every dancer make up all their own moves every dance? Does taking a move that you learned in a lesson a robot?
I think not. Each rueda dance is different and there is plenty of styling that a lead/follow can add to make each move their own if they so chose.
The difficulty with reuda is the amount of time it takes to learn the moves. Not only does a dancer need to know the move called, but they have to be able to remember it and perform it within about 2 seconds.
It takes about a year to learn about 25 moves well and as far as I know there are approximately 500 known/recorded moves.
Due to the amount of time it takes to learn rueda a lot of ruead circles can look “robotic” because either the caller doesn’t know many moves or the people dancing do not know many moves.
Greetings, I see I got people talking. Robotic? In my opinion it’s much too sequenced and looks far too choreographed. Looks pretty neat, great for exhibition as another said, but I think it looses that wow factor after a few minutes. Different strokes though.
Also, much like Marco said up above of having it difficult to get one person to dance, a team of Casinoeros at the club doesn’t work out too well. No room! Great for ballroom though.
By the by, keep up the good work with the videos. They are nice.
HELLLO!!!
This post goes along the lines of ‘everything in life can be related to Salsa.’
As with most folks I used the new year as an opportunity to workout and shape my body up a little more. (I’m all of 5’7″ and 165 pounds of fury!) My wife’s coworker was unfortunately moving to Texas (seems like a mass exodus out of Michigan these days), and we bought her old Bowflex off of her. I was very pleasantly surprised by how with one leg I could leg press the entire ‘power rod’ stack. I attributed this to pack hiking and mostly dancing.
While working out today, I wondered if and how Salsa dancers worked out and what their regimens looked like. Do you work out just to improve how you look (e.g. bicep curls to look buff in that small T-shirt), or do you work out to improve how you dance (e.g. core workouts to prevent injury.)
My guess is that it’s probably a combination of both for truly serious dancers. Unlike my inspiration of true vanity.
I work out specifically for improving my salsa dancing and to fit into my salsa clothes. I tend to lift a few weights to gain strength, but not enough that I may lose flexibility. I tend to do a lot of cardio and abs, since it is essential to have good stamina when dancing and a strong core for footwork and spins.
However, lately, Julie’s cooking has been extra yummy…
I’m already a big guy from going to the gym a lot. Haven’t gone to the gym in a few years, so salsa is now my exercise. Lost 20 pounds in about 6 months and now trying to lose that last 5 pounds of fat.
Add to that a proper diet. I read the nutritional label of all the food I buy.
Any weight lifting I do is free weights at home and I do butterflies on an exercise ball.
How do you like the bowflex? Been wanting to get one of those for years.
I see something ‘cooking’ here 
Gyming is very important for me. Lean body and strong core are primary points of focus, though legs are important as well. As Anthony said, stamina needs to be developed.
@donv69:
I always wondered how the “big” dudes compensated for less flexibility. It seems like the thin lankier builds are more suited to the basket weaving patterns.
As to the bowflex, it’s decent. I’ve always held the premise that if you are working out everyday on your own, then go ahead and get the machine. The machine alone isn’t worth it if you don’t already have good habits. Keep in mind that the purchase price of a machine can afford you a *lot* of monthly gym memberships – and with a lot more variety of machines as well.
I don’t know if there’s a Craigslist in the land of Les Habitants. But I’m sure you can pick up an old model for under $200 (US.) I also had the leg extension add on thrown in – I can’t stand hamstring curls!!!
At 35 (proud to say my waist size is 3 digits less then my age!), I’m not trying to break any records, just trying to keep what I have and avoid “moobs” for as long as possible!
I don’t do much hand patterns yet, but so far haven’t had any problems. My only worry, and maybe that’s all guys, is when I do those tight twists, turns and spins, I worry about hitting the girl and sometimes I do. I don’t really know how close or far my body is from hers.
I’m 39 and my waist size is also 3 digits smaller; just on the cusp of hitting 34″ waist, but need to be super fat free for that which is coming close but really hard to achieve.
Hey Anthony,
I know you are a busy person but if you can spare me some advice it would be a pleasure to receive such words from a Salsa Pro! My name is Alan Sanchez and I didn’t know how to dance Salsa in the begging so I learned from a lovely girl but when they are spinning I just stand there and do nothing, I look like an idiot and I tried to watch your videos to see how you dance your way to the other side instead of just stepping over there and I also try to see how you dance while they are spinning and I just can’t catch it, do you have any advice you can spare? And one last question, where is the best place to learn Salsa that is not as public as the club? If you can advise me in anything it would be very grateful but don’t feel obligated too like I have mentioned, I know that you are a busy men. Thanks for all of your help on your website videos.
A Salsa Beginner,
Alan Sanchez
P.S. Any help is much appriciated!
Eh Alan, ask the dancers that you meet at the clubs where they went to school and what they recommend. Also do a google search for salsa schools in your area.
Btw, you don’t mention which city you live in.
Sorry I must have forgotten to put my location. I am in Missouri City, TX and I have only found one place in the galleria but it doesn’t seem to fit my schedule.
Hey UknowNSouL,
I’m learning salsa in the Houston area too. I recommend a group called strictly street salsa (http://www.strictlystreetsalsa.com/) which is who I’ve been taking lessons with for the last four months. I’ve never learned as quickly with any other group. I believe they teach classes in a few locations that would be convenient for you.
If they aren’t for you though, there are tons of places to learn salsa in Houston. United Salsa, Sonia’s World of Dance, Salsa Eddy’s, and SSQQ are a few that I know off the top of my head.
This Saturday there is a salsa social at the Melody Club (it’s near Richmond & Fondren) that my friends and I usually go to. The atmosphere is very dance-friendly, and more laid back than most clubs. In the group I go with there are a lot of beginners.
Hey Alan,
Thanks for the heads up info on the salsa classes spots and names. I am looking into that right now. Good looking out!
aye aye maties!
had a bit of trouble with the whole video posting thing
here’s what i wanted to add after the first video.
to mr persaud:
yeah everybody puts a little of themselves into it don’t we? still i would rather much learn this way than the more refined styles. i guess i’m an old fashioned guy… arrrr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbn7lYVgYxs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bicRvPJyU00
sorry to all the posts (Marco and mr persaud) gone as i had to erase the original one
You can always edit your older posts instead of deleting them. The sidebar should have a link that says ‘Edit Your Posts’. Let me know if that doesn’t work for you.
@Anthony Persaud:
oh hey mr persaud, well i knew about the edit option, i tried to add the video, actually i was going to add two videos but i decided it was too much, so i took one , but when i updated it i realized i had eliminated the wrong one. so i repeated the edit process and cut paste the link from the new video on top of the old video. the weirdest thing happened as i updated it this time, it look as if i had posted not only the new video plus the previous one, but the one that i had suppousedly eliminated this time was still there and duplicated!!!
so i repeated the edit process for a third time assuming it was some bug of the system, and since nothing had changed after the update i decided to erase the whole post.
so basically everything worked… pretty much allright, just a couple of lapsus weirdous from the system or so
hahaha. “Mr. Persaud”. Very funny. Anthony will do just fine.
