Julie, one of the visitors from our website,  wrote us and wanted to find out some good tips for spinning multiple times in salsa.

I’m not an expert in spins, but I knew who to turn to! I asked Leila Rabanillo her expert advise about spinning.  (Leila is the girl on the top left of the banner of our website).  Leila is one of the best salsa dancers that I’ve danced with.  She seems to spin gracefully and effortlessly, whether it be 1 time or 10 times.    Here is what she had to say:

Hi Arren,
Regarding to your question about multiple turns. I did my research before about this when I was getting into salsa dancing. And, I’ll be happy to share this to whoever wants to learn more about spinning. Hope this helps ‘coz it really help me a lot.

1.) Whipping your shoulders around as fast as possible.  
It’s not your feet that spins you, it’s not your head, it’s not your arms, and it’s not your legs.  It’s your SHOULDERS that gain the momentum.  When you turn your shoulders, the rest of your body follows, and stays more balanced during the spin.

2.) Bending your knees.
If you spin with straight legs, you’re going to tilt, tumble, then crash like a great tree in a forest.  When spinning on your own, or if a guy is spinning you, it is important to have a springy “bend-in-the knees, shock-absorbing”, type of posture like you’re about ready to squat in the bathroom (sorry to be so graphic, but I’m now sure you can picture EXACTLY what I’m trying to convey).  This will lower your body weight to the floor, so you can be more “grounded” and stable during the spin.  This must be done with correct posture, and a very straight back.  Do not bend over!  Maintaining this type of “pose”, per se, is essential for balance and sold controlled spins.

3.) Staying on both balls of your feet.
Simple. If you’re doing multiple spins, you want your legs and feet TOGETHER.  Do not cross your legs, or try to step over your feet – especially during a fast multiple spin.  Crossing your feet will only tangle up your legs, and you’ll end up looking like a cow being roped in a rodeo.  We all know where they end up!  ON THE GROUND!

…

Read the rest of this article in our Q&A Salsa section of  Salsa Dancing Addict!

Emily salsera

I went salsa dancing at Startdust in Bellmawr, NJ last night. 

Tamara

She’s going to be 18 years young this Wednesday I believe.   One of things I enjoyed that night was dancing the birthday dance..  That’s where the birthday salsera dances in the middle of a circle while salseros circle around.  Each salsero takes a turn dancing with the birthday girl.   

Whenever you have the pleasure of participating in this special dance, you’ll have to remember to be quick.   The only way you’ll get to dance with the salsera, is if you are able to cut in and steal her away — which is what I had to do that night.  

I wasn’t feeling very good that night because I’ve been trying to get over a bout of sinus congestion.  It really put a damper on things, as I didn’t really dance that much that night.   But I did get the pleasure of seeing a bunch of my favorite salseras — Leila, Brianna, Michelle, Tamara, Jenn, and Devon.  I was also hoping to see Millie that night, but she was MIA that night.

Since I wasn’t doing much dancing that night, I was able to do alot of observing.   I was horrified as I watched this guy crank his partner with each move. It looked very rough and painful.   Here’s a good article that would explain a better way of leading the girl.    I’m not surprised if this guy had made the blacklist of many salseras. 

On the flip side, there were some really good dancers that night too.. No. I’m not talking about really good advanced or professional dancers, but good intermediate dancers.  It reminded me that, you do not have to do all the fancy moves to dance well. The fancy moves won’t help if you can’t lead them.  I actually observed how some of the salseros are able to lead and guide the girl very smoothly and effortlessly through each move.

Other Resources:
Salsa Clubs in New Jersey (NJ) – South Jersey, Central Jersey, and North Jersey