The 2008 Beijing Olympics may be over, but the salseros/as at the 2008 DC Salsa Congress had a lot of fun in an after party testing who would be the better spinner. I think the video is very funny as it shows what salsa dancers do as a contest (similar to drinking contests). The Bronze medal seems to go to Joey from Puerto Rico. However, due to security Silver and Gold could not be determined between Luis and Emily. Thanks to iMambo.tv for covering the event!
Most articles, forums, and videos emphasize these two ways to learn: in class and at the club. Yet there is so much more that you can do on your own to become a better dancer- no floor or partner necessary. Here are 5 tips to help you learn Salsa on your own, which will help you improve at a MUCH faster rate.
1. MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE MIRROR- Practice body rolls against a wall or mirror, focusing on ‘peeling yourself off of the wall’. For a downward roll, start with your head and follow with your chest, stomach, hips, and knees. For an upward roll, come back up with your knees, hips, stomach, chest and finally head. This will give you the muscle memory, and muscles in general, to do great body rolls while dancing.
Continue reading ‘Top 5 Tips to Learn Salsa Dancing on Your Own’
Smooth Spins
What makes salsa dancing so great for the ladies? Is it the beautiful styling which includes beautiful arms, isolations, and body rolls? Yes, styling is fun to do but that also can be found in many dances such as tango, flamenco, jazz. Can it be the ability to spin endlessly? The answer is yes. The great quality of dancing in salsa is doing multiple spins. This may be an opinionated answer, but there are many great female dancers which capture how spins can be one of the best aspects of salsa dancing. These ladies you will find on the addicted2salsa website are known for not only being spun by a partner, but spinning on their own and “stopping on a dime”. Some of these salsera have not obtained that gift of spinning over a day or weeks, but sometimes month or even years. Some people I recall speaking to about spinning have told me it took them either 2 or even 5 years to do multiple spins. Other people who have a well-developed dance background can obtain that skill earlier that a few months or even within a year.
What is so great about spinning? Here is there scenario. You are dancing with a partner and leads you to do multiple spins, but you stop yourself from spinning so much. Some girls who I have spoken to told me that some problems of spinning include: out of balance, are dizzy, or can’t control the spin. The other girls who I have spoken with have different reactions to spinning and state that it is many factors that attribute to great spins. In the beginning I remember almost falling out of a spin, almost knocking the guy out with my arm, or wobbling out of a spin (not spinning in place). I’m not an expert yet on spinning. However after a year on focusing on this technique I discovered the key to spinning. I have taken jazz classes, private lessons, group classes, and as well as advice from friends on spinning. After experience and observation I have found 5 steps to doing multiple spins.
1.) The Prep: Some ladies I have spoken to told me that the prep initiates the spin which helps maintain ones balance and creates momentum. How one preps also determines how fast one spins. For example, when a gentleman’s arm goes down and up like the letter K (called the J-hook) he is warning you that he is about to spin you more than one time. Get ready ladies. One prep that I learned is that the right leg swivels to the right (twist your torso and right leg slightly to the right) then shift your weight all on your right foot keeping your left foot close to your right (feels connected). Finally push off on your left leg. Ready for lift off, I mean spins
2.) Keep your legs closed: When first learning how to spin, some girls tap while spinning. This is in order to keep the spins going. Tapping is like the training wheels for spins. However, if you keep your legs together and knees slightly bent, you will see a huge difference. Make sure your weight is all on one foot (right or left) which depends which direction one is spinning. This really helps with balance.
3.) Keep a 90 degree angle: Make sure your arm looks like an L which is a 90 degree angle facing your partner. Also you want your arm to be nice and strong. No spaghetti arms. You don’t want your arm behind your body. If you feel your arm upwards, create an arm bar. For example, have your right arm in a 90 degree angle while having your left arm hold your right arm in place. This bit of advice ensures that you will wobble less and also have the lead have more control of where you are spinning. This may even prevents the guy to get injured like an uppercut.
4.)Keep everything tight: It does not matter how fit you are because if you keep everything tight the faster you will spin a lot faster and smoother. In order to keep everything tight make sure you keep your stomach nice and strong (hold it in girls) and keep your fanny tucked (squeeze). This also enables guys to have a better control of the spins.
5.)SPOT: This is the best piece of advice not only because it keeps one less dizzy, but it makes one spin so fast the guy will think you have disappeared. I’m just exaggerating, but it is very important to spot. Spotting is “process of delaying the rotation of the head, relative to the body’s rotational speed, by way of visual focus on one or more fixed points in space. ” (http://www.ballroomdancers.com/). Spotting is when you look at an object in the room or your partner and make sure that when your spinning that object or partner is the first and last thing you see. While spinning your head should be the last thing to turn. The faster you spot, the faster you will spin.
