NYC Salsa Must Know Patterns.

July 18, 2013 by ·

NYC Salsa must know patterns. If you are dancing NYC style salsa there are tons of patterns you will see as a follower.  No one can list all of them, since every leader has his own, but here are some patterns that you really must know if you’d like to dance at the intermediate or advanced level with a NYC salsa leader.   These are patterns that almost ever leader knows and will expect you to follow.  You will see these patterns, and variations of them, almost %100 of your time dancing with any NYC salsa leader.  All these patterns have tons of variations,  but if you know the basic of each pattern, all the variations will be easy.

NYC Salsa Lessons at Dance Fever Studios

NYC Style Salsa classes in Brooklyn at Dance Fever Studios.

1) Cross Body Lead with an inside turn and a half.  This is the intermediate version.  The advanced version is two and a half turns.  When you do this make sure that you stay on your track.

2)Copa and Copa with a turn and a half.  The turn and a half is the same turn as the cross body lead.

3)Pencil Turn or Check Turn.

4)Half Moon with a turn and a half to basic.  Some salsa dancers call this The Titanic.

5)Reverse Cross Body Lead.

6)Reverse Cross Body Lead with two turns for the intermediate follower, and three turns for the advanced follower.

7)Double Turn in place.

8) Simultaneous Back Spot Turns in place.

9)Leaders Half Chase to Hand Drop.

10)Hand Drapes.

Filed Under: Dance lessons, Private salsa lessons, salsa dance schools, salsa dance studios, Salsa Dancing, Uncategorized · Tagged: , ,

Salsa Dancing and The Three Types of Followers

June 28, 2013 by ·
Salsa dancing Brooklyn.

Dance classes in Brooklyn. Ray and Stephanie salsa dancing.

Salsa followers can be broken down into three types: 1)passive 2)active and 3)mischievous.

A passive salsa follower does what the leader wants.  Only that, and nothing else.  Take her into a cross body lead and she will follow, but with no styling at all.  She follows all your salsa steps, but doesn’t add anything additional to the dance.  Most beginner salsa dancers are passive followers.

An active salsa follower will add some flair.  She will comb and whip her hair, do arm and hand styling, and shoulder shimmies.  She is taking an active part in the salsa dancing.  She is following just like the passive follower, but is adding her own flair.  When you see a salsa dance class labeled as a women’s styling class, they are trying to turn passive followers into active followers.

A mischievous follower knows the step that you are leading her into, can do it if she wants to, but chooses not to.  She does something else that works, but not exactly what you wanted.  For example, if you lead a peek-a-boo step, instead of stopping when you want her to, she’d duck under and turn out.  If you lead a copa with a turn and a half, she might keep spinning more than you expected.  If she knows there is a break in the music, she will hit it even if you weren’t going to.  In order to be a mischievous follower, you have to be very good at following and know the music very well.

When salsa dancing, a leader should be accommodating to all  three types of salsa followers.  If a woman has just started salsa dancing, she will most likely be a passive  follower.  If she has taken some salsa dance lessons for a few months she may have developed into an active follower. You find active followers at most salsa dance schools socials.  If she has put her time in, practiced, taken lots of private salsa lessons, gone salsa dancing all over and really gotten good, she may be a mischievous follower.

 

Filed Under: Dance lessons, Private salsa lessons, salsa dance schools, salsa dance studios, Salsa Dancing, Uncategorized · Tagged: , , ,

Salsa Dancing NYC

June 6, 2013 by ·

Here are a few tips to consider when at a salsa social or salsa dancing NYC .  1)Standing on the dance floor:  Please do not stand in the middle of the dance floor if you’re not dancing.  This is inconsiderate.   You wouldn’t stand in the middle of a basket ball court or baseball diamond while a game is going on, so why do dancers do this on a dance floor? If you’d like to talk  or rest, do it off the floor.

Salsa dancing NYC

Latin couple dancing salsa in NYC club.

2)Making your way onto the dance floor:  Do it without disturbing the current salsa dancers.   If you are the one making your way onto the floor, it’s your job to avoid bumping into dancers and not the other way around.  Try to find the space that is least crowded.  Elbowing your way into a packed area is inconsiderate.  If the floor is too crowded, consider sitting one out.

3)Ladies attire: Ladies, of course wear a great outfit that turns heads, but make sure you can dance in it.  You don’t want to spend the night pulling down a skirt that keeps riding up, or not be able to spin because your dress comes up too high.  Wear something that allows you to move, but compliments your beautiful dance curves.

