“Dear Edie, I love Salsa and I love dancing it. The only problem is that I can’t do a lot of moves. I know how to dance it a little bit and I look all right but I want to get better . I always watch other people dancing and I want to learn more moves but I don’t know how. I do all the same moves all the time. I have a partner that I kind of learned a lot with . We dance together all the time and we practice other moves that other people do. I would like to be a professional Salsa dancer one day. That is my dream. I’m going to Puerto Rico for Christmas to see my family. My cousin is going to take me out . I’m going to try and see I can learn some new moves there. I would love for you to help me out and give me some more advice on how to learn to be a professional. I live [city] and they do not have that many clubs and a lot of Salsa dancers out here.”
– Turnless
Dear Turnless,
First of all, if you’ve decided that fancy turns will be your very own Salsa style, than so be it. Let there be no limitations in the Salsa/Mambo Kingdom. However, you must keep in mind, that Salsa is not about fancy turns and tricks. It is simply listening and moving to the feeling and spirituality the rhythm brings to your heart, mind, and body. There are some people who prefer NO turns. They just love the feeling and sensation of the music coupled with holding another human being close. Don’t ever think that women will not enjoy dancing with you if you don’t do all those fancy turns. On the contrary, fancy turns stress a lot of women out. Believe it or not, most women would prefer simplistic, rhythmic, stylish moves over complex turns that could cause an injury.
But, if you still want to learn more turns, and you’re not having much luck picking up new turns at clubs, nor finding good instructors, then I suggest you buy or rent some west coast swing and ballroom videos from a local ballroom studio. They are chalk full of fancy turns and tricks. You can taylor them to suit your Salsa street dancing style. There have also been many times when my partners and I have just simply “made up” turns while joking around on the dance floor. Having a blast with friends, and uninhibited playing around on the dance floor sparks TONS of creativity. You’d be surprised what you come up with if you and your partner just let your minds and bodies go wild …
Happy Dancing!
– Edie, The Salsa FREAK!!
Edie The Salsa FREAK!! Website
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