How To Be A great Salsa Dancer
- Thread starter tinman
- Start date
welcome tinman. I've been going through this myself, as I only started last year. Some thoughts:
Private lessons in the fundamentals can be very helpful. They will prevent you from developing bad habits. Group classes can teach you patterns and they are great for getting repetitions in what you learned in privates, but the group teacher doesn't have time to correct the little flaws in everyone's technique.
Female private instructors are particularly helpful in teaching you to be a good leader. My main private teacher is male, but it is very helpful to get an expert woman's perspective from time to time.
Don't think that your instructors way is the only way. It's just that instructor's preference as to style. There are lots of other equally legitimate styles out there.
Instructional videos can be good. I got Josie Neglia's big salsa DVD set (www.latindance.com, I think). It's good because it gives you an overview of the kinds of things you'll learn over the next few months or years. It really reduces the confusion, in my opinion. Before I got the DVDs, I felt lost because I didn't know anything other than what they were teaching in the class that month.
Don't give up even though you get frustrated. Some famous salsa person has explained the four levels of dancing-- unconscious incompetence (not knowing what you're dong wrong), conscious incompetence (you see how much you have to learn but it's taking forever to learn it), conscious competence (you do it right if you think about it), and unconscious competence(doing everything right naturally). The conscious incompetence stage is called "Beginner Hell." And boy it is! lol. The conscious incompetence stage is a long one, and I'm still in it. You have to perservere through it. Just keep showing up to classes and at the clubs.
Obviously listen to salsa a lot so you can find the beat naturally and quickly.
Don't get too worried about the On1 versus On2 controversy, which you'll hear about soon enough. Just learn whatever the majority of women in your town want to dance to.
Lots of people talk about feeling the music and being one with the music and all that. They're right, but you gotta walk before you can run, so don't worry about doing that with every song right away. You need some tools in your toolbox in order to really improvise to the music. Even the great improvisational jazz musicians started out taking classes, doing scales, and following sheet music. Your basic moves and patterns are like that.
Be sure to recruit your friends into the salsa cult, we always have to do our part to make the community grow.
Good luck!
Private lessons in the fundamentals can be very helpful. They will prevent you from developing bad habits. Group classes can teach you patterns and they are great for getting repetitions in what you learned in privates, but the group teacher doesn't have time to correct the little flaws in everyone's technique.
Female private instructors are particularly helpful in teaching you to be a good leader. My main private teacher is male, but it is very helpful to get an expert woman's perspective from time to time.
Don't think that your instructors way is the only way. It's just that instructor's preference as to style. There are lots of other equally legitimate styles out there.
Instructional videos can be good. I got Josie Neglia's big salsa DVD set (www.latindance.com, I think). It's good because it gives you an overview of the kinds of things you'll learn over the next few months or years. It really reduces the confusion, in my opinion. Before I got the DVDs, I felt lost because I didn't know anything other than what they were teaching in the class that month.
Don't give up even though you get frustrated. Some famous salsa person has explained the four levels of dancing-- unconscious incompetence (not knowing what you're dong wrong), conscious incompetence (you see how much you have to learn but it's taking forever to learn it), conscious competence (you do it right if you think about it), and unconscious competence(doing everything right naturally). The conscious incompetence stage is called "Beginner Hell." And boy it is! lol. The conscious incompetence stage is a long one, and I'm still in it. You have to perservere through it. Just keep showing up to classes and at the clubs.
Obviously listen to salsa a lot so you can find the beat naturally and quickly.
Don't get too worried about the On1 versus On2 controversy, which you'll hear about soon enough. Just learn whatever the majority of women in your town want to dance to.
Lots of people talk about feeling the music and being one with the music and all that. They're right, but you gotta walk before you can run, so don't worry about doing that with every song right away. You need some tools in your toolbox in order to really improvise to the music. Even the great improvisational jazz musicians started out taking classes, doing scales, and following sheet music. Your basic moves and patterns are like that.
Be sure to recruit your friends into the salsa cult, we always have to do our part to make the community grow.
Good luck!
Salsaonone
New Member
Getting better
Also dance with everyone you can, no matter how good or bad A) you are b) you think you are c) they are D) you think they are...
Also dance with everyone you can, no matter how good or bad A) you are b) you think you are c) they are D) you think they are...
CRO_SalsaAddicto
New Member
Dance as much as possible, with anyone
(better if she is dancing longer than you).
If you are not sure that you do something corectly ask your teacher or take private lessons.
Dance and have fun.
(better if she is dancing longer than you).
If you are not sure that you do something corectly ask your teacher or take private lessons.
Dance and have fun.
MacMoto
Active Member
Keep going to classes. If possible, try different teachers -- you often find each teacher has a different method, and one may suit you more than the other.
Practise between classes. Either find a practice partner or two, or practise with an imaginary follower :wink:.
Dance. Dance with your classmates before/after/between classes, and don't just stick to what you've just done in the class. Go to clubs and socials. The more you dance with different people the better you will get more quickly.
Listen to salsa music ALL THE TIME. Tap the beat with your fingers, clap the clave rhythm, sing along... Immerse yourself in salsa. This helps with getting the beat more than anything else. To get music, ask your teacher for recommendations re. which CDs to get and where to get them. Listen to salsastream.com.