4)Getting asked to dance: A smile goes a long way.  With a smile,  you will definitely attract gentlemen.  Stay by the edge of the dance floor.  Alone is better than with a group of friends.  Sitting away from the dance floor chatting with your girls,  you most likely will not be asked to dance.

5)Asking a woman to dance: Be respectful gentlemen.  Offer your hand and ask; “Would you like to dance?”  The way you ask a woman does matter.  Don’t ask like she’s the last resort, and perhaps you don’t really want to dance with her.

6)Leading: Please be smooth.  Good followers don’t like rough leaders. We don’t want our hands crushed or our arms pulled out of the socket.  Build the dance.  Start with easy salsa patterns.  Once you see the woman can follow these easy salsa patterns, you may move onto more difficult ones.

Filed Under: Dance lessons, Latin dancing, salsa dance schools, salsa dance studios, Uncategorized · Tagged: , ,

Best Bachatas For Beginner Bachata Classes

April 15, 2013 by ·
Bachata classes in NYC

Bachata Class in Brooklyn, NY

Most bachata songs have a pretty clear beat that beginner dance students are able to pick up.  It’s not like salsa or Argentine tango,  where beginner dancers struggle with the tempo.  But many bachata songs have long introductions.  Some may be too fast for the beginner bachata student;  and some may have too many breaks and pauses where the base totally drops out.

Take a song like Te Extrano by Xtreme.  A great bachata, but I usually don’t play for a beginner bachata lesson because of the long intro.  It’s more effective for teaching  to play a song like Mi Receta De Amore by Los Toros Band.  This may be one of the slowest bachatas out there.  But,  it’s great for beginners who almost always rush the timing.  This song will slow them down.  They will learn how to move the right way for bachata,  and not worry about keeping up with a fast paced song.

Here’s a list of bachata music best for the beginner bachata student and beginner bachata classes.  They are all slow to moderate tempo, with a steady base.  These are some of the songs that I play when giving a private bachata lesson or during my beginner group bachata classes.  Once the students are more comfortable dancing bachata, I will play songs with lots of accents, breaks and long introductions.

Slow to Moderate Bachta’s With a Steady Tempo: Pasion Monchy and Alexandra, Dos Locos Monchy and Alexandra, Cuando Volveras  Aventura, Voy a Dejarte  de Amar Frank Reyes, Tu Eres Ajena Frank Reyes, Me Voy Hector Acosta, Corazon Sin Cara Prince Royce, El Amore que Perdimos Prince Royce,  Rechazame Prince Royce, Sin Ti Grupo Extra, Su Hombre Soy Yo Prince Royce

Bachatas With Long Intros: Te Extrano  Xtreme, Casi Casi Toby Love, Llorar lloviendo  Toby Love, Pomise Romeo Santos, Obsesion Aventura,  Su Veneno Aventura, Incondecional by Prince Royce.

Filed Under: bachata dancing, Dance lessons, Dance studios Brooklyn, Latin dancing, Private dance lessons · Tagged: , ,

Difference Between Argentine Tango And Ballroom Tango.

April 1, 2013 by ·
Difference between Argentine tango and Ballroom tango.

Argentine tango classes in NYC

Argentine tango and ballroom tango.  What’s the difference?  The way the dances look and the music they are danced to are the two major differences.  Ballroom tango has a very pronounce, prominent and steady tempo.  Almost like a ticking clock.  It sounds a bit like paso doble.  Argentine tango music is very varied.  Some of it, like music from Biagi or Canero has a strong, easy to hear base.  Some music may have a strong melody and a very weak base.  Milonga Triste by Hugo Diaz  is an example.  There’s Argentine tango music that has both: alternating powerful beat,  and then the base will totally drop out, and you have only melody.  Osvaldo Pugliese music is often like this.

Argentine tango has no basic step.  It is a totally improvisational dance.  Ballroom tango has an 8 count basic which is slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.  Most patterns are done using this 8 count basic.  Ballroom tango really moves around the room.  You are not in one spot for very long.  In Argentine tango, you may stay in the same spot for quite a long time doing gauchos,  boleos and embellishments.  Argentine tango is often danced in close embrace, or salon style.  Ballroom tango isn’t.  It has a very formal, ballroom look to it.  In ballroom tango there are more broad movements with the upper body: sways and dips.  There are also more staccato movements like head snaps.  You won’t see these types of movements in Argentine tango.  Most of the movements are below the waist.

