is cuban salsa just a lead’s dance?
A couple of days ago posed a very good question to me, “Isn’t Cuban Salsa just a lead’s dance?”
I agree and disagree. Many couple dances from Tango and Swing to Shag, rely on the lead for 100% direction. If you mean directed by the lead, than yes, it is a lead’s dance.
But I also think Cuban Salsa is a couple’s dance in one of it’s purest forms! The follow completely relies on her partner for direction, and the lead relies on his partner to take his direction and create a vivid and living story.
To all of the ladies in the Salsa world, if you want to follow just follow. If you want to style on your own time, then learn to lead! Most of our ladies do. If you can’t manage either, then just dance solo and express.
Leads, it’s a must that you give your partner some room/time for genuine self-expression. But, as a follow, if you don’t get open time, it sure ain’t up to you to create it. And those sexy styling moves aren’t so sexy if we do them at the wrong time!
Don’t get me wrong, with great intuition a follow can become very aggressive with her styling AND follow an advanced lead. The other styles of Salsa tend to teach memorized “openings” for the follow to insert styling. Problem is, not everyone will know your same openings. Would you really want them to?
And what do you do when you are dancing with a lead who is completely “out of your box?”.
On the other hand ladies, what do you do when you come across a lead who expects you to know these false “openings” or movements and you have no clue as to what the hell he’s doing because he isn’t leading?
Related posts:
- lead faux pas, volume 1…
- real salsa requires a real connection
- a lead for every follow
- lead is defined by follow.
