You have learned the basic figures of salsa in the basic level 2; now you can do more! :)
Woman and man can expand their repertoire, enriching and embellishing their salsa. Have fun!
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We begin this new journey to higher levels of salsa dancing by tackling a central topic from salsa: progression spins.
Note: given the ever increasing skill levels acquired and the increasingly high complexity of the movements, the descriptions of the figures from now on will be more concise, they will act more as a reminder than a tutorial.
The Check, or Snap, is an embellishment that the woman can add during the first steps of a cross body. Typically, it is led by the man but can also be performed by the woman at her discretion. During the Check, the lady looks to the right and turns her torso, with the left leg pointing forward and the left foot on the weightless toe. The right foot is positioned slightly before the left between the 8 of the previous measure and the 1 of the current measure. There are no movements foreseen on 2, to break up the monotony of the steps. On 3, the woman brings her right foot forward while twisting her torso slightly to the left. Usually, the Check is followed by a progression of revolutions by the woman or by an opening of the couple. L' The man is responsible for guiding the Check and must avoid hindering the movement of the woman's left foot. The rotation guide takes place on times "and 1", where the woman turns to the right. The man assumes a position similar to that of the woman but without the double step. On 3, the woman should be made to move forward and slightly rotate her torso towards the man.
Video tutorial: The check of the woman.
Start in closed position.
- Cross body
- Check and Dile que no
- Lady's Vuelta
Repeat in loop.
Now that we have learned the check, let's try to include it in the second part of Dile que sì.
So after doing some practice we improvise freely on a small sequence, for example:
Start in open position.
- Dile que sì with check
- Vuelta launched
- Dile que no with hand change in dx-dx
- Enchufla or Peek a boo with two hands (catching the left on the fly)
- Dile que no
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial: Check in Dile que sì.
Finally with the Stop-and-Turn we will be able to make left turns!
We believe that it is simply impossible to explain the stop and turn in words, so we leave you this title as a reminder and instead explain how it can be put into practice.
Click on the following link to see the: Full Video Tutorial in italian (so just watch the steps).
Description of steps:
- step left forward
- step right in place, pivot foot for the turn:
- turn 180° to the left, putting the left foot forward which becomes the pivot foot
- turn 180° to the left, leaving the right foot in a neutral position
- (in the absence of a different guide) right step back
The guide of the stop is much clearer if guided with the hand opposite to that of the woman, therefore in the case of the turn to the left we recommend the grip: left with left.
You can also "fly" into this hold.
Here's how to do it:
- 123 base mambo (during which you can switch from left to left)
- On 5 the lady is brought slightly to load the round, in the opposite direction, but in the meantime the intention is clearly indicated with the hand of the stop
- Time 6 is a dead time which softens the stop, therefore the weight of the dancer is brought back a little
- At 7 the half turn to the left of the lady takes place
- Which continues with the other half turn at 8
ATTENTION: here, at 8, there is a crucial point: the neutral! In fact the dancer will have to balance on the left foot leaving the right foot "on neutral", therefore without weight, attached to the ankle of the left foot.
You must try to keep your balance for all the time 8, and then go back to 1 with the right foot; but only at 1. I am well aware that you will want to anticipate and make the 1 instead of the 8.
Instead try to keep your balance and stand for a time with your weight on one foot.
This thing will be essential for you to perform the laps in progression that we will study as the next topic.
A nice variant to the previous figure is to arrive at this figure from a Dile que no, therefore ..
- In tempos 567 of the Dile que no, don't completely detach the man's right arm, but make it slide slowly, so that you find yourself at the end of the Dile que no with forearms touching.
- At this point, at the 123rd stop and turn, rotate the forearm inwards and at the end of the rotation, ensure that the woman's left hand reaches the man's left hand by inertia.
- You will already be in position to make the stop at 5 o'clock, using the man's right hand to lightly load the lady's lap.
Video tutorial:
Demonstration of hand play.
CARICIA: In the final, a man and cross should come naturally to you.