At the advanced level, the patterns and steps in Argentine tango are way more complicated and difficult to do.  Ballroom tango does not have volcadas, calesitas, planeos, and barridas or the cross.  These are steps that any advanced Argentine tango dancer and many intermediate dancers will know.  Ballroom tango is almost always danced in parallel foot system.  While Argentine tango is both parallel system and cross foot system.

The dances also have a different feel to them.  When dancing ballroom tango the movements are strong, staccato and floor sweeping.  You are more with the base.  When dancing Argentine tango, you are more with the melody.  Listing to any accents in the music and trying to hit them with your movements.

Filed Under: Argentine tango, Dance lessons, Tango Lessons · Tagged: ,

Salsa Dancing. Keys to Following

February 28, 2013 by ·
Salsa dancing in Brooklyn at Dance Fever Studios Park Slope location.

Beginner salsa class in Brooklyn.

Salsa Dancing.  Becoming a Better Follower:

I’m a proud, strong, independent Hispanic woman.  My leader on the dance floor could care less.  All he wants to do is lead me on the dance floor without a fight.  Ladies, I know that this can be difficult  being who we are, but it really is just a matter of letting go,  and putting our trust in our leader.

To be a great follower we must remember that we have the easy job.   We don’t have to think or worry about anything except the music and styling.  We just get to enjoy the ride.  Let him think about the steps.  Most of the time followers think way too much.  We try to guess what the leader wants us to do.  Most of the time we are wrong.  We try to read his mind and anticipate his moves.  We need to relax and not think.  We need to feel and see what our leader wants from us.  When he is relaxed you should be relaxed.  When he give you tension you give it back.

A follower needs to pay attention and look at the leader.  Don’t look at his feet, your feet or the floor.  Keep your head up and pay attention to his torso and lead signals. A follower shouldn’t try to help.  Hopefully he knows what he wants and how to lead you there.  If you’re not sure what to do,  the default step is your basic in place.

A follower needs to relax.  Don’t get tense or grab for dear life.  Don’t grab his hands. Keep your palms facing down, elbows in front and away from your body in a good salsa dance posture.  When you are tense and grabbing the dance becomes more like a shoving match and less like salsa dancing.

Finally.  Have the right attitude.  Don’t be a miss know it all.  If you get a leader at a lower level than you are, let him lead his steps.  Don’t start doing whatever you want.  That’s bad following.  Like Penny told Baby in “Dirty Dancing,”  “Let him lead You”  So don’t be the Baby at the beginning of the movie, be the Baby at the end.  She had the time of her life.

Please view some of our salsa dancing and salsa lessons on our Youtube channel.

Filed Under: Dance lessons, salsa dance schools, Salsa Dancing · Tagged: ,

Brooklyn Dance Studios

February 24, 2013 by ·
Brooklyn Dance Studios

Me salsa dancing when I was a student.

Bronx Girl Dancing in Brooklyn Dance Studios.

Growing up,  I always finished what I started.  That is rare for a teen girl and young adult in college.  I did everything right: Graduated college with honors, got a job right out of college, started the ball rolling on getting my masters degree.  Life was working out, but something was missing.  I felt unsatisfied and lost.  I felt that there had to be more to life than just going to school and working.  I was looking for something, but not really sure what.  I found myself staying home.  Tired of the same old night and bar scene.  I just kept telling myself that there had to be more to life than this predictability.  I was seeking excitement and something completely different, but didn’t know what.

Then one day, a friend of mine told me about salsa classes she had been taking at a Brooklyn dance studio.  She said that she was having the time of her life.   She knew I had always wanted to take Argentine tango classes, but didn’t want to pay New York city prices.  She told me tango is one of the dances they teach at her Brooklyn studio.   She convinced me to go to one of Dance Fever Studios bimonthly parties.  I decided to go.  On my way there, I kept thinking,  what the hell am I doing travelling all the way from the Bronx to Brooklyn?  I wanted to turn around and go back, but I kept going.

When I arrived at Dance Fever, everyone was so friendly, warm, welcoming and could dance.  I always thought I knew how to dance salsa, bachata and Latin dances.  I’m part Puerto Rican.  I realized that I had a lot to learn.  As the night went on, I was amazed by everyone.  Then came the show case.  Francis and a student performed an Argentine tango.  At that moment, I decided “I want to do that.  I’m coming here.”

