Salsa On1 Intro Class

The Intro Class for NY Style Salsa on1
Formerly know as our FREE ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS class

Classes 1 and 2 (1st class – only basic steps and partnership, 2nd add solo turns and
Cross Body Lead). The first class is enough to teach during a FREE ABS BEGINNERS class
Below is the script that you should make use of…..

Introduce yourself – “Hi everyone. My name is………”
"This is the Absolute Beginners class for NY Style Cross Body Salsa on 1 designed to show you the Basics of
Salsa."
"What Are the Basics of Salsa? – The basic is a pattern of steps that we do along with the 8 beats of salsa."
"Why 8 beats? One thing that all forms of Salsa share in common is that there are 4 beats in each bar." (show
this with your hands)
"When we listen or dance to salsa, we take 2 bars of music and put them together" (show this by bringing your
hands together) "to give us 8 beats which we call a Dancer’s Measure."
"When we practice in a few minutes time we will add a count to each one of those 8 beats 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and
8 SO THAT YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE IN THE MUSIC.Does that make sense so far?" (if only a feeble
reply ask again)
(Stand sideways on to students)
"I am going to teach you 4 forms of the basic."
"The first form of the basic is the Mambo Basic. Mambo comes from New York. In NY the clubs used to be long
and thin (indicate with a hand movement back and forth) like this and people dance forward and back so that
they don’t bump into each other."
"I am going to dance in this direction at first so that you can see what I am doing with my feet and then we will
all turn and face forward."
"Before we begin let’s take our hands out of our pockets and uncross our arms (actioning) so that we can
concentrate on our footwork. Keep your arms up when you are dancing for two reasons: 1) so that your partner
knows where you are when you’re dancing, and 2) for balance.
1. Explain/teach the Mambo Basic

2. Then move on to the Back Basic. Whilst doing the Back Basic, go back to the Mambo Basic so that they
understand that they flow into one another.
3. Then move on to the Rumba Basic, again going back to the Mambo Basic and Back Basic to reinforce the
continuity.
"So far, the three basics I’ve showed you and we are able to do this because we dance on this lovely smooth
dancefloor."
"The last basic I’m going to show you is the Cubanos or Opening-out. The origin comes from Cuba during the
Revolution when all the wooden dancefloors were torn up and people danced out in the streets and most of the
people wore army boots and had to take much bigger steps.
4. Explain/teach the Cubanos/Opening-out
Teach the following in order and all of the time get the students to count the time along with
the music that is playing.
Name Leader or Description / teaching points

Follower
Mambo Basic All Left foot goes forward on 1 and right foot back on 5 – not too far
back or forward, stress where body weight would be over the
moving foot i.e. that the torso remains rigid and arms are used for
balance and not waving around – however, the shoulders should be
naturally mobile. Keep upper body steady. Practice
Back Basic All Step slightly back on steps 1 and 5. Practice along with mambo
Rumba Basic All Left foot goes out to side on 1 and then recover on 2 and 3, pause
on 4 and then right foot goes out to side on 5 and then recover on 6
and 7, pause on 8 Practice along with mambo basic and back basic
Cubanos All Explain origins in Cuba and explain reason for bigger back steps
(Opening Out) on 1 and 5. Practice along with other basics
Practice these to a warm-up track (eg Oscar D’Leons Que Bueno Baila Usted)
To get them partnered up

"Salsa is a partner dance, so we are going to get you partnered up. Let us have the men line up over
here" (point to the place). "and the women here".
"Ladies, so far what we’ve taught you is wrong for you because it was in men’s timing"
"If both you and your partner were to do the same footwork on the same timing, you are going to bump
into each other. So, ladies you're going to do the opposite"
"……is going to demonstrate the mambo basic for you. Instead of stepping forward on her left and
back on her right on 5, she is going to step back on her right on 1, 2, 3 and then forward on her left on
5, 6,7. So Ladies, you are always on your right foot on 1. Get lost at any point and just step back on
your left foot on 1 and everything will be okay." "Men, we're goingh to do what we learned just now
because that is men's timing". (practice)
"Well done. Okay, in a minute we are going to get you partnered up. There may well be a few extra
girls/guys. If you don't have a partner straight away, whatever you do don't go off the dancefloor. Just
put your hands up and…….will organise you so that you are between two couples so that you will get a
chance to practice as we rotate couples".
"Okay gents in a minute I want these gents (point to them) to go across to that side of the dancefloor
and stay on that side of the dancefloor" (point to your staff member)…..Is going to make sure you stay
on that side. facing the women and the women are going to form a line (or lines) and stay on this side
of the dancefoor facing the men.
Now we will get into partnership

(Explain the correct distance to be away from your partner is achieved when the man’s right hand is
on the centre of the back where the bra-strap is)
Get women & men lined-up opposite each other and explain Ladies Timing and then practice
Basic partner All Men – ‘form a V-shape with your thumb and the rest of the
hold fingers /swear an oath!’ (left hand)
Women - place right hand against man’s left hand – keeping both
palms flat and applying slight tension.
Men – place right hand behind woman – resting it between their
shoulder blade (bra strap joke!!!) explain that this allows better
control as it’s where the spine is)
Women – place left hand on the rounded part of the man’s right
shoulder.
Practice mambo, back and rumba basics in partnership.

Salsa On1 Intro Class

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Salsa On1 Intro Class

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The Intro Class for NY Style Salsa on1

Formerly know as our FREE ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS class

Below is the script that you should make use of…..

1. Explain/teach the Mambo Basic

Name Leader or Description / teaching points

To get them partnered up

Now we will get into partnership

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