I went to a salsa social the other night trying to nail down this pattern I learned during the week. I saw 3 guys taking turns dancing with this lady all in the same song! They were all dancing on2 and I just couldn't figure out at what count they were stepping in and stepping out. It was real cool to watch. Wondering if you guys knew how this is done.
How Do Those Follows Do That?
- Thread starter yomimedia
- Start date
azzey
Son Montuno
yomimedia said:
What you need to do is start dancing on the side lines, on time to whatever beat you're going to dance on. i.e. 123 567 (on 1) or 234 678 (Power 2) or 671 235 (ET2). Then when you step in and steal the girl e.g. at the beginning of a CBL you'll already be on time. Stepping out is no problem as it's whenever you've let go of her.. you just keep stepping your basic or turning/spinning away from the girl to the edge.
Salsamakossa
Changui
Very often the guys give the girl a free spin, letting go of her so that the next guy can continue from there, most likely on the 123 following the 567 of the spin, on1. But it can also be done otherwise...
yomimedia said:
If you decide to have a go at it, make sure you are friends with the guy(s) you are stealing the follower from - guys may not take kindly to a stranger interrupting their dance. Also, I've seen a guy dancing with an advanced follower and another guy (more advanced than the first guy) stealing her mid-dance - the first guy waited for the second guy to let her go so he could get back in but the second guy wouldn't give him the chance. The first guy was very unhappy by the end of the song... Make sure you keep it fun!yomimedia said:
Like the above posts said, the first guy has to let the girl go to you. When he lets her go, she can do her usual free-style stuff, like she would if the guy were doing shines. The first guy then steps aside and you come in. No real need to break it down into counting steps - the girl should catch up with you once you step in - that's what following means.
When dancing multiple guys with one girl, there are two types of partner-swap that can occur.
1. Pass - Partner with girl uses a move to pass her to another partner
2. Steal - Partner without girl intercepts a move and steals the girl away.
- I've never yet found a girl that didn't LOVE this sort of dance.
1. Pass - Partner with girl uses a move to pass her to another partner
2. Steal - Partner without girl intercepts a move and steals the girl away.
- I've never yet found a girl that didn't LOVE this sort of dance.
As a follower who has been danced with multiple guys, one suggestion I would make is to listen to a lot of salsa music... whilst brushing your teeth, combing your hair, walking to/from work or school.
It is possibly a simplification on my part, as some people hear different things in music, to say "listen to a lot of salsa music". But, the more you listen, the more you get to know songs/the music becomes more intuitive. Therefore, even if you are not physically moving, mentally your brain is moving and then when the brain tells the body "move", ie step in and take the girl, your body will move and your feet may be where they ought to be in the song.
Also, bear in mind that even though the guys may have stopped dancing, the girl is still moving and you can use her movement/momento as a metranome for you to pick up. Therefore, if she is on a back step with her right foot (unless she is doing intricate shines), then your step could possibly be a left foot forward. If I am counting it out correctly in my head
you would be on the sixth beat of dancing On2.
One of the tips I was given for when dancing (even without changing partners) is that if for some reason you go off beat or have a blank moment, use the guy's movement to get back on track. Similarly, a beginner/improver guy could/should use the more advanced female's movements to get him back on beat/on movement. I do not see why this tip could not work when swapping partners. This is assuming of course, that she has not go on the wrong track herself!
It is possibly a simplification on my part, as some people hear different things in music, to say "listen to a lot of salsa music". But, the more you listen, the more you get to know songs/the music becomes more intuitive. Therefore, even if you are not physically moving, mentally your brain is moving and then when the brain tells the body "move", ie step in and take the girl, your body will move and your feet may be where they ought to be in the song.
Also, bear in mind that even though the guys may have stopped dancing, the girl is still moving and you can use her movement/momento as a metranome for you to pick up. Therefore, if she is on a back step with her right foot (unless she is doing intricate shines), then your step could possibly be a left foot forward. If I am counting it out correctly in my head
you would be on the sixth beat of dancing On2.One of the tips I was given for when dancing (even without changing partners) is that if for some reason you go off beat or have a blank moment, use the guy's movement to get back on track. Similarly, a beginner/improver guy could/should use the more advanced female's movements to get him back on beat/on movement. I do not see why this tip could not work when swapping partners. This is assuming of course, that she has not go on the wrong track herself!