1) Outings and Socials – we still have a few events in the next week for you to go and practice your moves and learn some new moves.  Our big TDS Holiday Party takes place this Saturday Dec 18th at 8:45pm at Acrobat Lounge.  A beginner and intermediate lessons are available from 9-10pm where you will learn fun new combinations and meet new people. There will be performances by the TDS Pro Team, the TDS Student Team and the TDS Reggaeton Student Team to get you motivated and inspire you.  We also have our last social of the year on Sunday Dec 19th at Empress from 6-9pm.  We will then be off for 2 weeks and resume socials on Jan 9th.

2) Salsa clubs and practices – there is a salsa club open every night of the week.  Some of them even offer free lessons at around 9pm before the crowds get there so take advantage.  My favourite clubs are Babaluus in Yorkville, Lula Lounge for live music, Acrobat and Alley Katz.  There is also a Toronto Salsa Practice every Saturday at a downtown church so take advantage of these great events and dance, dance, dance.

3) Record yourself – before you forget all the moves you learn take a camera and record yourself doing these moves.  That way you can play it back and remember how to execute the moves.

4) Watch youtube videos – youtube salsa videos are super inspiring and, while it is difficult to learn from a small clip, it will still get you listening to music, watching dance moves and thinking about salsa

5) Practice on your own or with a friend/partner – practice at home if you are not yet comfortable going out.  You can practice your basics, turns, cross body leads, shines, body movement, styling and musicality.  You can also purchase our beginner DVD and work on your moves with the DVD.

Hope you keep dancing during the holidays!

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Yes it could be you or them. Maybe this person is a great stylist but not a great leader/follower. They could look great because they have the body movement, flare and style to enhance any dance. However leading/following habits are separate skills and you can be great at one and not so great at the other. That is why sometimes you will dance with someone expecting them to be a beginner and end up being pleasantly surprised by their skills – because maybe the leading/following is a lot stronger then their styling skills.

So yes it could be you or them. But more likely it is just a simple case of chemistry (or lack thereof). Some people you just click with on the dance floor. They may not be at your level, you may not even personally like them, but on the dance floor it is magic. Others, you just can’t get it right, no matter that you are friends or that you look good together or any other qualifying aspects. I guess it is similar when it comes to choosing a partner off the dance floor. Chemistry is very personal and there is no rhyme or reason.

Will this change with enough practice with that person? Maybe. My experience is that those I don’t gel with I almost always will never be able to gel with in the future. The only exception is if I wasn’t matched skilled-wise with the person and then either he or I was able to catch up and then we could dance well together. However this scenario is not about chemistry – it is about being on the same playing field.

I am sure you have all had instances of chemistry failure – please share!

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Part 1:

What will make you become a better salsa dancer faster – learning with a partner or learning on your own with a variety of rotating dancers and students? This is the question I get asked often and everyone has an opinion.

The truth is that it depends on the person, the effort and the situation. There are pros and cons in each scenario.

I was lucky to experience both scenarios. My first year of dancing was on my own. I went salsa dancing nightly and, while I had my favourite people to dance with which changed monthly, I didn’t have a main partner. This was an excellent experience in my opinion. I learned to follow every type of lead – whether the lead was gentle or firm, the timing on 1 or on another beat, the Cubans, the Columbians, those from Chile and Ecuador, those who danced LA Style, New York Style, it didn’t matter. When you dance with 20 partners a night 7 days a week you get to be very versatile. I got to know my preferences, get inspired constantly by new dancers and I was always left with the feeling that dancing was always fresh and new.

After the first year of salsa I wanted to complete and perform and obviously this can’t be done unless you get a dance partner. It worked out that I met a dance partner at one of the local clubs and he had the same goals as I did.