@tommrod: That post got a 4 out of 5 starts out of me.
(My screen looks like a painter’s radio!)
ACtually it should be “Monsieur Persaud” – your family name is obviously French, and is pronounced in this language like “Persoh”
Well… I thought he had some Indian connection!
Prasad is a common Indian surname. Resembling?
Its not the same, but I always wondered how he pronounces it
Here is the IPA transcription of the pronunciation of Anthony’s name: pɜ˞sɑd (I’m a speech & language nerd for my day job)
I’ll let Anthony tell you about the origins, but it is not French.
Actually, my father is Guyanese, (Indian descent). The original pronunciation is ‘Prasad’ (something Brahmin, I was once told). But since the French and English were ‘popular’ (controlled) in Guyana, the spelling changed to Persaud (but pronounced as Per-sod). My other last name (maiden) is Santiago (Puerto Rican side). Anthony is my first name, so that I don’t get kicked out of the US.
soooo.. i was kinda right! 
Anthony is my first name, so that I don’t get kicked out of the US.
ha ha ha hilarious
And so it begins. I just found out about the first bachata convention in Reno, NV (2009). Looking around, it seems that there are a few more popping up. Is this a trend? What happened to Merengue Congresses and Festivals?
This dance tears at me.
It’s almost laughable with the way it looks like thinly veiled dry humping. (I’m still not sure why this would bother me in the least- Aside from making me feel like John Lithgow’s dance hating role in Footloose.
As usual, I will probably end up being Bachata fanboy #1. It always takes me time to warm up to new things.
@Marco: Yeah, Julie and I discussed how a bachata congress would be. I think it would be very difficult to socially dance bachata with a multitude of strangers at a bachata congress – especially when a lot of people come as couples or are married. I would feel awkward if I was grinding like that with someone else’s girlfriend.
now that you lads start talking about bachata
i declare meself a rather purist
i likes not the many turns and the so called close encounter of the bodies (meself ends up sweating bullets!)
i likes the ingenuity of movement the cadence and the foot/body work lots of times the better!
will anybody else be on me (dominican style praising) side?
mind me a little addition would you lads?
There was a bachata festival (mini congress) here in Australia last year. It’s going to be on again this year. I definatly intend on going this time. I love bachata and i dont have a problem dancing with strangers as usually you will get a feel for how close the girl wants to dance it.
actually, Bachata Congresses or Bachata Festivals are becoming a trend. BUT, as many people think, they are not only based on bachata. For the Second year in a row, Australia is celebrating their Sydney International Bachata Festival, in this festival, you have Bachata, Zouk, Kizomba, Tango, Salsa and more! (http://www.bachatafestival.com.au)
I know that they are is a Festival in Sweeden, Finland and Lithuania this year, GO BACHATA!!
In the NY class I am attending to they teach to start breaking backward on the count of 2.
And they can know that only by listening to the clave, which is the (“only”) instrument that goes over 8 counts(2 measures).
So they say that when instead you break backward on 6 you are going in the “opposite direction”.
Sincerely I don’t see any reason for this and I usually start either on 2 or 6, considering 6 as 2, in that case.
Also, for what I hear, salsa songs are in equal quantity on clave 2/3 or 3/2. So I still don’t see the reason for taking the clave as a reliable reference for starting…supposing you hear the clave properly first!!!
Any ideas about this? Is it possible that going in the “right direction” changes the way you dance?
i do agree with you lonbluster.
i don’t see any reason why one would prefer to go backward rather than forward on 2.
and as far as calling it wrong direction… i really am skeptic, until proven otherwise it’s all the same to me.
as far as the clave goes what happens is that you can take it either to start on 1 or on 2 depending on the way it goes in the song… or as i do the way i superpose it over the song.
this is what i mean
in a regular count of 8 beats
song……1…..2…..3…..4…..5…..6…..7…..8
clave3/2..^……..^……..^………..^…..^……
clave2/3……..^…..^………..^……..^……..^
as you can see you can either take the first or the second beat as the first clave sound.
why would one song have one instead of the other?, i guess it depends on the song itself…
in a regular count of 8 beats
should look like this
song……….1…..2…..3…..4…..5…..6…..7…..8
clave3/2..^………^………^………….^…..^……
clave2/3……….^…..^………….^………^………^
I would have to disagree with clave being the only instrument that goes over 8 counts. There are many other instruments that play through all 8 counts (ex, piano, timbales, conga..etc). However, it is important to remind ourselves that all instruments do play relative to the clave (so the clave is important).
Now, for determining timing, it recommended that you do not use any other instruments (other than the clave and conga) to find the beat because the other instruments are not always guaranteed to be in every salsa song. You always want to be able to find the beat in any song. The Conga is the only instrument that is guaranteed to be in every song for it to be considered ‘pure’/'true’ salsa music. Note: if it doesn’t have the conga (slap,tumbao) it is not “pure” salsa – more like modern salsa (cowbell) or Latin Jazz. That is just a technicality.
You are right in saying that the clave is not the ‘absolute’ indicator of where the 2 and the 6 start. Actually it is the Conga slap (tumbao) that can correctly tell you which one is the 2 and which one is the 6. After using the conga to determine where your 2 and 6 is, you can then use that information to put it with the playing clave to determine whether you are in a 3/2 or 2/3 clave (based on where the ’2′ in the clave, hits in which measure). Note the Conga also helps on1 dancers know when the 1 starts (since 1 precedes the 2 with a ‘tuku-ta’ sound).
@dorm_moth: There is no specific reason for it. However, most of the larger hits or rhythm changes happen on the 1. So it really depends whether you like to have a hit when you are doing a cross-body lead, or whether you prefer it when you do open breaks. Depending on how you start and move relative to the clave, your musicality for that song can change – which sometimes is refreshing. It is just a personal preference (as long as you keep your timing consistent).
I think there’s a spammer at the bottom…
@Anthony Persaud:
now that you mention it, cbl feels (to me)a more natural move to the music than breaks, not only that but i usually have trouble keeping up with the timing trough an open break it doesn’t feel as smooth when referring to the beat.
that consider i will start practicing open breaks more.
thanks mr persaud
The only reason I’ve ever heard that new york on2 steps back is because it is more “gentleman” like. But, it could have been the instructor making that up on the spot.
Hooknc, I had read that too…something like:
“never invade lady’s space!”
Sometime it’s just crazy what people try to teach…:-/
What do you guys do when the clave changes in a song from 2/3 to 3/2 ? Do you just keep going or stop and change up? When I dance on1 the 1 is so strong that I find I have to change with the music or else I get confused a bit with my leads.
Hi Mark,
That’s interesting, but, as we have been talking throughout this post you can understand the clave is not influencing the basic steps.
