Salsa tips (written May 2006)

Being a beginner, it is always nice to have some friendly advice from experienced dancers. The other night I went dancing at this new place up in Rockville MD. It was a relatively new dance studio, spacious with nice wooden floors ( I suppose you would fine my fascination with the floor a bit strange, but having spacious wooden floor to dance on is kind of hard to come by in DC). The crowd there was really friendly, mostly middle age couples who truly enjoyed what they were doing, and were most willing to share their experiences. There wasn't a whole lot of "fancy" salsa going on like at some of the clubs I have been to, just people who were there to have a good time. It made the salsa they danced seem so much more rustic and fun to watch, possibly because it felt feasible, comprehendable by a beginner like me. 

Anyway, I had the chance to dance with a really nice lady there. She was very patient, and didn't mind at all that I was a beginner. Throughout the couple of dances that we were partnered, she taught me a lot of the little details that I have not noticed before. For instance, she pointed out that one of the most common mistakes that guys make is taking big steps. She said that what makes salsa so special is not the amount of space you cover, nor the wide turns, but in being subtle and sexy at the same time. One of the ways to achieve this is to do small steps, and move the hips more. When a guy takes rather huge steps, he invertedly restricts his hips from swaying as much because a lot of the movement is spent covering length. If he steps closer, smaller steps, he lets his knee bend more, and his hips can sway more. She said it is important to master the step-in-place, because when you take small steps, you don't waste time and effort covering area, thus you can spend more time focusing on rhythm. 

Also, the key is not in turning girls here and there. she said that girls actually don't like being turned that much, nor do they enjoy being maneuver around like a doll. There is no room for Latin machismo on the salsa floor, it is all about subtle, slow and yet deliberate touch. She said that salsa is like Zen at times, you want to make the most impact by doing the least. You don't need tobe flashy to be sexy. Like wearing a tiny black dress, it is not what is exposed that make the wearer sexy, but rather what is hidden underneath. Sexiness is not measured by how much a woman reveals, but rather by how much she covers. A scantily clad woman is not as attractive as a woman in a long flowing dress. The mystery is the alluring factor in salsa. When one dances salsa, one is exploring. If you show all, then there is nothing else to explore, the mystery is gone, and the tension is gone.  Paraphasing the instructor, salsa has a whole to do with flirting and teasing. The girl says "you are not getting any, but you can dance close to me". One of the false assumption is that the guys are leading - they are not. They are loving admirers, and they are admiring the woman in their hands by gently turning her every which way so that he can fully appraise her beauty.  

Tracing or slow fluid movements is key. Despite being a fast dance, salsa occurs in slow motion, and you want to produce the most effect with the slightest touch. Like a dragonfly touching on the pond. If a guy wants to be a better dancer, he needs to know the right spots to push rather than which hand to pull. 

Another thing she pointed out was communication. A lot of guys don't seem to know how to communicate with their partners. One of the key thing that a guy should remember is to look at his partner and smile. Often times, guys tend to look away from their partners, and try to steer their partners with the hands only. She pointed out that salsa, like sex, should be something that is done eyes wide open. Only in looking into your partner's eyes can you communicate at a higher level. The eyes, and the smile convey to your partner that you are having a good time. Interestly enough, she also pointed out that when a guy is practicing, he should close his eyes. She said this way, the guy can become more familiar with the right touch. 

There is no need to rush into doing turns and all, the quality of a good dance is not measured by how fancy you can get, but how much meaning you can convey as partners. It is an art, and art requires much preparation. Dancing salsa with a partner requires much patience, constantly looking for the right timing to execute a move such that it reachest its fullest artistic potential. If all one does are turns, then their effects become dull, the dancers and obervers alike would become numb. Instead, when dancing, be sure to look for tension and communication with your partner. Constantly re-adjust the tension in the hands so that when you feel it, you can do a move in all its glory.