The Complete Guide to:
Salsa from the Start
Volume I
This page shows the complete guide.
For a briefer description with just the sections and topics,
click here.
INTRODUCTION
GUIDE: HOW TO USE THIS DVD
SECTION I: INTRO TO SALSA TIMING, STEPS, AND PARTNER DANCING
1. Basic Timing of Salsa
Music is based on 8 count
Stepping is on 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
2. Two basic rules of salsa
First rule of Salsa Dancing: Always alternate your feet
Second rule of Salsa Dancing: Always take three steps in a row, and then
pause one.
3. Stepping anywhere
Stepping in place
Walking anywhere
4. Other ways of counting
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
"L, step, step, R, step, step"
"L ... R"
5. Matching your partner’s feet
Third rule of salsa dancing: Always match your
partner’s feet
Men start with L foot, and so women with R foot
Dancing together matching feet and keeping timing
6. How to count
Men count, “1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7”
Women count may not count with numbers, but instead “R, step, step, L,
step, step”
7. Listening to the music
clapping 1,2,3,5,6,7
dancing demo staying on beat
8. Learning to hear the beats
clap just the tempo (speed of the music) (all eight 8 counts)
picking out the first count of each measure (“1” or “5”)
dancing demo using just four counts instead of eight
distinguishing the “1” from “5” (picking out the true “1”)
9. Keeping your feet with the music no matter what
Turning around in place (both ways)
Doing very simple moves and finishing with feet
matched
What to do if one person gets off beat – how to get
back on beat
It is the leader’s job to find the beat in the music. And it is the
follower’s job to match the step of the leader.
Ultimately, both the leader and the follower should always maintain their
feet in sync with the music. But it is common practice for the woman to adjust
to the man’s beat regardless of who may accidentally get off beat.
10. How to hold your partner
Open position
Keep tone in arms
Closed position
Three points of contact
1. Man’s right arm around woman’s back (around her
L shoulder blade)
2. Woman’s left hand resting on man’s right
shoulder
3. Man’s right forearm on woman’s left upper arm
Close-up of closed position
Foot position (man slightly offset to left) so that you can dance closer
SECTION II: THE BASIC STEP
1. Demo of “Mambo Basic” and Intro to Basic Steps
2. Forward and Back Basic (“Mambo Basic”)
3. Men’s step
Forward, In place, Return (1,2,3)
Back, In place, Return (5,6,7)
Close-up of footwork
Demo to music
4. Women’s step
Just swap two measures from man’s part:
Back, In place, Return (1,2,3)
Forward, In place, Return (5,6,7)
5. How footwork fits together
6. Neutral Position
Close-up of woman’s footwork (side angle)
Instead of feet always coming together, have the right foot about a half
foot length in front of left foot (for man and woman)
this is position at start, and on every 3 and 7 count
Close-up of man and woman doing basic (side-angle)
Both man and woman have right foot in front of left for start, etc.
Also, man’s feet should be offset a little bit to the left so you can dance
closer
7. Small steps are KEY
looks bad
can step on people
too hard to keep up with fast music
step with always a little bit of overlap
8. Demos of Basic Step with Music
Woman step only (side-angle)
Men and Woman together (side-angle)
Stay in your own space
Don’t take large steps
SECTION III: BASIC RIGHT TURN
1. Intro to right turn (with Demo)
2. Footwork for right turn
turn split into two halfs
one complete turn
3. Close up of footwork and some more details
underturn – land left foot behind right foot
turning on the spot
4. Close up Demo with Music
5. Timing in partner dancing
You turn when you step forward with your left foot. So:
Men turn on 1,2,3
Women turn on 5,6,7
6. Demo of timing for men and women turning from the basic
SECTION IV: WOMAN’S RIGHT TURN (LEADING AND FOLLOWING)
1. Intro to leading
2. Variation #1: L-R from open position
Timing of lead
Arm and hand connection and technique
3. Variation #2: R-L from open position
Timing of lead
Arm and hand connection and technique
4. Variation #3: from closed position
Timing of lead
Arm and hand connection and technique
5. More technique
Woman’s free arm should not hang down
Be able to grab hands without looking
Exercise # 1
Without looking, do the following:
L-R, WRT
R-L, WRT
SECTION V: MAN’S RIGHT TURN
1. Variation #1: R-L under hands
maybe have to duck
2. Variation #2: L-R, switching hands behind back to R-R
adjust hands during 5,6,7, or:
switching again back to L-R during on 5,6,7
3. Variation #3: R-L, switching hand behind back twice
switching to L-R (on1) and back to R-R (on3)
Combo # 1
Basic
R-L:WRT
