The point is to block the lady with your left hand on her left shoulder on 2. First you lead the elastic on 1 and on 2 you put your left hand on her left shoulder. Normally the ladies go with the left hand up dancing the elastic and you have to avoid it.
On 3 you will be on the other side and then lead the lady two steps backwards openig to your right.
For the ladies: I like the styling opening with your right hand to the right, because you move in this direction. Look before you stretch your arm because at the party we don’t have enough space and you can hit other dancers.
You can dance it from the basic step or from lateral step. For the ladies: you are turning on the line, try to go your steps always further on the line. Guys: you need some space if you want to lead the lady into the line, because the arms of the lady have to be stretched. You go the first step backwards with the left to pull the lady into the line (go with your body). You will hold both hands of the lady together. While turning the lady the hands are over her head, not over yours.
2. Elastic without elastic
For the ladies, you go just to the front like in the basic step. Guys: with the right hand you bring the lady to the front, the left hand stays in front of her face. On 3 you have to be in the other side weil you want to lead her into the cambre.
3. Cambre
While the lady is going back she have to bend to the front. Guys, first you lead the lady back and one moment later you lead her down with your left hand and with your right under arm. Ladies: do the preparation for the cambre, contract your center, put your pelvis to the front, your chest is in and your head is to the front. If you do the cambre, your knees go to the front while you are rolling backwards. Your head is the last part of your body going back. If the guy lead the wave, you start it moving your head to the front. Guys, watch the video to see how to lead the move with your body.
The strange name will help you to remember the step
We want to go around the lady but we don’t want, that she bend to the front. For it, guys, (1) you will hold your left hand in front of her face and (2) with your right hand you bring the lady to the front on 1 and backwards on the next 1. If the lady try to do the normal elastic, you can block her with your left hand.
Today we did some moves if you are with the lady on the spot at the beginning of a sound and there is no beat.
Wave to the side from the hips
If you go to the left, you will first transfer the weight to the left but you bend your upper body to the right. Then you go little by litlle to the left with your upper body. The same in the other direction: first you go with your hips transfering the weight to the right but your upper body stays to your left. Afer that you go little by little with your upper body to the right.
Circles with the head
Ladies: relax your neck and think at the same time on stretching the opposite side. Transfer the weight with your head (if your head is on your right side, you have your weight on your right leg). If you bring your head to the front, then you put your chest in for keeping your balance.
Guys: play with the shoulder line of the lady and make some space for her to feel comfortable.
Wave to the front
Guys: if the lady is going with the head to the front you can make some space going with your left foot backwards and leading the wave.
Ladies: if your head is on your left side you have your right foot free. If the guy lead you into the wave you can go with your right to the front.
Today we have an important lesson if you want to improve your basics. There is a connection between your feet and your upper body if you are going your steps.
If you go with the right to the front your upper body is turning a little bit to the right. If you go with the left to the front your upper body is turning a little bit to the left.
If you go backwards it’s the opposite: if you go with your left backwards, your upper body turns to the right and if you are going with your right backwards, your upper body is turning to the left.
Imagine you do the basic step:
1 to the front with the right: upper body to the right.
2 to the front with the left: upper body to the left.
On 3 you transfer the weight back to the right: going backwards with the right means your upper body is going to the left. But your upper body is already to the left (see the point before), so you don’t need to move your upper body.
1 backwards with the left: upper body to the right.
2 backwards with the right: upper body to the left.
On 3 transfer the weight to the front to your left: your upper body should go to the left but it’s already to the left, it means, you don’t move your upper body.
It’s important to pay attention to this details because they bring your dance to the next level.
Today we will learn “the door” starting the step from the basic step or from the lateral step with a right turn.
For the ladies: You will go always your third step on the spot and you try to turn your upper body to the guy.
For the guys. There is one important thing in this step. You have to pay attention while going into your turn and changing the hands (your left goes down, right goes up). Try to be close to the lady because in other way the step will be uncomfortable for the lady. Both arms should be in a line with the shoulders. It doesn’t feel good if her arms are behind of her shoulders. At the end you are leading the lateral step to your left.
Guys: you lead the left turn of the lady and when you lead the next right turn you want to go into the place the lady was before you. You are turning, so you have to focus on your partner.
For leading the turn of the lady with the arm: don’t hit the lady. First contact, then you push.
Today we did one exercise to practise the spiral 2.
The steps are the normal steps for a zouk turn (third step on the spot). The head will follow the shoulders. For a left turn, the head goes to the left the first step, the second step to the front and to the side and in the third step you will focus on your partner.
For the right turn, first step head to the right, second step to the front and left, third step you focus on your partner.
If you are doing the step with your partner, guys, you turn together with the lady and after that you will lead the spiral with your hands on her upper arms. Watch the video to see how. Ladies, don’t forget to do your third step on the spot and to focus on your partner at the end of the turn.
