“Just follow my lead…” Sometimes, that’s easier said than done (but makes all the difference in the world, according to Ed Sheeran). Being effective in following a lead means that each partner – both lead and follow – are connecting in the three ways that we covered in the prior three newsletters: to the music,…
In previous weeks, I discussed aspects of the first two types of connection in partner dancing: connecting with the music and connecting with your partner. This week, let’s look at what it means to connect to the floor (which, in the list of three, many take as an expression of my oddball sense of humour)….
Last week, I discussed some elements of the first connection in partner dancing, namely, connecting with the music. Today, we move on to the second connection: connecting with your partner. In a similar way that some people dance to the count in their head rather than to the music, some salsa dancers will dance patterns…
You’ve probably heard me say that, in partner dancing, you connect three ways: You connect to the music, you connect to your partner, and you connect to the floor. And you can’t miss on any of them (especially the floor!). 🙂 In this edition of Mark’s Lead, let’s focus on the first connection: to the…
The best way to learn to dance is to dance. That’s, of course, a truism. Coming to classes is great (just ask our regular students!). But if you don’t have an opportunity to dance “in the wild,” you’ll never really learn to apply the class learning to real music and random partners. But what if,…
Over the past couple of editions of “Mark’s Lead,” I’ve introduced a few ideas about how to experience the lessons and optimize your learning. Today, we’ll continue on that theme with an idea that will accelerate your learning and enable you to quickly advance in your dance skill. Ready for this? Here’s the secret: Learn…
In last week’s Lead, we looked at how the intention of our classes is not so much to learn the pattern perfectly from beginning to end. Rather, our intention is to convey ideas and applied skills that you can incorporate, according to the nature of the music and the skill of your partner, into your…
I will confess that I don’t personally dance all the turn patterns that I teach in social dancing. Moreover, I really don’t expect my students to learn and memorize all the turn patterns that I teach. I will go so far as to say, “Don’t learn the turn pattern!” Such heresy from a dance instructor?…
In the world of Salsa lessons (and with many other styles as well) beginner dancers are keen to take intermediate-level lessons, intermediate dancers are anxious to get into the advanced class, and advanced dancers want to learn the pro tricks. The Pros? They focus on fundamentals and the details of what one would learn in…
One often hears about “Ladies’ Styling” or “Men’s Styling” that refers to various arm, leg, and body movements added to a pattern for enhancing its look. Styling is often considered an “add-on” – an optional bit, usually for more advanced dancers that involves precise placement of hands, an extra syncopated step, a particular hip flare,…