Return to Club Salsa, UK

February 22, 2007

Intermediate/Advanced with Sally assisted by Mark

1,2,3,5,6,7 L-R lead follower into double stationary clockwise turn ending with leader turning 1/2 counterclockwise for slam dunk finish to get to R-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader turns 1/2 clockwise and make L-L connection underneath R-R – lead follower into 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn on leader’s R side [note: The class material involved having R-R going over leader’s head while keeping L-L on leader’s R shoulder before disconnecting briefly and reconnecting above R-R on the other side. This seemed fine in theory but I thought this was leaving too much to chance for social dancing so I had both connections go over leader’s head and naturally ending with L-L above R-R. I might add that making this a traveling turn for follower with leader turning on 1,2,3 rather than starting with something like an open break is something of a challenge – I found myself moving quite a lot to get in correct position for the next move.]
1,2,3,5,6,7 Copa start [note; The way I did it had leader facing away from follower or facing follower on 1 – it really doesn’t matter too much either way in social setting] with L-L going over – lead follower into full counterclockwise turn bringing L-L low for a wrap (L-L across follower’s stomach on her R side)
1,2,3,5,6,7 accommodating forward step on 1 (leader on follower’s R) and bring follower to turn around 1/2 clockwise on 2,3 with L-L moving high (now in CBL like position) – lead follower to 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 clockwise traveling turn with over and under maneuver to get L-L behind follower’s R waist – ready to make R-R connection in front
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to turn on the spot full counterclockwise (downward initial lead with L-L) with R-R ending just above follower’s R shoulder (forearm on her back) with leader turning 1/2 counterclockwise on 2,3 (L-L is kept low) – lead follower to leader’s L side on 5,6,7 with L-L ending just above follower’s L shoulder (forearm on her back) and R-R low
1,2,3,5,6,7 lead follower to back basic on 1 (R-R inwards on 1) and step slightly forward on 3 (R-R slightly forward on 3) – L-L forward on 5, R-R forward on 6 (it’s more like alternate twisting) then lead follower to turn 1/2 clockwise on spot on 7
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader turns full counterclockwise on 1,2,3 with R-R low and L-L intact – lead follower forward on 5 like CBL using R-R and with leader getting out of the way and use L-L to lead follower to 1 1/2 traveling counterclockwise turn with disconnecting R-R at the last second

I gave Sergio a tour of the Sports Hall at work after my class and before the start of the social. Cyrille returned from Guadalupe with a strong tan. People in attendance at various times included Rajiv, Jane, Brendan, Marie, Ivan, Nina, Lindsey, Charlotte, Haihan, Agnes, Stephanie, William, Gordon, John, Annette, Clara, Mark, Caroline, Isabel as well as whole lot of people whose name I cannot recall or don’t know. The car park was overflowing once again.

Some of the music used tonight include La Ultima Copa (Tito Puente & Eddie Palmieri – with Tango-like bits for Ivan?), Picadillo (Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri – I find this one tricky to dance if I try to stick to partner work and let the music lead me because it often tangle things up. Another song that had a similar effect on me a while ago was Brujeria by Mark Dimond/Angel Canales. After seeing it happening again, I decided to go heavy on shines instead with occasional twisty complicated moves now and then), Pancho Cristal (Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz), Vitamina (Sonora Carruseles – for warm up), Merecumbe (Johnny Colon – recognition from some… the San Miguel gang ended sitting this one out despite liking the song quite a bit), Soledad & La 33 (La 33), El Swing De Fruko (Fruko Y Sus Tesos), La Llave (Grupo Latin Vibe – another subpar dance to this song and with some timing mess on my part), La Salsa Nunca Se Acabo (Susie Hansen – for Marie’s birthday dance), Brujeria (El Gran Combo), My Favorite Things (New Swing Sextet – not so good for practicing On2 steps), Mambo Gozon (Tito Puente – Mambo Birdland), a 5+ min Bachata (for Haihan), a modified (with syncopation? – not an improvement) version of Yay Boy (Africando). I wouldn’t call these songs Cuban shopping mall music, but then again I have never been to one.

The main floor was slick to start with but became sticky very quickly and then very slick again. Why? I think it was the buildup of humidity early on followed by drying caused by air conditioning. Adjusting to rapidly changing conditions was … amusing.

I must have danced about 9-10 times with 9-10 people. I don’t know how I did – or at least I didn't ask for an opinion from my partners. No one said no, but no one seemed like they were dying to dance with me either. Then again, I wasn’t really in the mood either – not disinterested, not unenthusiastic, not exactly out-of-form, but not in a great form either. I probably didn't look particularly friendly either. More than anything, I felt like I was in a nowhere-kind-of-a-land. I think I would liked to dance more especially considering the music being played but I was also rather uninspired to ask for a dance much of the time also.

Practicing of On2 timing was limited to during warm-up and very early part of the social and during small snippets later in the evening. The main criticism from Sergio was about not pausing enough on 4 and on 8 and about making less or no forward body movement on 6 (as opposed to on 5) and also about staying more grounded. This is going to be a struggle going through all the fine readjustments and details with no certainty that it will be worthwhile in the end.