A Recipe, Yeah, for Salsa Dancers Though...

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 Anyway, to the day’s business…

Lately, I have read a couple of Salsa blogs and I observed that most of them talk to those in the intermediate and advanced level, which is a good thing because that’s where the audience is: they already know what Salsa is.

Nevertheless, thinking on a different note, I thought about that newly acquainted beginner trying everything they can to dance like those they admire on the floor.

Some even go to an extend of copy pasting the moves into their own daily routines, even if it means twisting your body in a manner it is not used to. Eventually, you can’t blame them when they say that Salsa is as hard as cracking a nutshell with bare hands.

Judging from the way they approach it, you expect nothing less.

Here is the reason; someone told me that for anyone willing to dance well they have to develop their own unique style that synchronizes with their body biology. In that, we dance the same thing but with slightly different modifications.

This is very true.

It is for that reason I compiled a list of tips, all in one recipe that anyone trying to grasp the nuts and bolts of Salsa from scratch would use.

First off, understand and know the basics… 

Yeah, I just said it. I know this isn’t the first time you are hearing this, but basics are the fundamental instruments you will need to advance forward.

It’s more like learning how to speak another tongue, you first learn the basics and then proceed to learn more stuff.

Practice the basics as much as you can, because once you grasp them well, the rest is a walk in the park.

Secondly, take every dance as an entertaining lesson… 

Okay, whether you dance with a beginner or the most advanced Salsa ‘guru’, there will always be something to learn.

And while at it, be keen, it is until then that will you be able to see through the tinted walls of complicated moves.

However, don’t chip in all your attention to learning moves so you forget to have fun. It is through having fun that you will unleash the inner better you in the process.

Because apart from other reasons, that’s the main essence of Salsa: having fun. 

Feel the music… 

I will demonstrate how you can get yourself to feel the music so naturally that you will enjoy every tune played when dancing. So, before you begin dancing, free yourself from distractions.

Distractions don’t necessarily have to be from the surroundings, they could as well be your thoughts. Free yourself from them completely so you are attentive enough.

For the ladies especially when dancing Kizomba, kindly close your eyes if you can and focus your attention to your partner’s cue position.

 After that, use your ears well. Listen to the music so attentively until you feel like it is playing from within you.

You would be like, "Ooh man, cut the crap and stop being ridiculous...!" I know, but it’s real.

The essence of feeling the music is that it helps you dance perfectly with the beat, and most importantly, helps you to synchronize your moves.

Be creative, actually, very creative… 

On watching most advanced dancers dance, you will notice that they rarely implement the basic moves, especially when dancing Kizomba. It’s not like they forget them with time but they know well that the basics give you direction.

And it’s not like you shouldn’t do the basics either, but if you got to break past that basic bracket, creativity has to come in handy. And you don’t have to force it anyway.

Just dance, have fun, be a little crazy… Ooh and have a good memory: don’t forget a classy thing you did yesterday.

Use it today, modify it again and use it tomorrow. I hope you get the point am driving home.

Creativity makes you grow ‘dancewise’. More importantly, it chases boredom, redundancy and complacency away. Just like the way a mob chases a suspected pickpocket.

Last but not the least on our list, watch and learn... 

Be it on the dance floor, or on a YouTube video, always learn a move or two. And here is a fact most forget: always watch and learn to do it your way, unless you are practicing for a routine.

And even so, you still don't have to photocopy everything.

Because it is your way that works perfectly. It doesn’t have to look like you are forcing it just because the move looked awesome that way from where you saw it.

The idea is to dance well like you, not like a crude copy of another dancer.

In summary... we are all entitled to learn from each other. However, we shouldn’t forget that each of us has their unique way of expressing what they learn.

It is through that uniqueness that the beauty in our dancing is displayed.

Always recall, start from the basics and advance forward. Before I call it a day, dear friend, Practice and dance times infinity. Because practice makes you a perfect ‘guru’.

FYI: Spread the Salsa spirit and never stop in the quest to fulfill your dreams. What other tips could you add to the recipe above that could have been left out? Be sure to share them with us on the comment section below.