How bent are your knees?

[David]

When you dance salsa, do you try to keep your knees bent?
Or do you try to achieve the Latin motion that they teach in ballroom that involves bending and straightening?
How bent are your knees during turns?

Just curious how your dancing is different than in the ballroom approach to Latin with regard to the knees.

[Miami Rueda dancer]

hi David! long time no see! :D Keeep your back very little slouched over almost straight and everything else should come into place :D

[David]

Thanks...nice quote in your signature.
I may not post always, but I am always reading and lurking. I have a salsa class tonight. I will try to think of something to say.

[SDsalsaguy]

Overall I don't think there's any one answer to this since one of the things that makes salsa so great is that there's so much room for personal variation. That being said, personally I do not think of the same flexing and straightening action as I do with ballroom -- I keep my knees more flexed throughout. I'll have to think this through a little more the next time I'm dancing to analyze exactly why *I* do so and let you know...

[David]

Overall I don't think there's any one answer to this since one of the things that makes salsa so great is that there's so much room for personal variation. That being said, personally I do not think of the same flexing and straightening action as I do with ballroom -- I keep my knees more flexed throughout. I'll have to think this through a little more the next time I'm dancing to analyze exactly why *I* do so and let you know...

I keep my knees flexed throughout too (and tell my students the same), but I was curious to see what others thought. I see you are in agreement. :D

[Miami Rueda dancer]

thanks David! Im so proud of my self :) I"m no longer a beginner I passed to Intermediate I now! I only go twice a week so I guess im doing all right :lol: have the most fun possible tonight!

[hopelessly_addicted]

When you dance salsa, do you try to keep your knees bent?
Or do you try to achieve the Latin motion that they teach in ballroom that involves bending and straightening?
How bent are your knees during turns?

Just curious how your dancing is different than in the ballroom approach to Latin with regard to the knees.

What I'd try is to maintain the same height at all times so that I don't create that bouncy look.. I think this is helpful especially when spinning (so maintain that slight bent in the knees during the whole duration of the spin(s)).

My knees are more bent for Cuban style than LA in general. This may be related to the fact that my heels are down more when dancing cuban style salsa.

[squirrel]

I agree with you h_a... :)

When I dance Cuban, I bend my knees more - Cuban feels more "grounded"

When I dance slotted Salsa, I still have my knees bent, but less... :)

During spins, it very much helps... Sometimes I go even lower when I spin (mostly during very fast songs).

[lucretia]

The more cuban I dance....the closer to the floor:D
I can also feel it the following day ...my tights hurts...but it also feels good :D

In linestyle I really don´t know what I do. It is too new to me.

/luc

[hopelessly_addicted]

Talking about thighs hurting afterwards, I don't think anything beats Bachata.. My knees are almost always bent while dancing bachata (and the same with my partner) that I don't have to wait till the morning after to feel the effect of! :lol:

ok... i confess.. im not so fit! only exercise i do is 3 nightes of dancing per week :oops:

[salseralon]

Couldn't agree more with that hopelessly_addicted.

Bachata kills my thighs, but then again i too could be much fitter, guess i'll have to salsa more :roll: .... not that thats a chore :lol: