Lifts in Salsa [Archive]

DeeplyDippy

07-26-2005, 10:39 AM

I've just done a class wholly devoted to Lifts - not a Dip in sight. In the end, the simplest move was one I and my partner enjoyed the most.

I half-turn my partner, run my hands from her shoulders, down her arms, take her elbows and UP ! :shock:

It's been a couple of years since I did any lifts but I'm starting them again ! Does anyone else out there perform a lift regularly ?

SalsaWinnipeg

07-26-2005, 05:23 PM

Only for my showcases.

DeeplyDippy

07-27-2005, 06:41 AM

Can you tell me more ?

I tried to access the Salsawinnipeg web site gallery but it's down :(

peachexploration

07-27-2005, 07:42 AM

I thought we had some LA Style dancers in the house. :? Anyone home? Suggestions for lifts?

johnnyBG

07-27-2005, 10:33 AM

No, I've done some dipps only!
My instructors make a lot ot lifts, but only in shows

peachexploration

07-27-2005, 11:07 AM

DD, are you planning on performing soon or is this for social dancing?

DeeplyDippy

07-27-2005, 12:37 PM

Social :D

I used to lift until 2 years ago, when I put my elbow out. Now I'm back :lol:

peachexploration

07-27-2005, 12:59 PM

Oh okay. This thread might be a tough one then. :( Most dancers shy away from doing lifts in a social setting. Not that I'm speaking for everyone. I have seen some do it, particularly those who dance LA Style. Mostly, LA Salsa Masters like Alex Da Silva, Jesus Morales and Luis Vasquez, etc... :) Still very rare though.

johnnyBG

07-27-2005, 01:35 PM

In fact, I didn't see Luis to do any lifts here in Bulgaria with Melissa... but they were amazing - the danced 4-5 days non stop!

07-27-2005, 03:53 PM

I haven't done any lifts but I can recommend watching these cracy lifts by Dave Paris. :arrow: http://www.salsaspot.com/archives/video/daveparis.wmv :)

peachexploration

07-27-2005, 03:58 PM

That looks like Caryl Cuizon in that clip. Is it?

07-27-2005, 04:00 PM

That looks like Carol Cuizon in that clip. Is it?
I have no idea, but I found it here :arrow: http://www.salsaspot.com/index.php?menu=5186&

DeeplyDippy

07-28-2005, 02:59 AM

Fantastic clip ! Thanks for posting the link.

One handed lift :D Amazing, the pair of them.

MacMoto

07-28-2005, 04:42 AM

Social :D

I used to lift until 2 years ago, when I put my elbow out. Now I'm back :lol:
Personally, I don't think lifts and aerials belong on the social floor. Lots of performers and competitors use them, but they are done in a controlled environment -- you have the whole floor to yourselves to perform them, and you get to rehearse them with the same partner many times so your partner is ready for them. Things are totally different on the social dancefloor. You have no control of what happens around you. You and your partner may do a perfect lift, and the guy dancing next to you may decide to bump into you, or someone may spill beer on the floor, or a follower free-spins into your partner's airborne leg...

If you and your partner love lifts, perhaps you should consider performing...

DeeplyDippy

07-28-2005, 05:53 AM

I do understand your point and those who think you shouldn't dip on a crowded floor. But I like my dips, tricks and lifts - I'm not called DeeplyDippy because I just like RightSaidFred :D

I believe you can make space for a dip and I've got excellent floorcraft and know when I can lift, turn a lady upside down or have her feet over my head !

However, you're so right about not knowing what the couple next to you are going to do.

07-28-2005, 09:20 AM

Fantastic clip ! Thanks for posting the link.

One handed lift :D Amazing, the pair of them.
You're welcome! :mrgreen:
For one part of the clip he even uses no hands at all, i.e. placing the woman on his shoulders. :shock: 8)
I also agree that lifts can be dangerous when dancing socially and it has been said before here somewhere or maybe at the sister site Dance-forums.com.

DeeplyDippy

07-29-2005, 06:29 AM

I got in a lift last night :D

Dancing with a tiny teacher, I spoke to her during the dance, turned her, grabbed her elbows and straight up to full extension.

Really smooth, controlled return and we both span out. The faces of the people watching :shock: :shock:

07-29-2005, 07:08 AM

DeeplyDippy

07-29-2005, 07:44 AM

I was telling them about it at work - we had an Airplane! moment as we imagined me lifting her up into the celing fan and bringing down a headless body :lol:

marques

12-08-2006, 02:59 PM

This is a old post, but I wanted to give me 2 cents on lifts and tricks during social dancing.

As stated in the posts in this thread a majority of dancers here do not approve of lifts in a social setting and with good reason. I for one have executed neck drops, lifts and various flips on a social dance floor. It is about being aware of your environment and choosing the right lift/trick for the situation you are in. There will always be that unpredictable situations of another dancer coming out of nowhere and bumping you or someone getting kicked by your follower's foot. Unlucky for me neither of this has happen in my 2 years of performing tricks on the dance floor. All and all if you try your best to reduce the risk (practicing the trick in private and waiting for enough room) and go for it! You only live once and you might as well get the most enjoyment out of life.

Here is a article that I have writen about tricks on the dance floor (http://www.salsaindy.com/articles/salsa_tricks.php).

noobster

12-09-2006, 03:27 PM

I occasionally get surprise lifts from leaders. I have to say that I agree with the cranky majority who oppose this.