Although we both knew very little in the whole scope of things we were very eager and serious to learn. We practiced daily, took some group lessons, private lesson, workshops and attended congresses together and very shortly we looked sleeker and more professional. The partnership really assisted in having someone to practice with regularly, someone who would give you honest feedback and someone to challenge you to move to the next level. This experience was also excellent and really made a difference in my confidence, styling, body movement, show-ability and much more. Note however that my following skills were reduced considerably because you tend to compensate for your partner and memorize moves, back lead, etc.

To be continued on Monday!!!

The post To Partner or Not to Partner – Pt 1? appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

Here are some things that you can do to keep yourself developing and growing as a dancer:

– Practice spins, body movement, footwork, shines at home
– Stands on one leg to gain balance while doing chores, waiting for the bus, etc.
– Listen to salsa music and pick up the different instruments, beats, accents
– Take other dance classes and exercise classes to improve flexibility, agility, strength, choreography and more – hip hop, jazz, ballet, belly dancing – everything helps!
– Drum along to the different parts of the salsa beats
– Visualize the dance moves you have just learned before falling asleep at night
– Practice shoulder rolls and shimmies while driving in your car
– Follow a salsa instructional DVD at home
– Read salsa forums and articles to gain more knowledge and info on the dance
– Stretch daily to improve flexibility
– Write down the moves you have learned and how to execute them

These are just a few things you can do while you are away from the dance floor that can help your dancing…anyone have any other tips?

The post How to become a better dancer off the dance floor appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

Some students have been asking me what the Ladies Styling class is all about so here is some info:

I know you have heard about ladies styling and sometimes do a little styling in your classes but if you want to take your dancing to a whole new level and look smoother and sexier you will have to dedicate time and practice to the art of ladies styling.

Every 9 to 12 months we hold a Ladies Styling class for women only. Caryl, who is an amazing stylist, teaches this class on Wednesdays at 9:15pm at the Adelaide Club. It begins on March 26th for 9 weeks. In this class you will learn how to incorporate body waves, ripples and shimmies into your salsa dancing. Footwork, body movement, and body styling is emphasized. You will be able to add some personality to your dancing while looking sexy and stylish. There will be styling added to your turn patterns, to your shines and to your basics.

If you have completed level 2 (or with instructor permission) then this class is for you. It is limited to 25 women. There are no men in the class so it is a comfortable environment to really work on your body movement and styling without feeling self-conscious.

Hopefully this gives you some idea as to the style of the class. Enjoy!

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A huge congratulations to Alfred and Nina who got engaged on New Year’s Eve in B.C. Alfred and Nina met at Acrobat Lounge salsa dancing a couple of years ago. Another salsa couple ties the knot – it is so great to hear!

Obviously the topic of salsa always comes up and I enjoyed listening to the ladies talking about their new years salsa goals for 2008. From body movement, to learning to lead to styling to performing, there were lots of goals for the ladies.

Hopefully you have thought about your salsa goals for 2008. Is it to lead or follow better, to go dancing more, to be more musical, rhythmical, to style more, to perform, to compete? Let us know your salsa goals.

My goals include another competition for 2008 for our students, to use salsa for good (a salsa fundraiser) and to find new dance venues for our students. If anyone knows of a great club or space for us to use for classes or for outings, we would LOVE to hear your suggestions so let us know!

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“When I first started dancing salsa over 2 yrs ago… I used to prefer flashy partners… those who can lead me into crazy turn patterns, dips, and all kinds of moves I’ve never seen before. Even amongst friends who are in the same level, from the same class… it seem to be more fun dancing with those who can execute moves they’ve learned outside of class (even though often it is not executed well). As time passes, I notice my preference in partner changed… these days I don’t care so much about crazy turn patterns as I do about my partner dancing on time, or being playful with the accents of the music, or executing a move that’s clean and simple instead of sloppy and complicated. What do you think makes a good partner? Does your preference change with time?”

I responded to that post because that is exactly the development that I went though. When I first started dancing the stronger and flashier the lead, the better. I loved dancing with guys who did crazy dips, neck drops, danced big and strong. But to be honest sometimes dancers dance this way to hide the fact that they are not versatile with the lead, musicality, body movement and after you dance with gentle, layered dancers who can add body movement, accented leading, styling, shines, playfulness, speed variations and much more, you realize how much more interesting and challenging this style of dancing really is for a progressing follower.

