Baltimore Salsa Blog

One of my favorite lines from the movie, “Dance With Me” is “How can you dance with no music? The dancing comes from the music.”  Chayanne, a young man from Cuba, unknowingly insults Vanessa Williams, a professional ballroom instructor who competes internationally.  If looks could kill…he’d be a heap of ash.  Vanessa heard the beat, but was not feeling it.

Before you get ahead of yourself and rush into intermediate class so you can learn all those fancy moves, make sure you feel the music!  A multitude of stiff calculated steps have nothing on a few smooth moves in synch with the beat.    If you are having difficulty finding the beat, talk to your instructor for some pointers.  Some dance companies teach a musicality workshop.  Find one in your area.  You’d be surprised how valuable such a lesson actually is.

In my experience, the best way to truly feel the music is to dance by yourself. Yes, that’s what I said. Dance alone. This isn’t about choreography. This is all about finding the beat and feeling the music.  Buy some Salsa CD’s or download a few from the internet.  Dance the basic salsa steps whenever you can. Dance while vacuuming the carpet, cooking dinner, standing in line at the grocery store, and walking the dog.

If you can’t feel it, you can’t lead it or follow.  Know the difference between slow and faster tempos. You will have to adjust your salsa steps to the music. If you rushed through a cross-body lead while listening to a slow Marc Anthony song, you’ll have to pause for a few beats before making your next move.  If what I’m saying is confusing, talk to your instructor or a more experienced dancer to help you find the beat.

Whatever you do, don’t push yourself past where you should be.  A smooth, confident dancer is much more enjoyable to dance with than one who has a lot of jerky, quick steps that can scare away all potential partners.  Trust me. Good dancers know when you are off beat.  If given a choice, I’ll accept a salsa dance with a beginner who feels the music over an intermediate dancer who could potentially hurt me by pulling my arm out of my socket or throwing me off balance.

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