Start in open position, left grip with left.
- 123 I break the grip doing the hand game (inward turn with the forearm)
- 567 Woman stop and turn to the left
- 123 567 Cross in left grip with left
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial:
- Explanation italian (so just watch the moves)
Start in closed position.
- Dile que no sliding with the forearms in order to arrive in a suitable position to do ..
- at 123 the usual hand play with the forearm
- 567 Stop and woman's turn to the left
- Charge man and Dile que no no
Repeat in loop .
The more virtuosic can also try to make 2 turns with the forearm, instead of one.
Video tutorial:
- Explanation italian (so just watch the moves)
Even the man can make his stop and turn to the left.
He will do it in 123 times (1 will be the stop).
The grip of the hands can be freely managed; a nice solution is to slide the lady's hand on your hip during the turn and resume at the end of the same.
I remind the ladies that the hands left on the hip, although it can sometimes be a bit shabby (perhaps you dance with sweaty and shapely men), it is necessary that these hands remain in contact with the man as long as the man does not intentionally walks away. The hand left on the body allows the man to feel it when he can't see it because perhaps his back is turned; in this way he can take it back without even looking.
Video Tutorials:
- Explanation italian (so just watch the moves)
Let's combine both laps and stops in one sequence:
Start in closed position.
- Dile que no
- Man stop and left turn
- Cross sliding with the arm at the end
- Hand play with forearm, then stop and woman left turn
- Man charge and cross
Video tutorial for this sequence:
- Demonstration over music
- Explanation italian (so just watch the moves)
Click below for the: Steps Video Tutorial.
Obviously the specular version of the previous one:
- step right forward
- step left in place, pivot foot for the turn:
- turn 180° to the right, putting the right foot forward which becomes the pivot foot
- turn 180° to the right, releasing the left foot in neutral position
- (in the absence of a different guide) left step backwards
I start by saying that we won't do the equivalent for men because it would be rather uncomfortable and complicated to manage and because first of all we never do it on the track.
So here's how to make the lady stop and right turn:
- 12 mambo base and in the meantime we try to pass into right grip with dx
- 3: the stop, with the right hand and with the whole body: we try to block the woman's way , he must understand that he cannot continue forward to 5. Even better if we keep the lady blocked on one side with the left hand on her back and on the other with the guide to Stop, standing slightly beside her.
- The 4 will seem too much here.. it's a pause in which you can't do anything with your feet.. you just have to glance at each other, do some embellishments with your hands or smoke a cigarette - 5 change the lady's weight on
the left foot (and still standing still)
- 6 finally turns around! The woman brings her right foot forward in the opposite direction and makes a complete turn on her right pivot foot returning to face the man
- 7: left step back
The Stop and Turn right will be a much faster turn because we no longer have the pause as we had in the Stop and turn left.
Men, enjoy surprising the women on the dance floor with this move, but don't expect all female dancers to pull it off; unfortunately some, too many, schools tend to schematize dance too much and make it not very free and customizable. You try to give very clear and explicit guides, avoiding the surprise effect, i.e. the guide given at the last valid moment, because you risk that the woman doesn't understand it since it is a non-standard figure.
Philosophy "Salsa Libre!" 4ever...
Video tutorial:
Explanation italian (so just watch the moves).
Start in open position right grip with right.
- Women's Vuelta; at the end of the vuelta the man slightly joins the woman.
- 123 the man only gives a command with his right hand, before the 1 back and then the stop; meanwhile he holds the lady with his left hand on her back.
- 567 Stop and turn to the right of the woman.
- Still remaining side by side, the man enters the side by side Toalla position, then leads a check, then a cross body, returning in front of the lady at the end.
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial for this sequence:
- Demonstration over music
- Explanation italian (so just watch the moves)
- Future variant with the laps in progression
Progression laps are laps in which, in addition to turning on oneself, one moves in one direction; to make this happen, you need to change the pivot foot at every half turn (or full turn).
