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Intro to NY Style Salsa on1 Basics

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
316 views2 pages

Intro to NY Style Salsa on1 Basics

salsa class salsa class example syllabus

Uploaded by

filmwithvai
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The Intro Class for NY Style Salsa on1

Formerly know as our FREE ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS class


Classes 1 and 2 (1st class – only basic steps and partnership, 2nd add solo turns and
Cross Body Lead). The first class is enough to teach during a FREE ABS BEGINNERS class

Below is the script that you should make use of…..


Introduce yourself – “Hi everyone. My name is………”
"This is the Absolute Beginners class for NY Style Cross Body Salsa on 1 designed to show you the Basics of
Salsa."
"What Are the Basics of Salsa? – The basic is a pattern of steps that we do along with the 8 beats of salsa."
"Why 8 beats? One thing that all forms of Salsa share in common is that there are 4 beats in each bar." (show
this with your hands)
"When we listen or dance to salsa, we take 2 bars of music and put them together" (show this by bringing your
hands together) "to give us 8 beats which we call a Dancer’s Measure."
"When we practice in a few minutes time we will add a count to each one of those 8 beats 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and
8 SO THAT YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE IN THE [Link] that make sense so far?" (if only a feeble
reply ask again)
(Stand sideways on to students)
"I am going to teach you 4 forms of the basic."
"The first form of the basic is the Mambo Basic. Mambo comes from New York. In NY the clubs used to be long
and thin (indicate with a hand movement back and forth) like this and people dance forward and back so that
they don’t bump into each other."
"I am going to dance in this direction at first so that you can see what I am doing with my feet and then we will
all turn and face forward."
"Before we begin let’s take our hands out of our pockets and uncross our arms (actioning) so that we can
concentrate on our footwork. Keep your arms up when you are dancing for two reasons: 1) so that your partner
knows where you are when you’re dancing, and 2) for balance.

1. Explain/teach the Mambo Basic


2. Then move on to the Back Basic. Whilst doing the Back Basic, go back to the Mambo Basic so that they
understand that they flow into one another.
3. Then move on to the Rumba Basic, again going back to the Mambo Basic and Back Basic to reinforce the
continuity.
"So far, the three basics I’ve showed you and we are able to do this because we dance on this lovely smooth
dancefloor."
"The last basic I’m going to show you is the Cubanos or Opening-out. The origin comes from Cuba during the
Revolution when all the wooden dancefloors were torn up and people danced out in the streets and most of the
people wore army boots and had to take much bigger steps.
4. Explain/teach the Cubanos/Opening-out

Teach the following in order and all of the time get the students to count the time along with
the music that is playing.

Name Leader or Description / teaching points


Follower
Mambo Basic All Left foot goes forward on 1 and right foot back on 5 – not too far
back or forward, stress where body weight would be over the
moving foot i.e. that the torso remains rigid and arms are used for
balance and not waving around – however, the shoulders should be
naturally mobile. Keep upper body steady. Practice
Back Basic All Step slightly back on steps 1 and 5. Practice along with mambo
Rumba Basic All Left foot goes out to side on 1 and then recover on 2 and 3, pause
on 4 and then right foot goes out to side on 5 and then recover on 6
and 7, pause on 8 Practice along with mambo basic and back basic
Cubanos All Explain origins in Cuba and explain reason for bigger back steps
(Opening Out) on 1 and 5. Practice along with other basics
Practice these to a warm-up track (eg Oscar D’Leons Que Bueno Baila Usted)

To get them partnered up


"Salsa is a partner dance, so we are going to get you partnered up. Let us have the men line up over
here" (point to the place). "and the women here".
"Ladies, so far what we’ve taught you is wrong for you because it was in men’s timing"
"If both you and your partner were to do the same footwork on the same timing, you are going to bump
into each other. So, ladies you're going to do the opposite"
"……is going to demonstrate the mambo basic for you. Instead of stepping forward on her left and
back on her right on 5, she is going to step back on her right on 1, 2, 3 and then forward on her left on
5, 6,7. So Ladies, you are always on your right foot on 1. Get lost at any point and just step back on
your left foot on 1 and everything will be okay." "Men, we're goingh to do what we learned just now
because that is men's timing". (practice)
"Well done. Okay, in a minute we are going to get you partnered up. There may well be a few extra
girls/guys. If you don't have a partner straight away, whatever you do don't go off the dancefloor. Just
put your hands up and…….will organise you so that you are between two couples so that you will get a
chance to practice as we rotate couples".
"Okay gents in a minute I want these gents (point to them) to go across to that side of the dancefloor
and stay on that side of the dancefloor" (point to your staff member)…..Is going to make sure you stay
on that side. facing the women and the women are going to form a line (or lines) and stay on this side
of the dancefoor facing the men.

