VERY useful tips for all leads. Written by Jocelyn (Addicted2Salsa) in response to an email query.
Jocelyn's:
When it comes to what a follow likes in a lead, I think everyone is different. With that said, here's a few things that I prefer:
- Quality over quantity. I'd rather do the 6 moves you really know than the 26 you just learned and haven't worked on yet. In every song, I think it's fair to throw in a couple of new moves you're trying out, but I want the lead to make me feel comfortable and relaxed, and that means being sensitive to what you can and cannot smoothly lead.
- Be gentle, but clear. I like a lead that is firm enough to be understandable (no spaghetti arms), but not so stiff that I feel like I'm being dragged around. I think the job of the lead is to indicate what moves he wants and provide me some stability, direction and sometimes momentum, not to force me through the motions.
- I like a lead who tailors the dance to what I am capable of. Especially as a beginner and intermediate dancer, I always hated it when leads tried to get me through combo after combo that I was clearly having trouble with. Push me a little (I like a challenge), but don't make me feel bad about myself because I stumble through all your moves.
- Dress simply. Neat, clean is all I ask, and please make sure whatever you're wearing doesn't hit me (gold chains, jackets/blazers that flap around, wrist watch...)
- Smell nice. Deodorant and a small amount of cologne, if you want.
- Leave some time for shines/footwork. A whole song of combo after combo can be tiring - let me have a few 8-counts to show my stuff and interpret the music the way I want, plus you get a chance to think of some more moves.
- Smile! Hey, this is fun, right?
Be well,
Jocelyn (addicted2salsa co-host)
Link to original post from FB here
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