Top 5 Tips to Nail your TURNS!
No matter what dance level you’re at, we’re ALL working on improving our turns. As soon as we get one turn, we’re going for two. Then triples, then quads! From years of teaching, here are my key tips to help you master your turns:
SalsaKat’s Top Turning Tips
⚡️ LESS POWER! - Evvvverybody, professional dancers alike, tend to apply way more force than needed. –GO EASY! For a 3-step Salsa turn, for instance: think of it more like walking, 360 degrees over 3 steps.
🦿Maintain Soft/Bent Knees - you need that shock absorption: locked knees make you more prone to topple over. How much bend depends on the exact style/type of turn, but for most solo "Shine" Latin turns, softer is better.
⛸️ Keep feet and legs close together - you want your center of gravity as centralized as possible! Step right under yourself, with feet close: don’t step “out” and off your center. Think of keeping it tight like a twirling ice skater!
🎳 Head & Eyes Up! - the head weighs between 5-11 lbs, and like a bowling ball, will totally throw balance off if you look down.
🎯 Spotting - is crucial! To control the landing of your turn to the intended location, be sure to keep your eyes focused on a target “spot” facing that destination.
I hope these tips can help you develop control, precision, and poise in your movements, making turning easier and FUN!