Couples Latin Dance - 6 Weeks of Salsa - Term 4 2021

Class Details

  • Wednesdays 7:45pm to 8:45pm
  • From 13 October to 17 November 2021
  • Kenmore State School Hall
  • We are learning Salsa on 1 (Street Latin Salsa)
  • For more info about Salsa, click here to go to my Salsa webpage

PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE!

I invite you to practise as much as you can together. Even five minutes can make a difference to building your muscle memory and getting you feeling confident and comfortable with the steps.
  • If you watch TV, have a quick dance during the commercial breaks.
  • Add a quick dance to your morning routine. Have a short practice whilst you're waiting for the kettle to boil or anchor it to another habit you're already doing such as brushing your teeth.
  • Or even adding it to your evening routine. It could be a good way to have some non-screen time with your partner before bedtime!​

Salsa Playlist

Lesson 1 - Wednesday 13 October 2021

  • Started Choreography #1
  • Learned Forward & Back Step in Two Handed Hold
    • REFER TO VIDEOS BELOW - STEP 1: FORWARD & BACK BASIC
  • Learned ​Left Turn of Follower in Two Handed Hold​
    • REFER TO VIDEO BELOW - STEP 2: LEFT TURN OF FOLLOWER

Lesson 2 - Wednesday 20 October 2021

  • Revised Lesson 1:
    • Forward & Back
    • Left Turn of Follower
  • Added Left Turn of Follower into Closed Frame with Follower's Arm Flourish
  • Learned Cross Body Lead
    • ​REFER VIDEOS BELOW FOR STEP 3: CROSS BODY LEAD

Lesson 3 - Wednesday 27 October 2021

  • Revised sequence to date:
    • Forward & Back in Two Handed Hold
    • Left Turn of Follower with Follower's Arm Flourish into Closed Frame
    • Cross Body Lead in Closed Frame moving into Two Handed Hold
  • Learned Right Turn Combination:
    • Leader's Right Turn with Change Hands Behind the Back and change to Right-Right hand hold (1-2-3-4)
    • Follower's Right Turn using Leader's Right Hand (5-6-7-8)
    • Leader's Right Turn with Hand on Belly - making sure Leader's Left Arm is ABOVE his Right Hand (1-2-3-4)
    • Half Basic in Two Handed Hold (5-6-7-8)
    • REFER VIDEOS BELOW FOR STEP 4: RIGHT TURNS OF LEADER AND FOLLOWER 

Lesson 4 - Wednesday 3 November 2021

  • Revised sequence to date:
    • Forward & Back in Two Handed Hold
    • Left Turn of Follower with Follower's Arm Flourish into Closed Frame
    • Cross Body Lead in Closed Frame moving into Two Handed Hold
    • Right Turn Combination:
      • Leader's Right Turn with Change Hands Behind the Back
      • Follower's Right Turn using Leader's Right Hand
      • Leader's Right Turn with Hand on Belly
      • Half Basic in Two Handed Hold 
  • Learned Right Turn of Follower with Leader's Left Hand then Man Loop
  • Learned Forward & Back Basic with Follower Head Loop and Leader Head Loop
  • Learned Half Basic and Body Wave
  • REFER TO CHOREOGRAPHY #1 VIDEO FOR THESE NEW VARIATIONS

Lesson 5 - Wednesday 10 November

  • Learned Butterfly
  • Revised Choreography #1
  • Added Butterfly to end of Choreography #1

Lesson 6 - Wednesday 17 November

  • Revised Choreography #1
  • Revised Butterfly
  • Reviewed Choreography #1 then Butterfly as one sequence
  • Learned Box Number 1

**** VIDEOS ****

Helpful Tip: You can speed up and slow down videos on YouTube. Find out how here: 
https://osxdaily.com/2017/04/14/adjust-youtube-video-playback-speed/

Choreography #1

REFER TO BREAKDOWN OF STEPS BELOW THE VIDEO
​STEP BREAKDOWN:
​
  • Forward & Back – in two handed hold

  • Left Turn Follower – going from two handed hold into closed frame
    • Leader moves both hands across to Leader’s Left then back to his Right to lead the follower into Left Turn
    • Release right hand mid-turn and keep left hand with follower’s right
    • Recapture follower as she’s finishing her turn with right hand on her back
    • Follower does arm lift flourish above her shoulder in the air after leader recaptures her

  • Forward & Back Basic in Closed Dance Frame
    • We've added a Basic step here, which is NOT shown in the choreography video.

  • Cross Body Lead in closed dance frame, moving into two-handed hold (right hand from follower’s back to her hand)

  • Forward & Back Basic in Two Handed Hold
    • We've added a Basic step here, which is NOT shown in the choreography video.

