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: , , ,

What Is Latin Dancing?

March 25, 2013 by ·
Latin dancing in Brooklyn

Latin Dance Classes in Brooklyn. Ray and Stephanie dancing salsa.

Do you offer Latin dance lessons?  I’m asked this question all the time. When I answer yes.  Many students then  ask what it is Latin dancing? They know they like it and want to learn it, but aren’t sure what is.  Why is jive one of the five dances in Latin dance competitions,  while Argentine tango isn’t?  That’s another question I often hear.  So, here’s a break down.

There are generally two different meanings.  There is social Latin dancing, and there’s formal ballroom/Latin dancing.  Formal Latin dancing has five dances: cha-cha, jive, paso doble, rumba and samba.  When you see an international Latin or American Latin dance competition, these are the dances they are doing.

Then there’s social Latin dancing.  This is what most people are doing in a dance clubs, what you hear on Spanish radio stations, and what most students want to learn.  These are dances that originated in Latin American  and Caribbean countries.  Salsa, bachata, merengue, cha-cha, rumba, and samba are the most popular.  There are many many others.  Popularity depends on where you are.   In the Dominic Republic, bachata and merengue are more popular than salsa.  In Cuba, salsa is way more popular than bachata.  But over all, salsa is the most popular and bachata comes in 2nd.  This is right now.  Ten years ago, bachata was not as popular.  And ten years from now, something else might become popular. In certain parts of Mexico, cumbia is very popular.

It might seem weird, but Argentine tango is not classified as a” Latin dance.”  Here are some reasons why.  It’s not danced in place and it doesn’t have hip motion like the other above mentioned dances.  Argentine tango moves around the room like a ballroom dance and has no hip motion.  It’s more like a ballroom dance, but isn’t.  It has its own classification.   So why is Jive, which is American, one or the five Latin dances in formal competitions?  Well, It’s danced in place,  has lots of hip motion, and kind of looks more like the other Latin dances, and less like a ballroom dance.  The people who organize these competitions wanted to have five dances make up the competition, and wanted an American dance to be one of them, so they choose jive.

Filed Under: Argentine tango, bachata dancing, Latin dancing, Salsa Dancing ·

Dance Teacher Training Programs.

March 18, 2013 by ·
Dance Teacher training programs.

Group salsa class in Park Slope Brooklyn

You want to become a dance teacher.  You see lots of different dance teacher training  programs, but aren’t sure how to choose a good one.  Here are some tips.  If you want to work consistently and make a living as a full-time dance teacher,  the more dances you know, the better.   If all you know is salsa on2 or Argentine tango it will be difficult to keep yourself employed.   Owning two Brooklyn dance studios,  I get resumes and calls everyday from professional salsa dancers, professional Argentine tango dancers, belly dancers,  international Latin and ballroom dancers looking for work.   The first thing I ask them is,  do they know any other dances or styles?  If the answer is no,  I will have a hard time employing them.

Dance schools want dancers who are well-rounded. It’s great to be an expert in one dance, but know some others.  I just got a resumes from a dancer who’s  been dancing for 15 years and all she knows is salsa on2.  In 15 years she couldn’t pick up some other dances?

Here’s a typical day for me and any of my dance teachers.  Yesterday at 9am I taught a private at our Flatbush dance school.  The student is doing hustle, salsa on1, and bachata.  At 10 I taught an Argentine tango private.  At 3 I went to our Park Slope studio and taught a private bachata lesson.  This student also wants to learn cumbia.  At 7 I teach a couple who is doing social ballroom.  At 8 we have a two-hour intermediate salsa class.  Where would I be if I only knew how to dance one dance or style?  A dance student frequently starts leaning one dance,  then become interested in a different dance.  If all you know is that one dance, you will lose them as a student when they want to move on to a different dance.

Also, a school would rather have one teacher doing two hours than two separate teachers each doing an hour each.  It’s just easier.  So, make sure the teacher training program is making you into a  well-rounded dancer.  This way no matter what a student wants to learn, you will be the go to dance teacher for that studio.

Is there any kind of placement program?   It’s great that they are training you in salsa on1, salsa on2, Argentine tango, Latin and ballroom, hustle and wedding choreography;  making you into a well-rounded dancer.  But what happens when you’re done with your training?  Do they have work for you?  Consider this.  The dance training program that has work for you is the one you should choose.