I signed up for a month of tango, thinking I’d do it for one month.  After that I’d be able say I tried it, liked it, did something different.  I’d be able to get back to my graduate studies and work, and be a little bit more satisfied with life.  The cycle ended, and I registered for another month.  I kept going, month after month.  I became addicted.  I started going two, then three and four times a week.  I took all the dances they offered: salsa, hustle, bachata, Latin, ballroom.  Dancing became a huge part of my life.  Sometimes it’s a wonderful thing when life does not work out the way you think it will or the way you have planned it.

In the four years since I started dancing my life changed drastically in great ways.  I lost over 70 pounds.  When I started dancing I was weighing over 200 pounds.  My energy level is way up.  Now, everyone calls me the Energizer Bunny.  I gained confidence that I lacked for most of my life.  I met some awesome people who have become some of my closest friends.  I have a non stop social life now.  I became a dance teacher at Dance Fever Studios. They have two studios now, and I run one of them.

Teaching at Dance Fever has been so enjoyable.  It’s a great feeling to see your students learn how to dance, enjoy themselves, see their fears and insecurities about dancing slip away. Dancing has become my greatest passion.  I can not wait to get on the dance floor.  I owe it all the my home away from home, Dance Fever Studios in Brooklyn.  I simply live, love, laugh and dance, dance, dance.  You may see some of my videos our Youtube chanel.

Filed Under: Argentine tango, Dance lessons, Dance studios Brooklyn, salsa dance schools · Tagged: , , ,

Salsa Dance Schools vs Salsa Clubs

February 21, 2013 by ·
Salsa dance schools in Brooklyn. Miguel and salsera dancing at Dance Fever Studios' Party.

Salsa Social in Brooklyn

Where’s the  best place for dancing salsa and Latin music?

I have recently heard many complaints from students who have gone out to salsa clubs and didn’t have the type of experience they thought they would have.  The club was advertised as a salsa/Latin club, but played mostly pop music. There was salsa dancing, but only in a small room in the back.   No one was really dancing salsa.  They were just there to pick up.  Or, they were just standing on the floor with drinks in hand.  The club was too crowded to dance or move.  There were too many thugs or hoodlum types.  The floor was not good for dancing.  It was too sticky from spilt beer or other drinks.  Or, it was a tile floor that a woman’s heels easily get caught up in.  Not good for dancing.   In order to get a seat,  you needed to buy a drink.   What it you don’t drink and don’t like paying $3 for a bottle of water.  They advertised, dancing begins at 9, but no one was there at 9.  It didn’t get going til 12.  The list can go on, but you get the idea.  There are good clubs that have salsa and Latin dancing, with a good clean wood floor, real dancers and reasonable pricing;  but they are few and far between.

My recommendation is next time you want to go salsa dancing, go to a dance school social.  You will find friendly people who are there to dance and not drink.  The music will be what you want, with no club attitude, and at a reasonable start time.   You can usually leave your purse unattended and not worry.  Many dance schools socials also include food and drinks in the price.  A dance school will usually tell you in their ad,  or on their calendar, exactly what music they will be playing.  If it’s advertised as a salsa/Latin mix, that’s what you’ll get.  Lots of salsa, with some bachata, cha cha and merengue.  No Rihanna or Lady Gaga.  So, the winner is dance schools.

 

Filed Under: Dance lessons, salsa dance schools, salsa dance studios, Salsa Dancing · Tagged: , , ,

Dance schools in NYC

February 16, 2013 by ·

Here are some observations about dance schools in Brooklyn and the New York city area. These are things I’ve noticed, and have also been brought to my attention by my students.  I guess you can call them pet peeves.

Dance schools in NYC at our Park Slope Brooklyn dance studio.

Park Slope dance studio in Brooklyn NY.

Please stop advertising your school at one price, and then when a student comes to register,  hit them with a registration fee. If you advertise one price, that should be the price. Not, oh plus $20 for registration.  I’ve noticed many Brooklyn salsa schools doing this recently.  This is deceptive.  So, if a school does this, watch out.  They also tell you it’s a one time fee.  But, if you don’t go for a few months, then start up again, they will hit you with this registration fee again.  Guys, Be up front with the pricing.

Should you really be charging for music? These are your students. If they are asking for some salsa, bachata or tango music, have them bring a CD and burn them some songs. Do you really need to sell them it? They are new to this whole salsa, tango, or whatever dance scene it is.  They want music to practice to. Give them it, and help them out.  Squeezing every dollar out of a student is not the way to do business.