Probably it will change the mood of the song, so that you can play differently with it…
You say that the 1 is influencing you. But you can see that 1 can be 5 in that case, and anyway a change in the clave don’t change the 1 position…no?
Otherwise how can you say that the clave is either 3/2 or 2/3? The 1 must be always in the same position!!!
Cheers
(lolz) This thread makes my head hurt…I have to go sit down somewhere.
@mark:
yeah mark is right the clave is not intended as a step reference per se, it gives you the feeling altogether with the other instruments though.
nontheless it is always a good reference for on2 dancer’s forward or backward break, as you can see explained on a previous post, if you want to feel what i say pick a song with a very accentuated clave sound, that doesn’t switch from one form to the other, make sure you always break on the first clave (2/3) or the fourth clave (3/2) beat and forget a little about the other clave sounds because they’re more related to on1 feeling
i’ve lately danced with ladies that would start on1 and for some little mistake (on either part) would switch to on2, as i am always experimenting with this kind of things i would let them keep going without even a comment, usually they get back on1 and the reason why is because it doesn’t feel the same, and therefore it feels wrong, so once you start on2 if you come out of it just stop and get back at it, that way, on2 starts feeling normal.
fe de erratas
i meant to say lonbluster is right rather than mark is right
Its kind of complicated but actually the clave doesn’t change. The music is based on African music traditions. One of them being the call and response. The clave pattern itself is a call and response. The piano, guitar, bass, pretty much everything is also a call and response. Also, you have to remember that in music a measure has 4 beats.
The clave will always be…
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & etc.
. . ^ . ^ . . . ^ . . ^ . . ^ . . . ^ . ^ . . .
If you were to listen to an endless loop of the clave solely it could counted as either
2, 3…4 & 8
or
1 & 4…6, 7.
Typically it is actually the melody on top of it that gives it direction.
When there is a time change in the song it is because the melody is not resolved. In other words there is a call but no reponse.
It is not be because the clave changed ie
2, 3…6, 7…1 & 4…6, 7…1 & 4
or
6, 7…2, 3…5 & 8…2, 3…5 & 8
@dahvee:
So you mean that it is actually the 1 that is moved a measure forward, while the clave keeps with the same pace?
Yes , that would make sense…do you have any song like this?
I was going to ask a similar question lon.
Here is a link on the subject of the clave and different styles of changing its rhythm:
http://www.timba.com/fans/clave_debates.asp
And here is another (quite long, but good) link:
http://www.unlikelysalsero.com/2007/09/clave-more-than-most-people-want-to.html
@Anthony Persaud:
Hello Anthony, You are saying that most of the songs have the tumbao or conga in them. I don’t hear those. there are a few songs in which i can make out the clave. One of my instructors said that you can try and place the tuk – tudum sound of the tumbao into every song even if you don’t hear it. Is that just the way the song feels. Also in a lot of songs I feel two beats very fast like tin-tin and then tin-tin-tin but it is not actually the clave sound. Can I consider this as the clave beat?
SSSSPAAAAAMMMM
Thanks for the info!
I’m an On2 salsa dancer now…I started On1 which btw I had no clue it was On1 anyway…the instructor mention in class that once you go On2 you never go back to On1 and it made me think are there people out there who started On2 and went to On1?? I think that would be and interesting poll…which do u prefer?
Me too I started dancing on1, first with Cuban, than LA. Now I dance much more NY on2,I feel more in the music, and less in the mind…
Anyway I can’t dance fast pace songs on2, I simply get mad. And that’s because it is characterized by a syncopated accellerate-slowdown.
And generally in-line styles, both on2 and on1 get harder the faster the song is.
I would say that On2 is a more relaxed dancing than on1, that requires musics below a certain beat.
A lot of salseros start dancing on1 and then move on2. One of the main reasons we start dancing on1 is because we currently live in a down-beat culture: Hip-Hop, Techno, Rock, Alternative, Country, etc – highly emphasize the down beat in the music. Because we mostly grow up listening with these types of genres, it has become quite easily to feel the big ‘thump’ in the music. This is the reason why it is easier to dance on1 for beginners than on2. This is especially true if you start dancing MERENGUE first (or as I call it bad-latin-techno ), you will be more comfortable hitting that downbeat in salsa when starting off.
Dancing salsa on2, is dancing to the up-beat in the music. This sometimes known as the ‘response’ to the downbeat. After we have gained experience in salsa, we start realizing all the other instruments that are in a salsa composition. Dancing on2, allows us to move relative to any other instrument in the track as long as we dance on the clave since all instruments play relative to the clave. This makes every song a much enjoyable experience. However, because it goes against our inherited ability of dancing to the down-beat, it takes much longer for us to transition to this new timing.
Just some thoughts to share
Thanks Anthony that makes a lot of sense.
as a side note you can check this post
http://social.addicted2salsa.com/2009/01/20/learn-the-salsa-timing-stop-pretending-to-know-it/
Looking for advice… I’m looking to take some group classes in New York City and I’ve narrowed my choices down to Frankie Martinez or Eddie Torres. Now I’ve been taking On2 classes for about 4 months (not with either of them) so consider myself at the beginner/intermediate level. Is there anyone out there that has taken group classes from both? I’ve taken a beginners class with Frankie already and I thought he was great though due to scheduling Eddie’s classes are a bit more convenient. Though I’ve seen photos of Eddie’s group classes and seem to be very packed with people which i think is a negative.
I’ve been to Eddie Torres’s class, and it was great…I really think you can’t lose with your options. I will advise you to figure out the appropriate level- I went to level II and it was clearly beyond me (I had been dancing 1.5 years and was beginning on2). The style of the class was lots of footwork, and hopefully you catch on, he doesn’t stop to help (although his wife Maria did). You may also consider Santo Rico, their classes were actually my favorite for their style (dance and teaching). Like I said, you really can’t go wrong, all the people you mentioned are truly amazing.
I am a beginner as well. Have been taking classes for 3 months. Maria Torres (Eddie’s wife) teaches the Level I class. I highly recommend the class – she’s funny and makes everyone feel at ease. I’ve seen the class packed, but I’ve also seen it with about 15-20 people, which is not a lot for size of the studio.
The class with Maria is $15 for 2.5 hours. First hour is shines (she breaks it all down very slowly), the second is partner work. It’s really great. I have not tried Eddie’s class yet, because I hear he is really fast to keep up with. But I hope you try their classes!
I have yet to take a class with Frankie Martinez, and I am planning on it. I also go to a school in Queens because it is closer to me (which btw I love) but Maria’s class is so so great. It’s def my favorite. But like Julie said, you can’t go wrong either way. Try all of them!
