Hello everybody!

Recently I was in contact with a salsa dancer (also instructor); he has trained about 6 years at professional level and now after he spent a weekend with us he decided to come every weekend in our city and to teach us salsa!
I as a sportdancer knew that the hands should always be kept in tension, in this way I could lead my partner as I wish...This is opposite to salsa this is what that guy told us. His arguments were, you don't have time to make so many moves with your hands especially, if you keep the hands in tension.
I tryed that way and I was surprised I could dance, even better...
Now I understand why Loquita called me very strong :)

In sportdancing you have to keep your hands in tension all the time, if the man push the hand, the lady should step back (the hips are moving also), this move is more evident if she keeps the hand in tension.

This is what's new for me at the grip part... So is this correct? The hand should be kept softly or not?

One more question: when you dance forward-backward (mambo style), when you step forward do you use your hip or not?
I do not but I was trying that way and I saw some ppl doing that and it looks almost nice :) I asked that guy and he confirmed that is wrong as I knew. I know salsa doesn't have rules but...
By the way I saw some guys doing this basic step with their legs trembling:) that was very funny ;D

greetings rico, patrizia, loquita, berni and everyone :)

Hi Danny!

I am happy to read some comments from you. How are you? Are you still alive? Are you in Germany?

So questions over questions. :D

The things are gooing right here in munich. Now we are a group of 10 to 15 people meeting for dancing.

I hope I will get the chance to see you dancing with the new instructions.

See you! Tricia alias La Torbellina :bounce:

Heya Tricia,
I don't know when I'll come to Munich again...I miss everything from there :)
It's good you finally made a group to go for dancing...we're here more than 30 couples who use to meet for dancing...and what's new for us is we started to learn and dance rueda! :)

Well, about my above questions, what do you think? which is the correct way to keep your hands/arms and the way to step?

Hi Dani,

nice to see you activ in the board!!!
30 couples for dancing... thats great! We are not so much.
But we have also a lot of fun together :)

Greetings and Salsaludos from Munich

Berni

yes Berni and we're still increasing in new members but....I liked the atmosphere from the past when we were about 10-15 couples...we could sit in one place in a club and we could talk etc....now we stay splitted everywhere in the club because we're too many :)
Now it's a really funny thing to take a tour to say hello/kiss everybody :)
What I don't like is that there is a small group who is preparing for some rueda shows (they train and stay together most of the time) and they are arrogant persons...some of them couldn't be like that and quitted to dance rueda with them.
It's like a competition...who dances better, who knows more moves, etc...Some of them even don't turn their faces for a salute...
This is the bad side....

But, since this salsa instructor decided to come to teach us, some of them decided to join the "course" and that could be a way to become more closer to eachothers.

Hey, none from you didn't take any salsa course? What the salsa instructor/teacher told you? It's correct just to step forward as you walk on the street or you have to make a hip move also?
The hand/arm should be kept soflty or not? :)
I know here are persons who followed some salsa courses...but I doubt this is a so big secret! :smile:

I'll try to make a list of song we use to dance on in the clubs...I know you have nice salsa songs; there's one I still like to hum its refrain: "....la salsa.....la musica" I didn't catch well the words maybe you can help me to identify it:)
but...in DT especially the latin songs were awful huh and I can't forget ppl were dancing quickstep on Mr.President ~ "Coco Jumbo" ! :D
I'll open a thread with my favorite latin/standard/salsa songs

saludos

Hi,

my opinion is: salsa is not like walking on the street, move your
hips! But there are so many different styles, see, the cubans
move as much as they canl, even their shoulders; :dance2:
and Felipe Polanco for example, he reduces every movement of
the body, little fine steps, little movements with the arms, but
very defined...very nice, too! :roll:
I would recommend to watch and try different styles, afterwards
you can "play" with it, create your own style and so on.
The most important thing is to hear the rhythm.:bounce:

Concerning the "hands in tension":
I would say, when you are doing open shines, means when you
dance "alone" and not as a couple, keep the hands always in tension.:dance1:

When you're dancing with a girl, you know it depends
on the girl, sometimes you need more tension, sometimes not.
For me, personally, it is more comfortable with less tension,
but with really defined signals.

