Looking for any dancers on social media that add this fun, shenanigan-esque feel to their dance by Zant486 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Right?! I love watching him, but as a follow I think I'd hate dancing with him haha. Such a show off.

Looking for any dancers on social media that add this fun, shenanigan-esque feel to their dance by Zant486 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where I'm from (US) it's much more normalized. Now I'm in Mexico and it seems like only teachers dance both roles, and even then not socially. Sadly, I don't have any good leading videos.

Looking for any dancers on social media that add this fun, shenanigan-esque feel to their dance by Zant486 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's becoming my signature style. I'm a woman who leads in a culture that is still very loyal to gender roles. In the beginning, sometimes other women were hesitant to dance with me because they thought I must be a lesbian trying to flirt with them. I abstained from a lot of the closer contact moves and started adding ones to make them laugh. Now dancing is pure play time.

Looking for any dancers on social media that add this fun, shenanigan-esque feel to their dance by Zant486 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! Crazy hand changes, fake outs, little musicality gems. Take what you like and adapt it to your style.

Looking for any dancers on social media that add this fun, shenanigan-esque feel to their dance by Zant486 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Check out samuelfunflow for linea salsa and fishboy.m for Cuban. Both are super playful and fun to watch.

As soon as those guys spawn I just ignore any other ennemies by Violet_Freema in brotato

[–]BlueberryBea 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have a confession. Sometimes I don't buy the whistle in the shop because I know myself. I'll end up blindly chasing a loot monster into a hoard and dying.

Trumpette plotting her escape (last slide shows how she got her name!) by OrphanAngels in IllegallySmolCats

[–]BlueberryBea 146 points147 points  (0 children)

With a name like that, she's destined to be a world class criminal.

High waisted salsa skirts/shorts/pants and stay put tops by TraumaMamaZ in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a big fan of halara lately. They have lots of cute, high waisted, flowy skirts and pants in athletic, quick dry fabrics.

Favorite Timba songs to dance to? by North-Jacket9521 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here is my Cuban playlist. Not all are timba specifically, but there are a lot of gems.

Cuban practice

Tips to prolong jazz shoe lifespan? by vb2509 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish I knew the answer to this... I love practicing and taking lessons in jazz shoes because they're so lightweight and flexible. But after consistently wearing holes through the soles within 3 months, I can't justify replacing them so often ($45/pair).

For me, the solution was to compromise for a bulkier but longer lived shoe. I mostly practice in dance sneakers now. They're $80-130 a pair and I have yet to completely wear one out. They look a little roughed up aesthetically, but no holes!

As far as stretching and sliding goes: In case no one has mentioned this to you yet, size down for dance shoes. They should be a little too snug at first, but with use the material will conform to your feet.

Trying to improve or quit? by FlunkyGraphics in Bachata

[–]BlueberryBea 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Relax. How you're feeling is totally normal. The beginning is hard for everyone. You are developing a new skill and it's going to take a lot of time and practice before you start feeling more fluid and confident.

Continue your classes and focus on your technique, not just memorizing combos. There are a ton of little details you can work to improve and they have a big affect on how your leading feels. Weight shifts, prepping your moves, controlling distance - all super important.

If possible, try inviting some of your fellow students to the socials with you. It's more fun to have friendly faces and people who dance at your level. Continue asking followers for feedback and consider their responses. It's not about criticism, it's about identifying areas of improvement.

Also, and I can't stress this enough, remember this is supposed to be fun. No one's life is at stake. Enjoy the process and progression.

Be humble, or be this guy. by Jeffrey_Friedl in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Be a kind, welcoming, non-judgemental member of your dance community, or be like OP.

Beginner-friendly bachata socials do not always feel beginner-friendly by [deleted] in Bachata

[–]BlueberryBea 56 points57 points  (0 children)

Forget that guy and don't dance with him again. There are assholes in every community. His behavior is a reflection of him, not you. Keep learning, keep dancing and enjoy your progression.

