Salsa

Salsa Lesson - Weds 05/04/2006

1. Crossbody, let go of right hand on 7th beat.

2.1-3. Open break. 2.3. Step forwards and to the left. 2.5-6. Pull lady forward and to the right, keeping hold of the left hand (bringing it across the left of your body). Change grips (i.e. hold her right hand with your right). 2.7-8. Look back (right and behind you), move out and raise the right left, allowing the lady to turn clockwise.

3.1-3. Open break (although you're not facing the lady), but pulling the lady forward with your right hand. 3.5-6. Move/raise your right arm so that the lady can turn anticlockwise with a bit of persuasion. 3.7. You should now be behind her and slightly to the right. Pinch the top of her right shoulder with your left hand to stop her.

4.1-3. Move your right arm, holding her right arm, to point towards the floor while doing a basic move. 4.5-7. Initiate a clockwise turn for the lady, seamlessly changing your right hand group to your left hand.

5.1-3. Open break 5.3. Step forwards and to the right. 5.4-6. Encourage the lady to walk to the left side of you by moving your left arm in that direction. 5.7. Lift up your left arm up and over the lady's head so that she turns clockwise. This is done in one, swift movement.

6.1-2. Pull the lady forward so that she is just in front of you and to the left. 6.3. Move her arm in such a way that it encourages her to spin clockwise in front of you (requires a fair bit of force). Let go of her hand and catch her left hand with your right hand. 6.5. Put your left hand up in a "Gimme 5!" way, move your right hand a bit to the right and then to the left while letting go. When her hand hits yours, push right with your left hand to send her spinning anti-clockwise.

Salsa Lesson - Sat 09/04/2006

1. Normal crossbody, ending up with a double hand hold.

2.1-3. Keeping hold of both hands and placing them up in the air, do a quick 360 degree turn to the right. Your arms will now be crossed. 2.5-7. Move your right arm up and over the right side of the lady's head. This is done while doing a (1) right step (2) tap (3) return. Your right hand will now be holding the lady's left hand behind the lady's neck. You should be quite close to the lady, almost cuddling her. You may be at an angle to her.

3.1-3. Using the hand behind the lady's neck, encourage the lady to turn slightly clockwise. Then, do the opposite and encourage her to turn slightly anti-clockwise. Do normal 'stomping' steps on the floor. You will need to let go of the left hand grip. 3.5-6. Put a bit of force with your arms to encourage the lady to do a quick spin in the clockwise direction. She will hopefully move to the left of you but try not to let her move too far. You will need to lift up your arm so this turn can be achieved. 3.7. The lady can choose to do one or two turns from the previous move, but stop her as she is facing away from you. This is achieved by placing both hands either on her shoulders or biceps. You should now be standing directly behind her.

4.1. With your arms, turn her slightly anti-clockwise, encouraging her to step with her right leg to the left. Step forwards with your left left and back again as if you're doing a basic step. 4.2-3. Hopefully, automatically, something similar to the rest of the basic step will occur and you will be in the same position you were in at the beginning of 4.1. 4.5-7. Keeping hold of the lady in front of you, you need to move around her towards the left. Place your right leg behind your left and step across a little. Then, continue travelling around the lady with two more steps (doing 180 degrees). You should end up just to the left of her, perhaps slightly behind.

5.1. Step out with your left leg far in front of you while turning right to face the lady. 5.2. Tap on the right foot. 5.3. Bring the left leg back. Ensure that you are now facing the lady and are close to her. 5.5-6. Use your hands (that are still holding the lady's shoulders or biceps) to spin the lady clockwise and in front of you. This is a free spin so make sure you let go of her. You can do a quick spin here as well or just step backwards and then forwards. 5.7. Stop the lady spinning by grabbing her right arm with your right hand as she faces you in the spin.

6.1-3. With your hand on her right arm, encourage her to spin clockwise. You can do something fancy here. 6.4-6. Put whatever hand(s) out you want in order to perform your next routine. The end of a basic is a suitable transitionary move.

Salsa Lesson - Weds 19/04/2006

1. Standard crossbody.

2.1-5. Standard crossbody start. 2.6-7. Raise your left arm up and allow the lady to spin anti-clockwise.

3.1-5. Standard crossbody start. 3.6-7. Only using the left hand, raise it and turn clockwise to face your partner again. That hand/arm should now be behind your back.

4.1-3. Standard basic in this position. 4.5-7. Bend your right arm so that the hand is pointing upwards. Let your palm face the ceiling while holding onto the lady's left hand. Pull her around you clockwise. End when she is just behind you to your left.

5.1-3. 'Open break', i.e. step backwards then forwards. 5.5-7. Encourage the lady to do a double, anti-clockwise spin with your right hand while walking forwards.

6. One-handed basic.

7. Crossbody ending in a double hand hold.

8.1-3. Open break. 8.5. Pull the lady to your right side, making sure her right arm is up but her left arm is down. 8.6-7. Turn the lady 180 degrees clockwise. Her right arm should still be up and her left should be behind her back. Keep hold of it!