Do they teach you how to teach or just how to dance?  Many great dancers don’t know how to teach.  The teachers who last and make a good living, are the ones who know how to teach and not just dance.  You will be getting lots of different types of students.  You don’t want to teach each one the same.  Some are very serious about dance and dancing well.  Most  are not interested in become professional dancers, and are just doing if for fun.  Teach the right way and you will keep your student and get more.

Do they teach you about the business end?  What good is it if you know all the dances and how to teach,  but can’t get any business.  Even if you’re not interested in opening up your own dance studio, knowing sales and how to get students is important.  I see some of the best dancers starving for work.  Not having any idea how to generate business and keep themselves employed.

Consider all these things when choosing a dancer teacher training program.

Filed Under: Argentine tango, dance teacher training programs, Private dance lessons, Private salsa lessons, Private tango lessons, Salsa Dancing, 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: ,

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: , , , , , , ,

Health Benefits of Dancing

February 1, 2013 by ·

There are many activities you can do to stay fit and healthy.  Dancing is one of the best.  Besides eating right, sleeping enough and not playing in traffic, staying active is critical to staying healthy.  We all know this, but many of us can’t manage to stay active.  You don’t like gyms or working out.  It’s boring.   Lifting a weight up and down isn’t exciting.  You don’t want to run around the same track again and again either.  Now how many times around was that?   You tried boxing, but don’t like getting hit in the head.  It hurts.  You even tried kick boxing.  That hurts even more.  So what can you do?  Dance.  It’s safe, it’s fun, and you don’t get head aches.

Dancing gives you a total body workout.  You are using all parts.  It’s anaerobic as well as aerobic.  It’s a mental work out, and also involves lots of flexibility.  There are few activities that have all this.

intermediate Argentine Tango class

Argentine tango intermediate class in Brooklyn.

Aerobic is endurance stuff.  Walking, jogging, etc.  You get that from dancing.  Try our Latin cardio class and you will see what I mean.  You will have a great time listing to great music and moving to it non stop.  The same is true for salsa, hustle, bachata, samba and tango.  One or two sambas, jives or Viennese waltz is guaranteed  to get your heart beat up.  I just had a group of twenty year old girls come to our Salsa Latin Hustle Social at our Park Slope dance studio.  After a few salsas and bachatas, they needed to sit down.  While we have regulars in their 40’s and 50’s who dance 3 or 4 hours straight with no problem.  Dancing builds your aerobic endurance.

Anaerobic is more like weight lifting or playing the net in tennis.  Quick, explosive movements.  Dancing has this too.  Try dipping or lifting your dance partner, and you will see what I mean.  It’s just like lifting weights.  Spins and lunges are also very anaerobic.

Flexibility is also a big part of dance.  Any Argentine tango student who is learning body dissociation, or salsa student who is learning figure eights and hip rolls knows what I mean.  I have a new student at our Midwood studio who is a martial arts teacher.  A black belt in many styles.  After two or three classes, he tells me that he is feeling muscles sore that he never knew he had.

Beginner salsa class

Salsa lessons in Brooklyn at Dance Fever Studios

Staying healthy isn’t just physical.  Your mind also needs to be fit; constantly growing and learning new things.  In dance your memory is put to the test.  You are always learning new patterns and sequences.  If not used, they will be forgotten.  Anyone who has ever choreographed a routine knows what I mean.  A 4 minute salsa routine can easily have over 100 different steps and patterns.  The more routines you do, the sharper your memory gets.  Dancing gets both the mind and body fit; while also having fun, meeting new people and making new friends.

 

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

Salsa classes in Brooklyn

January 30, 2013 by ·

Best salsa songs to learn to by tempo

You’re a new salsa student and you’re having trouble finding songs to practice and learn to.  You check on Youtube and

Dance Fever Students dancing salsa in NYC club. Dance Fever is a top salsa studio.

Latin couple dancing salsa in NYC club.

