Shoulder Catches
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Shoulder catches are a close cousin of the change of place. As the leads do a semi change change of place (i.e. don’t switch sides completely), they catch the shoulder of the follow and send her back. Your footwork should look familiar – it’s your cumbia basic the whole time.
Tips For The Partner Work
Fellas, to execute this move efficiently, keep your partner close to you so she remains in your work space. If you let her slip away after the count of 3, you won’t be able to send her back the other way quick enough. Also, be mindful of the direction you are facing. You should never completely square up to your partner by the count of 3. Instead, you should be facing her by making a quarter rotation to the right.
Ladies, be sure to square up to your partner on counts 1 and 5. This will ensure that you are making a complete 180 degree rotation causing the connection to happen between your shoulder and the leads hand. By squaring up to him, you’ll feel that ‘boing’ effect that will give you a clear signal to go back the other way.
Adding a Progression
Once you get nice and comfortable with shoulder catches, give the continuous shoulder catches a try. It’s a simple variation that will add some spice to this step.
Give it a Try
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