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Occasionally one runs into the idea that dance is “therapeutic” and can make you a better person off the dance floor in certain ways: more “in the moment”, more expressive, more spontaneous, more social, more confident, more creative, etc. This is a nice thought and for my part I would like it...

I’ve noticed something interesting in my time as a dancer: some instructors are adamant about what they call “cuban motion”, by which they mean the bend/straighten mechanic of the knees that propagates to the hips and ribcage when stepping properly in salsa (obviously far more to it than this...

Trying to figure out my sizing. Should the toe touch the end of the shoe or should there be some space? When you’re trying shoes on what’s the sign that it’s “right”?

Suppose I wanted to make a claim like: “all partnerwork moves are variations of the same handful of moves (where move = follow’s footwork): CBL, right turn, left turn, inside turn, outside turn, copa, enchufa…” and so on. My question is: is it possible to break down ALL partnerwork move into...

I have seen this in enough combos that I was curious if there was a name for it. Basically, it’s 1.5 traveling turns to the left, but it starts two counts earlier than a standard inside turn: so on count 1 if dancing On2, and on count 3 if dancing on1. So it’s -almost- like a copa or enchufa in...

Long story short, I auditioned for a student performance team for the first time and it's pretty clear I just ever so barely made the cut (shortage of leads). Without IDing myself, the dance company is led by a very famous dancer (no brag, he was kind to let me on the team) and it's an honor to...

What are some novels or movies that people have run into that include salsa as an element of the plot in some way? It’s always fun to see. Some examples that come to mind: - In the Heights (obviously, though arguably should have had more bachata focus) - West Side Story (sorta, in the song...

A missed opportunity to popularize the genre

I know NYC is legendary overall, but to be honest I don't know the breakdown within NYC (for both studios and socials). Yamulee is in the Bronx, Adolpho's midtown, but other than that I don't know the actual lay of the land. For what it's worth I'm looking to be within commuting distance of West...

Anyone trying to use COVID to work on different solo dancing goals? For me I've always been weak at spinning so I'm trying to use the time to build up to a clean triple.

I’ve been on a kick with these lately... some of my favorites are Sonido Bestial, Mayeya, and Clasiquenado con Ruben. Any other favorites?

Seems timely to have that discussion. For awhile I inclined towards saying yes, but I'm wondering if it's time to re-evaluate.

From taking classes in different studios, I’ve heard a few different descriptions of the cross body lead. Which one do people here most agree with? Here are the options I’m aware of—timing is given for On2. 1) On the proper count, give a gentle push (if closed position) or pull (if closed...

In several of the studios I’ve been at, they adopt a “combo of the day” approach, where every class session they work through a particular combo. The downside of this approach is that it leads inevitably to backleading: guys won’t get it perfectly the first time, so the follows will, with...

Earlier I had a private lesson with an instructor who teaches NY Style On2. I asked him what tips he had for converting my On1 moves to On2, as I’ve just started learning On2. He said that there were *no* differences, you just shift over the counts (2 becomes 6, etc.), and if you were watching a...

I've been hopping around different studios in my dancing career, since some of them are better at different things. E.g., some teach connection well, some are great with shines, some are good at musicality, etc. However, sometimes they'll teach clashing technique (e.g., different hand hold...

Lately I've been taking classes on2 at two different studios after doing on1 for a few years. In both studios (both from very reputable instructors), they advocate not giving much of a prep, or any prep at all, for inside and outside turns. By contrast, in my on1 classes, a big emphasis has been...

I'm trying to cull together a routine I can practice by myself (every morning, in line for the bus, wherever) to improve various aspects of salsa technique. Are there any other salsa fundamentals that one could reasonably practice by oneself without a partner? Body Isolations (focusing on...

Over time, I've learned how to make new combos out of existing moves that I know. All I need to think about is: I know the current move I'm doing ends in position X (e.g., a right-to-right connection, a hammerlock, etc.), and I know 10 moves that begin in position X, so I can make a new combo...

Fascinating article, for any math/science types. Summary: the clave rhythm is the only rhythm that uniquely satisfies a certain set of elegant mathematical properties, which might help explain its great popularity...