Importance of Technique in Learning Salsa Dancing

With salsa moves easily available in an endless stream on YouTube, it seems that the enterprising salsa dancer would never need to take a class to learn salsa. I suppose this approach is adequate for dancers that do not aspire to that wonderful point where they lead/follow seemingly effortlessly in a magical connection with their partner. But wow such dancers miss out on a pretty important thing … the dancing.

To become a good dancer requires learning good technique. Technique is comprised of the hundreds of tiny gestural and timing elements that make possible beautiful style and the skill to lead/follow with acumen. To know exactly where one’s weight should be, to know which way to turn one’s hand at a precise moment, to know the particular count when something needs to happen, to embody great posture, to feel the precise connection with your partner … all these things are essential to dancing salsa with skill and style.

We always tell our students that technique and style are inseparable.  Dancing the simplest moves and elements with excellent technique is all one needs to enjoy great salsa dancing.  This is always preferable to dragging (or being dragged) through some complicated move sequence where there the dancers do not have the technical skills to actually accomplish the moves successfully, gracefully, and in the rhythm of the music.

Another major reason to start dancing with much attention to technique is that once bad habits or practices are embodied, it is very difficult to replace them with good technique. I’ve worked with dancers who discovered that they lacked in technique only after having danced salsa for some time.  Even for them to maintain awareness of what they needed to do to change was difficult and often frustrating. The time to get great technique is from the very beginning. But then you work on technique throughout your entire dancing career.

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So it is great to pick up a new move now and then from YouTube, but you will not be able to lead/follow these moves with great technique unless you are already an advanced dancer. Take classes from, or find video instruction from, a good technique-oriented teacher who critiques you and who constantly encourages you to learn and to embody excellent technique.

Source Sam Gill

Posted in dance salsacircuit , match salsa dance , music salsa , salsa dance technique , salsa dancing