MRT passing under R-L
Combo # 2
Basic
L-R:WRT
MRT switching hands behind back and then switching back to L-R
Combo # 3
(Basic)
R-L:WRT
MRT switching twice and immediate R-L:WRT
SECTION VI: CROSS BODY LEAD
1. Intro to XB (with Basic Demo)
Called “Cross Body Lead” because the woman walks across man’s body
This move swaps positions of man and woman
2. Overview of footwork
3. Man’s footwork in detail
1 – forward
2 – step to the right
3 – open up to the left
5 – in place
6 – in place pointing in ending direction
7 – back to basic position
4. Woman’s footwork
1 – regular basic step of 1
2 – regular basic step of 2
3 – regular basic step of 3
5 – forward (just very slightly further than regular basic step of 5
6 – forward and about ¼ to the left
7 – step back finishing ½ turn to the left
5. How footwork fits together
6. How to lead it and follow it (seven minutes long – lots of important
technique here)
Men should keep their left arm out so that woman doesn’t get pulled toward
you (during 2 and 3)
Make sure that man steps to right on2
Line out from man’s right foot should only be crossed by woman on5
If from closed position, woman back should maintain contact with man’s
right palm on3
Just before on5, give woman pretty strong tug to lead her forward
Not too light and not too strong
But almost all people initially don’t lead this move strongly enough
Like being helped up out of a chair – woman’s tone in arm
Lead will pull man a little bit in opposite direction
7. Variations
Variation #1: From closed to closed position
Variation #2: From closed to open position
Variation #3: From open to open
8. Different man’s footwork depending what position you finish in
Going into CLOSED position
Going into OPEN position
First shown just as close-up of man’s footwork
Then shown man and woman together
9. Cross Body for woman is just like walking with turning around
Women should never launch hips or feet in front of their bodies. Instead
they should keep underneath their body when walking across.
Combo # 4
XB closed to open position
L-R:WRT
Into closed position & XB
Combo # 5
XB closed position to open with WL sliding down MRforearm
R-L:MRT & pick up L-R on7
XB
SECTION VII: HAND SWITCHES
1. Intro to hand switches – why we do hand switches
2. Variations:
Variation #1: L-R:WRT and switch to R-R on7
Variation #2: R-R:WRT and switch to L-R on7
Variation #3: switches on3 and then do WRT
3. Don’t squeeze down on woman’s hand
4. Variation #4: with R-R pick up L-L below on3 and WRT
Combo # 6
XB (closed to open)
L-R:WRT switching to R-R on7
R-R:WRT
Pick up L-L below on3 & WRT
basic
double female head comb & basic
SECTION VIII: HEAD COMBS
1. Basic Demo
2. How to do woman head combs
3. Timing of woman head combs
Woman head comb on1, catch on3
Woman head comb on5, catch on7
4. Male head combs
Man head comb on1, catch on3
Man head comb on5, catch on7
5. Woman must let man lead and not anticipate head combs
6. Combining head combs with WRT
R-R,L-L:WRT and then comb woman on1, catch on3 and repeat
On 5,6,7 you do WRT to substitute a woman’s head comb
How to distinguish leads between two moves
Exercise # 2
R-R,L-L:WRT to get into move
Woman head comb (1,2,3), and either:
WRT (5,6,7)
or
woman head comb (5,6,7)
repeat above move
7. Mix and match head combs
Start of how to improvise
8. Man head comb to get back into closed position
R-R,L-L:WRT and male head comb and into closed position
Very important
9. Man head comb and end sequence with XB
L-L man head comb into XB
Woman modifies third step to keep contact with man’s right palm
Combo # 7
Switch to R-R on3 & WRT
R-R Mhead comb on1, pick up L-L on3, & WRT
L-L Mhead comb on1 and XB
Combo # 8
1. Closed position XB into open R-R position
2. pick up L-L below on3 & WRT
3. XB
4. L-L head comb & XB
5. R-R head comb & XB
6. L-L head comb & XB
7. simul man & woman head comb & basic
SECTION IX: LEFT TURNS
1. Basic Demo
2. Basic footwork and timing for men & women
3. How footwork fits together when dancing together
4. Leading Woman Left Turns
Variation #1: lead with R-L releasing
Variation #2: lead with R-L releasing and L-R following over head
5. Male Left Turns
Variation #1: L-R over head
Variation #2: L-R switch to R-R (on3) & to L-R (on5) behind back
Variation #3: L-L,R-R:MLT with L-L going over Mhead on3 and R-R going over
Mhead on5
Combo # 9
WLT
MLT with hands going over head
Combo # 10
WLT
L-R:MRT / WRT
MLT with hands switching twice
FINAL COMBO
Combo # 11
1. XB closed to closed
2. XB closed to open L-R
3. L-R:RE:WRT
4. MRT
5. L-R,R-L:WLT
6. Switch to R-R on3 (with smooth arm loop) & WRT
7. Head comb / basic
8. Head comb / head comb
9. MLT with all hands over Mhead
10. XB
11. XB double man & woman head comb & XB
CLOSING
DEMOS
Demo # 1
Demo # 2
Demo # 3
Demo # 4