Advanced Salsa Move #34

The Pretzel… ‘Nuff said

Keep the leads circular and make sure you face the lady on every 1 and 5.

Advanced Salsa Move #33

We started off today with the basics of Rumba, taking the side basic, lowering it, adding the Rumba posture, the arms, the bounce, and the smoothness. This is of course just an intro to a whole dance style on its own but was good to get people started.

The turn pattern this week was a break from the ninja moves of the past few weeks and instead was designed specifically to feel really nice and smooth for the lady.

Advanced Salsa Move #32

This week’s move is another Bobby Yeoh ninja special. To be used only with a license

Generally recommended for very good dancers or very slow music, it’s another great “wow” move if the music (or the audience) calls for it.

Pachanga and Salsa Shines with Juan Matos

I was lucky enough to see Juan Matos break down Pachanga at the Melbourne Latin Festival this past weekend, and he agreed to let me put it up here for all to see.

The main things to note when trying to do this are the loose legs and relaxed upper body. Forward and back hip motion also extends the normal bounce to change the overall shape and give a body roll effect. Check it out:

He also did a shines workshop at the festival with some great body movement in it too:

Advanced Salsa Move #31

The theme of Pachanga is still running strong this week, but this time using Juan Matos’s style instead of Oliver Pineda’s. Note that it is slightly less funky but is more grounded and so had the potential to be much sexier

The turn pattern this week is a nice easy one, with the same hand hold used throughout almost the entire thing. The complexity is added through some tangling which should still feel nice if you get the right wrist and hand movements.

Advanced Salsa Move #30

I remember learning the 1st part of this move many years ago from Rob Carrion and it stuck with me. Maybe it appeals to me because of my height so it’s a nice way to get something over my head, using my own arm extension rather than relying on the girl’s reach.

The shine this week was pure Pachanga, my absolute favourite style of salsa shines except perhaps for Guaguanco.

Advanced Salsa Move #29

This week’s move is about changing the momentum of the lady unexpectedly and from unusual positions. I like the 1st 2 bars as i find it is not commonly used and so can be a pleasant surprise for a partner who has “seen it all before”

The copa fake out near the end can also be very musical if used correctly.