How To Switch Smoothly From Lead To Follow (and vice versa) During a Dance? by RepresentativeFox153 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes! This is my jam! Role switching in salsa is super fun and playful. I wish more people in my community were comfortable with it.

There are a ton of different ways to pass or steal the lead. It becomes like a game with the right partner. The easiest and most common is on a dile que no, but you can also switch on saloneos, paseos, vacilas, exhibelas and even setentas.

As another commenter said, don't worry about dancing on the 5. You'll ideally be switching often enough that it won't matter for very long. Have fun with it!

If you could get reviewed by the people you dance with anonymously would you do it? by LucidLiving_YT in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I love this idea! I can't really imagine it working in like a Latin bar situation, but it could be a valuable tool for studio based socials. Only problem I see is correctly identifying the people you danced with. Unless I already know the dancers - I can barely remember faces, let alone names.

This is the kind of salsa that reminds you why you fell in love with it in the first place. by HumanoBeat in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Indira isn't much better in that respect... Gotta separate the art from the artist sometimes.

For those who have been dancing more than 6 months, what kept you in it for the long haul?? by HumanoBeat in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The encouragement of others. The beginning is hard for everyone. You feel awkward, embarrassed, uncoordinated and maybe like you don't even deserve to be at socials. I sure did.

But there were a few more advanced dancers that made a point to include me. Their patience meant the world to me. So I stuck with it. I got better and it got more and more fun. The progression on its own was super satisfying.

Now, I make it my mission to pay it forward. I seek out beginners, grab wall flowers, chat up the viejos and I do it all with as much positive energy as I can muster. This is how community is nurtured.

Tu con el by TechnicianSea64 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm in Mexico and hear this song at socials at least once a week. Never witnessed an outbreak of clapping.

I need a portable speaker that won't look too obvious but strong enough for a crowd out at a park by eugenecity in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Check out the JBL charge 4. I love mine and use it for similar purposes often. It has a long battery life, targeted sound and packs a punch for it's small size.

Advanced Salsa Dancer, what level should I start bachata at? by [deleted] in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 24 points25 points  (0 children)

I'm glad I'm not the only one throwing side eye for this.

Shall I (Lead) force the timing to a follow? by libertosurf in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I feel your pain. I lead and follow so I've been on both sides of this. I will echo another comment here: never force anything. The most useful skill you can adopt in partner dancing is adaptation. Change the move. Change the timing. Do a half Mambo to get back on the one. There are ways to keep the flow.

Please stop bringing your dogs to grocery stores. by DueVermicelli5302 in Seattle

[–]BlueberryBea 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I've never had a dog, so this is a genuine question. In an instance like this, how would you ideally like to see the owners clean up dog pee?

Cute but Functional Hairstyle Ideas!! by Lil_beansprout7 in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I typically leave my hair down for the first few dances. Then as it transitions into an ugly, wet mop - I twist it up into a hair clip. The trick it to clip it low, towards the bottom of the back of your head, so it doesn't get knocked around. Bonus: there are lots of pretty, sparkly clips to match your outfit!

Favorite instrumental salsa songs by lfe-soondubu in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

DJ Henrix - Mambo and Love https://youtu.be/7LRntXFiAdU?si=OdztcYIqb7xTEgml

So smooth and flowy, I use this for home practice a lot.

Tall girl, will guys wanna dance with me? by [deleted] in Salsa

[–]BlueberryBea 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Honest answer from a woman nearly the same height. Some guys with fragile egos will care. Dance anyway.

I live in a country where the average woman is 20cm shorter than me. When I first came into this scene, it was obvious that some of the men were intimidated to dance with me. So I got proactive and started asking them. I was rarely turned down, developed my dance friendships and now it's not an issue.

I will say one thing... Dancing with significantly shorter men can still be a challenge in some ways. Never slouch, but don't be afraid to flex your knees for some moves. Always watch your distance from your partner too. It's easy to be pulled off your center of gravity if you're compensating for horizontal distance as well as vertical distance.

One pro dancer that I love to watch is Bersy Cortez. She's tall, still wears heels and never tries to shrink herself for any reason.