2001-07-29, 10:21 p.m., salsa13

Today was a good day (barring any other occurances at this late time). It has/is ending on a nice note.

Whilst rooting out a long lost thing (hairband) I found some novelty earrings, loose change. I decided to swap my sleepers for those earrings, and I felt decidely more me. I found the hairband, and tied my hair away from my face. My spirits were uplifted higher. Very strange, that my mood could be affected by such small things. And how curious that part of "Sockii" is cheap novelty earrings.

So I went to salsa class all chipper.

There I was able to dance in both classes (beginners and intermediate) as the lead. And I was able to do all the moves which were taught. So, yay.

And then friends went to a friend's house for pizza and t.v. Cue desultory commentary.

There was some good interaction, I felt. Not awkward for a change. On my part, at least =}

So I decided not to push my luck, and come back for an early night. Plus I'm tiring.

2001-07-30, 3:05 p.m.

beginners: That got so boring. Basically did the cucuracia (cucurachia? sidestep) and whisk (opening out so both step side against side) forever.

Initially I'm sure that we did something more interesting. Or perhaps I'm getting Intermediate and Beginners mixed up.

...

Nope, I'm pretty sure we did something interesting in Beg. The lead (holding the follower's left hand) raises his right arm/hand to form a 'window', thus looking at his partner across his right upper arm (which should be horizontal to the floor, or sommat). The lead walks 'into' the window, to the cuddle/hug position (the follower's arms are on the outside of the lead, hugging him; the lead has his arms crossed in front of him, and wrapped around himself, but still holding on to the fol's fingertips). The lead bends over forwards, salsas backwards, ducking under the fol's right arm (which had been wrapped around his back).

Here I get confused.

Here's what I think I learnt (as opposed to what I was taught):
With a graceful movement the lead raises his right arm, and passes his hand (palm up, still in contact with the fol's left? hand) over his head, so the end position is that both are approx. back to back, and arms stretched out, hands/fingertips still in contact.

Both cucuracias to their right, and then to their left. Whereupon the lead raises his right arm, to allow the female to pass her left hand over her own head (and essentially sweeping her left forearm in front of her face).

The fol. now follows the movement of her arm, and turns around. Here she is facing the back of the lead.

The lead guides her to in front of him (here I am unsure whether the lead also turns around to make it easier, or not). The two are in front of each other, touching hands.

The lead raises his left hand (holding the fol's right) and guides the fol. into a hug, where the fol is on the inside. (The fol. should be doing 'whisking' steps.) And then lets her out again.

Lots of fun, right?
Except there was some 'discussion' amongst us beginner leads as to how the pattern was actually done. Which, while it may have satisfied the others in their argumentative (i.e. "I am right") mood, left me disgruntled because I thought that I had had the pattern down pat, and then I find out that there is a niggling of doubt. But I am correct, I feel. Or if not, I still know a good pattern.
So that explains why the Beg. class went back to the cucuracia and whisk.

intermediate: This was really good. Except for a few bits.

Here I learned another pattern (aka 'series of moves'). I break, lead the lady into a hug, turn her out, hug, turn out, turn her into a hug again but release my right hold on her left hand, touch my hand to the center of her back and trail my hand around so that she'd know where I want the level of her left hand when she spins out of the hug.

I have hold of her left hand in my right, I release her right hand from my left. I lift my right arm (that 'passing my right hand over my head, sweeping my forearm pass my face' move) and guide her around me. (Around my back, and round to the front.) (Her left hand should be about waist-level ... I'm just not too sure whether it ought to be my waist or hers.)

With my left hand, I grasp for her right, and turn her through for a spin/turn. I reach for her left hand with my right, and guide her around me again. Ad nauseum.

... er ...

...I don't know how to stop!

[ interlude where I beg for the assistance of busy mom to help me remember the moves ]

Simple as. Instead of releasing her left hand, I continue to hold it as I grasp her right. As she comes out of her turn, I step back/she steps forward, and we are back to the basic partnered steps again.

To make it look good, I hold our hands steady at neck level as I duck down below and through (so our hands are crossed) and quickly turn, and stand and lift our hands high so that she goes into a spin to unwind our hands.

We go into another twirly thing again, but this time one-handed.

I have hold of her right hand in my left (I let go of her left hand from my right hand) and guide her around me - my left arm is wrapped across my waist (so my left hand is touching my right waist) and I release her right hand. Her right hand trails across my back, my left is already positioned ready to grasp it as it comes around to the left side of my waist.

I turn her into a 180^o turn, never letting go of her right hand, and guide her around me. Ad nauseum.

We come out of that move by the expedient method of me placing my right hand around her back for one whisk, never releasing my hold on her left hand, and bring her through to my other side using a cross-body lead.

Simple as.

Okay, the few bits which weren't all that nice, but did not detract from my enjoyment of that hour. One: Some females were hard to control, because they did not have the basic footsteps of salsa down to a natural art (as opposed to me, who has down to a natural hobby). Either that, or they did not have the flexibility of limbs. I could not control them, anyway. I envy Geoff. More on that later.

Two: I had mostly tall females. Now I know that it is the wet dream of short males to dance with tall women, but presumably those men never had to lift their arms over the female's head. Well, I managed. I'm quite proud of that. Not so proud that I'd voluntarily do it again, but enough so that I'm not ashamed to do it when called for. I envy Geoff.

He's a tall fella, who can control his females no sweat. He can use his upper arm to nudge his females into a 180-turn. Did I mention he's tall? He can easily reach over the heads of women to spin them.

One advantage I got over him is that I don't have to duck down so far when I tuck myself through gaps. Buu-ut that's about it.

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