Best Moves

[salsero23]

As a dedicated salsa addict.. ;) .. i've grown a lot over the past 7 months. I've learned some great moves. Partly through super mario and my own concoctions and partly through other videos, clases, and stealing(aka borrowing aka sharing aka you've done it too). I would like to know from salseros and salseras what their opinion of a great move is. Me personally i'm struggling between moves that are complicated and showy..... and moves that are small and share maybe some with the audience, but more with your partner. So would you rather make your partner smile and share a laugh together :kisskiss: or have the audience applaud :applause: ?

[memphis salsero]

If there is one thing that has been drilled into my head since I started it is that salsa is all about the girl your dancing with. My partner and I took a private with Al and Edie in July and they danced to the same song twice for us (Valio La Pena by Marc Anthony) first doing all kinds of complicated turn patterns and the second time doing nothing but cross body leads and right turns, seriously they did not do a single combo. The second time they really danced to the hits and feeling of the music and it looked so much better than the one with all the combos (which is how i had always danced until that point). Besides once you reach a certain level anyone can do any pattern, its just a matter of practicing the mechanics, but not anybody can really convey emotion and interpret music through dance. Thats my 2 cents, I do love some good combos when the follower is an awesome dancer though!

[SDsalsaguy]

Welcome to the SF memphis salsero, and thanks for some great initial posts like the one above! :D

[salcero2005]

If there is one thing that has been drilled into my head since I started it is that salsa is all about the girl your dancing with. My partner and I took a private with Al and Edie in July and they danced to the same song twice for us (Valio La Pena by Marc Anthony) first doing all kinds of complicated turn patterns and the second time doing nothing but cross body leads and right turns, seriously they did not do a single combo. The second time they really danced to the hits and feeling of the music and it looked so much better than the one with all the combos (which is how i had always danced until that point). Besides once you reach a certain level anyone can do any pattern, its just a matter of practicing the mechanics, but not anybody can really convey emotion and interpret music through dance. Thats my 2 cents, I do love some good combos when the follower is an awesome dancer though!

Good point!! Its important too to dial into what kind of dancer the follow is.

[spencer]

true...most of the girls i dance with prefer not to do too many patterns or spins....they just like to dance......and it works well for me too cause i myself just like to feel the music and not try to do too many complicated moves cause 1. i cant remember too many moves and 2. it looks too mechanical :)

[Flex]

I would like to know from salseros and salseras what their opinion of a great move is.

Can be many different things.

I think some of the greatest moves are among the simplest, and so rich and varied is salsa that after many years I still come across some move that's simple, nice and I never saw before.

Or it can be one of those complex knots that amaze both audience and partner and where the follower may think she is not going to get out of it alive, but does.

Or it can be the familiar done very well (which we often forget to do). We do endless cross-bodies, but I can recall two or three followers who do their part so well that a plain cross body becomes a thing of exquisite delight to dance together. Also one follower in particular who has quite simply a wonderful basic in closed hold, with just the right pressures, lightness and timing - can't explain it!

Or it can be a move where you or your partner takes control and does something cute ....

So addressing your question, I'm coming to the conclusion that just about every move can be great depending on the circumstances, the partner, and the music of course.

It might be easier to focus which moves are crap !?.... I'd go for some of those very knotty Cuban moves where to negotiate the follower round some arm-breaking position the lead has to adopt some really ungainly twisted posture.... or some of those acrobatic drops that may bring oohs and aahs from the uninitiated but belong more in the circus than in a dance of grace and beauty...

Your move... LOL!

[Jolinia]

I also like the simpler moves, when I can relax and connect with my partner and enjoy the music without being pushed through one complicated move after the next and can't relax at all.
Also I've noticed that the couples I prefer watching in my scene (and I notice that everybody else is admiring them too) are the ones who seem to have forgotten the world around them and all they perceive are their partner and the music. They don't care about the audience whatsoever. They usually tend to do fewer complicated moves but dance the music, not only to the music.
I guess if you manage to connect with the music and your partner, you don't have to worry about audience - you'll get it automatically (but at that point you couldn't care less).

[chrisk]

I'm with those who prefer to make their partner smile. If I'm dancing with a partner, then I want both of us to enjoy the music and the dance. I don't care if the audience is impressed with the dance or not. But if the girl is smiling during our dance, then I'll take this as sign, that she just enjoys our dance. So I can increase my chances that whenever I ask here again for a dance, she'll say "yes". :)

[sagitta]

I enjoy the smiling too.... :-) THose people do get asked more often by myself.