Terminology

After reading a post on another site, it prompted me to clarify what " standard " terminology in partnership dance is uniform thru out the teaching world.

TERMS.........



Footwork.. the part of the foot that FIRST makes contact with the floor ( most rhythm dances are Ball - Flat )

Foot positions.... essentially, the relationship of one foot to the other , as in " Fwd, Side " etc

Amount of turn.. the designated amount of turn between steps and the overall figure and is measured between the feet .

CBM.. Contra body Motion.. the rotation of the body in an opposing direction to the stepping foot/leg, and is there to initiate and assist in " turn " .

Sway.. the inclination of the body is normally " Away " from the moving foot and is Towards the inside of turns, and should commence from the ankles upwards .


CBMP.. Contrary Body Movement Position... placing the foot across the line of the supporting foot to maintain body "line " .

Alignment... The position of the foot ( feet ) in relation to the room .


Each and EVERY time we move in dance, some of the above comes into play, and control how, why, where, and when we move .

Did not include" Rise and Fall ", as it is virtually absent in the Rhythm dances .

Thanks. I know some great salsa dancers and instructors that don't use these exact terms. I think as long as the teacher and student understand each other, the technique can be passed along.

What about hand-positions? I see people staring at their hands to check if they're right all the time. If they learned the basic positions they would only have to glance at the teacher to see what position they are in. It's easy to learn when you have a consistent system of naming moves and positions. Not so easy without on.

And the "inside turn" debate.....:tongue:

devane said:

It's easy to learn when you have a consistent system of naming moves and positions. Not so easy without on.

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Sounds like you are a good candidate for Rueda.