Latin Practica : Sept '17 Chapter

Lead v/s Follow

Looking at the traditional role of men as the “leaders” and women as the “followers” of the dance, how much freedom does the follower have within the framework of a given dance style to express the music and add her own interpretation?

The point I'm trying to get across is that the follower's role is not a passive one. I personally think that there is a subtle difference between simply following what is lead as opposed to understanding what musical elements (if any) that the leader is trying to express and responding to both the leader and the music. It's the difference between a monologue and a dialogue.

Different dance styles have different philosophies: for example the lead/follow dynamic in Tango is very different to the dynamic in Salsa. However, if the follower is simply following her partner then she is not really dancing because she is not moving in response to the music - she is moving in response to her partner's interpretation of the music.

So, once you reach a certain level of competency in any dance style, the notion that "the leader leads and the follower follows" becomes overly simplistic. There is however a skill to following which is different to leading - how else would you explain that some ladies are easier to lead (lighter on their feet, quicker to respond to your cues...)?

A great leader is one who creates an environment for their partner to feel comfortable, enjoy and express themselves, the same definition goes for a great follower.

Even though partner work is the mainstay of classes, leaders need to incorporate their own styling and give the followers freedom of interpretation. Until that happens, we will never change the 'leaders lead, followers follow' mentality.

Styling is and always will be ancillary to the partner work and should be driven by the music not by a need to look good/sexy/feminine.

There are three elements of a good dance - the leader, the follower and the music - and you won't have a good dance if one of the elements is suppressed. The leader initiates and invites, the follower interprets and 'puts her stamp on it'. We work with and play off each other and the music is what connects us.

Salsa Concepts: Cross Body Lead

The Cross Body Lead (CBL) sets up the stage for dancers to move about and use their dancing space well. All the travelling concepts build on the CBL. The most important characteristic of the CBL is its linearity, which clearly helps the novice dancers distinguish between On1/On2 dancing as opposed the more circular movement of the Cuban style.

How to:

The execution for the CBL differs for men and women. The man will first turn away from the lady, and she will walk “across” and pivot later. This results in the lady passing briefly in front of the man, giving the Cross Body Lead its name.

In terms of execution the CBL is simpler for the women than it is for men. However given the frequency with which men get to practically use the CBL while dancing it somewhat makes it the most important figure for the men.

Attached image helps visually understand the footwork both for the men and women.

Women’s Footwork:

(1,2,3): regular back basic

5: lady steps forward with left foot

6: Lady steps forward with right foot

7: lady pivots 180 degrees over the left shoulder and ends with left foot next to the right.

Pointers:

Don’t be eager to jump forward for the CBL unless you are absolutely sure of the man’s lead

Counts 5 and 6 are two progressive short steps

Avoid pivoting until count 7 to keep your movements sharp and to avoid any confusion of direction

Men’s Footwork:

1: step with left towards the lady (regular step)

2: right foot shifts out to the side | pivot on the foot to come in perpendicular to the lady’s frame

3: left foot next to right | finish the pivot from count 2 and end up outside the lady’s frame completely perpendicular to her frame.

5: check step (right foot almost in place)

6: lift the left foot and move it pointing towards the left from the existing position

7: resolution (right foot finishes next to left)

Pointers:

While stepping out on count 2 ensure not to step too far out

Avoid going to far back on count 5. The closer it remain to the left leg, the better.

On count 6 the left leg trails the distance the partner has travelled (however, distance can always be controlled by the resistance between partners)