Telling students they will be great salseros or tangeras in no time flat.  This is over the phone, without even having meet the student.  No school or teacher can tell you how long it’s going to take for you to be good, or even decent.  That depends on you. Students often ask me how long does it take to get good at Argentine tango, or become a great salsa dancer.  The answer is, I don’t know. I’ve had students who after a few classes were dancing nicely, and other students, after months, still struggle with the tempo. Honesty is the best policy.

Pitting one dance style against another. I’ve actually heard a studio owner in Manhattan asking out loud, during a Milonga at her studio: “Why would anyone want to dance Argentine tango? It’s so slow and boring.” This studio primarily teaches swing, hustle and salsa. They have a Milonga once a month. So, according to her, swing, hustle and salsa are great and Argentine tango isn’t.  This is like saying Impressionist painters are better than Cubist.  They’re just different.  If you dance salsa in Rueda there’s no reason to put down LA style salsa. If you dance Argentine tango in close embrace, don’t bad mouth open embrace. Try not to have such a parochial view of things. If you want to get really good at any one dance, embracing all styles will help. The best salsa dancers usually know a few different styles. The best tango dancers usually also know ballroom and many know ballet. Being able to include different techniques and styles from one dance into another will help you become a better dancer.

This is for the salsa schools. Too much focus on salsa shines. I have students that come from other schools, and maybe they have been dancing for a year.  They know 60 shines.  Wow! But they can’t follow or lead a simple copa or check turn the right way. Unless it’s specifically a salsa shine class, try focusing more on leading, following, technique, and musicality.  This is what partner dancing is about, not splitting up and doing shines. You should have great Cuban motion and contra body before you learn 60 shines and triple turns.

Roping students into a performance class and then after a few weeks telling them they need to pay an additional price for the costume that you have marked up double. A student told me that this happened to her in a belly dance class she was taking. She was told that she couldn’t do the performance unless she bought the costume. Nothing about buying a costume was said at the beginning of the class cycle. She dropped out of the class. Again, be upfront with the pricing.

Too much Focus on steps and patterns. Better to teach how to lead and follow then how to do a pattern. Better to teach technique, craft, musicality and style then a complicate step. Once you know this, you will be able to follow any pattern. Many student tell me that the school they used to go to taught really complicated patterns, but as soon as they left the class, they forget it all. Focus more on technique and less on steps.

Advertising a class as advanced and then letting anyone join in. A student told me about an advanced Argentine tango workshop he went to where half the women there weren’t able to do a proper boleo. Some didn’t know how to do it at all. If you promote a class as advanced, it should really have only advanced students. Allowing intermediate or beginners into the class isn’t fair to the real advanced dancers. If all schools started doing some of these things, it would make things a lot better for all.

Filed Under: Argentine tango, Dance lessons, Salsa Dancing, Tango Lessons · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Tango lessons in Brooklyn

February 14, 2013 by ·

You just started taking Argentine tango classes and want to practice, but you’re having trouble finding the right music to practice to.  Piazolla and Puligese are great, but difficult to dance to for a beginner, and even for experienced dancers.  There are hundreds of amazing tango songs to choose from,  but when starting out with tango lessons, what you want is songs with a steady and clear tempo, and not performance type pieces.  You want songs that you won’t have trouble finding the beat.  Here is a list of great tango songs for the beginner tango dancer.  At our two Brooklyn dance schools, we find that these are the best songs for the beginner Argentine tango dancer.   They all have a very clear beat, and are also great pieces of music.

Tango lessons in Brooklyn NY at our Park Slope Dance Studio.

Tango studio in Brooklyn NY.

Argentine Tango Songs For Beginners:   Don Juan/Carlos Di Sarli,  El Once/Carlos Di Sarli,  A la Gran Muneca/Di Sarli,  La Cumparsita/Di Sarli, Milonguro Viejo/Di Sarli, Yo Tambien Era Dichoso/Francisco Canero,  Pura Parada/Canero,  El Pescante/Canero, DonJuan/Canero, Por Tener un Corazon/Rodlofo Biagi, 16 y Vovemos A Queremos/Rodolfo Biagi,  Sentimiento Gauch/Francisco Lomoto, Yo Tambien Sone/Romero, Ojos Negros Que Fascinan/Ray Salina, Yo No Se Porque Razon/Enrique Rodriquez, Cafe Dominguez/Angel D’gastino

Filed Under: Argentine tango, Dance lessons, Tango Lessons · Tagged: , , , ,
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