Google for songs but are having trouble.  You want not just good salsa songs, but ones that are good to dance to.   Aquanile is great, but not so much for beginner salsa dancer.   La India has some nice songs, but not the best for dancing.  There are many great songs, but you want ones without long intros and a bunch of breaks.   You also want the songs broken down by tempo.  Slow for practicing the stuff you just learned.  Maybe medium tempo for the stuff you almost have, and faster for the stuff you have mastered.  So, here’s the list you’re looking for.  Broken down by very slow, slow, medium and fast.

VERY SLOW:  Melao de Cana/Celia Cruz,  Porque Yo/La33,  I like it Like That/Pete Rodriquez,  Mi Media Mitad/Rey Ruiz,  Mi Son Cubano/Roberto Torres,  Que Lindo El Punto Cubano/Roberto Torres,  En El Barrio/Son Boricua,  Catalina La O/Pete Rodriguez,  Estan Quemando la Cana/Yuri Buenaventura

SLOW:  Te Falta Ritmo/Calambuco,  No Me Acostumbro/Rey Ruiz,  Perdoname/Gilberto Santarosa,  Esa Mujer/Tony Vega,  Siempre Sere/Tito Rojas,  Eres/Santiago Cerron,  Sobredosis/Los Titanes,   La Lave/Latin Vibe,  Y Volver/Latin Fusion,  Amigo Mio/El Gran Combo,  La Magia de Tu Besos/Grupo Niche,  Maria Teresa y Danilo/Hansel y Raul,  Entregate/Maelo Ruiz

MEDIUM:  Otra Oportunidad/Jimmy Bosch,  Yamulemao/Joe Arroyo,  Tu Amigos O Tu Amante/Sabrosura,  Buscandote/The Latin Brothers,  Caballo Viejo/Roberto Torres,  Micaela/Sonora Carruseles,  Juliana/Cuco Valoy,  Mata Que Dios/Cuco Valoy,  Casi Te Envidio/Andy Montanez,  Antidoto y Veneno/Eddie Santiago,  La Cura/Frankie Ruiz,  Llego El Amor/Gilberto Santa Rosa,  Que Paso/Hansel y Raul,  Cali Pachanquero/Gupo Niche

FAST:  Me Libere/El Gran Combo,  Sabor a Melao/Tabaco y Ron,  Ven a Medellin/Grupo Galla,  Vamonos Pal Monte/Son Boricua,  Lady/Orquesta La Palabra,  Baracuaniguara/Africando,  Dejate Querer/Jose Alberto,  Mi Negra Su Calentura/Grupo Niche,  Tiene Sabor/Henry Fiol

 

 

 

Filed Under: Salsa Dancing · Tagged: , , ,

Difference between salsa on1 and on2

January 24, 2013 by ·
Salsa studios Brooklyn. Dance Fever Studios salsa class. The premier salsa dance studio in Brooklyn.

Salsa lessons in Brooklyn at Dance Fever Studios.

I have heard so many bad explanations of this from salsa dancers and also,  even teachers,  that I need to write this.  The only difference between salsa on1 and on2 is the beat you are breaking on.  On1 you break forward on the 1st beat in the measure of the music.  On2 you are breaking on the 2nd beat in the music.  This is the difference.  There aren’t any different steps, or better steps in on1 or on2.  You can do all the same steps.  There aren’t any different shine in on1 or on2.  You can do all the same shines.   One isn’t better or worse than the other.  There are just as many great on1 dancers as on2.

On1,  the first two beats are quick quick.  You pause or hold the 3rd and 4th beat.  On2,  the 2nd and 3rd beats are the quick quick.  You pause on the 4 and 5.  That’s the slow.   So in on1, the first part of your basic is within the measure of music.  On2, you split the measure of music in your basic.  The pause is between two measures.

Now, on2 has two ways of starting.  You can just break straight  forward with the leader’s left on the 2nd beat, or the leader breaks back with his left foot, then breaks back again with his right foot on the 2nd beat.  The first way the leader is breaking forward on the 2 and back on the 6.  The second way, the leader is breaking forward on the 6 and back on the 2.

If you really want to be good, learn how to do both on1 and on2.   This will really develop your timing and musicality.   Once you learn both, you will understand what I am talking about.  Take a look at the attached Youtube link to see on1 and on2 basics demonstrated.  You can see more video on our Youtube chanel.

Filed Under: Salsa Dancing · Tagged: , , ,
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