I am kind of a situation which I don’t know whether it is unique or not and find it difficult to describe in words. When I started out as a beginner I would probably dance 75% of the time I was in a club. Now I am getting a little bit intermediate and I find that a lot of advanced girls dance with me with no emotion or dance about half the song and say thanks. I find this pretty disheartening. The girls who want to dance with me are below my level and I can’t practise any of the new moves that I learn which are intermediate level. So I am kind of in a catch 22 situation where if I have to get better I have to dance with advanced girls but since I can’t do most of the moves I learn with beginner girls I don’t advance. I have seen that some dancers keep dancing with the same girl who is at their level without asking anyone advanced or below their level. I kind of prefer to dance with a girl only once in a evening. Should I keep dancing with the couple of girls that are happy dancing with me and ask a advanced girl say once every month? Should I just avoid dancing with a advanced girl who is not interested in dancing with me or is it ok if she dances for just half the song? What is the social norm here if a girl doesn’t seem excited with your dancing is she just telling you to not ask her anymore? I don’t know if girls face the same kind of problem but one of the beginner girls i dance with regularly complain that guys don’t wanna dance with her because she is a beginner. This sort of does reduce our enthusiasm to dance.
Also I find myself spending more time than usual not dancing either because it’s bachata where i don’t know a lot of moves or merengue which I find boring. I kind of feel uncomfortable during this period of time and feel like people are watching me and thinking that I am not getting to dance because I am not a good dancer. I think this is not true because I notice a lot of good dancers sit out a long time. During this period they are usually chatting or drinking something. So what does one do to fill time and get bored in between dances?
‘s up salilsurendran
really i relate to what you say.
lucky me (and i don’t know if that’ll help) come the time… i don’t really care if the lady is just a beginner.
what i do care about is to make her feel comfortable, if she gets too nervous she will probably mess up, as much as i do when i do get nervous, try to lead her into more complicated patterns, but just as much as i can read into her to see what can she do, i struggle to make us look good, and to improve my smoothness of course. i practice all that and i try to have fun, but it will be off putting if she doesn’t have fun and/or gets uncomfortable and/or bored.
am i still practicing? yes! balance, timing, what i call “tension”, communication as a whole, and i try to have fun even though probably i won’t be able to practice many patterns or so.
is it more fun to dance with a more seasoned female dancer? of course, and not, it depends like you notice on the person, what good is it if you can manage to do a lot of patterns if the lady is not “feeling” it, or being plain bored? doesn’t that bother you also?
i consider myself a beginner, and it is pretty pleasing when a lady tells me that i’m good (though i know they probbly haven’t dance much).
so also check out this trick i use, i usually ask a girl to dance when the music’s almost over, that way her and i have a taste of each other, in a ” dancing ” way, if i don’t like her i thank her and part ways, if i do like her i ask her to continue on the next song, which gives her the chance to reject me also but knowing what i can do.
and if i like somebody i’ve danced with, i ask her to reserve a later dance for me, and just walk away.
it seems to me that some dancers are more worried on performing than enjoying, and i won’t judge but it doesn’t feel to me like the spirit of dance comes from other people’s eyes but from what pleases us as a whole body mind entity…kind of like sex.
Salil, I share the same exact feeling.
Over the past 2 years, I have danced mostly with beginners. Most of them were more fun, with manageable attitude.
I guess, with growing expertise, the girls become more like i-have-seen-this-stuff-you-doing. Well, I won’t know really, but I feel this could be a reason.
Not everyone in the club is to make others feel good by smiling all the time and say “you’re a good dancer.” I accepted this and focus on self-improvement (like tommrod said) and also make sure the girl I am dancing with is having fun.
Enjoy the dancing when in the club. Keep the practicing to minimum there. Dance Schools and home are the places to practice.
Though I do not have the perfect solution (Last night in the club, I surely didn’t have fun :-/) and I face this problem now not so often (because I stopped worrying so much about it), there are ways to improve yourself and have fun.
I’ve been taking salsa classes for about 4.5 months now and I’m at a really weird point in my salsa learning process. To start I’m puerto rican so being latino we would walk onto the dance floor and expect to dance good…well after taking my first On2 class I was quickly humbled . The situation with me now is I find myself constantly counting, and thinking…it’s a mess! Before I would go onto the dance floor and just dance…I could care less if it looked good I was just having fun enjoying the music. Now I’m worried about if I’m moving to fast, did I do the turn to slow. Or boy I hope no one caught the mess up. Has anyone else gone through this? How did you get over it?
Hey Wil, Yes when I started taking on2 lessons I had the same issues. But I used to dance on1 I think what you are doing before the on2 classes is just dancing to the music without caring about timing or leading. Well in your case I guess you will just have to practise timing your moves if you want to dance on time and lead correctly.
Hey!
Coming back to the first intervention, I was kind of in the same jiffy but it was mainly my fault. As I’ve gotten better, I’ve become pickier. Now I only dance on the songs that I like. At a certain point, I would only dance with the good dancers because I thought I wouldn’t have fun with the more beginner dancers. However, what I’ve quickly came to realise is if the girl is advanced enough she could follow any guy and make him look good. So I’ve started dancing with the more beginner dancers again to practice getting use to any lead.
Also When I go social dancing, I usually try and bring a couple of friends of the same level as me that way, I can enjoy dancing with everybody and my friends who I know better (and we usually know the same moves). It also makes the dance more personnal. I could more easily do styling with them because I know what to expect and so do they!
@Marie-B:
marie-b said:
However, what I’ve quickly came to realise is if the girl is advanced enough she could follow any guy and make him look good. So I’ve started dancing with the more beginner dancers again to practice getting use to any lead.
that’s the spirit!
I love what you guys are saying about this, from a follows perspective, maybe more advanced follows feel like a practice dummy for those guys who are trying out their advanced moves but don’t really know how to lead them yet. This can be uncomfortable emotionally and physically. Perhaps the follow feels that a man just wants to bust out a recent move he saw on youtube, and not actually connect with her as a dance partner… Connectivity, as many of you have said so far, is often way more rewarding than trying to pull off a move that you don’t really know in the name of becoming a more advanced dancer. just an idea…
@jenny: I don’t think I am trying some untried moves on those girls. I definitely do get off timing when I do a combo. However, I was speaking with a friend who has been dancing for 9 years and he told me that he thought that the transition from beginner to intermediate was more tougher than the beginning stage of the dance. He said that intermediate or advanced girls don’t give the kind of follow or reception because of their perception of you as dancer below their par and it is tough to break that image. They would put in their 50% whereas when they dance with someone advanced they would put in their 100%. I kind was feeling that way even though I am not saying that I am not making mistakes. I noticed that some girls won’t even make a right turn though I think my lead on that is pretty clear. I have also noticed that when I dance with a girl who perceives me to be better than her and I make a mistake she says sorry and I have to correct her and say it is my fault.
@Salil: I appreciate the experience of going through a learning curve for sure. I also give props to any lead that wants to stray from his beginner move set and expand beyond into having many moves at his “fingertips” so to speak, and can bust them out with the ladies. I always admire any lead who is willing to put himslef out there. I can’t speak for all follows, but I generally try to make every dance a great dance no matter who I dance with(unless he is just creepy, which surly, is no one on the addicted2salsa blog!) I try to make my lead feel that I appreciate him and that our dance is fun and playful. I can say that the tact and method that he introduces the moves that he is workin on is really important. In my opinion, perhaps a lead could start slow, get the feel for his partner, try something – say a simple element of a complicated move, then build it up and finally bust out the full complicated move. Chances are you will both walk away satisfyed and happy with your dance. This may work really well on a more beginner follow as well and bring you both to a new level in your dancing abilities.
