My first encounter with dancing was cross-body salsa but although I was fine during classes and picked up the routines quickly, I didn't get to grips with freestyle and so for me it fell by the wayside.
I've spent the last 10 years involved with Ceroc, including crewing for them in Leeds and competing at national level over the last four years or so.
I discovered Tiempo España Dance Academy by chance as there was a class held at one of my Ceroc venues. I went to my first Cuban Salsa class with a completely open mind without any preconceptions.
Well, what I could not have been prepared for was the very detailed instruction I received from Ben and Aimi. It felt quite alien at first as each step was broken down into constituent parts and gradually put back together again, first in partner hold and then in rueda. After the first class I was unsure if this was for me but I decided to stick with it and to see what the next few weeks would bring!
I wasn’t disappointed! After the second week, I got into the routine of breaking down the moves and recognising the Spanish names and was surprised by how many moves I'd actually learnt! After a few weeks I decided that my next step was the Leeds venue where there would be people much more experienced than myself!
It was great! There was no pressure and everyone was so friendly. I was soon progressing through Level 2 to Level 3 thanks to Ben and Aimi sneaking more advanced moves into my classes without me really noticing! I felt comfortable in Level 3 and confident I could cope with the moves and keep up pretty well with everyone else in rueda.
However, I was now hungry for more and so eventually plucked up the courage to leap into Level 4, hoping that my previous experience would stand me in good stead for more advanced moves. Well, thankfully I knew most of the Level 3 moves called in Level 4 but wow, the L4 moves were a challenge! However, once I'd mastered a few of the moves and I knew I could pull them off, it felt fantastic in rueda!!
I then progressed to Confusion (role reversal) and subsequently to levels 5 and 6. Now that is serious stuff, but so much fun and I've since trained to teach up to Level 2/3 which I enjoy so much! So this is how an average rueda went for me as I was learning:
The music starts #
Straight into basic step (I'm quite comfortable at this point) The first Dame (that's fine too).
The next three moves are pretty basic so no problem there (firmly lodged in muscle memory).
The next half a dozen moves or so I've done loads before so okay so far).
Uh oh, this next one we haven't done for a while and I have 3 beats to remember the move (Yes, I've got it – nice one!)
No time to relax, here’s another move we haven't done in a few weeks (quick, dig deep, remember the start and you’ve got it. Yes, that’s the one)!
Okay, this next one’s tricky! I know I've done it before but can't remember the start – 2 beats left to remember it ! (I take a chance on a sombrero start and keep one eye on the Cantante...... bingo, I’ve got it).
Not quite so lucky on the next move – I have no idea! (I just blag it and as long as I finish on the right beat I'm okay - I'm not the only one who's gone wrong this time so maybe no one noticed! You can't win ‘em all!)
And so it continues throughout the track, forcing you to stay alert and focused every second! The result is that everyday cares just fade away because you have no time to bring them to mind. For that few minutes there's the dance and only the dance! That's the magic of Cuban Salsa!