Now it is much harder for me to go back and dance with the flashy dancers…and sometimes it actually hurts as they are so rough! Dancing should definitely not hurt and be aggressive so remember that next time you are leading or following!

I was reading a salsa blog on the San Diego Salsa Dancing Website and it had a list of pet peeves from a woman’s perspective. Here is pet peeve #3:

“(3) The rag doll leader. OMG, one of the worst possible ways of encountering rejection on the dance floor is to obtain that reputation of tossing your partner around like a rag doll. Guys should be gentle in their lead. If she’s a beginner or inexperienced, forcing her through moves is not the solution to the problem. In any case, an experienced dancer can still suffer from the rag doll effect. I know this long-time instructor (and good dancer) who got her shoulder dislocated by dancing with one of these guys. It’s a serious problem, not just a pet peeve. No one wants to go dancing to end up injured.”

So gentlemen, now that you know what women are talking about, please know that if your dance partner looks like a rag doll, you are not dancing salsa correctly! The dance is close, sensual, textured and gentle and should leave the woman wanting more.

Looking forward to seeing smoother salsa on the dance floor!

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When you go out to a salsa club, dedicate a couple of songs to finding your favourite couple in the room and watch them dance. It will assist you with ideas about new turn patterns, body movement, musicality and partner dynamics. You may think it doesn’t affect you but watch often enough and you will see your own moves start to sharpen, your body movement and styling start to come out and your range of musicality will increase.

I prefer watching at congresses because you are looking at some phenomenal dancers and it is really inspiring. You may have to get over your “inadequate” feelings watching such good dancers. I remember the first congress I went to I couldn’t dance for the first night. I saw Milton Cobo dancing with Grizelle Ponce, who are still two of my favourite dancers, and that was traumatic! I couldn’t bring myself to dance after that experience. But I had to re-shift my thinking so that their dancing would inspire me to improve instead of shake my confidence. And I went out and danced all night the next day, trying a few styling moves I had seen.

You can also watch videos on the web. YouTube and MamboTV are two great websites for this but there are also thousands of clips online that will inspire and motivate you.

Happy watching!

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This advanced class is intended for those who have completed level 5 or by permission. This 9 week course will cover the fundamentals of body movement, individual styling as well as styling during partner work for both males and females, and timing, rhythm and musicality individually and with a partner. The goal of the class is to transform the student into a “dancer”.

Every semester we focus on a different specialized salsa class so that students can being to advance to the next level. Styling is one of the hardest but most rewarding parts of the dance because when you start to look like an advanced dancer you begin to feel like an advanced dancer and that is when you let go and really feel comfortable on the dance floor.

If you are in level 4 and feel confident about your dancing, please send me an email and I will assess whether you are ready to go into this class.

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This is my suggestion to pick up a new move at a beginner level:

1) Focus on the basic footstep first. Make sure you are stepping with the right feet in the right direction. If it is not perfect that is fine to begin with but just get it approximately right
2) Next focus on the arms (especially for leaders as you have to signal the move to your partner). Make sure your arms and hands are moving when and where they are supposed to go and ensure that these movements work for your partner
3) Next focus on the lead or follow. If you are the male ensure resistance is created and the push and pull, which will make the move successful, is being implemented. If you are the follower make sure you are creating resistance and “shadowing” the leader’s fingers so you can follow the move properly
4) Now put it together with the timing. It doesn’t have to be with the music yet but ensure that you are moving your feet, body and arms on the correct count.
5) Now that all the major components are in place it is time to perfect the move. Re-evaluate your foot work to ensure it is fully correct. Same thing with your arms, the lead and follow and the count. Finally, put it together with the music and pick up the pace so you are on time.
6) When the move is working well you can add other elements like body movement and styling

Hope that helps!

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