That is something that I think I should do too. Maybe I should break down a combo into smaller steps and then do the whole routinue. I tried this yesterday and it seemed to work well. I think I try to make a girl feel good about her dancing too. Anyway I am starting to have fun again. I don’t try to dance with every girl in the room, I just dance with the girls I like to dance with, practise as much as I can and then leave the club go home and practise the moves I messed up solo.
Salil, as a beginning intermediate dancer I can relate to your comments. I try to dance with a variety of women from beginners to very good followers. It’s good to follow Marie’s advice on starting with very simple moves (CBL, outside turn) then progress to something slightly more complicated (CBL inside turn) and then progress to combo patterns. At times I get a more advanced follower who clearly gets a little bored and knows most all the moves that are coming, but most of the time even the advanced dancers appreciate someone who can lead simple patterns well. I feel it’s also important to adapt to your partner’s following style– some women will turn at the slightest hint of a lead and offer no resistance and others that dance with more tension need a stronger lead. Yeah, dancing only half the song is lame – unless the guy’s creepy or constantly bumping his partner into other people that shouldn’t be the norm (at least it isn’t the norm in SF!)
Here you guys go!
I just wanted to share this video with you because I personnally love it when dancers are able to have fun with a song and still make it look good! Not mentionning that this are two excellent dancers!
I love the shines!
Can you guys please share such lovely shines more?
Thank you!
‘s up y’all
k, anotha question …
this one’s regarding balance, i checked ms julie’s post about balance, though i think it’s meant mostly for ladies i took up the info and i think is good advice.
now comes my question. see i am 6 feet 180 something lbs. and usually girls i’ve dance with have been around 5 feet some’ and prob 100 and change pounds… i’m not good with the guess my weight thing…
allright here comes my challenge, i really enjoy salsa and out of it i really enjoy what i call the “tension” like when one does a cbl or a break you can feel the “tension” and i enjoy it a lot because that means that i am communicating with my partner and i know they enjoy it too… it’s fun. not only that but when i don’t feel that tension when i put some strength into, it throws me off, it feels like lack of connection.
ok now it looks to me that sometimes i put a little too much strenght into it because my partner ends up a couple of bodies length from me, i’ve been told that tall dudes like me usually get that little problem to deal with, and yes i’m trying to use less strength nd smaller steps … but nonetheless any other advice will be appreciated.
I have 2 simple ideas for you to try: bend your knees a bit more, and make sure you always have a bend in your arm (never extend fully, even on open breaks). This will make you more compact and grounded so that you don’t get TOO much rubberband effect/tension
@Julie:
I thank thee Julie
Look for Neeraj Maskara at Youtube. Maybe he could write an article for a2s, guys? This is serious issue for all tall people with long legs and arms dancing salsa (including me).
Anyone can write an article for addicted2salsa. It is an open community! All they need to do is contact us.
@SalseroWannaBe: Good call on Neeraj. Great video for tall dancers here:
Remember that any move that you do will be overly accentuated.
Feel like hitting that body roll? Half it.
Want to really criss cross on a CBL? Easy with your steps…
If you ever get a chance tape yourself dancing. It will really help with what is acceptable/over the top body movement. You’ll be amazed at how little you’ll have to move.
Also, for connection, try one finger leading. Pick one finger on each hand and lead an entire dance with those two fingers. I prefer to use my middle finger.
BTW, I’m 6-4 and have a few pounds on d_m.
I’m 6 feet and 154 pounds, and my legs are 3,3 feet long (measuring to hip), and I have longer legs comparing to other people, even relatively 
. So as soon as I started to get intermediate, I try first of all to walk small steps and correct it everytime im passing glass door, or shop window – I remember that all the time when I was walking with someone, they were urging me to slowdown. And I was just making big steps because of my proportions . And to all tall salsa dancers with long legs – yes, learn to make small steps and use mirrors. Because what you think is an almost no-step, can be 1/2 meter long step :/. Could be fun if someone would start to think about advices on isolations and body movement for guys like us (many resign, just because it’s harder for us to learn, and we look funny not being sure why and despite doing all what they say to us).
thanks to all the members who took a little time to post answers!
i feel like i point out to some interesting issue here.
there’s a lot to talk about regarding tall salseros.
like salserowannabe said “…This is serious issue for all tall people with long legs and arms dancing salsa (including me). …”
i’ve noticed that my problem with long steps comes from the need to re-stablish balance after a high “tension” or “rubber band” effect move, like a 180 cbl, obviously with my size that translates to about 1 meter steps … roughly…
ms julie advice me to bend my knees and i have done it with pretty good results! thougg after i got the sore leg buttocks and tigh syndrome… painfully healthy!
issues with arms are the norm, it feels that sometimes my partner won’t be able to reach if i say try to go under her arm so i tend to crouch which adds to my already bad/ackward position and also “kills me back!”.
and talking about my arms, sometimes i know i look like a T-rex trying to keep them too close to my body, taping me i know would be painful i guess it’ll have to be done regardless…
i relate to pretty much all the postings. thanks y’all
hopefully we’ll keep adding info and advice to all the tall guys struggling!
btw i read somewhere that women prefer long legged partners and of course we all know women also like tall dark and handsome guys, one outta three ain’t bad!
also check super mario’s videos, how tall is that guy 6’4″??? and he is a little in the heavy set side of the curve! but nonetheless his leading skills are great!
pd that neeraj guy’s awesome!
Found a cool video of another cover song done to salsa: You Rock My World by Michael Jackson. Very slick moves done to salsa.
Simply Great!!!
hello everyone.. lets make a list of good salsa numbers.. (MUSIC) :)
We can always start with the list Julie put together for great salsa beginner songs: http://addicted2salsa.com/2008/07/06/top-5-salsa-songs-for-beginners-that-arent-boring/
1. Joey Pastrana- Rumbón Melón
2. Chivirico Dávila- Rico Guaguanco
3. Frankie Morales- Nieve con Sal
4. Gilberto Santa Rosa- Perdoname
5. Joe Arroyo- Yamulemau
Where can I download these songs?
Yeah.. that’s the biggest problem :-/
Even if I have to buy the CDs, which one?!!
hey guys thanx for such wonderful suggestions.. will incorporate them and will let u know if it has made a difference. i have another problem, hope u guys will help me out with this too, recently my wife has joined salsa classes too, we intend to practice at home, could u guys suggest us how to go abt it? she has just learnt her basics.. could i get her to do some routines?? and practice?? or should we just practice the basics on music??? all suggestions will be highly appreciated.
