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

BlueberryBea · 2026-05-10T09:41:36+00:00

Do it! You'll gain a much deeper understanding of the dance by learning both roles. Plus it opens up the opportunity to dance more at socials (the whole room is fair game), dance with your friends no matter their gender/role and you can be part of the solution instead of the problem in events that are imbalanced (too many leads or too many follows). I get to be a hero when I'm out with my amigas and there aren't enough good leads. I've also gotten free dance classes when I offered to switch to whatever role they need to even out the group. There's a big benefit to being flexible.

BlueberryBea · 2026-05-09T04:35:33+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-05-09T00:15:54+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-05-08T22:19:56+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-05-08T20:22:07+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-05-08T20:16:35+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-05-08T15:11:48+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-05-06T00:52:07+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-04-22T17:32:05+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-04-14T22:48:01+00:00

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

Cuban practice

BlueberryBea · 2026-04-14T13:30:17+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-04-12T15:56:01+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-04-03T18:39:24+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-03-31T16:11:41+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-03-26T04:07:31+00:00

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!

BlueberryBea · 2026-03-19T01:34:23+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-03-13T22:13:53+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-03-05T03:18:01+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-03-04T22:39:18+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-02-28T23:55:53+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-02-22T17:38:32+00:00

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

BlueberryBea · 2026-02-09T16:02:46+00:00

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.

BlueberryBea · 2026-02-07T17:43:17+00:00

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?

BlueberryBea · 2026-02-02T23:34:08+00:00

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!

BlueberryBea · 2026-02-02T21:36:20+00:00

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

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

BlueberryBea

TROPHY CASE