STYLING AND EMBELLISHMENTS
Below are some techniques you can try if you are looking for ways to embellish your Salsa steps. But there is one note of caution. It is important that anything you add into your dancing not adversely affect your partner. Your embellishments should not interfere with the action of leading and following. So for example, if you have a hard time adding in a body roll or shoulder roll and staying right on time with the music so you are ready for the next step, then executing the move with correct timing takes priority! But that said, below are some components that you can play with and practice over time. Think of these as ideas to get you started in developing your own "signature" style.
As you read this page, bear in mind that leaders were often men and followers were often women in the past. But in recent years dancers have increasingly learned both parts. Now it’s common for women to lead and men to follow—in keeping with the changes in gender roles in society at large. Note that male pronouns refer to leaders but they can really be either men or women. Female pronouns refer to followers but they can also be either men or women. It’s increasingly considered a part of an advanced dancer’s education to have some familiarity with both roles.
Readers interested in more detail can find a huge number of styling ideas with videos in the book “Salsa Dancing & Rueda de Casino Guidebook for Beginner to Advanced Dancers: Steps, Styling, Technique, Latin Rhythms, Humor & Anecdotes.” There is information on both Casino steps and L.A. Salsa steps. For ordering details visit amazon.com or salsacasinorueda.com.
1. Throwing the Hip
For styling, followers will often throw their hip out to the side, and “sit into it.” This can be done any time but is often done on beat 3 and/or 4 of a Dile Que No or a Cross Body Lead. On beat 4, the left foot can move to meet the right foot as the dancer leans into the hip. In fact, this must be done quickly on beat 4 or it can interferes with the rhythm of your subsequent Cross Body Lead. This hip action can also be done in many other parts of moves, both by the leader and the follower.
2. Embellishments on the Basic Step
There are many forms of the basic step both in Salsa and in Rueda de Casino, and many ways to embellish them.
Here is a fun one. Try doing a Suzie Q on beats 1, 2, and 3. Followers cross their right foot in front of their left on beat 1, then step left then right for the Suzie Q. Leads do the reverse, so they start by crossing their left foot in front of their right, etc.
If you are the leader, you can do a Suzie Q on beats 5, 6, and 7 and then again on beats 1, 2, and 3 of the next 8 beat phrase. If you are a follower, you should only Suzie Q on 1, 2, and 3 because you don't know if leader will begin to do a move. You may need to be ready for a new move.
Another embellishment on the basic step is to flair on beat 3. So followers step on the right on 1, the left on 2, and then step on the right on the "and" of 2 (the second half of beat 2). Then on beat 3, the left leg flairs out diagonally to the left, making a tap. Weight is still mostly on the right foot. Then on beat 5, followers step on their left foot as usual. The leaders do this move, but on opposite feet, as always. So leads step on the left on 1, the right on 2, and the left on the "and" of 2, and then tap with the right foot flared out to the right on beat 3. Because you step on the "2 and," you are adding some rhythm and syncopation to the pattern which looks and feels nice.
The following description is basically a different version of the basic move. It is often called the "Cuban Basic" and could be thought of as an embellishment of the basic step. followers start by stepping forward on the right on beat 1. On 2 and 3, she turns ninety degrees to her right. The follower taps with the left foot flaired out to the left on beat 4. Then on 5 the follower’s left foot crosses over the right (facing her partner) and on 6 and 7 the follower turns back ninety degrees left to face the center of the circle. The follower taps on her right foot into the center of the circle on beat 8. Then repeat the pattern.
As usual, leads do the opposite. So they start stepping forward on their left on beat 1. On beats 2 and 3 they turn ninety degrees to their left so they are facing their partners. leaders tap on their right with the foot flaired out to the right on beat 4. Then they cross the right foot over the left and on 6 and 7 and turn ninety degrees to their right so they face the center. They tap on 8 with their left foot into the center, and repeat the pattern.
Another common embellishment on the Rueda basic step is to tap on beats 3 and 8. The tap never takes much weight and then you always step on the same foot you tapped on, on the next beat. So if you tap with the left foot, the next step is also with the left foot—for example.
3. Shoulder rolls
Shoulder rolls make a very effective embellishment as well. To do a shoulder roll, you simply roll one shoulder in a backwards circle (going from front to back and top to bottom) and then the other. The rolls are done in time to music. This can be added in many places and looks very nice. For example, you can do this on beats 5, 6, and 7 of the first 8 beat phrase in vacila. But you can do this anywhere in the basic step---it always looks nice.
4. Slide & Glide: The Legs make a “four"
A nice slide-like move that can be done while dancing Salsa was shown to me once by Edie the Salsa Freak at a Miami Salsa Congress. Basically, you make the shape of a 4 with your legs. And it is often done on beat 4. Here is an example: When doing Enchufla after the first 8 beats of the pattern, followers step back on their right on 1, step forward on their left on 2 and then step back on their right on beat 3. The follow's left leg then swings backwards, first gliding along the floor and then coming up with the knee bent to create the "4" shape. Followers keep their knees together as the leg swings back.. A CBL completes this step.
