PART 2: VIDEO LINKS FOR LATIN (INCLUDING SALSA) DANCE LESSONS


Traditionally, dances are categorized as follows: American Smooth (social waltz, viennese waltz, American tango, social foxtrot); American Rhythm (cha cha, samba, rumba, mambo, bolero, east coast swing); the "Non-traditional ballroom dances," which would be the "Social nightclub dances" (lindy hop, balboa, boogie, west coast swing, nightclub 2 step, hustle, salsa, merengue); and then in a class of its own is the Argentine Tango. We are aware of this fact but for the sake of simplicity and to help new dancers easily find a particular dance they may be interested in (without having to know what dances are considered to be American Smooth vs. American Rhythm, etc.), we have grouped all of the "American" styles dances together and will refer to them as "American Social" dances, all of the other primarily "latin" dances will be referred to as "Latin Social" dances. All dance styles in this blog are dances that you see in nightclubs around town.

 LEARN TO DANCE!  Basic steps for each dance included  Over 500 video dance lesson links (updated regularly) As you continue to learn new dances and expand, so will your musical tastes, appreciation for differing musical styles and your versatility as a dancer. There is a whole new world of dancing out there for us to discover. 

INTRODUCTION. If you are starting to learn a dance for the first time then these videos will serve as a very helpful resource tool.  You can learn to dance much quicker by complementing your group dance lessons with these video dance lessons. Similar to your group dance class syllabus, we have tried our best to set these lessons out in the same order that you learn in your classes (or at the very least we start with the basic steps and proceed from there).  

Styling Tip for Ladies and Men. How to get the "groove on" by developing the Cuban motion. Accomplished latin dancers have a very nice somewhat sensual lower body and hip movement when they dance, this is known as the cuban motion, without it,  it is not a true latin dance.  When you develop this cuban motion it will make your dances look more three dimensional and less flat or two dimensional. Contrary to what you might think, the hip movement is really not a conscious move where you lift your hip up, rather it is simply the natural result of straightening one leg, putting weight towards the back of that leg and slightly bending the other leg and moving the weight over to that leg, its actually quite simple once you understand the mechanics. The video bar on the right by Michael Thomas and other instructors have some very good lessons covering this topic.Once you are comfortable and familiar with the basic steps for your latin dances you can then work on the "cuban motion." See  http://www.dancekc.com/video-cuban-motion.html and see also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdUy6NsXZ_E. Later on you can also add more spice to your latin dances by using the soft, flowing hand moves that are also covered in this blog, or as seen in this video by this lady salsa dancer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pJhhAcBH68.

Merengue. Generally 58 to 64 beats per minute. Probably the easier dance to pick up and learn as the footwork is rather basic and simple, although you alternate steps to the count "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight," the KEY to dancing the merengue is to feel as if you are crossing your knees, one going in front of the other when taking your basic steps, this is a natural result of shifting most of your weight on one leg and straightening that  leg and bending the other while taking your steps. Without this "cuban motion" the dance will look like a military march instead. 
Social Cha Cha.  Generally 112 to 128 beats per minute. The cha cha basic step is taught in two different ways. One way is to start the dance by stepping "side to side", the other way is to begin by stepping "forward and back."  For the "side to side" or the basic step see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzJ4QAdNVic and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT2l8kjCYws.  When it comes to club dancing just about everyone dances forward and back, I'm not sure why that is but it may probably be due to space considerations however it would only benefit you if you can learn how to dance cha cha in both these ways (Palladium ballroom dancers will generally do the side to side cha cha which is the International style cha cha).  Bands and nightclubs play a lot of  cha cha tempo music so it would help to learn this dance. Popular cha cha type songs include Carlos Santana's Oye Como Va and Smooth, including the song Sway (by various artists) and just to give you an idea how versatile this dance is you can also dance the cha cha to many jazz standards, also certain rock songs like Mustang Sally. Another very popular cha cha song is "Going Loco in Acapulco" by the Four Tops. NOTE: Dancers can also do bachata dancing to  "cha cha" tempo songs.