  • Leader’s Right Turn Change Hands Behind the Back on 1-2-3
    • Leader does Forward Left, Replace Right, Together Left (1-2-3)
    • Leader has Left Hand (with Follower’s Right) and changes to Right Hand (with Follower’s Right)
    • Follower does Half Basic with Left Hand on her Waist

  • Follower’s Right Turn on 5-6-7
    • Leader leads Follower into Right Turn with his Right Hand (Right-Right Hand Hold)

  • Leader’s Right Turn 1-2-3
    • Leader puts Follower’s Right Hand on his Chest/Waist/Tummy as he turns then goes into Two Handed Hold
    • Follower does Half Basic and keeps her hand on Leader’s Body

  • Half Basic 5-6-7 in Two Handed Hold

  • Follower’s Right Turn with Man’s Head Loop (Half Basic then Turn)
    • Leader Turns Follower with his Left Hand and Loops Himself and Release Left Hand
    • Follower’s Right Hand Drops into Leader’s Right Hand and Leader Catches Left Hand Underneath (so R-R on top and L-L below)

  • Forward & Back Basic in Cross Hand Hold
    • We've added a Basic step here, which is NOT shown in the choreography video.​

  • Forward & Back Basic with Head Loops
    • Leader Head Loops Lady with Right Hand on “3”
    • Leader Loops Himself with Left Hand on “5”
    • Goes into Closed Frame

  • Half Basic & Body Wave
    • Half Basic
    • Body Wave 5-6-7 in Closed Frame​

Step 1. Forward & Back Basic Step

This video includes three basic steps in Salsa - (a) Forward and Back, (b) Side Step and (c) Open Out (called Half Swing or Cumbia in this video)

​The video below explains the Forward & Back Basic Step in greater detail.

Step 2. Left Turn of Follower

Step 3. Cross Body Lead

Below are two videos for the Cross Body Lead.

Step 4. Right Turns of Leader and Follower


There are THREE videos below. The first video shows the Leader Turn with Change Hands Behind the Back. The second video shows the Right Turn for Both Leader and Follower. The third video provides a detailed explanation for the Right Turn.
​
​This video shows the Leader Turn with Change Hands Behind the Back.

This video shows the Right Turn for Both Leader and Follower.

This video provides a detailed explanation for the Right Turn.

Step 5. Butterfly


BUTTERFLY STEP BREAKDOWN:
​
  • Forward and Back Basic in Closed Frame
  • Cross Body Lead in Closed Frame, shifting to Right-Right Hand Hold
  • Right Turn of Follower, with Leader's & Follower's Right Hands 
    • Leader offers left hand on count 7 (capture Left-Left Hands on TOP to get into Cross Hand Position)
  • Cross Body Lead with Inside Turn in Cross Hand Hold into Two-Handed Shoulder Check Position (or what I referred to as the Sweetheart position);
    • At start of Cross Body Lead, both leader’s wrists are together (ish) and hands are open
    • Leaders keep their elbows OUT as they turn follower on count "6" and "7" - with leader’s LEFT arm going above follower’s head
    • On count "7", leader’s hands should be in FRONT of follower’s shoulder line and to the side of her
    • Refer to video below for the basic version of the Cross Body Lead with Inside Turn.
  • Finish Butterfly then Single Right Turn of Follower 
    • Hands down on count "1"

In the video explanation, the instructor says this move is the two-handed version of Shoulder Check. Click here to view the Shoulder Check video. 
CROSS BODY LEAD WITH INSIDE TURN
  • This video show the basic Cross Body Lead with Inside Turn.
  • In the basic version, the follower keeps turning anti-clockwise after the "7" count to go into the Forward & Back Step.
  • In the Butterfly move however, the Follower turns CLOCKWISE after "7" to go into the Single Right Turn of the Follower. 

Step 6. Box Number 1

  • Forward & Back Basic in Closed Dance Frame

  • Cross Body Lead in Closed Dance Frame into Single Hand Hold (Leader’s Left, Follower’s Right)
    • With Leader releasing Right Hand from Follower’s Back and just holding Follower’s Right Hand with Leader’s Left Hand

  • Enchufa (1-2-3), Box & Single Right Turn of Follower
    • Leader should have his hand UNDER the Follower’s hand to start Enchufa
    • 1-2-3 Leader:
      • Rock Back Leader Left / Follower Right, Forward (toward partner) & Half Turn (Leader CW, Follower ACW)
      • Leader picks up Follower’s Left Hand with his Right Hand on “3”
    • 1-2-3 Follower:
      • Back Right, Replace Left, Half Turn ACW Right (make sure Left hand is available for Leader on “3”)
    • 5-6-7 Leader:
      • On 5, Leader crosses BEHIND with RIGHT leg (to make it easier to get to Follower’s left side)
      • On 6, Leader steps FORWARD on Left on “6”. Elbow of Leader’s Right points to ground (ie “L” shape) and inner part of left palm is up
      • On 7, Leader steps FORWARD on Right on “7” – AND Leader drapes right hand over his hand and rests his Right hand on his Left shoulder (still holding Follower’s Left Hand) – Follower is to side of Leader near his Right shoulder
      • Leader’s elbow is close to his body
    • 5-6-7 Follower:
      • Back Left, Cross Right, Forward Quarter Turn CW on Left to end up on side of Leader
    • 1-2-3 Leader:
      • Cross Front Left with both knees bent on “1”
      • Push Back Right on Right on “2”
      • Step Back Left on “3” and let go with Left hand
    • 1-2-3 Follower:
      • On 1-2-3, Follower is taking small steps FORWARD and AROUND the Leader R-L-R
    • 5-6-7 Single Right Turn of Follower
      • Half Basic for Leader and Follower does Single Right Turn (Leader’s Right and Follower’s Left Hands