We have seen some exercises to train on the lap in progression; let's remember the main rule of these:
- turn to the left: left foot toe - right foot heel
- turn to the right : right foot toe - left foot heel
This does not mean that you will have to turn on the heel, remember always turn on the forefoot and with the feet slightly herringbone (ballerina, duck, etc..). The rule above indicates the part of the foot that is left forward, in the direction in which one is going.
So the progressive turns that we will use for now will be those in which you turn 180° in time, changing the pivot foot each time and trying, with the head spot, to always look at a point of reference (in partner dance it is the partner).
Video tutorial:
Introduction to the laps in progression.
Since it is a Cross, the round will be in motion, so a progression round is implied.
Otherwise we would have kilometric names of the figures.
It is also understood that the turn is carried out by the woman; most of the grips will have laps by the lady, so the times that the lap will be by the man will be specifically specified.
The steps of the woman:
- Up to 5 they are the usual steps of the Cross body
- 6 first half turn to the left
- 7 second half turn
- 8 third half turn staying trying not to land on the right foot, but leaving it suspended on the neutral, just like we have already seen in the Stop and Left Turn.
- 1 obviously here the mambo base starts again with the right foot back, except for different guides; instead a note regarding the hands: if you have your left hand free, you should hold it high or in any case that you are ready to free your side in case the man inserts himself to let you do another cross body.
The guides of the man:
We only see the guides, because the steps are essentially always the same and in any case as we go forward you will see that the steps of the man are always freer and of little importance compared to the guides.
-The first variation compared to a normal Cross body is at 3, in which the man's left hand is brought to her chest, this will introduce a broken motion to the woman and make her understand that she is turning
- At 5 we load the turn from the opposite side, then we open the guide, moving it away from our chest
- Now at 678 we have to lead the 3 half turns, taking care as always to immediately lower the guide at the end of the last portion of the turn.
Video tutorial:
Cross with turn to the left.
Now that we know how to make the cross with the progression to the left we can have fun trying it wherever there is a cross. So far, with this hand configuration, we've only seen one case: the simple peek a boo, with a left grip.
Well, let's try to peek a boo and exit at 678 with a progressive turn to the left; because we remember that the peek a boo, from 5 onwards is nothing more than a cross body.
In the following topics we will see the thousand possibilities we have with all the other types of hand grips.
Video tutorial:
Peekaboo with progression lap.
We've already tried it in the simple version, without the progression lap, now we can try it by adding what we've just learned to do.
Be careful though: where to handle your hands differently.
It is good to start in a left cross grip above or it is also good to start in a right grip with a right and take the left showing it to the lady between 1 and 2; then as usual the left hand will go over the lady's head and will stretch forward making the usual tension while the right hand should be released; well yes, she should be thrown away at her 2 and instead of her hand, the woman's right side should be taken, this will also help her to stop and change direction.
The turn is then guided simply in left grip with left, like the finale of the middle helix.
Video tutorials:
2 Handed Peekaboo.
With this name is called the Cross with left turn in left with left grip, usually preceded by a right kick on the woman.
The guides will always be the same (3 near, 5 away, 678 round).
Usually the Middle helix is followed by a man and cross charge, sometimes a cross 360 which we will see later.
Video tutorial:
The Media Elica.
As explained above, Cross will be understood with a progressive turn to the right of the woman.
Steps of the woman:
- 123 normal cross
- 5 first half-turn to the right
- 6 second half-turn
- 7 third half-turn (no neutral this time)
- 1 back depending on the guide received
Guides of the man:
Unlike the previous one, he will not bring his hand on the chest at 3 and 5 the round will not be loaded.
On 4, on the contrary, a slight push forward will be given first to indicate to the lady the turn in progress and not the vuelta sul posto; and immediately a right turn guide will be given, because ATTENTION: unlike the left turn, the right turn requires that the woman starts to turn already at 5; ie she .. at 5 she must have already made a half-turn. Then continue with the lap guides up to 7.
Video tutorial:
The lap in progression to the right.