If you want to do a lift, pick a non-crowded floor and a follower you already know. I really do not appreciate being heisted into the air by a stranger whose degree of strength, skill and caution are mostly a big unknown. I was surprise-lifted twice last week as a total stranger in town on an extremely crowded dance floor, and it was only by some kind of miracle that I didn't accidentally kick anyone in the head.

If you already know your follow, know she approves, and you have the space, go for it. Otherwise, please save it for your next performance.

Jambo

12-09-2006, 03:39 PM

turn a lady upside down or have her feet over my head !.

It would take a very brave man to try that with me :D Too many pies have passed my lips ;)

noobster

12-09-2006, 05:28 PM

It would take a very brave man to try that with me :D Too many pies have passed my lips ;)
Well I'm not particularly slender but I am on the short side (160cm/56kg) so maybe leaders consider it an opportunity. Regardless, I'm not a fan. Sorry for crabby. :evil:

DeeplyDippy

12-10-2006, 02:59 AM

Well I continue to lift and dip away in my social dancing :D

No, I've never dropped anyone and I've never had anyone kicked. It's a matter of floorcraft, of knowing where the other dancers are and how busy the floor is.

Two recent examples. 1. I surprise lifted a friend at the end of a dance this week with a hop / lift onto my hip. Beautifully done, I surprised myself :lol:

2. The legs over head dip is incredibly easy as the lady see-saws over your right thigh. For me, it works best with taller, larger ladies not the tiny ones everyone want to lift and dip.

Jambo

12-10-2006, 05:00 AM

This reminds me of a lovely guy I know (hope he doesn't mind me telling this but I found it funny). He does heating installations for a living and was in a salsa class when a rather well built lady expressed her concerns about a move which involved leaning on him, he is very slender and wanted to reassure her he was stronger than he looked, so without thinking he said 'Oh don't worry about it, I hump old boilers about all day for a living' :o Good job she didn't take it personally :D

DeeplyDippy

12-10-2006, 05:16 AM

'Oh don't worry about it, I hump old boilers about all day for a living' :o
:uplaugh: Very funny :lol:

naturallove

12-10-2006, 02:51 PM

turn a lady upside down or have her feet over my head !.

It would take a very brave man to try that with me :D Too many pies have passed my lips ;)

That's pretty funny-because I'm sure more than enough cake has passed through mine! :D Seriously, this is one reason why a road trip to LA is not high on my list of salsa destinations. A friend of mine went, and she said tricks are pretty prevalent on the social floor. (She loved it, btw.) I, on the other hand, do NOT want somebody I don't know trying out for the Olympics with me as a test trial.

dosvueltas

12-11-2006, 01:09 AM

Another consideration is socially as in with a partner you know or with a stranger. I've seen some truly frightening stuff of dancers actually indiscriminately dipping and doing other crap with dancers they don't know.

There's a lot involved as far as safety goes in these things. Both should know what's going on, the lady should be able to hold various body alignments for different types of dip e.g. sweep-the-floor or death drop, both must have very solid connection, etc.

Danish Guy

12-11-2006, 10:33 AM

Nice article, but .....

IMO lifts doesn’t fit the music, the social floor and the “you can dance with everyone” environment. Try jitterbug in stead.

Lifting / flipping etc in salsa means you have to know your partner really good. If not you might risk the lady fighting the lift, and then you need to use brute force. Like judo it’s easy to throw/lift and control an opponent that go along for it, and a totally different case if the throw are being resisted.

You might be in control having fun with a known partner on the social dance floor: But you may also be the idiot showing off, causing me to hit the emergency break real hard, to protect my partner from being hit. So I don’t buy the “I have never hit anyone” as a valid proof of there was room for the flip.

DeeplyDippy

12-11-2006, 11:06 AM

We've been through this before.

Simply, I believe you're wrong. Lifts can fit the music, can be done with a stranger and can be done safely.

noobster

12-11-2006, 05:12 PM

Sure, I guess lifts could fit the music. I could see a couple punching up the climax of a great song with a lift. And it's true that the less spectacular ones don't require much participation from the follower.

But if you're going to lift a stranger, do her the courtesy of asking first. (And respect her answer! I've been lifted a second time in the same song after yelling "No lifts!" the first time around. Not appreciated. :evil:)

And please don't do it in a crowd.

DeeplyDippy

12-12-2006, 02:53 AM

Oh - I've never thought to ask anyone ...

praecantricis

12-12-2006, 04:44 AM

Just so you know - he's joking. Dippy always checks that dips are OK.

DeeplyDippy

12-12-2006, 05:16 AM

Curse you :lol:

I was on a wind-up there !

sweavo

12-12-2006, 07:56 AM

I was on a wind-up there !

Why, I oughtta...!

Swannie

12-12-2006, 09:49 AM

Apparently there are a couple of guys in my area that don't usually ask :S Not for small lifts anyways.

I've seen them so some pretty scary things - and apparently when asked to "go easy" they just do their normal thing :evil: I think my female friends will soon be refusing dances with them.

As a lead, I don't think I would feel comfortable doing lifts, except as part of a performance. Dips on the other hand, yeah, I want to learn how to do them, but you're not going to catch me doing them until I have had them taught to me by an instructor that has been very clear, and I have practiced them off of the dance floor *a lot*.