9.1-3. Travel round her clockwise. You will have to go under her right arm. Both arms will be in the air. 9.5-7. Ensure your left arm aids the lady's right arm into a comfortable arm lock behind her back and come round to face her. This whole movement should be done facing one direction so a sidestep, while back-to-back with her, is done behind her. You should end just in front of her and slightly to the right.

10.1-3. Step forwards with her stepping backwards, raise your arms and let her do a 1.5 turn clockwise spin. Your arms should end low. 10.5-7. Allow another clockwise spin to be done again, raising your arms. This should result in your arms being crossed.

11.1-2. Open break. 11.3. Encourage the lady to turn to her left. She should be to your right. Move your arms over her head and in front of her. 11.5-7. Get the lady to spin clockwise while holding on to her left hand.

Salsa Lesson - Weds 26/04/2006

1.1-3. Start off with in a double hand hold and do the start of a crossbody in this position. 1.4. Bring the lady forward as normal. 1.5-7. Spin the lady anti-clockwise as she walks forward. Ensure she ends facing away from you with you behind her. Your right arm should still be around her but your left might be a bit tangled.

2.1-3. Tap your left foot on the ground to her left side and bring it back again similar to if you were doing a crossbody start. With your right arm, guide her round (anti-clockwise) so that she ends up facing you but offset to the left. 2.5. With your right wrist behind her back, push it to encourage the lady to spin clockwise. Keep hold of both of her hands. 2.6-7. Raise your arms to enable a double spin to occur. Your arms will end up crossed over.

3.1-3. Open break in this position. 3.5. Raise your arms and step forwards and to the left to end up behind the lady. Move your arms down so that they are in front of the lady, sort of cuddling her. 3.6-7. Move your arms further down to hold the lady's waist. Lose the cross handed grip so that your right hand is touching the right side of the lady's waist, and the same for the left hand.

4.1. Move the lady slightly clockwise (with your hands still on her hips). She should face about 45 degrees from the centre. Keep a tight grip. A basic sideways movement should be done here (left leg left). 4.2-3. Move the lady anti-clockwise by the same amount, so she is facing about 45 degrees anti-clockwise from the centre. Continue the basic sideways leg movements (tap, left leg to the centre). 4.5-7. Move the lady, with a fair bit of force, clockwise and forwards so she spins. Step out to the right on beat 5, and perform a left turn by turning your left step on the 6 and spinning through 7 and 8.

5.1-3. Grab the lady's left hand. She should be 90 degrees to your left. Perform the start of a basic adjacent to her. 5.5-7. Similar to what was done in the first 8 beats, end up in a position whereby you are facing left and the lady is just in front of you.

6.1-3. Similar to the second 8 beats, do a crossbody start. 6.4-7. Walk forwards and spin the lady this time in the anticlockwise direction. Pushing on her right shoulder should encourage her not to spin in the other direction.

Salsa Lesson - Weds 04/05/06

1.1-5. Start off with a double hand hold and do the first part of a crossbody. 1.6-7. Start to turn the lady anticlockwise by pulling across with your left arm and then raising your right arm so that it goes over the lady's head. The lady should end up facing you, but slightly to your left. You should end up with your left hand on the lady's left hip.

2.1-2. Push the lady's hip away while beginning a basic move. 2.3-4. Pull the lady's hip back towards you while moving under an arch created by your right arm. You should turn right so you face away from the lady and then start to face the same direction as the lady. 2.5-7. Use your right arm to make the lady spin away from you (in her direction), anti-clockwise. You should let her spin until either she faces you again or she runs out of arm space. Your right arm should be tight behind her back and she should be facing you as much as possible.

[forgot the rest]

Salsa Club/Lesson - Fri 12/05/06

1. Normal crossbody

2.1-5. Normal crossbody start 2.6-7. Turn right in the crossbody but make sure you end up in a normal crossbody position. You may end up with a 'gimme five' with your left hand.

3. Normal crossbody ending up in a double hand hold.

4.1-3. Open break with you ending up just to the left of the lady, with both arms extended outwards. Your left arm should be slightly higher than your right, but they both form a straight line. You will be very close to the lady at this point. 4.5. Hook around with your right leg (i.e. bring your right leg behind and to the left of your left leg as if you were going to spin clockwise). 4.6-7. Complete the clockwise turn, ending up facing away from the lady. You need to let go of your right hand and then swap your left hand's grip for your right hand's one. You should end up holding the lady's right hand with your right hand.

5.1-3. To an open break move (i.e. move backwards and then forward) 5.4-7. With your right arm, pull the lady forwards and to your right. Encourage her to spin a full turn anti-clockwise so that she ends up in front of you and slightly to the left.