It has nothing to do with the laps in progression but it will allow us to better understand the next figures.
Let's see how to perform the opposite cross in this video tutorial:
The opposite cross.
We call it opposite cross because it is still a cross in which the man stands to the right of the woman, rather than to the left; however the steps of the man of this cross are absolutely not the same as we have already seen for the opposite Cross.
THE MAN , keeping time with her usual sequence of steps, will stay up to the end alongside the woman, following her as she moves forward; only towards the end will he let her continue so that she can come back to him. Still speaking only of steps we will do the same as we did at the end of the stop and turn sequence.
The guide: we must give the same guidance that we gave with the Cross and turn to the left; the problem is that we are on the opposite side.. so if in the cross we approached hand 3, we moved it away on 5 (to load the lap) and on 678 we led the lap and a half, now we have to do exactly the opposite: move away on 3, bring to 5 (loading the turn) and command the turn and a half to 678.
Grip: it is advisable to use the right grip with the right and perhaps gently guide the lady's shoulders with the left hand.
THE WOMAN performs the usual steps of the turn in progression to the left from the cross, then 3 half rotations at 678, with the foot remaining on neutral on 8, and then going backwards only on 1.
Video tutorial:
Reverse cross with left turn.
Also in this case we will not do the steps of the opposite Cross that we already knew; here we need a turning force already before time 5.. we get it by making a rubber band at time 1 and arriving perfectly side by side and perpendicular to the checker at time 3. We basically
do the same steps as a Peek a boo, but the guide will be very different.
Video tutorial:
Reverse cross with right turn.
Since this thing we are doing has a precise coded name, the best thing is to explain it under his name:
Well yes, let's fall back on the Sombrero; we have seen in the previous months the "online" version of the Sombrero, obtainable with a simple Vuelta. The version with the laps in progression, on the other hand, is much more used; not to mention that it's this version here that's commonly referred to as a Sombrero.
For simplicity, we'll look at this one-handed version first.
First of all, with regard to the steps we said that by making a rubber band on time 1 and arriving perfectly side by side and perpendicular to the lady on time 3, we practically do the same steps as the Peek a boo.
The hold will be the right with dx.
The guideit will be the usual push on the 1 for the elastic and as for the cross with a right turn, a slight push forward on the 4 (to make the lady understand that the turn is progressing), then guide rotation on the 567.
Load: since we have called it Sombrero with one hand let's also try to add a look on the woman at the end of the figure (you will already be accustomed to following this look with a cross grappling left with left, then a look for man and cross... automatisms .. wanted!).
Well, here is finally THE Sombrero; what is usually understood by this name.
To do it, just add the left hand under the right to the one-handed sombrero you just tried.
You can decide whether to start directly in a left cross grip above, or whether to take the left hand "on the fly" between 1 and 3 (it's more beautiful this way).
Obviously the closure is a sombrero, the double look for men and women that you already know how to do.
Subtitle of the sequence: let's whisk the woman.. let's remember to do it with a slow speed and not to exaggerate with the consecutive repetitions.
Start in closed position.
- Cross with left turn
- Remaining in pos. open: Cross with right turn and hand change at the end (right with right)
- One handed Sombrero
- Medium helix
- Man's left charge and Cross
- Cross with check
- Cross stop (we explain it in the video)
(these final crosses serve to to make the lady recover a little, if that's not enough, stop for a moment with the mambo base)
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial:
- Demonstration over music
- Explanation italian (so just watch the moves)
Just to give the ladies time to recover from the progressive rounds, we introduce the topic of "Elegant" figures. Which are not dance figures performed in an elegant way, but normal and crude :p figures, in which a particular step is performed by the man at 567: the Torcillo.
We will now see the Torcillo and the first figure in which we can put it into practice, the enchufla; during the course of the program we will see other "elegant" figures who take advantage of this step.
The Torcillo is a complete turn to the right performed by the man on times 567.
In time 5 it is necessary to make the first rotation of 180° by crossing the right foot backwards.
