HELPFUL ADVICE
Not tried salsa yet? Try the beginners class to give you the basics and develop your confidence - you will see good results in a short space of time
Why Salsa?
Salsa dancing is excellent exercise and is swiftly becoming one of the most popular improvements to social life. Medical findings are showing above all, that dancing is one of the safest and yet most effective forms of exercise which targets the essential muscle groups and bone structure with just the right amount of impact and compression to improve and maintain general health. Dancing Salsa will burn 10 calories per minute.
Ways of Learning Techniques and Moves for Best Results.
Many areas of dance learning are going on simultaneously such as timing, positioning, footwork, leading, arms, hands, remembering sequences and connecting with your dance partner. It is difficult to know what to focus on at any given time. Well here are some guidelines:
1. Try to focus on your footwork first of all and be sure you have the pattern of it clearly in your head. Sometimes it is a good idea just to practice the foot pattern of a sequence on your own so that you know it thoroughly.
2. First and foremost you must remember that you are dancing with your partner and it is important to develop a good connection. When you know the foot pattern really well
it will enable you to focus more on this connection which is expressed through contact between the hands and the positioning of the arms.
3. When you have the overall pattern of the sequence in your mind, it is again a good idea to practice the steps of a sequence on your own whilst also positioning the arms in the correct
place whilst you are actually dancing the pattern. This is particularly important for the men who are leading the dance.
4. In the overall scheme of things, the men lead the dance and while this has no specific political implication, it has historically existed in the roots of this dance culture. That does not mean that women don't make an equal contribution to the improvisation. They suggest direction and intensity with attitude and embellishments. A good leader will "show off" the lady partner who will be able to concentrate on the feminine expressiveness and character of the dance.
5. To be a good leader is not easy and takes a lot of practice. But the essential points are anticipating the next step in your mind before you start so that you can give a good signal to your partner in enough time for her to comfortably feel the direction of her steps with some degree of certainty.
6. Salsa is full of established moves and patterns which are universal and the signals for these steps are pretty standard across the board. Learn them and memorise them so that you have a repertoire. The originality comes from the spontanaeity of the moves you choose to include to any piece of music you are dancing to. Half the fun is not knowing for certain which way the dance will go with any indiviudal partner you are dancing with - which makes going to parties and dancing with lots of different people very good practice.
Personal Hygiene?
Salsa is a close dance, so personal hygience is very important. We don't want anyone suffocating when you raise your arms (we are joking............but really we don't want that happening!!!).
You should also carry a small face towel to dry yourself if you are prone to sweating -Believe us you will get hot and sweaty when you dance - also chewing gum and mints are a good idea and also to drink plenty of water!