In our first class, we started off simply coming into contact with a partner. This involves finding a “sticky connection” that has energy running between each partner, but that doesn’t drift into the perilous ranges of either a “noodle arm” or “ballroom wrestling”. We practiced filling space with our eyes closed in order to tune into our partner and to start to feel how our partner is actually moving, as opposed to how we think our partner should be moving.

We discussed three areas of the body where it is appropriate to come into contact with each other on the dance floor: the hand/arm, the shoulders, and the center of the body/waist. Today, we just worked on the first two, and experimented with switching between hand contact, arm contact, and shoulder contact as we moved fluidly around the floor.

We then experienced the challenge of dancing in a small space (the back corner of the floor), and discovered how tricky it can be to keep our actions closer to our body. This also is a good exercise in partnering–since both partners need to be watching out for obstacles on the floor at all times!

At the very end of class, I introduced the “salsa timing”: quick-quick-slow, yump-bump-bah, 1-2-3-HOLD 4…however you want to count it! The important thing to remember is that the “middle” of the step needs to be twice as long as the “ends”.

In our second class, we started by working some more on a basic salsa step, and keeping track of the “salsa time”. We then played with a series of moves that all use the same concept: hands up, hands down, and drawing circles. If the lead brings one hand up and draws a circle across the follow’s face, we get what is often called a “cuddle” (since that’s just what it looks like!). If the lead brings one hand up and draws a circle away from the follow’s face, we get what is often called a “hammerlock” (if it feels like a martial arts move, you’ve done it right!). We played with these moves with all four of the hands involved: lead’s left and right, and follow’s left and right. We then worked on moving between the moves–cuddle to hammerlock and back again.

We also discovered that both leads and follows can get under the point of contact….which leads to some neat-looking shapes! We worked on leads creating circles and opening space that the follow will then fill. Both the leads and follows have an imaginary beach ball resting on their arms….which you don’t want to pop!

We also started working with the concepts of Cuban Motion (i.e. that crazy hip wiggle). However, contrary to how it looks, the crazy hip wiggling isn’t coming from the hips themselves, but from the big toes…it’s all an illusion! So we spent some time digging our big toes into the ground and straightening and bending our knees. There are many little nuances to Cuban Motion which I will continue to introduce over the next few weeks, so don’t expect to get this all at once! It’s a process of building, so don’t get frustrated!

We started off our third class with some more work on posture and Cuban Motion. We talked about images like our toes digging through wet sand, or a cat kneading a pillow. We worked on settling into our hips on one side of our body, and bringing our weight forward like a ski jumper. We then all took a little stroll across the floor, thinking about our toes and the ski jumper lean.

Next we started working on the third point of contact that I mentioned back in week one: the middle/waist. We had already started coming into contact here with cuddles and hammerlocks, but today actively began thinking about it. Leads worked on bringing their own center into contact with a hand, and bringing their hand into contact with the follow’s center. We also talked about hand position on the center: a gentle but firm “knife-hand”. This prevents any unwanted or excess grabbing of either the lead or follow.

We then took this knowledge and tucked it away safely in our minds as we played with cuddles and hammerlocks some more. We started by taking both around in a circle, both forward and backwards. We then worked on switching from a cuddle to a hammerlock as we continued the motion of the wheel in the same direction. Then we played with a variation: switching from a cuddle/HL on one side of the body to a cuddle/HL on the other side of the body while also switching the direction of the wheel.

Next we worked on some “sliding door” variations. First, we went from a HL, stepped into the open space directly in front of us, slid along our partners back (one hand up, one hand down–like see-saws), and then unwound ourselves to face our partner again. We also discovered that if we leave both hands down, we can get ourselves into a crazy pretzely move that involves a lot of ducking down and turning. Because of the way that humans are built, it tends to be easier for shorter people to do this move. However, it is both possible for leads to do it themselves, and also to lead the follow into this move (by gently rotating forward the follow’s shoulder).

I was really excited to see how much everyone was playing around with the concepts of turning and raising and lowering hands….and coming up with new moves! This is really the joy of salsa! I will be showing you certain patterns and steps in class, but these are really just basic building blocks to get you started. Have fun with it–go out to salsa clubs and enjoy….you already know more than enough to have a great evening of dancing!

We started off our class with some review of the arm pretzels that we were doing last week. Remember, they all come from our hand sequence: one hand up, one hand down, two hands up, two hands down. Most of these were also coming out of a “sliding door” position: from a hammerlock, one partner walks forward into open space, and then you find yourselves back-to-back with each other.

We then did a little music drill, and had half the class clapping along to a 1-2-3-4 beat while the other half was practicing some basic salsa moves. As long as you keep moving in time to the beat, it doesn’t so much matter exactly where your feet are. Put your body where it needs to be in the right time, and your feet will naturally follow!

We did another variation on the hand series which started from a cross-hand position (right to right, left over right). Very simply, the lead goes into an underarm turn (both hands up), and ends with the back to the follow. At this point, the lead brings both sets of hands down over the head and ends with them at the waist. The lead then bends over, and turns around in a small crounch until the follow’s feet are visible. The lead sends the butt to the ground and stands STRAIGHT up! The follow should be tracing along the leads back and arms through all of this, to keep a point of contact between lead and follow.

We then worked on some cross-body leads (CBLs). These are ragingly popular in salsa dancing. A CBL happens when the lead and follow switch places relative to the room (i.e. they go to opposite ends of the dance slot). The lead gets out of the way, the follow walks straight through, and the lead gets back in the way. We started experimenting with some turns at the end of a CBL–either hand away from the face (1/2 turn), or hand across the face (1 1/2 turn). Either way, they key for follows is to make sure that you can stop your turn under your own power–don’t rely on the lead to end it. Lock down your leg and ab muscles, and use that “slow” beat that you land on to reorient yourselves before moving backwards for the “quick-quick”.

We ended the class with a dance circle, putting all our rockin’ moves to good use…and you all looked fantastic and ready to go tear up the dance floor in a salsa club!!