Many times, I have observed some of my dance partners and friends watch dance clips and exclaim, “That move was complex! Some people are just coined to do some moves. I honestly can’t!”
Then the next moment you see somebody perform that move you branded complex so nicely on the floor, and you get demotivated because you think you can't and others can.
In a previous post, I talked about passion in Salsa dancing but when it comes to learning something new, then something more than passion is needed. And that’s where most people find it hard to learn.
I once had that can’t-do mentality until someone opened up my eyes with the tips below.
And I hope you open yours too and jump out of that realm of fantasies to higher levels of your Salsa dancing. The tips apply especially if you are watching someone dance be it live or on a video clip.
1. Watch carefully with no hurry.
Your aim here is to learn how to do the move. For a clip, watch the whole clip and note the areas with the moves to learn. It is advisable to watch two to three times so you get the flow of the dancer in action.
Appreciate and compliment them where they nail it!
Smile, because you can do that too, maybe better...
If it’s a performance, most people video record it, which is a good thing as you can watch later. If you can’t then note the move that pleases you just like with the video clip.
2. Try the moves you just watched.
Use a mirror or a dance partner and try out the moves. Rewind the video clip to make sure you are doing it right.
Check with the mirror to know where you need to put more effort. Or rather ask what your friend sees you should work on.
If it was a performance and you’re bold enough, ask the performer to show you how they did it.
3. Practice as much until you get it right or something close.
You got the concept, but so you can do it well, practice is key. It is natural not to do exactly like you saw it. Our bodies tend to twist differently even when we are doing the same thing, which is a good, as it creates diversity.
If you can do it like you saw it, well, that’s awesome. If you can’t, that’s cool, because then you can modify it so you create a new move.
4. Repeat the above steps and create a choreo.
Watch several other clips and keep learning more moves and dance maneuvers (as one respected choreographer put it).
Just make sure not to bite off more than you can chew.
With every move you learn, combine it with a previously learned move and with time you have your own choreo.
Be as creative as you can, the sky is the limit here.
5. Show off to your friends and teach them too.
I believe sharing is the best way to learn more. It is that process of sharing that you learn more ways of doing it as you teach your friends.
They will also give you genuine comments on your dancing. And if the choreo is good enough, perform it before an audience.
Final thoughts...
It is worth noting that some moves may take a while or even days for you to grasp them well.
Be patient and give yourself time to ensure you achieve noticeable results.
Appreciate yourself when you achieve your set objective- learning that new move- because you just succeeded in that and nothing succeeds like success, to coin a phrase.
P.S: Am preparing something amazing on the next post. I'm sure it will be of great help to most of us. Just watch out...😉💗
And the vipers too.
And the vipers too.
What more can you add to help those who want to learn new Salsa moves? Let us know in the comments section.