 Cha cha tip  for beginning level leaders using the forward and back step: To better aid you from missing a beat or starting off with the wrong foot especially after a turn or spin try counting this way (but do it silently and in your head) the next time that you dance: "1, 2, cha, cha, cha, 3, 4, cha, cha, cha" (or you can count "1,2, cha. cha. cha, 5,6, cha, cha, cha," it really doesn't matter what numbers you use, the main thing is you understand when to turn your follower in whatever count you use.) Naturally the male leader will start with his left foot moving forward on the "1" count and back on his right foot on count "2", etc., this helps because you ONLY turn your follower on the "3 and 4" count (or the 5,6 count if you are counting it the other way that I've described).  GENERAL RULE: Don't turn your follower on the "1, 2" count (it doesn't matter which way you are counting), if you do you will be dancing off of the wrong foot after the turn and the only way to get back on track again is to stop dancing then restart again (you could probably do a syncopation but that would just confuse your partner even more since she already knows you are out of step.) Remember this simple tip the next time you dance and you will never move on the wrong foot again.  This simple and easy to remember tip will also help the beginning level lady dancer to always move on the correct foot after being lead into a turn or spin. NOTE: The lady generally should be stepping back with her right foot on her "1" count immediately after a turn or spin (assuming that your leader is turning you on the correct "3 and 4" count).  RULE: As long as the lady knows where the "1" is during the cha cha dance, she will never misstep.
MARVELOUS CHA CHA MUSIC TO PRACTICE YOUR LESSONS WITH:
  1. Kenny G and Earth Wind Fire, "The Way You Move" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttrRA0hCg5Q
  2. Four Tops, "Going Loco in Acapulco" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weGiFoK4JeI
  3. Pussycat Dolls, "Sway" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFPvKGL69kE
  4. Santana with Rob Thomas, "Smooth" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLaqXOeNlDA.
  5. Christopher Cross, "Never be the Same" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5fuizV-nes
NOTE: "Cowboy cha cha" dance video links have been moved to the "American" social dance page.

Bachata (traditional style). A very useful dance to know because in addition to the traditional latin music, you can dance Bachata to most of the popluar disco songs, rock and funk, this because these types of songs have simple repeating beats or 4 beats to the measure/bar (one, two, three, four, also called 4/4 time). For example Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is," Benny King's "Stand By Me," the Commodores "Brick House" or "Play that Funky Music" by Wild Cherry are all Bachata danceable. Other Bachata danceable songs include Mustang Sally, Take Me to the River and Chain of Fools by the Commitments. Because of its versatility, learning the Bachata can be extremely useful for the club dancer.

 HIP ACTION OR TOE TAP?  Go to a bachata club and you will see a lot more lower body hip 'pop' action by the lady dancers. These latin hips makes the Bachata a very sexy dance. Men will either toe tap, slightly lift a leg, or hip pop, its a matter of style and preference (some teachers say men usually just will tap instead of hip pop).  I think it helps if the man knows how to hip pop and he can decide if he wants to use it or not (or use it every once in awhile).

 KEY TO THE LATIN HIP ACTION: The key to having that sexy latin hip action (it looks like a gentle pop) is to have proper weight shift over a straightened out leg while bending the other. Your weight must settle onto the heel of the straight leg to help generate the rhythmic hip pop for the following move which happens quite naturally as you slightly shift some of your weight over to the other leg during the tap or toe touch. If you really haven't mastered the technique you can just do a tap instead. Like anything else, it takes hours of practice to develop the smooth and natural looking hip action that you see with the better bachata dancers. Done properly it gives the dance its very sexy look. 

KEY: When you tap with a foot, the next step is always with that same foot (if you are just doing the basic bachata step, if you are syncopating or an advanced dancer then it is a different story).
BACHATA TIP FOR LADIES:  Knowing when to establish a tone (soft firmness) with your right hand during the dance will make the leads so much easier for your leaders and for yourself. For example moving forward and backwards, left to right, in place cucarachas or swivels, and half turns are much more easier to execute when there is a nice connection due to the the lady having the right tone, or subtle firmness in her arm.

Bachata Tango Fusion (BachaTango)


"Salsa dancing is not for the faint hearted, although the beginning steps and basic patterns are easy to learn, it is the most difficult dance style to master if one yearns to become an elite or advanced level dancer. There are so many creative and imaginative leads that it may take a lifetime to learn, but it is this challenge and exploration that makes the dance so exciting and rewarding. So long as you constantly seek growth, you can never have enough of salsa dancing because one will never be able to master it all."

