Migrating from the classroom to the dance floor

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Poppa-Stylez

Hey Guys,

I started salsa/bachata classes not too long ago, and instantly got hooked in. 2 weeks in, i checked out my first salsa club and knew this was for me. I've always loved (urban) dance, i just moved to a new city, and thought it was the perfect way to meet friends doing what i love.

Now, the classes have been great, I've learnt a lot, and I've met people along the way... But I'm DYING to get into the clubs. My teachers have all told me that's where the real learning/practise happens. A couple of weeks ago, i headed out with a few friends that are far more advanced than me, and attempted my first social salsa dance. It was a massive shock. The dance floor was so packed, i had NO room to move, and was using my partner like a battering ram. Initally, i thought maybe that was normal, till i looked around and noticed everyone else skillfully navigating their partner across the dance floor. I also noticed that the music was a lot quicker, and my foot work was all messed up. After about a minute, i got intimidating by all the dudes around me spinning their partners like spinning tops, where the most i could do was a traveling inside turn.

So what I'm asking is, how do i transition from the classroom, where i've got all the room in the world, and people on the same level as me, to the dance floor, where i have no idea what skill level the girls are at and i have to dance on a packed dance floor? I don't want my dance partners to have to wear a helmet everytime they get on the dance floor with me!

A bit of background as to what i'm doing now...
- I just completed intermediate 1 of bachata, and feel relatively comfortable social dancing Bachata with girls i know... Only done it a few times. Yet to ask a stranger.
- I'm about half way through intermediate 1 of Salsa. Girls in my class keep dropping out and new ones keep joining, so to be able to form social ties with some of these people to head out to clubs with is near impossible, because none of them stick it out.
- One of the girls in my Bachata class asked me to do private salsa classes with her and an instructor, so we could both get to a level where we'd feel comfortable in a social surrounding. We had our first class last weekend, and will have our second this weekend. They're going well, but she's pretty busy and doesn't really have time to practice during the week.

Help!
 
No no, lol. I got told that you've got a much smaller area to work with, but i felt like a penguin, waddling around the dance floor taking tiny steps, while other couples just seemed to work their way into clearances effortlessly.
 
Poppa-Stylez said:
No no, lol. I got told that you've got a much smaller area to work with, but i felt like a penguin, waddling around the dance floor taking tiny steps, while other couples just seemed to work their way into clearances effortlessly.
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I know the feeling. I visited a salsa club in Portland one time and was blown away by some of the women who were twirling like tops on a very crowded dance floor. I don't think I've ever seen dancing like that in Seattle.
 
Crowded dance floors are not unusual. You do have to learn to dance is a small space. You can also defend your space as long as long as you aren't dancing wildly out of control. Establish a dance slot and stick to it. That way the people around you know where you are. Leaders have a responsibility to protect the follower. You have to keep your wits about you. Finally, simplify the dance patterns. I make of point of dancing at the edge of the dance floor so I am not surrounded by other dancers.
 
Your forum name is awesome!

Number 1 will be to take small steps. This helps not only with crowded floors but also with faster music.

In the "cross body lead" move, seek to exchange places with your partner rather than to lead her past you. This keeps you compact as a couple on the dance floor.

Get your eye in for what others are doing on the dance floor. Once you know a certain number of moves work on recognizing the early stages of those moves when watching others. Then you can start to spot when someone else is going to take a piece of floor nearby, or when they are likely to vacate it.

Remember that a few simple turns in close hold are still fun if you're relaxed and you hold her confidently and respectfully. You don't need to be like a couple of tasmanian devils attached by a rubber band to have fun on the dance floor.

Finally, enjoy the journey! The goal is an illusion, the journey's everything!
 
Well I think:

1) Good on you getting out into these social dancing environments asap it will reap huge rewards for your dancing rather than just sticking to classes until you feel 'ready to launch.'
2) No using your partner as a battering ram :P The first priority when dancing is your partner's safety and enjoyment, in that order. So focus on developing awareness of the dancefloor, where others are, and doing your best to keep your partner protected. Even if this means breaking time, or a pattern or making a stiff lead, if it stops her being bashed or stood on, she will thank you for it.
3) Watch other dancers on busy floors and how the leads are constantly checking about themselves to see where others are AND where they are likely to be.
4) Don't feel it's a competition when you are out. Sure some people think they are somehow Gods because they have studied Super Mario until they saw double and can reproduce ad infinitum. Real dancers, however will be nothing but encouraging to new people on the scene and trust me, if you learn good leading habits now, and can lead a nice, stylish inside turn and cross body, you are on the path to a very good place.
5) Keep your dancing small, small emphasises control and precision. Sure when you get more space, fill it. However that technical finesse you gain from small, accurate steps will contribute well to your style when you make it bigger!

Good on you getting out to those socials, keep going! You will soon form social contacts wth the faces you see there regularly. Dance with as many different follows as possible, it takes bravery I know, but go for it!
 
Firstly, thanks everyone for making me feel welcome, and for all the tips and suggestions! I've taken a lot of them onboard, and gave them a try last night, at my first proper social night. It was a social night sort of sponsored by my dance school, so i knew a few of the dancers, which made me feel a bit more comfortable.

The good news is, i had a ball! I got a fair few dances in, and got to practise some of the suggestions mentioned here. I found the good thing about dancing with absolutely beginners, is they just want to practise the extreme basics. This gave me the chance to practise watching the dance floor around me, which really benefitted me. There was a lot less of the whole "using my partner as a wrecking ball", although there was the occassional bump here or there.

