Newbie questions

D

Darti

Changui
Hello! I decided write this topic because i love salsa and want dance better but cant find answers for my questions. I need some hints from everyone. Sorry for mistakes :(

I live in big city but we have not too much salsa schools. Most of them dancing casino. It is strange for me but on any club party that i see people dance LA. I tried LA, NY and casino and chose LA.

In my first school was only practice. Every lesson we just learn new combo. It was really hard but cool. After short time i knew some combo but still cant dance it on rhitm. I thinking too much about my salsa future and decided grow to very good level. My problem started from this.

First problem was partners. From time to time some girls leave school and new come. New girls dance only spins. For good dancers my skill was not good enough. I write message to different social networks and find only one girl.
So we decided learn togather. She missing many lessons but anyway we learn 2 simple combos. From this time i looked many videos on youtube and understood that my basic movements are very bad. In parallel i began looking for another school. I was in many dance schools and find another one. Now i am between 2 schools.

At first school
"+": lesson is 2 hours, only combo practice, many attention for you, good atmosphere, hard combos.
"-": few girls, usually 2-3 and many boys 5-6. People always changed, no "old" dancers. Some movements are strange, i cant find it on youtube and girls on party from another schools dont know them. But in my school these movements base of all combos.

At second school:
"+": no strange movement, many girls, good solo footwork, many attention to basic movements
"-": lesson only 1 hour - 30 min warming-up (solo footwork) and 30 min combo training. Too many talking about theory. No attention for you. No good combo. Tense atmosphere.

I like teachers from both schools. Their technics and movements. I compare them with other good dancers from youtube and yes it looks same.

Now problems. I practise 2 months in first school and 2 months in both, five days (7 hours) per week. But still cant dance because i have bad basic movements and cant dance combos. In first school girls said me "apply a force, you dont lead", in second "dont apply a force it is wrong". Movements has some differences in both schools and teachers scold when i do "another school style". I really dont know who is right and it is really stop me.

Practise. I dont have enough practice. When we learn new movement i need to do it many times. If i turn girl 10-20 she is becoming with red face. Usually newbies disappear after good training. If i will practice on party nobody will dance with me. All what i can is footwork in my home and i do it everyday.

I dont know, is i need quit one of school? or maybe just leave all as is. Or maybe find personal teacher? But how i know is he good teacher? And salsa social dance is teacher helps me? Or maybe dance only with my cat. Do I have to go to parties? I know only 2 simple combo and my bad basic movements it is enough only for one 1 minute of song but party is much longer... So I will be glad to hear any comments. Thanks.
 
1. Go to school, where teachers often social dance and are considered by community excellent social dancers.
2. Social dance community always know, who the good teachers are. Talk to good dancers from your scene. Better several, because everyone has their own preferences.
3. Second school (from your description) sounds better - some theory is needed and footworks are also needed for your development.
4. "Strange movements" and complicated combos after few months of lessons does not sound good :(
5. Do not listen to beginner follows advice - it is usually wrong.

Keep in mind - few people can dance after 2-4 months, even if they take lessons 5 times a week ... So, be patient, find a good teacher you trust and take a few privates to check what you already learned ...
 
Darti said:
Hello! I decided write this topic because i love salsa and want dance better but cant find answers for my questions. I need some hints from everyone. Sorry for mistakes :(

I live in big city but we have not too much salsa schools. Most of them dancing casino. It is strange for me but on any club party that i see people dance LA. I tried LA, NY and casino and chose LA.

In my first school was only practice. Every lesson we just learn new combo. It was really hard but cool. After short time i knew some combo but still cant dance it on rhitm. I thinking too much about my salsa future and decided grow to very good level. My problem started from this.

First problem was partners. From time to time some girls leave school and new come. New girls dance only spins. For good dancers my skill was not good enough. I write message to different social networks and find only one girl.
So we decided learn togather. She missing many lessons but anyway we learn 2 simple combos. From this time i looked many videos on youtube and understood that my basic movements are very bad. In parallel i began looking for another school. I was in many dance schools and find another one. Now i am between 2 schools.

At first school
"+": lesson is 2 hours, only combo practice, many attention for you, good atmosphere, hard combos.
"-": few girls, usually 2-3 and many boys 5-6. People always changed, no "old" dancers. Some movements are strange, i cant find it on youtube and girls on party from another schools dont know them. But in my school these movements base of all combos.

At second school:
"+": no strange movement, many girls, good solo footwork, many attention to basic movements
"-": lesson only 1 hour - 30 min warming-up (solo footwork) and 30 min combo training. Too many talking about theory. No attention for you. No good combo. Tense atmosphere.

I like teachers from both schools. Their technics and movements. I compare them with other good dancers from youtube and yes it looks same.

Now problems. I practise 2 months in first school and 2 months in both, five days (7 hours) per week. But still cant dance because i have bad basic movements and cant dance combos. In first school girls said me "apply a force, you dont lead", in second "dont apply a force it is wrong". Movements has some differences in both schools and teachers scold when i do "another school style". I really dont know who is right and it is really stop me.

Practise. I dont have enough practice. When we learn new movement i need to do it many times. If i turn girl 10-20 she is becoming with red face. Usually newbies disappear after good training. If i will practice on party nobody will dance with me. All what i can is footwork in my home and i do it everyday.