Personally I think you'd benefit more from private lessons after doing group classes and social dancing for a while so you know which aspects of your dancing needs work.
Practise between classes. Either find a practice partner or two, or practise with an imaginary follower :wink:.
Dance. Dance with your classmates before/after/between classes, and don't just stick to what you've just done in the class. Go to clubs and socials. The more you dance with different people the better you will get more quickly.
Listen to salsa music ALL THE TIME. Tap the beat with your fingers, clap the clave rhythm, sing along... Immerse yourself in salsa. This helps with getting the beat more than anything else. To get music, ask your teacher for recommendations re. which CDs to get and where to get them. Listen to salsastream.com.
Personally I think you'd benefit more from private lessons after doing group classes and social dancing for a while so you know which aspects of your dancing needs work.
be unique.. no matter where/what u learn and experience.. soak it up, mix it with your own feel and then dish it out like it ain't no bodies bizznizz 8)
+
style change flexibilty .. so that in any circumstance or scene, u have the tools to deliver .. u are at home.. this is your place,where u do your flow, your thing.. what u do best.. and then show them something they dont know :wink:
+
style change flexibilty .. so that in any circumstance or scene, u have the tools to deliver .. u are at home.. this is your place,where u do your flow, your thing.. what u do best.. and then show them something they dont know :wink:
Keep on attending classes, and start going out as soon as possible, and start dancing with your friends outside class. Then, the next step could be to start inviting, when you feel confident enough, people whom you don't know. For me that was the most important leap. After you learn something new in class, don't lose much time to start practicing it, otherwise you will forget. It is more important to learn a few steps, but well, than learn a lot but do them poorly. Consolidation of your knowledge is a very important thing.
Very important also, but I think that comes with time, is to improve your body language and music interpretation skills, i.e, to try to loose yourself and be able to actually start dancing instead of just repeating patterns.
But if you already are able to invite strangers and leave them pleased with the dance, then believe me you're on the right track.
Tiago
Very important also, but I think that comes with time, is to improve your body language and music interpretation skills, i.e, to try to loose yourself and be able to actually start dancing instead of just repeating patterns.
But if you already are able to invite strangers and leave them pleased with the dance, then believe me you're on the right track.
Tiago
alemana
New Member
make friends with the people in your classes so that you have a core of people to ask to dance. be nice to everyone even when you don't feel like it - you need to build a group of acquaintences you can dance with.
when i started salsa, i misunderstood the whole social aspect of it, and it took me a while to figure it out. now i spend a lot of time cultivating friendships with leaders (people i wouldn't otherwise be friends with, just because they don't have similar interests outside of dancing) so that i always have some friendly faces when i go to a club or party.
and here's a specific one for the beginning leader: do not give feedback to your follower unless you are requested to do so. nothing is more infuriating than a beginner telling you what you did wrong. your job at this point is to smile, learn, give compliments, rinse and repeat.
when i started salsa, i misunderstood the whole social aspect of it, and it took me a while to figure it out. now i spend a lot of time cultivating friendships with leaders (people i wouldn't otherwise be friends with, just because they don't have similar interests outside of dancing) so that i always have some friendly faces when i go to a club or party.
and here's a specific one for the beginning leader: do not give feedback to your follower unless you are requested to do so. nothing is more infuriating than a beginner telling you what you did wrong. your job at this point is to smile, learn, give compliments, rinse and repeat.
Pacion
New Member
Hi tinman and welcome to DF. 
What everyone has said so far is great. May I also add that you have a look at the following threads, and of course, report back :wink:
:arrow: This week's mission, if you choose to accept
(please also see the link for the previous week's mission at the bottom of the first post)
:arrow: "How many strangers can you dance with" Day
:arrow: Sabor's dancing clip :wink:
What everyone has said so far is great. May I also add that you have a look at the following threads, and of course, report back :wink:
:arrow: This week's mission, if you choose to accept
(please also see the link for the previous week's mission at the bottom of the first post)
:arrow: "How many strangers can you dance with" Day
:arrow: Sabor's dancing clip :wink:
Hi All,
Thanks for all the advice and tips. Just letting everyone know that I went to a salsa club this weekend for the first time. Let me tell you, it is nothing like a hip-hop club. I was nervous when I got there, b/c there were so many good dancers, but I had a really great time. I danced with a few people from my salsa class who came out, but for the rest of the night, I was dancing with everyone. Everybody is so friendly, even when I told them that I've only taken a few classes. I even danced with a girl who pointed out what I was doing wrong and helped me with the beat. I'm gonna get a salsa cd this week and listen as much as I can and get ready for this weekend.
Thanks
Thanks for all the advice and tips. Just letting everyone know that I went to a salsa club this weekend for the first time. Let me tell you, it is nothing like a hip-hop club. I was nervous when I got there, b/c there were so many good dancers, but I had a really great time. I danced with a few people from my salsa class who came out, but for the rest of the night, I was dancing with everyone. Everybody is so friendly, even when I told them that I've only taken a few classes. I even danced with a girl who pointed out what I was doing wrong and helped me with the beat. I'm gonna get a salsa cd this week and listen as much as I can and get ready for this weekend.
Thanks
