hook turn

[Jack]

For some reason this turn has been trying for me to learn, I can't seem to get around on 5.6.7.Guy's any thoughts? THNX

[Sagitta]

Hook turn turning with your partner, or hook turn with partner in place and you turning? Hook turn as part of a move combination that you are trying to do, which could be causing problems? Often a problem with a certain move is created a couple of beats before that move, or the beat or two before in terms of setting oneself up for it.

Bend those knees is a piece of general advice I always give and follow.

[Jack]

Sagita, the hook turn is solo usually having the lady do a right turn" outside turn/ exhibe, on 567, as I do a hook turn to the right on the same beat, its all part of a combination.

[Sagitta]

Wait a moment. Are you talking salsa, casino, here or swing? You just said "exhibe"!! :?

[Jack]

It is Salsa Sagitta..........

[Sagitta]

Okay.

Just try doing the outside follower turn and your hook turn in concert from the basic. If you can do that without a problem then perhaps it is the moves that precede this move that are creating problems. If you still are having difficulty, then can you do the hook turn by yourself when your partner is just dancing in place? If you can then perhaps you have an issue with your hand hold and arm movement with your partner. If you cannot rotate your hands easily in each other that could be a problem. You can also try doing the hook turn solo, without holding your partner. This is how I usually figure out what is wrong.

If I can do the hook turn by myself, that's good. Next is hook turn with partner dancing in place, then hook turn while follow is also doing a turn. Let us know if you have figured out at what stage you are having difficulty. You really should not progress to the final until you can do the other simpler hook turn moves.








If you cannot do a hook turn, you should work on that first.

[youngsta]

Jack the key to the hook turn is your shoulders. When you hook your right behind your left (don't over do it here, keep it nice and tight) on the 5 push your weight down into the floor. Now when you turn on the 6...ALL shoulders man! Don't try and force yourself around with the hips or feet. You'll find when you DO get it, it will be a piece of cake. Trust me, the hook turn was the bane of my salsa existance for a little while! :D

[Jack]

thanks,
to aLL

[Sagitta]

What youngsta says is true. A difficulty that many beginners have is moving their feet and not their bodies. By using their shoulder they are getting additional assistance to turn, plus moving their whole body around.

[ino]

I also have one more tip for the hook turn. I picked this up in martial arts and applied it to dancing and it works quite well. When u do the turn, spin on the balls of your feet. This might take a lil time to get down, but when you do get it you'll find your spin to flow a little more. If you let your heel touch while you hook turn then you'll feel yourself shifting and you won't be in the same place u started. Try it and tell me what u think. Hope this helps. :D

[MapleLeaf Salsero]

Jack the key to the hook turn is your shoulders. When you hook your right behind your left (don't over do it here, keep it nice and tight) on the 5 push your weight down into the floor. Now when you turn on the 6...ALL shoulders man! Don't try and force yourself around with the hips or feet. You'll find when you DO get it, it will be a piece of cake. Trust me, the hook turn was the bane of my salsa existance for a little while! :D

I agree with youngsta´s advice. I took a men´s styling class for several months and my instructor explained the hook turn it in the same way.

[D-spot]

For any spin, male or female, single or multiple, build it up slowly.
For something like a hook turn I start with walk around turn, turning on all three steps and then introduce the spinning on the ball of the foot. As long as you can do the walk around turn then if balance is a problem when spinning on the ball you can easily drop back into the more stable walk around turn. Done this way you don't need to spin all the way on the ball, just allow the degree of turn to build up as your confidence and ability grow. Also a useful fallback position (pardon the pun) if you're dancing on really bad floors (rough concrete, different materials, grass, sand, whatever) as you just lift your feet up as necessary.
To move onto multiple spins, you need to be able to spin at least once on the ball of the foot, the second can then be a walk-around if necessary, again building up to ball of foot spins.
Easy peasy, pudding and pie.
KISS

D-spot

[Jack]

Hook turn is starting to crank up guys thanks for the input, to me its kinda a weird turn I was getting crossed up w my legs but I have it now.

[Sagitta]

Great Jack. Glad to see that you're on your way. :D

[volleybgrl]

I always thought the motion for a turn (or any spin for that matter) should be generated from the thighs being tight together and not from any upper body motion. Also, aren't the shoulders always supposed to be in line with your hips? I found that, though it's cheating a little bit (but let's call it styling), spinning on your left heel makes a WORLD of difference. Really pausing on 5 helps to not only square yourself to spin, but it also adds a nice effect to it. Let me know how it goes :)