I don't know if you can use this information, anyway: have fun! :rotate:
and keep in touch,
Agnes
:hasi:

thank you for your post.
I need some opinions because I defined my style as you recommended me and I can say I like how I danced before (with my hands in tension) but now I dance better, the dance is very cursive and natural and I like it too.

One more thing, that guy (salsa instructor) told to some of us it's not good we all use accents in our steps because there are many moves when you don't have time to do the accents because of the quick rhythm.

well, i use accents every time...this is what makes salsa different than mambo, this is what makes it very cursive...trying to cover all the music beats....
what do you think? am I right?

Hi again,

what do you mean exactly by dancing with "accents"? :dance2:

And what is your definition of mambo??(
I suppose that some people do not use the terms correctly.

Some told me: "mambo is salsa on 2", and it's not.
Mambo is a classic cuban dance, "tap right, tap left", with strong
movements in the hips, or forward / backward, or double right
side / double left side, with opposite arms in front.:dance1:

You can't dance salsa on a mambo song and vice versa.

What do you think?:rolleyes:

Bye, Agnes

:)

well by accents I mean using toes and heels between the steps;
a thread of moves will be like this: accent > step forward > accent > step bacward. Sometimes I omit the first accent but "never" the second:) This is how I like to dance salsa.

Mambo?
well according to webster dictionary:
[i]
[b]mambo (mambo) pl. -bos[/b]
n.
1 a rhythmic musical form, of Caribbean origin, in 4/4 syncopated time and with a heavy accent on the second and fourth beats
...
[/i]

As particular to mambo is the hips and legs are kept straight and the move is like when you dance with an elastic sponge wall in front and back of you: you step forward you hit the "sponge" and then it push you back, you step back and you hit the back "sponge" and it push you forward...I hope you understand what I mean :) And...most of mambo moves are in straight lines like NY salsa style...

I am not so experienced with salsa and I can't dance on 2 or 3...only on 1 :) That's why maybe I can't make an obviously difference between mambo and salsa.
Anyway discussions about what's salsa or what's the difference between salsa and mambo are very common among the internet so let's focus on my previous questions :)
It's correct to do the accents or not? as our instructor told us...

hmm the other salseros don't want to talk? :smile:

[center] :dance1: [/center]

[b]O.k., man!

Well, I suppose the girls and ladies prefer the "loose style" concerning hands/arms, because it's a more sensitive way of leading! Often they think this style is also an evident for the man's advanced abilities..., and maybe they are right... ;D

Ou-yeah! I know that problem!!!
In some dance studios the people are taught that the simple "tap left forward, tap right backward" (not steps) is the real mambo style! As agnesita told you, the original mambo style is actually another!
If you want to compare a simple, but similar, style with salsa, then you have to choose "cumbia" (real steps, as in salsa, but often only one leg/foot used) or the advanced "merengue" style (almost only practised in cuba)!

And now to the "accents" (or kicks, like I call them) and the hip move:
It depends on which style you want to use!
In the cuban and colombian style( ou, I love them! ;D ) the accent (and normally the hip move, too) is an important item for salsa. The more americanized salsa (New York and L.A. style) doesn't use this item (and the movement of the hip doesn' t really exist there)!
Well, if you have time, do your accent, man! If you have none, because you have to make a big movement or some complicated figures or turns, then leave it! The kick is a great thing! You can do it in so many different ways, and it gives your dancing more drive!

Ou: The trembling basic steps are great! When you have reached a certain level you want to move your legs and feet more than the normal..., but you know it all, ... I think! :look: Yes, I love it!

C U S:rotate::rotate:N, man, and great that you're active again!
Carlos [/b]

[center] :dance1: [/center]

thank you for your complete answer! :rotate:
it will be interesting to hear other opinions too but I made myself a view about these salsa details.

yeah..I remember we use the terms of kicks and flicks in sportdancing too:) but some of these make part of the moves and not of the accents...anyway it's good you understood what I ment.

:bounce:

Hi,

as far as I am concderned, tension during dancing is always a bad thing. This is true for every dance I know. Leading is done with the body and not with the arms - the arms are just an extension of the body.

You can make the following test. Just hold one arm loose in horizontal position and ask someone to push the arm down. You should be able to hold your arm in horizontal position without using the arm muscles.

The same principle works with the open position in Salsa. The arms can be very loose, but if I push the arm of the follower backwards to lead a back step, she should have this reflex.

Happy dancing

regards Chris I)