Help! Cross-body turn where the guy turns lead's head under

[mellody43]

Ah, the plight of the virtually untrained salsa dancer -- I don't know how to describe this move, but the lead turns her head under the lead's arm while doing a turn. I am having real trouble with this one -- I get sort of dizzy and lost looking down! Help!

If you watch this clip, you will see them do one of these moves a few seconds in:

http://www.solosabor.com/videos.html
Sandy Lazo on her birthday - video #5.(first image)

What can I do to keep my balance together during this move?

Thanks!
Melissa

[SalsaGeek]

Practice on spotting. Keep your head up and spot.

[borikensalsero]

This particular move she refers to the lady is looking down at the floor. I have no idea what to tell you mellody. All I know is that I used to get dizzy either looking down while spinning or looking up. Now I don't get dizzy. I think I just go used to it. Being a lead I don't even think I can point in any direction. I'm at lost on this one...

Perhaps feeling the lead of his hand and gently following it to where-ever it takes you. I just have no idea Mellody. I'm sorry.

[mellody43]

Thanks for trying, both of you! I can do 7-8 normal spins and spot fine in that scenario, but it's the turning the head down that really goofs me up. argh. I guess I just need to keep doing it!

Thanks,
Melissa

[peachexploration]

Perhaps feeling the lead of his hand and gently following it to where-ever it takes you. I just have no idea Mellody. I'm sorry.

I watched it several times and practiced it. Boriken is right. (as usual :D ) She has to depend on the lead's hand for direction. If you look closely, you'll notice that his hands never really loses contact with her body. Yeah, you can get pretty dizzy doing that if the lead is not there. :bouncy:

[SDsalsaguy]

OK, I did not see what I think you're talking about in that video clip, but it sounds to me like you might mean (what I call) a neck roll. If this is it, I know that you are far from alone in having trouble with this...

The best I can offer is that you should try and isolate the two elements of this move -- the cbl and the turn. A cbl, by deffinition, is prgressive. Here's where I think a lot of problems tend to creep in... make sure you progress first and *then* turn! I'm not sure what style you dance but, assuming LA, here's how I'd break it down [Warning: this in *not* the textbook version, just one way I have been able to explain it to thers in the past. Use at your own risk and YMMV]:

1,2,3... back, rock, froward progressive step (i.e. *not* together on the 3)
4... pause (as in feet paused with the body continuing to travel forward over your right foot)
5... progressive step forward, pointing in, towards your lead (NOTE: this directional shift shouldn't be an aotomatic one but, rather, should ensue from the felt pressure of the leads arm it rolls up your back, to the base of your neck, and starts to loop inwards, towards him -- this is also the point both Boriken and Peach are noting, the leads arm should, ideally, never lose contact with the follow. Your visual cues will be messed up because of looking down, so constant hand pressure as you rotate [coming up] provides you a tactile cue instead)
6, 7, 8... complete a pecil turn on your left foot, ducking your head only as much as you need to to clear the leads arm--and *not* crouching down(push off your right foot, bring it in tight to your left one, ankles touching, but with weight always over your left foot as you rotate, finsihing this way as you bring your head back up so that you're ready to take your back rock on your right foot as normal).