Third salsa class: Lima, 2009-11-08

The third salsa class was very private: Only Juan-Carlos and Melanie showed up.

We did a quick retake of the basics from the first class, basic partner work, leading, right turn. Then we started practicing the "cross body lead". Important things to remember from this class are:

* Line style salsa is called "line style" for a reason: The follower is always maintaining a line, moving backwards or forwards, facing "north" or "south". When changing place or doing turns, the lead moves out of the way so the follower can move along the line.

* The simplest way to change place is a move called cross body lead. The leader opens up on 1-2-3, moving to the right side of the line. The follower does a normal basic step on 1-2-3. Then the leader pushes forward with his right hand on 4-5, indicating that the follower shouldn't complete a normal basic step but instead step forward on 5-6, making half a turn on 7 to face the lead. This move is very similar to the "Dile que no" move in cuban salsa. This move is often used to start or end a sequence of moves.

* A variation on cross body lead is cross body lead with right turn. It starts the same, but the leader raises his left hand to indicate a turn on 4. The follower initiates the turn on 6 and always steps along the line, facing left on 6, right on 7 and turning 270 degrees on 7-8, keeping the right foot in the air until the next 1, then moving into a normal basic step. This "5-6-7" turn takes some practice. The follower always moves in the same direction throughout the move, and always steps on the line. The leader must remember to be steady in the spin, using the shoulder to guide, not the wrist. The leader's left hand moves down on 7-8, indicating the end of the turn.

That was all we covered in the third class. Keep practicing!