6.1-3. Do the standard basic move but with your right arm, move that up so that the lady knows she has to turn. 6.4-7. Spin the lady half a turn clockwise so that she is facing you while doing the second half of the basic. You should hold on to her left hand with your left hand and ensure that your right arm is across the back of her neck. Her hand should be across your neck as well. She should end up standing to your right with you both almost facing the same direction, but slightly inwards.

7.1-3. Perform the start of a basic (which is similar to a crossbody in this positition) while losing the grip of your right hand, placing it through the gap of the lady's arm and holding on to her left hand. 7.5-8. Lose the grip of the other hand and pull the lady to the left (in front of you). Encourage her to spin in the anti-clockwise direction and grab her left hand when she faces you.

8.1-3. Do an inverse crossbody, i.e. walk forwards and then step to the left as opposed to the right. 8.4-7. Pull the lady across you and to the right, encouraging her to spin in the clockwise direction as guided by your right hand.

Salsa Lesson - Weds 18/05/06

1. Starting off in the double hand hold, make the lady to a clockwise turn by moving your left arm down and up on 1-3 and then encouraging the lady to spin on 5-7.

2.1. Open break start 2.2-3. End up so that you move forwards quite a lot and end up to the left of the lady, facing her. You will need to go under her right arm. Ensure that the lady does a half turn clockwise so that she's to your right and facing you. 2.5. Tap on the right foot. 2.6. Start a left turn by placing your left leg slightly forwards and left with your foot at 90 degrees anticlockwise. 2.7. Perform the spin anticlockwise so that you end up facing your partner. Obtain the double hand hold again.

3.1-3. First half of a basic. 3.5-7. Pull the lady towards you, encouraging her to do an anti-clockwise half turn. You should end up with your right hand in the middle of her back (you will need to push her later).

Salsa Lesson - 25/05/06

1.1. From the double hand hold, do the start of an open break. 1.2-3. Step to the left of the lady. Bring your left arm up slightly and over her head and let it go. You should still be holding on to her right hand. 1.5-7. Pull the lady right with your right arm and encourate her to do a 1.5 turn clockwise spin. You should cause her left arm to be in an armlock behind her back.

2.1-3. Your right hand should be on the right side of the lady's hips. Make your thumb point downwards to get some leverage and push the lady forward and backwards (so she moves backwards then forwards). You should do a crossbody-type move with your legs and end up facing left and slightly ahead of the lady. 3.5-8. Put your left hand out behind you, clearly for the lady to see. Pull the lady towards you with your right arm. She should naturally want to turn anti-clockwise behind you. Ensure that you change grips Ensure that her right hand grabs it. *FILL IN*

4.1. Only touch the lady's hand on your shoulder lightly with your left hand and initiate a forward basic. This will actually be an open break because the lady should hopefully move backwards. Put your right arm out behind you so that the lady's hand will fall down it and you will grab her hand. 4.2-3. Do the rest of the basic move. You may grab her hand at this stage if you don't on the first beat. Try and ensure you step back slightly to the left. 4.5-7. Pull the lady forward with your right arm and spin her round anti-clockwise. End up just behind her with your left hand on her right shoulder.

5.1-3. Do a small basic with her while moving your right arm down and up (half way) again. Keep hold of her shoulder. 5.5. Step backwards and swing her right hand towards you, i.e. clockwise. Place your left hand out in a 'gimme five' fashion. 5.6. Push on the lady's hand as it hits yours to make her turn in the opposite direction. While doing this, move your left leg to the left to start a quick full anti-clockwise turn. 5.7. Complete the spin quickly to face the lady. She may be slightly far away from you but this doesn't matter.

6. Try to move close to her, using your right arm to do a normal crossbody. Don't worry about the left arm. End up in a double hand hold.

7.1-3. Similar to in step 1, do an open break but end up with yourself behind the lady, her facing forwards and your arms around the front of her. 7.5. Push her slightly with your right arm so that she starts to turn clockwise. She should turn out and you should just hold her left hand. 7.6-7. Step forwards, holding your left arm (and her right arm) out in front.

Salsa Lesson - 31/05/06

1. Starting off in a double hand hold, perform a crossbody twist (i.e. let the lady turn clockwise). Your right hand should not lose contact with the lady and you should continue touching her as she spins, ending up with your hand on her right shoulder with your arm above her shoulder (not around her back).

2.1-3. Normal basic start. Keep your hand on her shoulder. 2.5-7. Pull your right hand (on her shoulder) towards you. This should encourage the lady to spin clockwise.

3.1-3. Open break. End up standing quite far forwards and slightly to the left, so that you are no longer facing the lady. Swap your right hand grip so that it holds the lady's right hand. 3.4-7. Extend your right arm behind you and encourage the lady to spin clockwise. She should end up behind you but facing in the same direction as you.

4.1-3. Do another sort of open break, but this time you are moving forwards, then backwards. Instead of simply returning where you started, step and face to the left and thus block the path of the lady moving forwards. 4.5-7. Push the lady's hand to the left so that she spins clockwise. At the same time, do a step turn clockwise to end up facing her.