Q: What is the technique for a woman that she can be so light that she can spin faster?
There are a lot of things that go into being light when spinning. The most important thing that a lady must do is be in control of her weight and be in control of her center so that she is not totally dependant on the men's lead. The men only provides the initiation of the turn and the speed and amount of turns, the lady has to keep balanced and not pull down on the guy. She has to put in 50% of the work. There is a lot of technique that goes into that. What I do is first always have my knees bent, tighten up my stomach by pushing it in towards my spine, and spin on the balls of my feet. Also, the ladies' tension in the arm that is spinning is also key, there has to be a firm amount, not too strong and not too light. Also it has to be in a right angle all times plus she cannot pull up or push down with that arm, just keep her arm weight centered. Also, spotting is key as well. I try to keep my shoulders down by pushing them down to engage the muscles in the back.
Lastly, I try to keep all my weight on my toes and not on my heels, the goal is to keep your hips/pelvis over the balls of your feet so you are aligned with the body as if a straight string is running along through the body from top to bottom. Lastly, the way lady comes out of her spins is also important and that happens by keeping the knees and feet together when spinning and putting more tension in the legs and stomach when stopping.
Lastly, I try to keep all my weight on my toes and not on my heels, the goal is to keep your hips/pelvis over the balls of your feet so you are aligned with the body as if a straight string is running along through the body from top to bottom. Lastly, the way lady comes out of her spins is also important and that happens by keeping the knees and feet together when spinning and putting more tension in the legs and stomach when stopping.
Q: I was watching your videos and you are just simply amazing. I have a question for you, what types of shoes you use? And what are your favorite brand/websites where i could purchase salsa shoes?
Thank you so much
Thank you so much
Thank you for your kind words! As for the shoes, my performance shoes are from Freed of London which I love. I have not tried a whole lot of shoes but I can definitely tell you the names of some ballroom shoe companies. I have tried www.exoticsalsashoes. com (VeryFine)which are shoes that are cheaper than the average but the styles ave pretty typical, but they have a huge selection of styles and colors. I have also tried Dance Naturals which are also European like Freed of London but are pretty expensive and the comfortability is just ok. Also Burju from Hache Y Machete has some very beautiful shoes, check out her website www.hacheymachete.com. Lastly, I know there is Supadance shoes, Elegance shoes, DSOL online shoes, and many more but I cannot comment on those. Thank you again for your great comments. Good luck!
Q: Where are the best places to go social dancing in NY?
NY is the hub of salsa, so when it comes to social dancing and nightlife, there are so many options! The best thing to do when coming to NY and looking for places to dance is to check out the main mambo calendar at www.salsanewyork.com. Here lists everything that goes on in regards to salsa in NYC on a daily basis. Nightclubs run the salsa scene during the week, but on the weekends, you can find up to 5 or more socials in one night. Some of the top places to go at the moment are Taj (Mondays), Iguana (Tues), Imperial or LQ (Wed), Cache (Thurs) during the week. Some of the top socials to go to on the weekends are La Vieja Guardia (Sundays bimonthly), Jimmy Anton's (Sundays-bimonthly), Mambo Fateegz (Fri and Sat- bimonthly), Yamulee (Fridays-once monthly), Abakua (Fridays-once monthly) plus many more. So check out the salsa night life in NY when you get a chance! It is amazing!
Q: You have this sway so to speak that is very sexy. But anyway i was wondering how do u stay so grounded when u shine? b/c when i do i try to shine i don't stay grounded. i'm on the balls of my feet with my knees bent but i dk. Do u keep your abs tight the whole time??
As for shining, it really depends on what type of shines you are doing I believe. Yes for the majority of the time, I stay on the balls of my feet with my knees bent, and use the balls of my feet to push and pivot where I need to go. If you are doing more syncopated shines, your stepd has to be tighter and shorter. If you are doing more crossovers and using the chordbeat type shines, the steps can be little wider but still on toes with bent knee. I dont constantly keep my abs tight, it depends on what I am doing like spinning or changing direction alot (counterpoints). I do use alot of tension in my legs I believe and again really keep my wieght on the balls of my feet to push, twist, spin, almost do everything. Also, how you use your arms and body movement does play a role in balance and control.
Q: How long does it take to get really good, to move to the next level in salsa?
This is the most popular question asked by beginners, although the most practical. There is no direct answer to this questions because there are so many factors that play a role in someone moving up the ladder in salsa dancing. Each person is different, each person has different strengths and weaknesses. Some of the main factors that influence how good someone gets are how often someone attends classes in a week and how much he/she practices between classes. Someone attending class once a week will most likely learn at a slower rate than someone who attends classes 3x a week. Also someone who mentally and physically practices/rehearses what they have learned in class regularly will retain info better and will be more and more familiar with the material. This includes going out social dancing, which is the best practice anyone can get. Social dancing is the time when you get to put everything into play and start developing a flow.
In addition, everyone learns at a different rate, some people are more visual than others and some are not. This will affect the learning curve as well. Lastly, someone's drive/motivation plays the biggest role I believe. How bad someone wants to learn and the positivity they bring will definitely help someone learn anything, including salsa faster!
In addition, everyone learns at a different rate, some people are more visual than others and some are not. This will affect the learning curve as well. Lastly, someone's drive/motivation plays the biggest role I believe. How bad someone wants to learn and the positivity they bring will definitely help someone learn anything, including salsa faster!