Salsa variation techniques

Ok. I posted this already on salsaforums, but this forum is pretty active so I'm posting it here too. Apologies for the annoyance.

Anyway, I'm 3 weeks away from teaching a salsa class and I'm thinking about structuring it around variations. Basically I want to show a few techniques to take moves that the students already know but change them somehow so they appear to be new moves.

I used to have a decent list of methods to tweak moves, but I've lost it, so I'm looking for some more methods to moves, especially beginning or intermediate level ones. Here are some examples of variations that I can think of for an example. So do any of you do any variations of moves you already know? I'm looking for concepts that can be applicable to a wide variety of moves.

So can you guys help me out? Here are the tweaks that I have so far just to give you an idea:

Beginning/Intermediate

• Changing the hand hold. There are 7 basic hand holds, and a few more advanced ones like twisted hands. Some of these can lead to opportunities to wrap the girl up, which is nice for a beginner follower.
• Turn her in the opposite direction (if she knows the turn.)

I really can't think of any more beginning tweaks than this. I'm trying to remember what I do to make moves more fun for girls who are just beginning. I generally do the same moves they know and change hand holds. To them just changing hand holds provides enough variation to make it interesting. I also lead all of the moves they learned, like side steps and back steps. I don't teach them new concepts until they get used to the various hand holds and become comfortable switching up moves on the fly.

Intermediate/Advanced

• Try to do/start/finish the move in open/closed position.
• If there is a wrap, wrap around the girl's neck, waist, shoulders, or over her head.
• If one if your hands/arms goes over your head or to your shoulder try putting it on the other shoulder instead.
• split a move in half and do something else on the other half
• Simplify a more complicated move
• Cross the slot before/during/after the move
• Take out the Cross Body Lead from a move that usually has it.
• Stop her before she can finish her complete 1 1/2 or single turn
• turn around and lead behind your back
• lead the move with her shoulder, waist, hip, knee, chin, or other body part.
• Walk her up or down the slot
• Lead a move you know from a different place. (Instead of a CBL w/ inside turn, lead her past your right side w/ a left 1 1/2 turn.)
• Add flicks

Advanced

• Try to do the move with one hand.
• Add a guy's turn to the move.
• Redirect her. (copa)
• Combine two moves. (combine a guy's left 1 1/2 turn with a cross body lead.)
• Do the move backwards. (Inverted CBL; backwards Angel/Titanic.)
• Add a turn before or after the usual turn (double hammerlock or zipper)
• Continue/extend the motion. (Turn a 360 into a 540, or keep your motion going so you spin.)
• Walk down the slot/chase her/go around her so when she finishes a normal move, you are in an unusual place.
• You move instead of her. (Try to do a CBL but instead of moving her, you move around her while she does a 1/2 left turn.)
• Steal her thunder. Set her up for a move, but do it instead of her. (If you know what a titanic or angel is, you can steal the move from her. Start with L over R hand hold, lead her into a CBL while you do a single left turn. You'll end up with your back to her in the guy's titanic/angel position.)
• Combine variations (copa into an outside turn)

I'm kind of guessing at the levels. Some will be intermediate/advanced depending on the move you tweak.

Variations In a Salsa Class

Teaching absolute beginners any sort of variation while they are struggling to learn their first hold or move or turn pattern will confuse them. And you will waste a lot of class time sorting it out when they could be spending that time mastering the first iteration. Allow your beginners to learn and get comfortable with the move or hold you are teaching. When they have it working reasonably well, then maybe, maybe show them a variation.

I've taken too many classes where the instructor quickly runs through the move they want to teach, then they start showing endless variations of that move before the class has learned the first one. The leaders usually zone out after 30 seconds, one can actually see the faces change. Information overload or instructor ego? That is not a place where you want to go.

Better have your people execute a few turn patterns very well than muddle and stumble through a pile of half learned patterns and variations.

Stucture your class in a progressive way. Teach them moves that you will combine into a turn pattern first, then combine them later in the course. Teach them more moves that are somewhat related to the first turn pattern you have taught, so your students can see some sort of connection from what they know to what they are learning as you combine them into another turn pattern.

Your students will get more time on task working with the moves and the turn patterns you are teaching. And, they will gain confidence that will keep them coming back or keep them on the scene enjoying salsa.

Most of what you are proposing in your class are things that I would use if I am choreographing a routine for show or prepping a competitor, not for a social dancing class. One wants to see confident leaders who can stay on time, lead well and execute what they know confidently. It will also keep the leaders coming back for more. Confuse them and they will quit or move to another instructor.

Remember that most leaders are male and male learning curves tend to be much longer than the follower's learning curve. If the leader cannot lead, nothing happens. I remind my students of that and I ask the ladies to be patient as the men are learning. The ladies are most accomodating on that point. Again, I would rather see them doing a few things very well than stumble through a pile of things haphazardly.

If your class - especially the leader - knows enough moves to mix and match them into different turn patterns, then show them variations. But if they have to learn the move *and* combine it into a combination, choose one way and stick with it. Your students will love you for it as they will walk away with something they can use and it is clear in their mind.

When they are ready, the variations will come on their own. And if they are comfortable with you, they will come back to you for variations.

Do take any student feedback seriously, as they have identified barriers to learning that you may not have seen. It will make you a much better instructor if you choose to continue teaching.

Good luck for your first salsa course.

No no no. Why do you assume these are beginners? This is definitely not a beginner's class. It's a crash course for students who have been with us for a few months already.

I really don't want to teach them to make their own variations. This is more of an introduction to variations. I just want to introduce them to the idea so their minds can start working on the problem over the next few months and they can be ready for another class that will teach them how to tweak their moves themselves. My plan is to teach a pattern composed of moves they have already learned from the weekly classes, then show them variations of those moves.

I want a list of variations to put on my website and give them the link to my website. That way when they are ready to create their own variations they'll have a place to go and find them later on. I might even give them some handouts that list some of the simpler variation techniques.

So, please let's stay on topic.

Variations....

Your post did not specify the level of dancer your upcoming class will address.

Be sure to specify the level of dancers who would benefit from your class in any description you send out or post.

Intermediate or advanced level dancers will appreciate and will have the technical skills - repertoire of moves and turn patterns - to work with the material you are proposing to teach.