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This one is a little more complicated but the basic fundamentals are the same as the one handed version. The majority of the problems will come with the ladies cross-body lead with the double inside turn. Making this smooth will require staying close to the lady through her turn and keeping her hands in a good relationship to her body.

Also it will be very important for the guy to keep count with his feet during the entire turn pattern so as not to end the turn on the wrong count.

Let us know what you think about the video and be sure to post your comments!

~J

This turn pattern is the more simple form of the “Complicated Turn Patterns.” The two handed turn pattern is the more difficult one. This pattern is best practiced from start to finish without hesitation or pausing. The momentum from the movements makes the ending cross body lead much smoother and easier to lead.

Make sure to leave your comments and questions and we will answer them as soon as possible and remember, practice often!

~J

This turn pattern is a very diverse combination of simple moves. This is an intermediate pattern that is 100% modular and can be broken up and reassembled to suit  your needs. Practice this move in sections, not only as as full turn pattern. This move can single handedly take your dancing to the next level.

Practice, practice, practice and leave your comments and questions and let us know what you think!

~J

Casino Rueda is a really fun dance. However, it is very rare that you see it done and people who know how to do it are even more rare. This group Ritmos Latinos performed it in Ankara, Turkey. They are a pretty good example of Casino Rueda and for the most part they are together on their moves. That is probably the hardest part of Rueda is getting all the couples doing the same thing at the same time. I consider it the syncronized swimming of salsa dancing.

If you ever come across a Casino Rueda class… take it!
When it is done right it looks great!

Casino Rueda

We had a group of 30 students that all wanted to perform in a show last December and we were not exactly sure how we were going to teach 15 couples a routine that would look good. The show was called Dancing for a Cause and it benefited the Make a Wish Foundation and we wanted to make sure it was a really good performance. After a decent amount of panicking over what we were going to do with 30 students and only about a month to prepare, we remembered that Jay knew Casino Rueda quite well.

The show went so well that 7 months later we are STILL getting compliments!

-Elizabeth

This is a really cool men’s turn. It isn’t very hard to learn and it looks really cool. 

A few tips that will help when doing this move.

1) Keep the hand that is behind you back as high up on your back as possible, it will make going under it easier. 
2) Stand Shoulder to shoulder with the girl, facing your partner, your right shoulder should be in front of her right shoulder.
3) End your right turn facing the lady. It is very important to turn far enough to face your partner again.

If you have any questions feel free to give me a shout and I can clear any thing up for you!

~J

This is a cool Salsa move that I don’t often see people doing out at the club. Men’s turn patterns are seldom perfected and rearely taught and being that I love to spin and show off (who doesn’t) I decided to amp up the amount of guys turn patterns you have in your arsenal.  

This is a really cool move that I was never taught, I just played around with until it came out, Hint the not having a good name for it! I’m sure there is someone else out there in the salsa world who does this moves but you will for sure get noticed doing it in a club in your city. I explain the counts on1 but i’m sure you can put it to a Mambo if you are so inclined .

Sorry about the background noise and the creaky wood floor, annoying yes but not too distracting. Keep coming back for more videos of beginning, intermediate  and advanced turn patterns videos via youtube!

~J

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Oklahoma City… that is where Jay moved to Dallas from and that is where we are headed this weekend. I hear there is some pretty good Salsa dancing on Saturday nights at a place called IDance. I will keep you posted and let you know how it was.

IDance Studio

Here is their website: http://www.idancestudio.com/

A lot of ladies have trouble spinning either by themselves or when their partner spins them. A lot of gentlemen have trouble spinning also and these tips will help for guys too. From what I have noticed with our Salsa students and other dancers, there are four main problems that keep people from being great spinners.

Ladies International Dance Shoe

1. Spinning on your heels- This happens a lot if you are not wearing the proper footwear. When you spin, regardless of if you are wearing socks or ballroom dance shoes, you absolutely must stay on the balls of your feet. Ideally your heels shouldn’t have weight on them at all while dancing.

2. Wearing shoes with rubber soles- This is critical because especially if you are just learning, rubber soled shoes with grips on the bottom can catch the ground. This is a major problem because you not only can’t spin worth anything, but you tork the hell out of your knees! This is how dance injuries happen. It is worth it to buy some good dance shoes and online you can find them for $30. They don’t have to be top quality if you are just starting out, but they should be decent shoes. If you aren’t just starting out and you have been dancing for a while, you might consider investing in a really great pair of shoes. My personal favorites are International Dance Shoes and Freed of London, although both of those run decently expensive. I have an el-cheapo pair of dance shoes for going out, or I wear regular heels with no grips on the bottoms, and then I break out the nice pairs of dance shoes for teaching and studio dancing.

3. Holding your ABS firm- This is the key (paired with the next dance tip) to being able to do as many spins as you want. You MUST keep your core tight. Your body must function as one. This will also allow you to spin on pretty much any surface wearing almost any type of shoes. I can’t tell you how many times I have spun on concrete or linoleum floors wearing only flip flops or sneakers. When you hold your ABS tight you are able to lift yourself off the ground so that the spin almost isn’t in your feet at all.

Jay and I

4. Keeping your Arm at a 90 Degree angle and Firm- This is critical too because if your arm isn’t rigidly fixed to your body it will be almost impossible for you partner to turn you. When someone pushes on your arm your whole body needs to go that direction. If you are dancing with a partner this is how you will gain your momentum. Also, keep your arm as close to a 90 degree angle as possible. This will give you balance.