Salsa. Lets get dizzy! Generally 104 beats per minute, salsa is definitely not for the faint hearted. Salsa clubs are generally frequented by younger dancers, the probable reason for this is because the dance requires a great deal of energy and stamina, it also consists of many turns and spins (so if you cannot spin you will probably not enjoy this dance). Those who are not in proper dance shape and try salsa for the first time will definitely feel winded and dizzy after one dance, some have left the dance floor in the middle of a song because they have not developed the stamina for it. It has been said that if you can dance salsa, then you can dance to any of the other latin dances, probably so.

Both salsa and mambo dances are based on the clave beat and are so similar that they appear to be the same dance or come from the same origin. Salsa is less crisp than mambo but is more flowing, it is described as hot, spicy and passionate and has more hand tosses, turns and spins and complex moves than mambo (salsa evolved out of mambo and some other latin dances).  Although learning just the basic steps in salsa is not difficult, salsa is probably the most challenging of all of the dances mainly because of the quick tempo, complicated leads, turns and spins. The leads are limitless, or it seems that way anyways. Because it is an improv dance, it make take years to dance well and learn how to play with the rhythm. Salsa is taught here in the islands either "on1" or "on2." 

Salsa conversion: On 1 steps are: 1,2,3,__5,6,7. This is the 6,7,1 steps when you are dancing salsa On2. 

Salsa (as well as Bachata) is in big demand here in Hawaii. Of all the club dances, salsa has the most dancing venues and it also has the biggest turnouts for dance events, this because Hawaii has a very active latin dance following and the audience makeup is cosmopolitan and diverse, salsa also has worldwide dance appeal, this explains why many out of town visitors at the salsa clubs here in town are quite adept at it.

Interplay between salsa and and other latin dances.  A lot of salsa moves can be used in the merengue, cha cha, rumba and the other 'latin' type dances.

Footwork:  Weight is on the balls of the feet (no heel weight) during this dance. On1 - The first step for men is going forward with the left foot, the knee is slightly bent as he puts a lot of his weight on the balls of the left foot, the flex knee action allows him to spring back or push off from that foot to get to count 2 where the right foot moves back.

Arms: Tip for beginning men dancers. 95% of the ladies do not like it when the man is too active with both his arms moving around in circles (i.e. like playing double dutch jump rope in the playground). Dance with your feet and your body, keep the arms more contained.

Salsa: Masters of teaching salsa. Salomon Rivera, Alberto Torres, Josie Neglia, Johnny Vasquez, and Luis Vasquez.
Washington DC Style Salsa Academy's Jimmy Yoon also brings excitement back to the classroom environment, he exudes personality and fun. All of his videos on youtube will keep you totally entertained as he is a natural dancer and very musical, most of his videos contain advanced moves. Another notable instructor is Salomon from the Melody Club in Houston, his moves are extremely creative.

Organizing moves you like may help to get you on the dance floor sooner than you thought possible:  Learning salsa for most men who have never done any other kind of couple dancing before can be a daunting task, the leads you learn in class are complex for any beginner and can overwhelm you. This is one of the problems with pattern teaching for the new dancer, but if the new dancer organizes the moves learned from class, it could help to get him on the dance floor much more quickly. One of the most difficult things about dancing for new leaders is remembering leads. By creating your own mental file folders it may better help you to remember leads when you are out social dancing. For example, keep and file those moves that you like and feel confident that you can execute, and forget out those moves that you don't care for, or which you feel are too difficult to lead. Once everything is organized it becomes easier to dance to your level of comfort and remembering leads by simply tapping into these mental file folders. An example of this would be to file away in one folder, one hand hammerlocks and various exits and in another folder file away two handed hammerlocks and various exits, etc. Having several exits are helpful as it will make your dance less predictable for your partners. Naturally you want to give names to various moves so that you can identify them, most of them already do, but some don't so you'll just have to create your own nomenclature. As you get better over time and learn new moves (i.e. copas, snap outs hip turns, etc.) you begin to add new mental folders to your repertoire. As you improve you will also expand existing folders. When you have ten thick folders for example, you should  be dancing pattern free and you will be able to create your own dance style. As a example of how organization can help the learning process and grasp various dance concepts, you may want to watch this helpful video that summarizes most of the typical spin moves that you'll see in salsa dancing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFomAkoexp8. There is a ton of valuable information that is shared in just this 5 minute clip. In fact if you can master all of the moves in this short video lesson, you should be able to lead someone in a nice easy salsa dance, naturally this is not all there is to salsa dancing but it is a nice start and at least it will get you on the dance floor. Learning to dance salsa will be much easier for the new or beginning dancer if you can master individual moves instead of trying to remember patterns. 