Now we will get into partnership


(Explain the correct distance to be away from your partner is achieved when the man’s right hand is
on the centre of the back where the bra-strap is)
Get women & men lined-up opposite each other and explain Ladies Timing and then practice
Basic partner All Men – ‘form a V-shape with your thumb and the rest of the
hold fingers /swear an oath!’ (left hand)
Women - place right hand against man’s left hand – keeping both
palms flat and applying slight tension.
Men – place right hand behind woman – resting it between their
shoulder blade (bra strap joke!!!) explain that this allows better
control as it’s where the spine is)
Women – place left hand on the rounded part of the man’s right
shoulder.
Practice mambo, back and rumba basics in partnership.

Common questions

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The lessons on Mambo, Back, and Rumba basics demonstrate continuity and flow by linking fundamental steps in a seamless sequence that maintains the rhythm and balance essential for salsa. Instructors teach these basics incrementally, reinforcing them within the context of moving from one form to another, allowing dancers to practice transitions between steps like back and forth motions and sideways movements. This approach ensures dancers can execute movements fluidly, reflecting salsa's dynamic and continuous nature .

Dancing on a smooth floor significantly affects learning and execution of NY Style Salsa on1 basics by allowing easier pivoting, sliding, and weight shifting necessary for precise step execution and partner coordination. The smooth surface provides less friction, which aids in performing fluid movements seamlessly as taught in basics such as Mambo, Back, and Rumba, enhancing learner engagement and performance quality .

Teaching different timing and footwork for leaders and followers in salsa is crucial because it prevents collisions and maintains synchrony during partner dancing. In NY Style Salsa on1, men (leaders) and women (followers) follow distinct rhythms; leaders step forward on their left and back on their right, whereas followers step back on their right and forward on their left. This distinction ensures partners complement rather than mirror each other, enabling seamless interaction and movement flow essential in partner dances .

Music is central to teaching NY Style Salsa on1 as it provides the rhythmic structure essential for learners to follow. The lessons emphasize counting beats to help participants know their position in the music, and students practice steps to a rhythm count that matches salsa's 8-beat measure. Teachers ensure students internalize timing by practicing basics to warm-up tracks like Oscar D’Leon's "Que Bueno Baila Usted," reinforcing musicality and timing essential for salsa dancing .

Effective educational strategies for teaching the partner hold in NY Style Salsa on1 include clear physical demonstrations, humor, and tactile learning methods. Instructors use descriptive anatomical guides, like mentioning the 'bra strap' location for hand placement, adding humor to ensure relatability and memorability. These strategies engage learners by combining verbal instructions with physical cues, enhancing understanding of spatial dynamics, tension creation, and movement control in partnership, crucial for effective and coordinated dancing .

The Cubanos or Opening-out move is adapted from Cuban dance which evolved during the Revolution when wooden dance floors were destroyed, and people danced in the streets often wearing army boots requiring bigger steps. This adaptation highlights the dance's resilience and historical roots, emphasizing the dance's adaptability and cultural evolution. In the NY Style Salsa on1 class, teaching this move offers students insight into the cultural context of salsa, enriching their understanding and appreciation of its diverse heritage .

The basic steps in the NY Style Salsa on1 class are structured into progressive lessons that begin with fundamental movements and build up to more complex sequences. The first class focuses on basic steps and partnership, emphasizing recognizing the music's 8 beats (Dancer's Measure) and introducing the Mambo Basic. The second class adds solo turns and more complex steps like the Back Basic, Rumba Basic, and Cubanos or Opening-out, reinforcing continuity among the steps. This step-by-step learning helps beginners understand the flow and rhythm of salsa while enabling them to practice various forms in synchronization with music .

Incorporating the historical and cultural context of salsa movements such as the Cubanos enriches the learning experience in NY Style Salsa on1 by providing dancers with a deeper appreciation and connection to the dance's cultural roots. Understanding the origins, like the necessity of larger steps due to dancing in army boots on uneven surfaces during the Cuban Revolution, highlights salsa's adaptability and cultural heritage. This context allows learners to engage more meaningfully with the dance, fostering a greater respect and enthusiasm for its practice .

NY Style Salsa on1 classes emphasize keeping the upper body steady, using arms for balance without excessive movement, and maintaining a rigid torso for controlled weight distribution over moving feet. These body posture techniques help dancers maintain balance, prevent injury, and enable precise movements. When the torso is stable, dancers can perform steps like forward-backward (Mambo Basic) and side-to-side (Rumba Basic) with clarity and confidence, essential for mastering salsa's intricate and fast-paced footwork .

The partnering system and rotation method in NY Style Salsa on1 classes enhance learning by exposing students to various dance styles and techniques from different partners, fostering adaptability and social interaction. Rotating partners ensures each dancer gains experience with multiple individuals, which is essential for developing skills necessary for improvisational aspects of salsa and for improving communication and lead-follow dynamics, ultimately leading to a holistic improvement in dance proficiency .

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