In times 6 and 7, a further slow rotation of 180° is performed simply by twisting with both feet (therefore double rotation pivot).
Video tutorial:
The Torcillo.
It is the enchufla with the man's torcillo at 567.
The woman will have to be careful not to move away from the man during the torcillo, otherwise she could throw him off balance; remember that when the man is unable to guide with his hands, then it is his own axis of his body that acts as a guide for the woman.
Video tutorial:
Enchufla elegant.
Let's see in the following topics the possible main variants for the sockets in this figure.
While the man performs the twist he will perform a razor on himself at 6-7 to bring the hand to the other side. The grip can be taken left (left man, right woman), or right with right.
In this variant the gripping hand is left low and ends up behind the man's back. There are two possible alternatives:
• exchanging hands behind the back (just like we did with the vuelta man)
• leaving the hand behind the back , even if it seems uncomfortable and therefore arriving in position 70 man; in this case, if we have done it in a left grip, on the next 1 you can break the grip with your right arm, then do two rounds of rotation of the arm and then lead a lady's Vuelta to 5. This is just one of many possibility, another could be to carry out, the man, a turn to the left (stop and turn), and maybe afterwards drive a lady's Vuelta anyway.
NB: The variant with the breaking of the grip, two rotations of the arm and vuelta of the woman has been technically defined, in our courses, the elegant enchufla for cool people.
Let's put in sequence the 4 main types of elegant enchufla that we have studied.
Start in open position.
- Enchufla elegant left grip passing under the arm
- Dile que no
- Enchufla elegant left grip exchanging the arm behind the back
- Cross in right grip with right
- Enchufla elegant right grip with right passing under the arm
- Dile que with exchange of hands from [ dx con dx] a [left grip]
- Enchufla elegant "da fighi", leaving the arm behind the back, breaking the grip and..
- Lady's Vuelta
- Caricia lady
- Medium helix (see above)
- Dile que no
Repeat in loop .
Video tutorial:
- Demonstration over music
- Explanation italian (so just watch the moves)
- Variant without the Dile que no
ATTENTION!! Study the next topic first (Vacilala) and then come back to this variation.
Even the Vacilala can be performed in its "elegant" version, i.e. with the Torcillo at 567.
Try it both with the normal Vacilala and with the opposite one. Watch out for the guide, that comes first and then the man's Torcillo round, otherwise the woman doesn't understand and performs a normal cross.
Video tutorial:
Vacilala elegant.
Even the Cross Body can be performed with the torcillo, watch out men where you put your arms, especially your elbows and try never to lose sight of the lady, use the head spot.
And remember this too men, as for the elegant stagger: first the guide, then the twist, in this case simply the guide of the cross, the forward push to 5. Obviously you don't have to be in the left grip.
Video tutorial:
Elegant cross.
The Vacilala is a turn in progression of the woman, exactly like the ones we have just seen, however it is a turn that is performed without a grip, the woman will therefore have her hands free and must take care to keep herself in the axis during the rotations, without losing balance.
The guide is obviously a low and launched guide, the man must give a rotation input to the lady, being careful to give it in the right time.
Let us see the two main types of Vacilala..
The Vacilala is a cross opposite, which is performed with the same steps as the Sombrero or Enchufla (therefore salsa step for the man at 123 and 567).
The man will have to lead a turn and a half to the right of the woman, on times 567, so be careful to start the lead at 5 (in left grip).
Men, be vigilant as the lady spins and be ready to pick her up in case she loses her balance ... when she is lying on the floor it is already too late and the cleaning company will take care of picking her up the next day .. Video
tutorial:
The Vacilala.
The reverse Vacilala is instead based on the steps of the Cross Body and is performed in right grip (right man - left woman).
The guide is given forwards (relative to the man) on 5 and thrown backwards on 6. The woman must turn left on 678.
Remind me to then raise her arm on 8, freeing her left side.
Video tutorial:
Reverse Vacilala.
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