I’d say that any practice will do you good, but the best thing would be to solidify the basics so that you start to gain the muscle memory and timing that will allow you to do more complex combinations. Most of all…have fun together
This might not sound like good advice, but I wouldn’t recommend practicing with your Significant Other (SO).
I’ve seen so many fights between couples because the one partner is trying to help the other one out. There can be a lot of tension even when the one person is just trying to help.
I’m not saying don’t dance together… do that as much as possible, just don’t practice together. Practice with other people at lessons and socials.
hi y’all
i have a question that has been eating up a little part of my brain lately.
eye contact and cues… what.. what do you mean?
it feels just uncomfortable to keep staring at somebody’s face, on the other hand if i keep doing it i can not concentrate on the dance.
not only that, when they talk about cues… what are they talking about?
any examples of all this would come in handy, because i’ve been told to do this by other people, is just that i don’t get it so far.
now i like to watch at my partner from time to time, make sure she’s having a good time, but other than that… i’m plain ignorant regarding this matter.
The key is not “eye contact”, it is APPROPRIATE eye contact, which means once in a while. It really throws me off if a guy is looking at me the entire time, and it annoys me if he never looks at me at all. Anything in between those extremes is fine
What do you mean by cues? Social, or strictly dancing?
‘s up
thank you for the answer Julie.
but yeah i wouldn’t feel comf making eye contact all the time, it’s like you said apropriate what i’m after.
and my question is regarding dancing cues with your eyes, i guess that’s what they mean, but really i don’t get it. say.. what am i supose to cue my partner into with the eye, turn? here comes a cbl? time for a break? that’s what i don’t get, because people have told me to keep eye contact. they just haven’t specify why and what for.
or is it just to make sure she’s there, comfortable, and having fun? that i do no problem…
Hi tommrod,
You can use your eyes to give additional leading cues to the lady. Once you have eye-contact, if you look up, the lady will tend to mirror you and look up also.
There was a move I learned where I flick the lady’s hand up, wait for it to float back down into my waiting hand. I found that by flicking her hand and looking up at her hand, it brings her focus to her hand and so it is clear that I am waiting for the hand before I continue.
Everyone knows that when the man plants his feet in a T-stand it means it’s over to the lady to do something. There are also other positions the man can hold the lady in and then want her to do a shine. By holding her in some position and then looking at her expectantly, she knows she’s supposed to do something…
I hope that helps!
@tung:
it does help tung thank you
Hey Anthony,
Great videos, nice breakdown of the patterns. I was wondering if you could show us a pattern for cha cha. A lot of the salsa patterns such a cbl inside turn don’t seem to translate well to cha cha — or maybe the timing is just different? Thanks, John
Actually, they do translate to Cha-Cha very easily. First of all, you can ONLY dance cha-cha on2 because the cha-cha-cha of cha-cha happens on the 4-and-5 and the 8-and-1 counts of the music. This means you always break back with your right on count 2 and foward on count 6 (for the leads).
Understanding this, it is relatively simple to put most salsa moves to cha-cha. The easiest way to think about it is that cha-cha is just salsa with the extra cha-cha-cha step (a triple step) move in the middle, instead of the usual pause.
In salsa (on2), you step back on your right on 2. Count 3 is the left foot in place. You pause on 4. You then bring your right foot back to ‘center’ on 5. You step forward with your left on 6, 7 is in place and 8 is a pause. Count 1 is taking your left foot back to center.
Ok – cha-cha
In cha-cha, step back on your right on 2, count 3 is in place. Now 4 you bring your foot back to ‘center’, you step in place with your left foot on the ‘AND’ count, and you step in place again with your right foot on count 5. This takes care of the 4-and-5, which now leaves your left foot free to step forward on 6. 7 is in place. You then bring your left foot back to center on count 8, step with your right in place on the ‘AND’ count, and step in place again with your right on the 1.
So if you notice carefully, all that is changed is what you are doing during the counts of 4 and 8. Doing thie cha-cha step at the proper time, will put you in a position to continue any move normally in salsa.
So, here is a CBL example. Remember Cha-cha can only be danced on2 – so I will use on2 counts (where count 6 is leads breaking forward with their left):
Count 6, you break forward with your left.
Count 7, you move your right foot out of the salsa slot.
Count 8, you open up your body (now it is perpendicular to the lady) while stepping to the side with your left foot.
Count AND, step with your right in place.
Count 1, step with your left foot in place.
** Notice that the lady does not move in a cross body lead until count 2. So she’s doing her cha-cha steps in place.
Count 2, You step in place with your right, while the lady moves across (stepping with her left).
Count 3, you step with your left getting back into the slot and closer to the lady since she has finished her CBL.
Count 4, you bring your right foot, back into the slot, next to your left foot. (Your shoulders should be parallel to the ladies shoulders again)
Count AND, you step in place with the left.
Count 5, you step in place with the right.
Antony you say:
”
The easiest way to think about it is that cha-cha is just salsa with the extra cha-cha-cha step (a triple step) move in the middle, instead of the usual pause.
”
I would say, “extra cha-cha step”(2 times) instead. Do you agree? But you say correctly cha-cha-cha to include the 1 or 5, which are not extra!
Hello Everyone..
Ive been learning salsa for a few months now.. i believe i can dance pretty well in the class., but wen it comes to dancing on the social floor, i go blank.. cant remember anything.. literally nothing.. can u guys out there give me tips to overcome this mental block?
Many times that happens to me when I have learned something new and I want to do it. So I start easily with older things first.
Try to enjoy the simpleness of a single turn, or of a cross body lead…
Dance with people from the class, ask if they remember what you don’t…
What is it that you like in Salsa? What does make you have fun?
This is the same exact thing that happens to me and I’ve learned also to start with the basics to prevent making a mistake trying to be too fancy and new or totally going blank afterward.
After you get a little warmed up – it usually gets easier to even make some new moves as you go on into the dance.
Hi famtac!
You remind me 2 yrs younger me!
Its okay.. its normal. I overcame this problem by practicing routines alone at home. The only tutor present there was my mirror. That helped me build the confidence and it became simpler.
The key is “practice”. Of course everyone knows that!
I feel that when we are in the class, we are looking at our tutors and trying to copy them. Ermm… doesn’t it make us (guys) become follower, technically?
So, I see them dancing few times till I get the moves and then go back and “practice” to really become the “leader”.
In the class we may dance great, but we are mostly copying and have a sense of comfort that if we do something wrong, our teachers are there who we can watch and correct ourselves. But it doesn’t happen, mostly, in the clubs. Hence, practice is the only way to overcome the problems.
Start with simplest of moves that you are comfortable with. Then when you are fed up of them with higher confidence level, go for tougher one =)
Duh! I sound like a teacher myself =P
just a couple of questions…
how does not being able to do all the things you learn make you feel?, how does the fact that you feel like performing to an audience make you feel? do you think that you should always show your skills so everybody will praise you? do you feel that not doing so will make people believe that you suck?
if you feel all that i would recommend you not to go to social dancing, clubs, etc.
reason why is, if you are not having fun why go? defeats the pupose of clubs (i know most of people don’t go there for that anymore) get relaxed and have fun.
so my advice is … next time… forget all you know, everything, forget all the turns, forget all the technicallities, forget everything. just listen to the music and let your body, not your mind, do whatever it is it feels like doing.
forget that there’s people looking at you also, and just dance… if, of course, dancing makes you feel good.
