Speed Breaks

[DanceMentor]

If you are into martial arts, then a speed break would mean breaking a board that is suspended only between the thumb and finger, meaning you have to strike fast enough to break the board as you strike before the momentum carries the board away, flying into the air.

But we are talking salsa here...
I've noticed that one way to really show the rhythm is to hold the slow as long as you can and then explode quckly into the break.
.... quick quick slooooowww Quick quick sloooowwwww Quick etc.

I'm especially talking about LA Style here. Have you seen this done?

On the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes people tend to merge the rhythms together where all the steps look the same rhytnmically. Using the speed break concept definitely changes that.

Do you like this solution? What else do you do to make a distinction between the slows and the quicks ?(one area that I would expect to be discussed is what you do on the beat that contains no step)

[youngsta]

Yeah I've seen that a lot when I dance in L.A. Usually on the Quick I notice a lot of syncopated foot stylings.

[Salsero_AT]

I think it is not only a matter of steps but also how you do the figures. So when i dance casino i turn the ladies in a continuing motion but in LA style i try to do an quick snap. Also in casino the feel is more a continous motion whereas in LA style the figures are more separated from each other with a pause.

[SDsalsaguy]

What you say about changing up the style/timing of your execution makes a lot of sense Salsero_AT...especially as you want to provide as much continuity as possible in rueda so that all couples are in sync.

DanceMentor, personally, rather then trying to bang out that first quick I try to produce contrast by "oozing" my slows...which is also part of what helps me get the feel and flavor I want out of my dancing. My head talk wouldn't be "Q, Q, S" but, rather, "Q, Q, Ooooze." It's all good though...just different choices and different styles.

[borikensalsero]

In my case I use the upper body to show that quick quick sloooow. I kind of try to give my upper body a floating/slow motion look when going over the low as well as trying to take a larger step if I can.