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Making a Salsa Pattern From Easy to Hard With JUST 4 moves


by

If you know me, I’m not a fan of doing patterns unless they’re being used to teach something specific.

Why?

I believe teaching principles and concepts first, the stuff you can apply to everything, is more helpful for social dancing.

I also prefer to focus on individual moves before patterns. Once you know the foundational moves and their names you can connect them like lego blocks – a skill all social dancers need. Memorizing choreography is less helpful.

In this video, I’m going to use just 4 moves to create a pattern and then sprinkle on some difficulty, move by move, to gradually increase the complexity of the pattern, from easy to hard.

Level 1

Simply link the four moves together:

  • Cross body lead
  • Right turn (for the follow)
  • Left turn (for the lead)
  • Inside turn

Level 2

Add a lock to the right turn:

  • Cross body lead
  • Right turn + lock to her right shoulder
  • Left turn (for the lead)
  • Inside turn

Level 3

Add a hook turn for the lead during the cross body lead:

  • Cross body lead + hook turn
  • Right turn + lock to her right shoulder
  • Left turn (for the lead)
  • Inside turn

Level 4

Keep the arm lock after the right turn and unwind it using the left turn:

  • Cross body lead + hook turn
  • Right turn + lock to her right shoulder
  • Left turn + unwind the locked arm
  • Inside turn

Level 5

Add more locks before and during the inside turn:

  • Cross body lead + hook turn
  • Right turn + lock to her right shoulder
  • Left turn + unwind the locked arm
  • Inside turn
    • Arm lock/loop before (leg go of her hand)
    • Head lock/loop during (let go of her hand)

Level 6

Recollect the hand during the inside turn, add a right turn + arm locks afterward

  • Cross body lead + hook turn
  • Right turn + lock to her right shoulder
  • Left turn + unwind the locked arm
  • Inside turn
    • Arm lock/loop before (leg go of her hand)
    • Head lock/loop during (let go of her hand)
    • Recollect her hand
  • Right turn + arm locks to finish

In the video the levels are slightly different, but I wanted to lay it out here in even more step-by-step progressive detail.

Hopefully you can now see…

  1. How to connect individual moves like lego blocks
  2. How to layer on difficulty, move by move, using concepts (locks, turns etc.)

Likewise, if you ever find a pattern that’s too hard for you, simplify it down to it’s basic moves. Then add back complexity until it’s at a level you like.

Lastly, as a lead, one of the keys to social dancing well is being able to adjust to your partners. This video is a perfect example of how you can adjust the complexity of something based on who you’re dancing with.

If your follow is more beginner, add the complexity for yourself.

If the follow is more advanced, add some more complexity for them.

If you’re both feeling great, add more fun for both of you.

Thanks for your attention and have fun out there!