I see Tommrod got 5 stars for his comment?? His advice might be fine for dancing on your own – but if you want to do any form of partner dancing like Salsa (i.e. where you hold your partner, lead her and she follows) your partner has to be able to read your clear signals in order to follow correctly/ safely. If you are not sure what you are doing as a leader she won’t interpret correctly what you are expecting her to do either. This confusion can result in you hurting your partner or you as a couple getting out of sync/ timing with the music and the other couples on the dance floor – and barging into them. Similarly ending up inflicting or incurring minor injuries.
Actually learning/developing skills in anything physical comes only via Muscle Memory. Repetitive dancing under instruction is the only way to learn proper leads in Salsa or any form of partner dancing. Freestyle Salsa dancing is still made up of an ever changing mix of conventional leads each of which the follower should be able to recognize instantly and respond to safely.
People express themselves in any partner dancing through body styling and appropriate, recognizable mix of moves that successfully interpret the music.
As a man you only get out of Salsa dancing what you are prepared to put in to learn and develop your skills – at leading in the dance. The payback comes later as with learning any skill. There are no shortcuts to learning Salsa but some certainly pick it up quicker than others and the more people do it the better they always become. If, like me, you are the sort of person who only enjoys doing something when you can do it well, then I can tell you from experience you will NOT enjoy it for a period – until suddenly it starts to click. Then you simply can’t get enough of it.
deep analysis and most true.
i agree, i sometimes express myself without much of a deep analysis. so in fact i might be wrong …or not.
i read your whole post and as a matter of fact i remember myself struggling to enjoy the couple of moves i had learned in the first or so of salsa lessons i took a while ago, that also made me crave more ways of expressing myself (new patterns, new turns, and so on), and of course i also remember the times i’ve messed up and almost injured myself or somebody else by attempting a not so well known move… blame it on me i can be a little reckless at times.
but i have to say, before that, i always enjoyed feeling that spinal electricity when listening to salsa, moving to the beat way before i learned the 1 2 3.
that was part of that salsa-starving motivation that lead me to take lessons.
i agree to what you say to a great extent. though i feel different. i danced salsa way before knowing any pattern or turn, and i enjoyed it as much as i do now.
i believe that salsa can be as simple as you want to make it without leaving out one ounce of entertainment or connection, i don’t like much the idea of having to learn “move a” so my partner can perform “move b” in a sequencial and studied coreography, though i had to apply to it in order to “communicate”.
and i blame that feeling of dislike in that i find myself to be pretty creative at times, but of course even creative people need constructive blocks on which relay.
now why did i encourage somebody to try to enjoy salsa rather than trying to learn more and more moves? easy, “positive reinforcement” (enjoy as much as you can), avoiding potentially stressing outlooks (being too self conscious) and finally “feeling” it as much as you can.
you see, i cannot picture the forefathers of “salsa dancing” learning every single move and step as we do nowadays (mainly because of lack of time) i believe those days were filled with self-expression, simplicity, trial and error moments and loads over loads of smiles and pure enjoyment… and that is what i like.
next thing… i had no idea i had 5 stars… go figure.
I think Tomrods advice is miguided at best and negligent at worst – how can you say to go out and there and “not think” about any moves?? Doing that is a sure fire way of scaring away any potential follower from dancing with you. Especially for beginner leaders. You really need to think of say four patterns that you can do during the dance. Mix these up with basic turns and some styling moves and you will have a dance and feel good about it. When you feel comfortable with these moves think of another 4 and repeat. That’s my suggestion anyway. Oh, and Tomrod – it’s not about performing for people watching you – it’s about making a connection with your follower and making her feel good while you are dancing with her and also making yourself feel good.
i would recommend you to read this book:
emotional intelligence…
cool, have a beautiful day!
i’ve looked up “emotional intelligence” in wikipedia … heavy brain food
i felt that way in the beginning. i made the mistake of trying to learn four different dances at once, props to those who can learn multiple dances! but, not for me, so i opted to do salsa, just SALSA. i must say that in the beginning, my knees would shake and my heart would pound so fast even before i step foot on the dance floor, it was pretty intimidating and it took me awhile to break from that. but hey, i just went out there and did my thing and now, even if i mess up, i make it seem flawless, there’s no Salsa police that i know of…lol. take it easy and don’t be so hard on yourself! practice makes perfect! best of luck!
Practice dear.
Hi guys,i have been dancing a long time ago.when i was 5,i dance as the way i could!in my school,i have to permorm a dance step with the song of start of something new…..and im still practicing my dance moves so that i can get it write.and i have a competition at school wawasan to do my dance step with the song of start of something new!and the competiton is on next thursday only 5 more days so i have more time to practise my dance step….so see you guys later!ASTALAVISTA me crue!!!
Hi guys,i have been dancing a long time ago.when i was 5,i dance as the way i could!in my school,i have to permorm a dance step with the song of start of something new…..and im still practicing my dance moves so that i can get it right.and i have a competition at school wawasan to do my dance step with the song of start of something new!and the competiton is on next thursday only 5 more days so i have more time to practise my dance step….so see you guys later!ASTALAVISTA me crue!!!
Sounds like your main issues are associated with memory, and I agree with the ideas Tomrod has presented. If you don’t think about what you are doing (at least a couple times as an exercise), then you are functioning using your automatic memory. When it becomes conscious, it may become more difficult to recall certain steps. If you haven’t quite mastered a move and you are also thinking ahead to the next moves, you might go on overload and either your unmastered step or your planning will suffer. Another thing that can interfere with your recall of steps is stress/anxiety, which produce cortisol and reduces your working memory (so if you get stressed out or nervous, you’ll be unlikely to recall steps you’ve just learned). We commit items to long term memory through rehearsal, so it may help if you focus on one move at a time in the environment you will use them (i.e., at the club). So often we master a step in the studio (comfort zone) and then remember much less at the club (lots of distractions, different conditions, people watching, a partner to impress, etc.). These are some tidbits I learned recently in a neurology class that I found very interesting when applied to dancing. I also like that Tomrod encouraged you to self-reflect, because if you discover the reason you forget steps (for example, what makes you nervous), then you can focus your attention elsewhere and it may help you quite a bit in recalling your steps. A technique I have used in the past while learning moves is to just have fun with my dancing, even keeping it basic, but adding one thing each night, and practicing it with each partner throughout the night. By only adding one thing at a time, you are more likely to commit it to memory, and you also have the benefit of practicing in the club environment rather than a studio. I hope this helps, & good luck!
Bit of a late reply, I’ve just joined.
