Where to finish turn?

[Juliskamagyar]

Please excuse this overly simple question.

I just started taking Salsa and Bachata lessons. Lots of fun. I am practicing at home and found this forum.

Curious...when I do a turn, where do my feet end up when I finish? Are they in the same spot as when I started? What I mean by this is...if I drew a line on the floor where My toes started my turn, should My toes end up back on that line or a bit behind it? I find that I am finishing my turns a foot or so back of that starting line.

Also, should my partner move back slightly to give me room to make the turn or does he stay the same distance from me as before the turn starts?

Thank you

 

[fascination]

there are lots of spins and lots of turns....I am not expert in salsa or bachata but I have danced both.....in my experience, generally when a man leads a turn he either rocks back or to the side, and in the ideal world, when I do a turn I do try to end where I started...I am not going to claim that is the absolute correct way...just my experience

 

[Loki]

Might be worthwhile to pull up some instructional videos, Juliska.

 

[Juliskamagyar]

there are lots of spins and lots of turns....I am not expert in salsa or bachata but I have danced both.....in my experience, generally when a man leads a turn he either rocks back or to the side, and in the ideal world, when I do a turn I do try to end where I started...I am not going to claim that is the absolute correct way...just my experience

Fascination, thank you. I will try to return to where I started. I just realized that if I take smaller steps it's easier to return to where
I started...and I have better weight distribution to go back into a basic step.

As for the man rocking back, this is what we do more in Jive but less apparent in what I see so far in Salsa.

Ha..practiced on my own for two hours but felt like 15 minutes.

 

[fascination]

you'll also get better hip action with smaller steps....but, like I said, I am no expert on salsa, I can see how the man's part could simply look like a very subtle change of weight that makes it difficult for a follow to really discern

 

[SDsalsaguy]

As fascination says, there are different spins and turns so there can certainly be differences. That said, for the most part it is important to recall that on any given step (i.e. actual weight change), you can either be progressing or rotating, but not both simultaneously -- that is the body can either be progressing or rotating above the standing leg. As such, for most underarm turns in salsa and bachata returning to where you started is a good default (and what should happen with both a good lead and and matching follow).

(Please do realize, of course, that this is just a default and variations are entirely possible)

 

[tangotime]

Curious...when I do a turn, where do my feet end up when I finish? Are they in the same spot as when I started?

Also, should my partner move back slightly to give me room to make the turn or does he stay the same distance from me as before the turn starts?

Thank you

Turns need to be "spotted " i.e. in place ; as to partners role ,depends where a spin is executed. They may be led from various entries, but the standard spin is best led from a separation break, creating a tad more space between the partnership.

 

[Juliskamagyar]

Thanks for the help. Equally helpful is learning some of the terminology like 'spotted'.
I teach guitar and over time I've learned to listen carefully to what a student is actually asking. I encourage them to read guitar magazines, etc to emerge themselves in the culture. In the same way, I like to go over some of the past threads on this forum and learn the words dancers use in general conversation.

 

[twnkltoz]

If you are landing a foot or so back from where you started, chances are you are back-weighted when you get there. Make sure you are completely upright through the turn and engage your core muscles (pull your tummy muscles in toward your spine and squeeze your thighs together). If you look down when you turn, your butt goes back and that makes your axis lopsided. Slows you down and throws off your balance. And definitely keep the steps small.