I dont know, is i need quit one of school? or maybe just leave all as is. Or maybe find personal teacher? But how i know is he good teacher? And salsa social dance is teacher helps me? Or maybe dance only with my cat. Do I have to go to parties? I know only 2 simple combo and my bad basic movements it is enough only for one 1 minute of song but party is much longer... So I will be glad to hear any comments. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Very tricky and I fully sympathise with you. The problem is that it is difficult for a beginner to know who the best teacher is and comments from others may have a background agenda. At the end of the day you shoukd go with the one that you feel suits you best. Personally, if I could affort it (time and money wise) I would go to both schools and keep trying. Also definately go to parties. They are even more important than lessons sometimes. On other points:
- leading: yes apply light force but not with your arm but with your body movement. Example, cross body move in LA (with actual leading), when you open the way for her on 123 to go through, you break fwd on 1 with the left, step on the spot on 2 and rotate 90deg ACW to step away from her with you left foot on 3. That stepping away with your body will create tension between your left arm and her right arm as well as your right arm and her back. No need for any extra pulling or pushing or strength. That feeling of slight tension is all is needed for her to get the lead/signal and cross for 567.
- basics: casino basics are essential for knowing how to step on time. Mambo (fwd/bwd) LA basics will increase speed of patterns but always keep the principle of stepping on time. Then even if you don't do complex patterns the ladies will be ok dancing with you. In other words don't do anything "offensive". Keep it simple at the beginning. It may sound "boring" but ladies may dance again with a "boring" beginner guy but not with a beginner who is a "hazard"!

Good luck!
 
Darti said:
Hello! I decided write this topic because i love salsa and want dance better but cant find answers for my questions. I need some hints from everyone. Sorry for mistakes :(

I live in big city but we have not too much salsa schools. Most of them dancing casino. It is strange for me but on any club party that i see people dance LA. I tried LA, NY and casino and chose LA.

In my first school was only practice. Every lesson we just learn new combo. It was really hard but cool. After short time i knew some combo but still cant dance it on rhitm. I thinking too much about my salsa future and decided grow to very good level. My problem started from this.

First problem was partners. From time to time some girls leave school and new come. New girls dance only spins. For good dancers my skill was not good enough. I write message to different social networks and find only one girl.
So we decided learn togather. She missing many lessons but anyway we learn 2 simple combos. From this time i looked many videos on youtube and understood that my basic movements are very bad. In parallel i began looking for another school. I was in many dance schools and find another one. Now i am between 2 schools.

At first school
"+": lesson is 2 hours, only combo practice, many attention for you, good atmosphere, hard combos.
"-": few girls, usually 2-3 and many boys 5-6. People always changed, no "old" dancers. Some movements are strange, i cant find it on youtube and girls on party from another schools dont know them. But in my school these movements base of all combos.

At second school:
"+": no strange movement, many girls, good solo footwork, many attention to basic movements
"-": lesson only 1 hour - 30 min warming-up (solo footwork) and 30 min combo training. Too many talking about theory. No attention for you. No good combo. Tense atmosphere.

I like teachers from both schools. Their technics and movements. I compare them with other good dancers from youtube and yes it looks same.

Now problems. I practise 2 months in first school and 2 months in both, five days (7 hours) per week. But still cant dance because i have bad basic movements and cant dance combos. In first school girls said me "apply a force, you dont lead", in second "dont apply a force it is wrong". Movements has some differences in both schools and teachers scold when i do "another school style". I really dont know who is right and it is really stop me.

Practise. I dont have enough practice. When we learn new movement i need to do it many times. If i turn girl 10-20 she is becoming with red face. Usually newbies disappear after good training. If i will practice on party nobody will dance with me. All what i can is footwork in my home and i do it everyday.

I dont know, is i need quit one of school? or maybe just leave all as is. Or maybe find personal teacher? But how i know is he good teacher? And salsa social dance is teacher helps me? Or maybe dance only with my cat. Do I have to go to parties? I know only 2 simple combo and my bad basic movements it is enough only for one 1 minute of song but party is much longer... So I will be glad to hear any comments. Thanks.
Click to expand...
I agree with WOL. It's hard to know who is a good teacher. When I started dancing I went out a few times and then asked the dancers whose style I liked best who they had taken lessons from. that's how I found my first really good teacher.
 
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Buy a private lesson from the instructor at the second school. Oh and go social dancing!

Also, sometimes less is more!
 
Continue to practise more by yourself as well, if you cant find a partner to practise with. Focus on technique! That being said have a look around for an instructor which you like his style, body movement etc, seems that you have found them! It's the only intication that he trully grasps the core concept of salsa, if you don't like what you see, then how on earth will he be fit to teach you, to be a better dancer! :)Consider having some pravate lessons with them, focusing on your shortcomings! On the other hand If you have the proper leading and the lady has the proper following technique then you wont straggle when you go our social dancing! A basic missconception in salsa, is that everyone can dance and should be able to dance with everyone! But thats not the case, and find it a bit silly! Its like saying that you can throw someone with a yellow belt in karate in the ring with a black belt karate guy, and expect him to hold his ground! My point is don't get discouraged if you can't dance with everyone, find people you're comfortable with, and sooner than you realise, you will improve over time and excell at it!
 
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