10 Tips To Improve Your Salsa Dancing

1. You're your own worst critic... Watch yourself in a mirror or videotape yourself; and see what you like or don't like about your salsa dancing and change it...
2. Whether you're just starting out or been dancing for a while, sign up for a class or take a workshop to learn some new moves or to help improve your technique...
3. Want to add a little more spice to your dance style? Analyze what you like about a dancer's particular style and see if you can start emulating some of their movements in front of the mirror at home. Need more help? Take a styling class, a private with an instructor whose style you enjoy watching, and/or purchase a styling videotape.
4. You're lousy at dancing on time to the music? Take a music workshop class, a private with an instructor OR ask your friends to help you \"listen\" to the music.
5. Take a class in a dance style you know nothing about, such as Afro-Cuban, hip hop, jazz...
6. Hate shines? Usually it may be because you may be too lazy to learn, practice and memorize them. Make a game plan to try and learn one new shine a month and use it while dancing on the dance floor... or take a cardio-salsa class with a salsa instructor at a gym (which is usually made up of shine patterns).
7. Find someone who loves to dance as much as you do and become practice partners to learn new moves...
8. Can't find a partner, who needs one... learn new moves from a videotape or class and set aside one night a week to practice at home in front of a mirror...
9. Bored of just social dancing in the clubs? Why not take your dancing to the next level by trying out for a dance group or participating in a dance contest?
10. Do you want to be a good leader or follower to the point where you don't have to ask for dance, but everyone's asking you? Here's a snapshot on what it takes to reach the ultimate salsa goal...
Leader: The ladies know every dance with you is so much fun -- they can get their salsa fix from you in one or two dances. As a leader, your attention is 100% on your partner and the enjoyment of dancing that song together. You've mastered the lead so well that it doesn't matter what level of skill they're at (beginner, intermediate, advanced) -- they know exactly where you want them to be and what moves you are doing without a tug of war; and/or doing crazy moves which forces them to bump into and/or be stepped on by other dancers on a crowded dance floor. Your skill as a dancer is at such a level that you don't even need a partner for someone to appreciate how you can move on the dance floor (style-wise). You never refuse a dance without good reason and if you promise to dance with them later, you remember your promise.
Follower: The leader knows that he'll have 100% of your attention during the whole dance and you'll be able to follow whatever move he can give you at a moment's notice. You don't try to anticipate or lead yourself and even if you both make mistakes, you can laugh, smile and/or apologize for the mistake (not give him dirty looks). You can execute his every move seamlessly and can add a little spice to his dancing enjoyment by adding your own personality (from ladies styling) into the dance. You don't refuse and judge the other dancer just by his looks or whether you think he can dance, then go up to him later and ask for a dance when you realize he really does know how to dance.
by Rose Lau (aka Rose Knows...)