Today we learn a very easy move for beginners to give you more possibilities with the basics.
Guys: If you are leading the lady think first, what you want that the lady do. Yoou want that the lady cross backwards. Play with your upperbody to give her the idea of crossing backwards. If she crosses with the left you bring your upper body to the left and if she crosses with the the right, you turn your upper body to the right.
Ladies: Try to focus with your upper body to your partner. If your partner is turning you, come back to him and do your third step on the spot.
We are dancing today two variations of the bumerangue reverse from the basic step.
1. Bumerangue reverse from the basic step to the right.
In this variation guys we will bring the lady to our right side. We go backwards and open our body to the right. Our left hand is up and our right hand will invite the lady into the turn. For the lady we are doing three steps on the line and after that the basic step backwards. Put your left under arm in front of your chest.
2. Bumerangue reverse from the basic step to the left.
Guys, we will let the lady go backwards into her basic step but we will do our steps on the spot. Then we pull the lady into the line and we turn her. You have the feeling, you are turning the lady two times. For the ladies, we are doing the same steps as before. Try to focus on your partner while turning.
You will lead the cross step. If you cross with the right feet, you will bring your left hand up on 3. After that you lead the lady into her lateral with your left hand over your head and you turn to the left. For the left turn: Do the third step on the spot and focus on your partner while turning.
The last thing it’s a left turn for the ladies. On 2 you will get the lady.
Ladies:
The most important thing in this combination is to do your third step on the spot by lateral and left turn.
Focus on your partner while turning.
If you turn to the left, you will hold your left arm in front of your chest.
Today we did a nice combination for understanding the differences between turning on the line or going a normal zouk turn.
After the right turn from lateral we can lead the yoyo directly. Guys, make some space on your right side and ladies take care about your right arm. After that is the time for wave. Guys, lead the wave from your upper body and ladies wait for the leading of the guy, think about the new connection with the arm on your back and press a little bit against it.
Now guys, if you are turning the lady to the front you can choose between a turn on the line and a normal zouk turn. For a turn on the line you will lead the three steps of the lady to the front. For a normal zouk turn you will lead two steps to the front and the last one back. Ladies, don’t open alone after the turn, wait for the leading. Control your right hand after the turn because at the party we don’t have enough space and you could hit other dancers .
The last turn is very important. Guys: first pull to you, then you lead the turn of the lady and then you let the hand free. On 2 you get the lady again. For the ladies: Go your steps on the line. After your second step you will close your legs. In this way your legs are crossed on 3. Don’t fall to the front, wait for the contact of the guy on your back.
In the oldtimes of zouk the ladies turned almost the hole time to the left. Today we try to use all possibilities we have. That’s the reason why it’ very important to learn to turn to the right and use the same tecnique than turning to the left.
For the ladies: Remember to go your third step on the spot while turning, bring your under arm in front of your chest and focus the hole time with your upper body on the upper body of your partner.
For the guys: Respect the line of the lady and go from one side to the other like “crossing the street”. Let your left hand on 2 on the back of the lady and slide the hand till you have her right hand.
Guys: While crossing behind with the right, you will bring your left hand over your head. Then with the ladies on your right side you will lead a basic step and after that, with your right hand on her waist you will lead the left turn. You get the lady on two.
For the ladies: Take care about your arms while turning and put your under arms in front of your chest.
Cambré is a very important step for the beginners and for zouk. For some other dances like salsa or tango the ladies can go to the parties and learn some tricks, but in zouk you can heart yourself if you try to do some steps without knowing the tecnique. Cambré is one of these steps.
We will do a left turn with the right hand down and the left hand up. Guys, make some space on your right side for the lady to be comfortable. You will lead a elastic with your body. You go with the left hip to the left, so the lady is going with the hips to the front. You will bring the lady down and the lady is doing the preparation for the cambré (pelvis to the front, chest is in, contract your center, head to the front).
Ladies, you will feel the arm of the guy on your back, please, press a little bit against the arm to feel the leading of the guy. Guys support the lady if she is doing the cambré but ladies, don’t trust the guy and keep your own balance. While going back, the ladies have to go to the front with the knees. The pelvis is the hole time to the front and you contract your center. The last part of your body going back is your head.
To bring the lady to the front, guys, start bending your upper body to the left and do a wave to the side and help the lady to do the wave to the front.
In zouk there is a difference between a normal zouk turn (the third step on the spot) and a turn on the line (the third step opens to the side). In this video you will learn, that there is a difference in the leading too. In a turn on the line, the guy is leading the three steps in the same direction. In a normal zouk turn the guy is leading two steps in one direction and a third step in the opposite direction.
The turn of the guys: First bring the lady to the front and then you will turn to the rigt, with your left hand over your hand (like holding a pizza). Try to have your hand close to your head. After the turn you should bring the hand down. Watch the video to see how to change the grip of the hand.
For the ladies: You do a normal lateral step. The guy is doing something new (he is turning!) but stay relax and focus your upper body to him.
The turn for the ladies. We are dancing today a zouk turn, so you go two steps in one direction and the third step you come back. The same for the leading, two steps in one direction and the other step you have to come back.
1. The right turn on the line. Guys, if you lead the left turn, you start to pull to the left with your left hand when the lady goes her third step. Make sure, the lady has enought space on your left side. For the ladies: your upper body try always to face your partner.
2. Going around and doing the wave. Guys, you want that the lady stays on the flow of her movement, so you move around her and close to her. You put your right hand on her back on two. For the ladies: Bring your left arm over the arm of the guy while turning.
You can combine this step with the wave and we the elastic too.
The wave.
Guys, you lead a last left turn (or lateral) for the lady and then you have to be closer to the lady in order to block her. You will have contact with the arm and with your upperbody too. The leading of the wave is coming from your upperbody. After that you could open like in the video. For the ladies: Everytime we have a new contact with the guy, we have to press a little bit against the contact to feel the new leading. Try to bend always your upper body to the guy. Here you can see some more details about the wave.
The elastic.
Guys, while leading the elastic you want the lady goes first with the hips, so your right under arm has to be lower as normal. You will be with your upper body to the lady (90°) and do a wave to the side from your hips, so you help the lady with her elastic. The contact with your right under arm will go little by little up. Then you go with both hand in front of the lady and bring the lady back and up. For leading the snake, first lead the shoulders of the lady turning soft her wrists and if she goes to the front, then you pull with your left hand to the left and your right hand goes to the axle of the lady bringing the elbow up.
Ladies. Go with your hips to the front, after that with your chest (your head goes a little bit back). If you are down, wait for the leading of the guy. If you are up and the guy lead your shoulders, relax your neck and let your head go down through the window. The next turn is on the line and the second one is a normal turn with the third step on the spot.
