As you hit the salsa scene this weekend, I thought it might be a good idea to discuss Floor craft – which is Salsa Etiquette 101.

So what is Floor craft? Well in a nut-shell, I would describe it as taking care of the lady you are dancing with and ensuring she is safe, especially when you are on a crowded dance floor. “Safe” meaning?? No one must step on her & no one must bump into her and the same applies vice versa – she must not step or bump into anyone.

Irrespective of whether you are dancing cross body style or Cuban, you gotta make sure that wherever you send the lady, there is space for her to go and she wont bump into anyone.

Dancing on a crowded dance floor can be compared to driving a Million Dollar car on an open space with a 100 other cars all around you. Now this open space has no roads, no street signs or speed limits. In this situation, while you will definitely be looking ahead, you will no doubt constantly be looking through the rear view mirror and both side view mirrors on a more than regular basis to ensure no one bumps into your Ferrari, am I right? Well, the same principle applies on the dance floor. Salseros, the woman is your Ferrari ( I am sure the ladies like that), while you will definitely maintain some eye contact with her, be aware of what’s going on around you, especially behind you! Remember when dancing with any Lady, for those 4 minutes, it’s your job as the Leader to protect her.

So the question is how can you learn floor craft?
Well, here are a few simple pointers-

Be aware:
Know what is going on around you. Spot the Wild ones (those people who clearly have no regard for anyone else on the dance-floor and are busy bumping into and hitting everyone.) If a wild one unexpectedly comes into your dance space, make sure you immediately move the lady out of harms way and negotiate your way to another part of the dance floor that is safe.

To The Wild ones – How do you know if you are a Wild one? Well if you notice people are constantly giving you lots of space or are moving away from where you are dancing – Remember the saying: Actions speak louder than words!

Take Small steps
If everyone just took small steps and kept their movements equally small, the crowded dance floor would be a Happy place where no one gets stepped on or bumped into. Ahhh…. Bliss 🙂

K.I.S.S.
No, this does not mean kiss the ladies, rather it is an acronym for – Keep it Simple Stupid. When on a crowded dance floor, this is not the time to be adventurous and try out that fancy new move you saw Oliver Pineada doing on youtube video just before coming to the party. Stick to the moves you know and that you can lead well.

Dance Hold:
Learn to dance in Dance Hold. While your arsenal of moves will take a serious knock as you have much more options in 2 hand hold, the advantage is you will take up much less space on the dance floor and you will be in a much better position to protect the lady should a wild one come into your space.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?
Leave SUPER SIZED DIPS AND TRICKS FOR PERFORMANCES. This is not an audition for So you Think you can dance! A social dance floor calls for social dancing. If you want to perform, join a Dance Troupe, but don’t pull crazy stunts on a crowded social dance floor. That s**t is unacceptable.

So you think you can dance??

The Dance Floor is For Dancing:
Standing in the middle of the dance floor with a drink in your hand is a big No-No especially for Salseros and Salseras. Shame on you, you should know better!

On a totally different side note – Remember to dance with beginners people. Salsa is about including everyone, so make it your mission to at least take 3 beginners onto the dance floor. This applies to both Salseros and Salseras.

Now – Have fun this weekend and above all else – Live, Love & Salsa!