Brit Salsafest 5 – Sunday Workshops

February 5, 2006

Workshop 5 – Turn patterns for on-2 Improvers (Lee & Shelley)

I was about 1/2 hour late to this class. This was a nice small class. I only with I was there from the beginning. This was exactly the type of meat and potatoes type of class I was hoping for.

Routine done was something like, basic, cross body lead, cross body lead, simple anti-cross body lead (Johnny & Serap’s definition) followed by leader’s pivot turn, cross body lead ending with 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn for follower, basic, preparation for double turn (both hands going to R, then to L, then to R, then lead it with either hand), and Copa.

Workshop 6 – Shines for on-1 Advanced (Gormack with Nicky)

Tony Lara was ill so a substitute was called. I couldn’t get any detailed information from Claudia later except that he was in bed.

So I guess advanced level shine is more difficult than what I am used to at SOS level 3. I’m not counting Mushi’s shine class from last night because I’m now thinking that I got little out of it mainly because I really didn’t like his teaching style.

1-8 basic
1 L foot forward
2&3 R foot kick and land approximately in original position and step on L foot with ~1/4 turn clockwise
4 weight on R foot
5 L foot on toe (slightly behind R foot but not crossed over)
6&7 L foot kick and land approximately in original position and move R foot to normal position with weight transfer to R foot
8 L foot on toe cross behind R foot
1 L foot to forward and slightly to L
2 R foot slightly to L to close gap a little
3 L foot slightly to L and widening gap a little
4 R foot slightly to L and close gap a little
5/6 raise L foot and use it to turn 1/2 counterclockwise
7 L foot cross over in front of R foot
8 R foot placed to normal standing position
1 L foot in front in heels
2,3 R foot small hops (x2) to R
4 L foot on toe with weight on it
5 R foot cross over in front of L foot
6 L foot cross behind to wide L on toes
7 weight on R foot? adjust L foot? (I was skipping these details as I was concentrating on preparing for the turn on 8)
8 R foot to normal standing position as ~3/4 clockwise turn is made to get back to facing follower
1 R leg swing from outside-to-front-to-inside
2 L leg swing from outside-to-front-to-inside
3 R leg swing from outside-to-front-to-inside
4 L leg swing from outside-to-front-to-inside
5&6 R foot kick and land and L foot forward with R foot following (on toes) behind to cross behind L foot – weight is on L foot
7&8 R foot back and L foot toe cross over in front of R foot on toes – weight is on R foot
1,2,3 essentially pivot turn (full clockwise) landing with L foot some distance behind R foot (toes pointing 10 o’clock?) with optional hip movement
5,6,7 essentially back basic with R foot, L foot, R foot
1,2,3 L foot slide to cross over in front of R foot, slide long to L and then to cross over in front of R foot (weight on R foot whole time)
4 L foot slide long to L and transfer weight to L foot
5,6,7 R foot slide to cross behind L foot and then slide to R and slide back to cross behind L foot
8 transfer weight to R foot?
1 L foot on toes (or heels) body turned to 1/4 counterclockwise
2 L foot on heels (or toes) with slight backward movement
3 L foot on toes (or heels) with slight backward movement
4 L foot on heels (or toes) with slight backward movement
5 lift L foot
6 L foot step back behind R foot
7 weight on R foot
8 turn around 1/2 counterclockwise – now L foot is ahead of R foot
1 weight on R foot
2 L foot slightly back and on toes
3 L foot back behind R foot
4 R foot on toes
5 weight on R foot
6 L foot forward ahead of R foot
7&8 R foot on toes slightly crossed behind L foot and then to normal standing position with weight transfer followed by L foot on toes cross over in front of R foot
1 L foot to basic with 1/4 turn counterclockwise to face follower again

Workshop 7 – Shines & Body movement for on-1 Improvers (Susana Montero)

Susana talks a lot, but I don’t mind this at all because she’s giving out tons of detailed information. About half of the class time was spent on body movement exercise with emphasis on chest with a bit of shoulder movement (generally rolling backwards). Some exercises while standing and while doing salsa steps (side-to-side and forward-and-back) were talked about. The shine part was supposed to be an exercise for body movement more than as a regular shine for club use. Slightly different versions of the shine was talked about for leader and follower use.

1-8 basic
1 L foot cross over in front of R foot
2 R foot straight back
3 L foot slide back (still crossed over)
5 R foot cross over and point to L so that body turns 1/4 clockwise while still facing follower – L hand on trousers and R hand behind at a higher elevation (keep it up til 7/8)
7 L foot forward and back to facing follower normally
1 R foot in front on heels (weight on L foot from 1-2)
2 R foot cross over in front of L foot on toes
3 R foot back to position on 1 but with weight transfer to R foot
4 turn 1/4 counterclockwise
5 L foot in front on heels (weight on R foot)
6 L foot cross over in front of R foot on toes
7 L foot back to position on toes
1 turn 1/4 clockwise to face partner and forward basic with L foot

Workshop 8 – Turn patterns for on-2 Improvers (Mushi)

This was my second workshop class with Mushi. I hated this one as much as I hated his Shines & Styling class. He talks a lot, but most of it is junk merely designed to get people to laugh. For me, it’s merely distracting. He also did way too much showboating and not enough teaching. Supposedly this class was exactly the same as his on-1 improvers class except on different timing. The class was much larger. A basic in the beginning would have been really useful.

Routine done was cross body lead, body roll followed by straight walk back with turning follower around into cross body position for ladies styling, cross body lead with leader turning clockwise and changing to R-R, Copa, cross body plus (Sacuye’s definition – see below), cross body lead (with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn?), cross body plus. I’m not totally sure about it. I was too annoyed with the class (mostly with the teacher) so my concentration was less than average.

Workshop 9 – Turn patterns for on-1 Advanced (Sacuye)

open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with full traveling counterclockwise turn ending in wrap (L-R high and R-L low)
1,2,3 bring follower back and get ahead of follower from her right (R-L wrapped around leader on his front L waist and L-R above leader’s L shoulder)
5,6,7 step to R and back and turn full counterclockwise (end with L-R behind leader’s R waist and R-L above leader’s R shoulder)
1,2,3 open break and get into back-to-back position
5,6,7 not sure here – R-L ends with neck wrap and L-R in a waist wrap? – this may have been done by bringing R-L around behind leader’s head as follower is turned around clockwise with R-L pointing down
1,2,3 preparatory steps – let go R-L
5,6,7 unwind follower ending with L-L (?) behind follower’s R waist (L-R could be let go during middle for leader’s free turn)
1,2,3 this was called enchufe – open break and exchange positions and face each other (L-L (?) only and ends high)
5,6,7 leader turns full clockwise stationary (with optional hand switches – but still ending with L-L connection)
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-L hat for leader and cross body plus (change the line during 1,2,3 and finish with normal cross body and ending with open hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 Tango step? can be done with both connections made – open break and come together with leader on L side of follower with arms outstretched on 3, turn around on 4 (or 5?) with arms still outstretched – R-L is disconnected and L-R is used to lead follower back into 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 end with cross body plus