BASICS:
COMMON TURNS AND SPINS

MAN'S SPINS/TURNS

LADY HIP AND SHOULDER SPINS

TEXAS TOMMY 

FRISBEE SPINS

S TURNS
BEHIND THE BACK TURNS

DOUBLE HAND MOVES

CROSS BODY LEADS

SWIMMER or DROP HAND CATCH (with Windmills)
HAND JUGGLES AND HAND DROPS
HAND FLICK WITH PULLBACK
HAND TOSSES
HEAD DRAPES
CROSS HAND MOVES

COPA

TWO HAND HAMMERLOCKS

ONE HAND HAMMERLOCKS


PULLBACKS

WRAPS
CUDDLES

CHECKS AND HESITATIONS

MISCELLANEOUS

Man spin moves:
Men hesitation with Lady shines: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz1hn0CnXU4
    Rotations: 
    Salsa Patterns: 
    Beginning, Intermediate and advanced video dance classes: 
    1.   See: http://www.salsacontodo.com/video2.php (free)
    2.  Sign up for advanced lessons: http://thedancedojo.com/advanced-salsa-patterns/
    3.    Salsa ballroom collection http://ballroomcollection.com/?page_id=79

    Some of Hawaii's top salsa dancers in action:
    Social Rumba (pronounced with a short "o" as in round, or "Raumba"). Timing is "slow, quick, quick....slow, quick, quick."  Generally 120 to 144 beats per minute. 

     HELPFUL TIP: The forward and backwards steps in the box are the "SLOW" steps, the sideways steps in the box are the "QUICK, QUICK" step. Remember this and you should always be in synch with your partner.

     "Technique: All steps should be taken using the inside edge of the ball of the foot. As with all Latin and Rhythm dances, the movement is ball-flat.
    • Your feet should be turned out when all steps are taken. Rather than having your feet completely turned out, such as first position in ballet, create a halfway turn out. Avoid the pigeon-toed look. Also, do not have your feet perfectly parallel, remember to turn out.
      Cuban motion is important for rumba. For beginners, think of Cuban motion as an alternate bending and straightening of your knee. For intermediate and advanced dancers, hips and body motion also come into play, such as the lateral figure-eight formation for hips, stretching the rib cage, and more."
    International style Rumba basic steps, beginning and advanced moves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIc6TQIufL8  Anyone who has taken salsa classes will notice a striking resemblance in the rumba's footsteps.
      The Samba is a very beautiful dance and has its own unique dance steps that rises and falls giving this dance a very nice special look unlike most of the other dances. Generally 104 beats per minute. The step counts are: "a one, a two, a three, a four." The music is quite rhythmic and a very popular song for this dance to is the hit song "La Isla Bonita" (incidentally you can also dance the Hustle to this beat). Another nice song is "Quando Quando Quando."
    Samba footwork and timing practice drills from line dancing: Four Basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiyHflCSBxA MUST SEE. SAnd see also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV_Mc5wNAMQ (bota fogos and voltas) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpgmtzQBBow (samba walks, circular)

     Brazilian Zouk. 
    American style or social Tango. Different dance from the Argentine Tango. Generally 120 to 132 beats per minute. Basic dance step is "t..a..n..g...o"  or "slow, slow, quick, quick, slow."
    Basic Argentine Tango. Argentine tango is totally different from the American and International ballroom tango. "Argentine tango is an improvisational dance based on the four building blocks of walking, turning, stopping and embellishments. The dance is like a puzzle that gets put together differently each time. Women and men bring their own styles and embellishments to the dance which contribute significantly to the excitement and unpredictability of the experience." Read more: http://www.tejastango.com/beginning_tango.html
    Mambo. Generally 188 to 204 beats per minute.

    Bossa Nova
    Bolero. Generally 96 to 104 beats per minute. 


    Another video link on the basic dance steps for several dances can be found at http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Dances/ (these dances are "International style," which becomes obvious when you watch the body movements in all of the dances, it is still helpful if you focus in on the rhythm and timing and watch the footwork for these dances.

     Another video link for more Social or American style dances, see http://www.dancintime.com/videos.html

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