Too often people say to me, “But I don’t have a partner, I can’t practice at home.” Actually you can! In fact, practicing on your own can actually be a blessing in disguise, as it can strengthen your ability to ‘sense’ the connection with your partner. So to put your mind at rest and get your Salsa feet working, I’ll go through a few exercises you can manage at home perfectly well without a partner.
FOOTWORK
Do you know what makes New York dancers so good? If you go to a Salsa class in NYC, it will be about 75% footwork. Regardless of the level (sometimes up to 3 levels will be training in the same room, side by side!), your class will start with the instructor working through footwork drills. If it is a progressive cycle (i.e. a five or six week progressive course) the combination will get longer and longer with each session. The students often count with their instructors, helping them remember the steps and relate them to the count. The vibe is amazing!!
I’ve never heard anyone in NY say “I don’t like shines.” Footwork is the absolute basis of your movement. I mean if you can’t step and control your weight transfer, how can you be expected to communicate anything to a partner? Our dance communication is silent; it is the language of the body. So the more sophisticated you can make your body communicate, the more versatile and effortless your dance conversation will become.
Moral of the story? Practice your shines/footwork. If you have a good teacher, they will always have a supply of shine combinations you can work with. Check their YouTube channel or ask them to record your class combos, and practice, practice, practice!
VISUALISATION
Ok, so you have this great combo that you want to go through, but no partner.
1) Stand in a room with enough space around you. Luckily Salsa is a ‘slot dance’, and doesn’t require huge amounts of space.
2) Visualise your studio/classroom. Normally students have their favourite spot in the room. Remember your instructor where they would normally be if you were in the class right now. This helps to trigger your memories of the class and the movements.
3) Start the combination as you would in class. Normally combos start from Cross Body Lead. So it’ll help to pay attention to how the CBL resolves, so you can link the starting elements when practicing on your own.
GUYS: You may have an invisible partner, but treat her as if she were real. Think about which way she’s facing, where her intention is, how her hand is connected to yours. This will actually help you to understand how your body communicates with hers.
GIRLS: Even though you’re doing the moves on your own, think about why you are doing it as you practice. Is the path open, and so you move forward? Or should his lead suggest a rotation? Or is it that your hand is simply moving over your head, and so you have to turn to follow it? Thinking it through will clarify the following in your mind, and help you not to rely on your partner when you do have one to dance with!
BALANCE / TURNS
Your teacher will work through turning exercises. These may be spin drills, balance exercises or turn footwork patterns you use in the class combos. These are great for solo practice! Just try to stay on your line and don’t over-prep (that’ll be another post!).
LONG SLEEVED SHIRT (If you are stuck!)
This is good for guys if you’ve forgotten how the hands are connecting in a combo. A sleeved shirt on a hanger in on the door frame or hanging over the back of a rotating chair can be a saviour if you’re stuck trying to visualise the hand connection.
DON’T STRESS
This is most important! If you’re practicing on your own, you’re developing skills that will absolutely benefit you, even though you may not see the results immediately. From my experience the guys who lead ‘invisible ladies’ are better leaders, and the girls who can do the combo on their own are much more responsive followers. And the best thing is you don’t need to do it for hours – just 10 minutes once every couple of days will do the trick!