Been there, done that -and still do from time to time :$
At the beginner level, I guess it’s very very easy to get overwhelmed by all the different moves and forgetting the previous thing you learned as you learn each new move. For me, what has helped me most is #1 taking notes. Going to class is fine, but it’s tough memorizing all of it, so I write down whatever we did with as much hints and tips as possible, so that I hopefully don’t puzzle myself later.
Also, you can record our lessons nowadays as most people now have camera phones and digital cameras that can record etc. Try to include all previous moves in your practise, not just this week’s.
The other #1 for me is just dancing as much as you can. As said before, practice is key, the more you have done a certain move, the more your body will recognize it and in due time you won’t actually have to think about it anymore, it will be on auto-pilot. The moves that you do the most will naturally be the ones that you’ll have the least difficulty memorizing. Also, for me I can say that going to just the one class a week is not enough to call it practise …
Sometimes I also use a clue to remember a whole routine by. For instance, I might recall most of some move, if only I knew how it began. One simple clue might be enough, so I try memorizing at least the clues and the rest will follow. Of course I realize that I’m talking about technique here, as you get better and better, other aspects of dancing will become more important, but the fact is that most of us can only get there by simply working hard.
When you’re in a social dance, try to enjoy what you can and focus on doing that well, rather than trying to do the stuff you haven’t memorized yet, as it will make you feel insecure, the lady will undoubtedly pick that up and it won’t be as much fun.
As you perform the moves that you do know well, your confidence will increase and you may even find after a while that you’re ready to squeeze one new thing in that popped back into your head. If that goes well, keep it, if not just continue doing what you did so far.
I totally get what you’re anxious about, it can be frustrating and intimidating to see everybody else go like a super salsa dancer while you’re way not there yet. Try not to focus on that, but try to focus on making it an enjoyable time for the lady and on enjoying your time with her by doing well what you can. You’ll find that that is the most rewarding, a smile from your dance partner will go a long way (and so does smiling yourself because you enjoy dancing with her).
Marco 5:30 pm on January 31, 2009Permalink |
I have a pair of Capizzio dance sneakers that basically look like the same thing.
I wear them to dance classes and practice on the kitchen floor with them.
For whatever reason, I still always wear my black dress shoes (leather soled) when I go out dancing.
I think that the dance sneakers look funny with the cutout middle. When I feel like I have “arrived” with my footwork -as in I no longer would be embarrassed if someone were focusing on my feet- I will then treat myself with some white dance shoes. Those “flys” look pretty nice. Don’t know about that “Sancho” shoe, it may be a little too fashion forward for me.
(PS Go Wings!)
Anthony Persaud 7:28 pm on January 31, 2009Permalink |
I would recommend against them. I used to wear them (BLOCH), and I realize they screwed up my spins. On further analysis (since I’m an engineer), it is mainly caused by two things:
1) The higher elevation of your foot, affects your center of balance. Think of the difference between a top heavy Jeep compared to a low-level Civic (or Porche). Also, the additional height may cause you to trip on the tips of your shoes more often compared to other types of dance shoes (ex. Jazz Shoes)
2) The rubbery sole adds too much friction on the floor, when doing footwork and spinning compared to other types of shoes. You want something on the bottom that is suede. Also, spinning with rubber shoes will cause more long term damage on your knees than using suede.
I would HIGHLY recommend giving the Gabellini shoes a try – they are fantastic! I really love the white-leather shoe with the black stripe. Always goes well with my blue or black jeans. You can contact him about the return policy incase you don’t like them – but really give them a try. (No, this is not a shameless plug).
Lastly, if you are not planning on doing a lot of footwork, are willing to spend a little more and want to look a lot more styled with your clothing (like someone from the LA salsa scene) – you might want to consider a pair of Aldos shoes (though this is for advanced dancers only).
http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/men/shoes/dress-fashion/71574837-elrod
Daniel Ellis 7:42 pm on January 31, 2009Permalink |
I agree with Anthony about the disadvantages of sneakers. However, on most occasions, I don’t use suede shoes: I use a jazz shoe with an EVA sole (which is a plastic like material). This gives just a little more grip than suede, but still allows you to turn easily, and it is not damaged by bad floors like a suede bottom is.
Example here: http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7251906/color/3
donv69 7:51 pm on January 31, 2009Permalink |
I already have a nice pair of Ecco shoes with leather bottom.
http://www.eccocanada.com/montreal.html
The problem is that I keep tripping over them because of the long toe. Plus it really hurts the ladies on a crowded floor. What I like about salsa shoes and runner is that they fit tighter around the feet and the toe is rounded.
But I know what you’re talking about. I’ll see about finding something with a shorter toe.
Thanks
hooknc 10:03 am on February 1, 2009Permalink |
http://www.dancestore.com/MENS-SHOES/products/4/
I’ve bought several pairs of the retro-sneaker above and have loved them. I have even worn them outside for dancing. HOWEVER, the sole will be eatten up quickly. Also, the suede bottom doesn’t last long on these shoes either. But the swing dancers I guess like this trait and for me I’ve never really seen the difference before or after the suede is gone.
I also own a pair of the Captoe shoes. Best shoes I’ve ever bought for dancing.
PS: The raised dance sneakers look effeminate.
tommrod 12:37 pm on February 1, 2009Permalink |
have you guys tried out the converse all stars or the classic adidas?
once the sole is a little worn they’re pretty good… adn they look awesome with jeans.
hooknc 1:10 pm on February 1, 2009Permalink |
I forgot to mention with the dance sneakers from Aris Allen you’ll need some insoles.
I bought these:
http://www.rei.com/product/724381
And absolutely love them.
donv69 1:23 pm on February 1, 2009Permalink |
I think these are the ones you are referring to.
http://www.shopadidas.ca/catalogservlet?categoryId=2276353&productId=457949
I thought about that, too.
tommrod 10:42 pm on February 1, 2009Permalink |
@donv69:
i actually had these in mind
http://www.shopadidas.ca/catalogservlet?categoryId=2283265&productId=653689
80′s flavor
Gerard 9:57 am on February 4, 2009Permalink |
well when i dance im usually wearing my diesel or puma they are comfortable and i have no problem with them lol.
Tina 6:43 am on March 20, 2009Permalink |
they suck!
Don Vaillancourt 6:15 pm on September 15, 2009Permalink |
Took me a while to find this post. whew. Anyway, I recently bought a pair of Jinga shoes. They’re the best shoes I have ever had. Super thin sole. I find them much more comfortable and responsive than the Balos and I can wear them outside and in.
Gdlead 3:46 pm on September 25, 2009Permalink |
I wore the dance sneakers for 4 years . My teacher had advised not to as it handicaps your dancing
I was not convinced until one night I wore them to dance in as opposed to lessons .Forget it . You care not connected or grounded to the floor and you can only spin on one part of the sneaker . Spend the money get a expensive pair of Italian dance shoes . THey are the best and you can resole them after the soles wear out . I am a gold level international dancer .