I think my main problem at the moment, is that i don't really enjoy salsa music at all (sorry!), and have trouble finding the beat. I used to do a lot of urban dance, with rnb music that had an obvious beat, but the salsa music last night, i just couldn't interrpret. I'm gonna have to listen to more salsa, and just practise my basic to it. Get my timing right. I just wish i could enjoy the music more!

Anyway, once again, thanks for the warm welcome and tips. I've taken them all on board!
 
Poppa-Stylez said:
I think my main problem at the moment, is that i don't really enjoy salsa music at all (sorry!), and have trouble finding the beat.
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Do you not like salsa music because you can't find the beat or do you really not like the music? Would you listen to it just to listen to it without any dance involved like listening while driving?

I am a firm believer that you will never get the dance if the music doesn't just resonate with you. The dance experience will be purely mechanical and not enjoyable.
 
Welcome to the forums Poppa-Stylez!

In regards to salsa music, a lot of it really is acquired taste. It's like many things, I used to hate mushrooms but now love them, I used to not enjoy certain seafood but now can't live without it. I feel much the same with Salsa music.

When I started dancing, I didn't really enjoy salsa music, but now I realise it's because I hadn't developed an ear and appreciation for it. I can pretty much guarantee that after a while of listening to it and especially dancing to it, you will develop an appreciation for it, and you may end up loving it. It's complex music, and extremely rich, and takes some getting used to the different instruments and its interpretation.

If you persevere with learning the percussion elements of the music you will start to develop amazing rhythm. Having a hip-hop background will also give you an advantage in musicality with the dance over time.

Glad you've discovered this addictive dance!
 
Well, i didn't actually realize there were genres of Salsa, and i think it's the genre that was playing last night that i really disliked. My instructor today said the music was more catered to cuban salsa or something (i'm only doing on1). There are a few salsa songs that i'd listen to in the car while driving, but not many... Yet.... But here's the thing. I didn't really like bachata when i first heard it either, but now, Bachata is probably one of my favorite genres, because i can interpret the music with movement. I can hear a song and imagine how i'd dance it. I can hear it switch. I'm hoping it will be the same with Salsa.
 
Poppa-Stylez said:
My instructor today said the music was more catered to cuban salsa or something (i'm only doing on1). There are a few salsa songs that i'd listen to in the car while driving, but not many... Yet....
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I think, that's a good start for getting more into the music and some day enjoying it as much as most of us here do. If you like to hear some suggestion from our members about salsa tunes that you might enjoy as well, feel free to start a new thread in 'Salsa Music' and ask for your suggestion based on a sample of songs that you enjoy to listen to.
 
Awesome! I'm exploring the salsa music forums now. It just seems like salsa is such a broad range of music, that the stuff i'll enjoy listening to will never actually be played in a club.
 
Poppa-Stylez said:
Now, the classes have been great, I've learnt a lot, and I've met people along the way... But I'm DYING to get into the clubs. My teachers have all told me that's where the real learning/practise happens. A couple of weeks ago, i headed out with a few friends that are far more advanced than me, and attempted my first social salsa dance. It was a massive shock. The dance floor was so packed, i had NO room to move, and was using my partner like a battering ram. Initally, i thought maybe that was normal, till i looked around and noticed everyone else skillfully navigating their partner across the dance floor. I also noticed that the music was a lot quicker, and my foot work was all messed up. After about a minute, i got intimidating by all the dudes around me spinning their partners like spinning tops, where the most i could do was a traveling inside turn.
Click to expand...

One thing that I used to was practice (by myself) taking small steps. I even set up a tightly proscribed area of floor to practice on at the gym (borrowing step aerobic steps, I think) and tried doing my figures within that area. Likewise, there's no reason you can't simply practice to faster salsa on your own, to get more comfortable with it. I realize that's not the same thing as actually leading a partner on a crowded dance-floor to fast-paced salsa, but it's something.

A real general and obvious rule is that

I am a little worried about the next time I go dancing in a tightly packed club setting, as I am getting spoiled by traveling wherever I want at dance studio socials. (I probably need to practice exercising more control at some of those socials.) Hopefully my real life club dancing skills will come back.

I know it's easy to say, but try not to worry about not leading super-complex moves. Believe me, I understand the social pressure to do learn how to lead such moves, but I think it makes far more sense to get certain basics down as a beginner. Also, there are some fantastic followers out there who aren't even particularly into being spun a zillion times. Expressiveness, flow, connection are all more essential to the dance than complexity, in my opinion.
 
Jag75 said:
In regards to salsa music, a lot of it really is acquired taste. It's like many things, I used to hate mushrooms but now love them, I used to not enjoy certain seafood but now can't live without it. I feel much the same with Salsa music.
Click to expand...

I've told this story before, but--

I positively disliked salsa at one point, years ago. Then I ran into the Puerto Rico Day Parade in Philadelphia, and having some floats with salsa bands on them, barreling down the street at me, timbales blaring, actually made me warm up slightly (to neutral, maybe--or neutral plus some curiosity). But once I started dancing to it, and particularly once I got out to a club and saw other people, who could actually dance, dancing to it, there was a dramatic shift in how I heard the music, and I now liked it. That first experience of hearing salsa in a club probably clinched it for me.
 
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