How To Be A great Salsa Dancer

T

tinman

New Member
Hi All,

I recently took a beginner's salsa class. I really like it, but I would like to be really good at it. What do I need to do to become a really good salsa dancer. Is it videos, private lessons?. Please advise

Thanks
 
Not asking much eh. I would say concentrate on one aspect of your dancing at a time and work on improving that one aspect. Switch your focus every few days or so.
For more in depth advice read the topics in this forum and others.
For practice go out to the salsa clubs and realize it may be frustrating for a while.

My suggestion on the first thing to focus on:
Timing and your basic step.
 
Welcome tinman!

to be honest - you're halfway there! this type of spirited motivation is definitely the one to go for, and will get you a long way...if you keep it up!

of course, you won't be able to dance competitions overnight, but if you keep improving, eventually you will.

to become a 'really good salsa dancer' will take some time...practice, keep attending your classes, dance with many different people, dare to experiment, go to the local clubs, eventually, buy some videos or take private classes (not usually the first step though!), and that'll help you along

meanwhile, make sure to enjoy the process! salsa is wonderful, even if you're not a latino dancing like he's never done anything else! make the most out of leading your ladies through the simple turns, caress the joy you share together in trying out new moves, and experience salsa in its fullest!

glad to have you on board! :banana:
 
Thanks for the quick replies. I have a question about timing. I've only taken several classes, and know the basic patterns and turns. Our instructor have not mentioned anything about following the beat, so we're dancing the same way whether it's a slow or fast song. How do you find the beat?.
 
Practise! Lots and lots of it! :D

Keep dancing and don't give up no matter how many obstacles you have to face along the way. :wink:
 
tinman said:
Hi All,

I recently took a beginner's salsa class. I really like it, but I would like to be really good at it. What do I need to do to become a really good salsa dancer. Is it videos, private lessons?. Please advise

Thanks
Click to expand...

Learn to let go and be one with the music. The trinity of dance is where it is all at. :D
 
there was this really brilliant song that fernando cruz / salsa rythms over here linked over here...he did an excellent job in explaining that basic stuff about finding the beat etc...except i cant find the post anymore :( im sure he can if checks this thread :)
 
I just listened to it. This is very helpful. Thanks everyone. Is there a good salsa music cd that yal would recommend buying?.
 
How well do you know the music? If not that well, I'd say you should listen to salsa and latin music all day every day until it becomes a part of you, until you understand the the clave, the flow, the rhythm and can anticipate it. It's like holy men in Islam, they arent considered an imam until they can recite the Quran by heart, until it is absorbed and becomes a part of who they are. OK, so that's a little extreme, but knowing the music and feeling it inside is the most important thing, I think, the steps and the mechanics are secondary to that.

If you do know the music well, I'll just shutup now (I should really switch to decaf).
 
tinman said:
Is there a good salsa music cd that yal would recommend buying?.
Click to expand...

In three years of DJing, with over 700 cds that I own, I still can't come up with one album that I reccomend over anything else, there are just too many good ones, and the choice is too personal.

If you are serious about salsa, you should go to descarga.com and buy one of their salsa cd "starter packages". You can choose from Cuban, classic NY salsa, etc. You will spend over 100 bucks, but it's worth it, don't strat with just one cd, because then you'll have nothing else and be confused and not know what to buy next. Start with several, and you'll learn faster.
 
djpatricio said:
How well do you know the music? If not that well, I'd say you should listen to salsa and latin music all day every day until it becomes a part of you, until you understand the the clave, the flow, the rhythm and can anticipate it. It's like holy men in Islam, they arent considered an imam until they can recite the Quran by heart, until it is absorbed and becomes a part of who they are. OK, so that's a little extreme, but knowing the music and feeling it inside is the most important thing, I think, the steps and the mechanics are secondary to that.

If you do know the music well, I'll just shutup now (I should really switch to decaf).
Click to expand...
Becoming very familiar with the music is HUGE when it comes to being a really good salsero. And dance with as many different partners as possible, another biggie!
 
if you cant afford all those cd's in the beginning, simply start by listening to the free internet radio bachanga.com

its got channels in salsa, merengue, etc
 
I agree with the above that it's good to know the music(start your own collection!) and to listen to as much of it as possible!

Djpatricio- don't EVER switch to decaf! It's like drinking coffee-flavored water! Besides, we are all more productive from time to time with that great caffeine high! 8)
 
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