2017.06.18 08:40

Learning Cuban Salsa

At beginners level, we usually teach some basic steps and Enchufla/Dile que No/Vuelta, with lots of emphasis on making people feel comfortable, welcome, confident and entertained, and only limited emphasis on technicality. Then, at intermediate level, the question arises: what tools should you give your Cuban salsa students to help them learn the longer routines more efficiently once they reach the higher levels? What is going to help them for the rest of their salsa life?

Through observation and analysis, the following list of 12 moves came up, which cover a large proportion of the "situations" met in longer routines. Learning them allows to approach Cuban salsa as a foreign language: while beginner's moves are like a basic alphabet, the 12 moves are like the words which would be used to compose longer sentences at higher levels. From the learner's perspective, knowing these moves does help to "decode" longer routines more efficiently by training the perception of elementary moves in longer routines. From the teacher's perspective, each of the 12 moves is also an occasion to focus on one technical skill such as space awareness, leading/following, particular turn techniques etc.

Yielding to popular demand, here are some youtube links. But:

PLEASE NOTE / DISCLAIMER: These videos are only here to give a rough visual impression of the move, which is more effective than a textual description. We do not guarantee that the execution depicted in these videos is standard or even "correct": that's only whatever we could find on Youtube. Please do consult with Armando Torres Paez to verify and polish your moves.

Movie #1:

1) Enchufla

2) Dile que No

Movie #2:

3) Vuelta a.k.a. Hecho a.k.a. Pimienta

Vuelta a.k.a Pimienta:

Movie #3:

Sombrero:

Movie #4:

Vuelta Vacilala:

Movie #5 / Movie #6:

4) Enchufla Ronde low/high

Movie #7:

6) Paseala al Frente

Movie #8:

6) Sacala / Exhibela

Movie #9:

7) Paseala por Abajo y por Atras

Movie #10:

8) Adios con la Prima

Movie #11:

9) Cubanito, Cubanita, El Uno, El Dos

Cubanito/Cubanita are pre-requisites to El Uno/El Dos:

Movie #12:

El Uno:

Movie #13:

El Dos: essentially Cubanito followed by a full Sombrero:

Movie #14:

10) Enrocate

Movie #15:

11) Coca Cola

Movie #16:

12) Siete a.k.a. Panque