It is important when doing this that the knees stay together. So the legs are making a shape that is similar but not exactly like the number four. The knees staying in contact makes it look a little like a cool Tango step.
Here is another way to do the "4" step that is even fancier. In the same part of Enchufla, followers remain weighted on their left foot and let the right foot swing around in a semi-circle going clockwise around them (from 12:00 to 6:00) during beats 1 and 2. Then the follower does the same thing on beats 3 and 4 as described above— stepping back on 3 with the right foot and making the "4" with the left foot.
Leaders can also do this "4", in some places where it is appropriate. For instance, they can do this in the first 8 beats of both Vacila or Enchufla. But this time the move is done on beats 5, 6, 7 and 8. On beat 5 the leader's right foot goes behind his left. Then on 6 the leader steps forward onto the left, and then steps back on the right foot on beat 7. On beat 8 the leader drags the left foot back along the floor and when it's directly under his body, he bends the knee so the left leg comes up until it's horizontal, again making the shape of a "4.” Note that in this case, the guy is doing "4" on beat 8---a bit confusing!!
Also, be aware that on all these examples of the move I'm calling "4," if the leg isn't raised that high, it can stay in contact with the floor and just tap instead. That has a similar look but is less elaborate. You still get the slide which itself makes a nice embellishment.
5. My favorite slide--the leaders' slide while moving into dame dos
This is a totally awesome slide. Let's say that dame/dame dos/dame dos is called. The leader turns to the center on the 5, 6, and 7 of the 8 beat phrase in which dame is called. Then the leader travels to a new partner on beats 1, 2, and 3. On the next 5, 6, and 7 beats (the second half of the 8 beat phrase) is when the slide occurs. The movement around the follower on those beats is done to be in position to travel to his next partner. So the lead steps back on his right on beat 5. Then on beat 6 lead takes a big step forward with the left foot, moving to the right diagonally in front of the right foot. Then the leader slides the right foot forward so it "hooks" behind the left foot on beat 7. Then the cool part is that the leader shifts weight back so the same leader steps back on the right heel on beat 8. This makes the body move in what looks like a slight undulation that adds a great deal of style. This can be done each time you do dame dos, as long as it was preceded by either a dame or another dame dos.
6. Hops/vertical level changes and footwork
Dancers can add some hops--often done on the second half of beat two, and the second half of beat six. People also sometimes bend down slightly for styling. The bend is from the knees so the upper body stays vertical.
7. Flares/Taps/Footwork
Leaders and followers can do a variety of interesting embellishments with their feet. A tap is done when the foot touches the floor but essentially no weight is put on it. Adding taps on beats 4 and 8 can style moves nicely and it is a simple thing to do. You can tap not straight in front but to one side or diagonally to add flair.
The step pattern for basic Rueda dancing is Quick Quick Slow (stepping on beats 1, 2, 3, and 5, 6, and 7). Some top studios out of Miami have the dancers step on 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 when they do guapea and they tap on beats 3 and 8. This has a really cool look and feel!
Sometimes dancers actually add step patterns or short shines into other steps which gives a dynamic and often syncopated look to the step. You can make up a pattern that suits you and feels natural to you. Here is an extremely simple example of that. If you are dancing to a slow Salsa, instead of one step on the "slow," you can step three times, essentially make the dance a fast Cha cha. That can look sharp.
A flare is when a foot slides across the floor often at a diagonal and flares out to the side. This can also add a dynamic look to your dancing!
8. Body rolls/ripples
Body ripples and rolls add a lot to a dance as well. Note that sometimes a ripple means a roll up and a body roll is a roll down. But sometimes body roll refers to a roll in either direction. In any case, this kind of movement infuses a lot of life into a dance move and can be added in many places.
To learn this ripple/roll, you bend the knees (keeping the body vertical), and then bring first the hips then mid-body and then chin and head forward slightly as though you were pressing against a wall in front of you. You just sequentially move your body forward as though you were leaning against a wall a few inches in front of you. It takes a lot of practice to do smoothly.
9. Step Alterations
This is something else that you can do which is an embellishment, but it is also like making a new step. You can change part of a move so that it has the same number of beats as the original move (and is thus compatible with it) and yet is fancier, or "more to your taste." Here is an example. The move Dedo consists of four 8-beat phrases. Suppose you wanted to change the third set of 8 beats to make the move flashier. You could back rock the follower on 1, lead the follower forward on 2, and do a “check” on 3 and 4. Then you can spin the follower right on beats 5 through 8, with a lead to the shoulders. The follower can do one, two or three spins in those 4 beats! The last 8 beats would be done the same as usual. This sort of alteration in the step is essentially like a cross between an embellishment and a new move. You have the liberty of being creative and making up any alteration you like!