Salsa Volume 2: Intermediate/Advanced Patterns

This is a great video for learning turns, figures, and patterns. This two-hour videotape shows more than 40 patterns, including all of the most common and the most important salsa figures. Specifically, this video shows:

• Five figures involving (natural) right turns for the lady.
• Three figures involving right turns for the man.
• Two figures for lady and man using left (reverse) turns.
• Six figures involving "she goes, he goes" alternating lady/man turns.
• Eight figures involving "Cross Body Leads."
• Four figures involving "back spot turns" (natural tops).
• Four figures involving spinning right side passes for the lady.
• Four figures involving extra (syncopated) turns for the lady.
• Two figures that use "salsa spins."
  

These patterns cover the major "pattern themes" and "footwork categories" in salsa. Except for the patterns involving syncopated double turns, all of these figures are leadable figures for social dancing.

More About Salsa Volume 2

Though there are hundreds of salsa figures, most of these use just twelve basic footwork patterns or "themes." Once you know these basic themes, it's easy to build hundreds of figures and it's easy to chain these figures together. For a given footwork pattern, many figures can be developed by changing the arm-work and the hand connections. For example, a she goes / he goes alternating turn sequence can involve a one-hand connection, a two-hand parallel connection, a cross-hand pretzel connection, or a hand change sequence. Each has a different look, but they could all use the same footwork pattern. Most footwork patterns can involve at least five different hand connections.

This video goes over the twelve most popular footwork and pattern themes. Then, we typically show five or more figures that use each theme. Building off of the twelve basic themes is the easiest way to develop a huge repertoire of figures.

Most salsa videos show only a handful of figures. The student has to buy many videos to learn only a couple dozen moves. Worse, the student never learns the "common denominator" themes that lie beneath almost all salsa figures. This two-hour video is sure to increase your repertoire at least five fold.

This video also shows almost all partner "syllabus" figures, including those from the Cuba / south Florida casino rueda syllabus that are applicable to couple dancing. In addition, this video shows all of the standard ballroom mambo syllabus figures. Most important, this video shows all of the popular "night club" social dance figures that are imminently leadable.

The Video Outline is as follows:

Part 1: Introduction and Previews

Part 2: An introduction to the twelve most popular pattern themes. Note on the counting protocol: his forward basic occurs on counts 1,2, and 3; his backward basic occurs on counts 5,6, and 7. These "themes" include:

• The right turn/right turn, she goes/he goes alternating turning sequence, where she performs a natural turn (a turn to the right) on counts 5,6,7 and he performs his turn to the right on counts 1,2,3. Many different hand connections are possible. This is the theme for "tags" and most ducks.
  
• The right turn/left turn, she goes/he goes alternating turning sequence, where she performs a turn to the right on counts 5,6, and 7 and he performs a turn to the left on counts 1,2, and 3. This can be performed with single hand, double hand or crossed hands. The crossed hands version creates the popular "Lariat" pattern that is used in many other dances.
  
• The alternating mambo turn sequence that is used for "chase patterns."
  
• The crossbody lead with the reverse turn pattern. Perhaps the most popular of all footwork patterns, this pattern is used for lariats and for behind-the-back passes.
  
• The natural top (also called the back spot turn). This figure can set up many others.
  
• The enchunfla figure extended with he goes/she goes "swing" steps. She performs a reverse turn on counts 1,2, and 3 and he performs a reverse turn on counts 4,5, and 6.
  
• The she goes/he goes sequence where the lady dances a reverse turn on counts 1,2, and 3 and the leader dances a turn to the right on counts 5,6, and 7.

Part 3: Many new moves and moves using the above themes. These moves include:

• Tag, and clockwise turning lariat to "sombrero."
  
• "Hairbrush" cross body lead with reverse turn.
  
• Left side opening out and two natural turns.
  
• Enchunfla turn to salsa swing step.
  
• Setenta and setenta variation.
  
• Exhibela
  
• Movement to cape and illusion turns.
  
• Combination #1: Enchunfla turn, movement to cape, illusion turn, ccw-turning lariat, spinning behind the back pass.
  
• Combination #2: Cross body lead with reverse turn to open break, natural top through two bars, exit with behind the back hand change, check to salsa spin.
  
• Combination #3: Natural top through two bars, two she goes L/he goes R sequences to check to salsa spin.
  

Part 4: Patterns grouped by footwork theme. In this part, we group a bazillion figures into their "theme" categories. This is a great way to remember moves and it's a great way to quickly build your repertoire.

Part 5: Bonus patterns. Seven more figures are shown.