Lead and Follow
Analysis from Adamo 6/08/06

Within salsa dancing, lead and follow is an element people should be aware of and know intimately. For the average Salsa dancer , (ultimately to have fun), they dance from the heart, letting their bodies do the talking. This is an opportunity to express yourself and let go.

If you ask these people about lead and follow I’m sure you would have a different response from every person. The style of Salsa that we dance has also a lot to do with “lead and follow” - if you dance Cuban style which is predominantly about the “man” then the interpretation of “lead and follow” would be different to that which I will explain now. The styles I refer to are the L.A and New York Salsa styles.

From my experience, there are different levels of understanding of this elemenrt within Salsa . I don’t compare it to other dance forms like ballroom etc., which have different characteristics, different leads and a different connection. I refer to Salsa cross-body style,  which is flowing and should be a light connection between dance partners.

Having taught Salsa for a couple of years now, I have realised much about “lead and follow”.  First lets define the role of a “Man” and a “Woman” within the dance of Salsa. Leaders (usually the male) think that by leading with force gives them the leadership role, but it doesn’t. Followers who can’t hold their frame or react with confidence to a lead make the "conversation" or connection between partners a frustrating one. 

Within the dance, the leader initiates the dance, the follower follows and reacts to the lead. Try telling this to someone without a clear understanding and technique and you might have a problem.

Before I go into more detail about “lead and follow", each dnacer should understand their position when taking to the floor with a partner. Even before talking about “resistance” when dancing, give the follower an exercise in “letting go” and passing control and trust to the leader, (this could be quite difficult).

Exercise: Place the follower's hands in the leader's hands, tell the follower to let the weight of their hands rest completely in the leaders hands.

Mmmmmmm - let me tell you, this changes everything. This couple is being challenged on who they are as people and on trust/connection.  If you're wondering whetherSalsa is all just about dancing, the answer is No. To be a true professional in Salsa dancing, which we all aspire to, connecting who we are as people into the dance/lead and follow roles is what we must do.

Followers and leaders need to take their respective roles within the dance and understand how to “talk to each other” while dancing. This is a great chance to try and separate what kind of person you are outside of Salsa to the “lead and follow” technique.  At this point, once you apply your own individual style and connection to your lead/follow, you start to learn the fundamental aspects of assuming “leading” and “listening”.  It may be against your personlity type to follow, especially id you are a string willed female, but withiout a real connection with your dance partner you will not expereince the "conversation" of dance to it's fullest extent.

It is more important to have the ability to lead and follow than to master an incredible turn pattern. 

A leader doesn’t need force to lead the dance. If a leader uses force, the follower reacts forcefully and the tension between you and you partner becomes even greater, thus creating more problems. On the other hand a leader who is loose in his frame and too soft is just simply misinterpreted by the follower - it's the definitive embodiment of masculine and feminine.

Masculinity and femininity is always challenged in both lead and follow techniques in Salsa. When I talk about Salsa, I don’t talk about “street Salsa” at beginner level, I refer to Salsa dancing at the next level, when it becomes more than a social pastime. If you don’t understand about connection and lead and follow at that higher level, along with Salsa Dance techniques, you will never reach your full potential as a dancer, despite all learning and tuition you may take up.  

After learning our respective roles as leader and follower, how do we put it into practice? To reach the next level, learn from a professional who knows what they're talking about, and can demonstrate the necessary techniques and elements in lead and follow.

Understandint lead and follow will let your own style to evolve more readily and allow for improvisation and "conversation" with your dance partner. At this stage, you will be dancing moves that you never even thought you could master, why? Because every time you go out on the dance floor it should be a whole new experience and you should never know what is about to come. The worst thing is dancing the same routine, then it becomes boring, it becomes more about "moves", which is not what Salsa is realy about. 

When a follower learns how to follow a leader's hands and it becomes light, the dancing can be amazing. A leader learns how to start telling a story with their partner thus making the dance more enjoyable. This is how energy is saved so you can keep dancing all night and not expend all your energy by leading with force.

Within salsa, “lead and follow” is interpreted in different ways from all different kinds of people. Everybody has an opinion, which makes it such an interesting topic to talk about. There isno mystery about it, just question the right people and you will be on your way to becoming a great leader or follower. Its doesn’t happen over night, but soon enough you will see the difference in your dance style and in your connections.  

Anyway untill next time, enjoy your dancing and always remeber to have fun. 

Ciao Adamo     

Dance connection has a lot to do with becoming a better Salsa Dancer. The more  I watch people dance Salsa, the clearer it becomes that the resistance and compression between the lead a follow is what can make the biggest difference, and unfortunately, a lot of the time this is what is lacking, or being forced.

There are about 3 key points which will automatically lift dance performance and structure.

Small steps. I always say, “dance big on the spot”, only travel a little on the cross body lead or travelling step. People often say to me that L.A dancers take up too much room, I don’t agree, I believe that it might look like they are dancing in a large area, when they are simply “dancing big on the spot”. For the ladies, when you do a cross body lead, don’t place all your weight on your back right foot , because you are simply loosing too much time. An option here might be to flair (and 1 2 3, hold until 5 then travel), so it might look like you're stepping back but the weight is still centred and moving forward. As soon as you go cross body ladies, make sure you are quickly ready for the next lead, eg a New york turn prep.

Build a story When dancing with a Lady, start the dance off trying to tell the story, try a few easy moves and then build a story around those moves. Try to feel the connection between you and your partner before you try harder moves. Feel the resistance and compression between you and your partner.

Posture Try to keep your frame strong, stand up straight and facing your partner.