Feed: Learn the Rhythm of Salsa - AggScore: 75.6

Its one of the things you need to have when you’re learning how to dance salsa. If you can’t connect with your partner, you can’t tell her what to do. If she can’t connect with you, she can’t really listen to you. I’m not talking about listening to your words. I’m talking about listening to your body language. You can learn more of this with practice, while taking salsa dance classes or watching salsa dance videos.

So how do you get a good connection?

Its all in your frame work.

Try this.. Stand facing your girl with your your palms together. No.. Not with your palms together.. With your palms together with the girl’s palms. Now push the girl ever so gently away from you. The girl should push back with even pressure so that her arms don’t move.

Congratulations! You’ve experienced some connection!

Now take the girls hands into open position.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about.. do this. take your hands and put them palm to palm like you’re praying. (You do pray don’t you?) Now move your hands apart about 1 foot and relax your fingers so that they curl in a little. Have the girl make puppy dog hands like when a dog begs and have her place them like hooks on your hands. Now push the girl away again. The bottom of her palm should press against the back of your fingers. She should be able to push back so that her arms do not move back.

Now pull the girl girl towards you. The hook that she makes with her fingers should allow her to pull on you so that her arms don’t move.

Now push—- pull—— push—- and pull for a while until you get a good connection. (This can get fun) This kind of connection allows you to tell her to go away from you ( like she’s no good ) or pull her back towards you (like you want her again. )

When you push or pull the girl, don’t be too rough.. And girls don’t push or pull too much either! Don’t be rough.. You wouldn’t be rough with your mother would you? Let’s not get your mother into this. Let me just get back to teaching you how to dance salsa. Shall we?

Try this next. Its something that you’ll use often. Take the girl in open position, but now just hold her right hand with your left hand. Back Break on your left foot while she back breaks on her right foot. As you step away from each other, you should see some tension build up in your arms. If you don’t, guess what? You’ve just lost your connection.

Let’s see what may have gone wrong..

The girl may have extended her arm. Her arm should NOT be straight as you back break. It should have a slight bend to it.
The guy may have extended his arm. Your arm should NOT be straight either. If you both keep a slight bend, you’ll naturally create tension. Try it again and feel it. This tension is good. Feels good right? The tension creates a strong connection and will add momentum to your moves. This tension also tells the girl that something is coming! Got that girls?

Now step back towards the girl and try it again. But this time give her a little push with your left hand. Yeah.. now your talking to her and learning how to dance salsa. Learn more by taking salsa lessons, in salsa classes or salsa dance videos.

Sources: http://www.salsa-dancing-addict.com/how-to-dance-salsa.html