You got that ladies:
Pretty soon you will do multiple spins and it will feel great because it feels like you are flying in another world.
Salsa Spinning
I can just feel all the hate mail that is already headed my way. “Oh, here goes Anthony, talking about On2″… but before you hit that send button - first read the article.
I always get asked what is the difference between dancing On1 and On2. Some people tend to have opinions on whether they are different or if its the same thing. Well, again I will preach that there are differences. Today I will be focusing on spinning. From a followers (lady’s) perspective they have differences whether you spin On1 or On2 - especially true when doing multiple spins.
Breaking down spinning On1. When the lady spins on1, she starts spinning on 5 (men’s timing). So, lets break down an axle turn. The ladies do half a basic forward (5,6,7), then take (1,2,3,4) and prep their turn - to then do spins starting on 5. The lady the takes (5,6,7,8) to do her spin, and then immediately step back on their right 1, step 2 in place with left, and then bring the right foot back immediately to center for 3.
Breaking down spinning On2. When the lady spins on2, she (on lady’s timing now), preps her axle turn on (5,6,7,8) and starts spinning on 1. She then takes 1,2,3,4,5 to do her spin (or multiple spins), to then step back with her right on 6, step in place on 7 with her left, pause on 8, and then bring back her right foot immediately to center on 1.
Deciphering the magic. See the difference? First of all when doing multiple spins On2, you have an entire extra count to do the spins. This means either you can fit more spins into a specific turning sequence, or you can use the extra time to smooth-out the spins (so they don’t seem rushed). They ladies will enjoy spinning on2 because they will have more time when doing their multiple spins, which makes them easier because they are not rushed. Second, because you are dancing On2, the pause comes right after you end your spins, therefore the ladies have more time to recover from the multiple spins. Remember, after your 6,7 - its an 8, which is a pause. Your right foot does not have to hit center until 1. Once the ladies really understand this, and are able to control their spins - instead of using the 6,7,8,1 counts to recover, they can recover on 6 very quickly, and use their body and style the rest of the 7,8, and 1 counts - which adds to the flavor of the dance.
Again, this is not preaching, but showing the fundamental differences between dancing On1 and On2 and how there are some benefits on dancing to each. In the following video, you can see Emily and Oliver (in the back in black) social dancing. Emily is one of the best salsa spinners out there, so you can see how she can maintain her control and still have add a little bit of styling (or course done to numerous spins)! Enjoy!.
[UPDATED] For those confused about the steps in timing, this article might be useful: Salsa On1 to On2 Steps transitions.
[Added Note] The lady does not need to step until 6 when dancing on 2. Ladies stop spinning with control by having their left foot forward and right foot back. On1 this happens in count 1. On2 this happens on count 6 - so the lady does not need to step on 5 (if not, it would be the same as saying the lady has to step on 7 in the On2 case).
So I thought I might post something that is pretty useful for me right now. I actually wrote this on a napkin at a club while I was working on my on2. Sometimes I go to the club and I see a move that I like and decompose it. Now, I can’t only decompose it now, but I have to ‘translate’ it to the beat pattern I need to dance on. For example, if I see an On1 move, I need to figure out how to do it On1, and then translate the steps On1. If you have this similar situation on how to translate moves, I give you this useful table:
| On1 Steps | NY On2 Steps | PR On2 #1 | PR On2 #2 | |||
| 1 | <-> | 6 | <-> |
2 | 2 | |
| 2 | <-> | 7 | <-> | 3 | 3 | |
| 3 | <-> | 8 (pause) | <-> | 4 (pause) | 4 | |
| Neutral | 4 (pause) | <-> | 1 | <-> | 5 | 5 (pause) |
| 5 | <-> | 2 | <-> | 6 | 6 | |
| 6 | <-> | 3 | <-> | 7 | 7 | |
| 7 | <-> | 4 (pause) | <-> | 8 (pause) | 8 | |
| Neutral | 8 (pause) | <-> | 5 | <-> | 1 | 1 (pause) |
One thing you’ll notice is that from On1 to any form of On2, there is no direct step-correlation. Why? Well, its mainly because the pauses taken are in differnt locations. Therefore, dancing On2, is slower than dancing On1. I will write an article later on about what I call ‘hang-time’ in order to explain this effect - but I hope this table helps some of you trying to decypher any moves you see. The amount of Hang-Time is shown in yellow for each type of style.
[UPDATED] Not sure about #2 PR, but it was submitted by a user. There might be more than 1 style in Puerto Rico.. funny, I’m Puerto Rican, and I should know… too bad that when you are growing up in PR, all you hear is reggaeton/rap. Sad that most of my childhood friends never really danced salsa.
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