Salsa in Huntsville, Alabama

How to be a good social dancer

I thought I would share with you what it takes to be a good social dancer (salsa world).

There a folks that will not take a dance class unless they have a partner and some will take
the class regardless whether they have a partner or not. Just like in everything, there are
pluses and minuses. I am going to discuss one aspect and that is "dancing with everyone".

When you are learning without a dance partner and is rotated in the class, you are learning a
very important lesson, following for the ladies and leading for the men.

Let's first look at the MEN: When you are rotated in the class you will notice how EVERY
woman 'feels' different from each other. Some understand to keep their arm tension
consistent and others are just learning it. As you ecxecute the moves, you will notice who
'follows' correctly and ones that are not there yet. What does this do to you? It makes you
understand that you as a lead must be patient and consistent. This also tells you that even
though you are leading correctly, some will not be able to follow due to lack of experience
and training.

WOMEN: The reverse is for you. As the men take turns dancing with you, you will "feel"
how EVERY man leads differently. Some are very light, some are too strong, some are
getting good. What you will observe also is that once you understand what you need to be
doing, you will be able to "feel" what the lead is and will be able to execute the move with
ease. Rotating the men gives you the opportunity to practice "feeling" the lead and not
anticipating or trying to take over.

This same concept MUST be applied when you go dancing. Men - dance with as many
ladies as you can. You are not helping yourself by dancing with the SAME person all the
time. Your "leading" skills will not grow as fast. It is almost guranteed that your dance
partner will eventually back lead you because she will know all of your moves.

Ladies - Your "following" skills will not be as sharp either if you keep dancing with the
SAME person all the time. Dancing with diferent dancers enhances your skills and you learn
other combinations. Your "following" skills will be sharper as you dance with more dancers.

So one key of becoming a good "social" dancer in the salsa world is "dance with other
dancers".