Just a Salsa Tip for the Leaders!

DANCERS –

WAIT FOR THE MAMBO TO START TURNING

Every salsa event i go to in SF, the song starts, and people start turning. my apologies, but la salsa no se baila asi (is not danced that way).

Listen to the music. Most salsa songs are based on the guaracha or son montuno forms, which have introductions, mambos, and sometimes percussive breakdowns. The introduction is just that, it lets you dance around with your partner, get to know them, feel them out. The mambo comes later, and is generally announced by a dramatic horn figure, at which point the song picks up pace and the cowbell, or cencerro, really kicks in.

Listen for this! This is when you start your turns. If you come out turning, you use up all your turns early, get tired, and have nothing new to do when then mambo hits.

Instead, use the time during the introduction to float around, move your partner, and get loose. Then when the mambo starts, POW! dale con tus vueltas y rumbea! (do your turns and get into it) on the percussive breakdowns, you can let your partner loose and just shake it, do a little solo dancing.

Then when the mambo starts again, grab hold again and go for it. Again, listen to the music.

It will tell you when to dance, when to turn, when to breakdown, when to come back…

-Beto (Bay Area Leader and Musician)

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