You may be forgiven for thinking that in order to learn how to be a good male Salsa dancer and lead well that you need a male teacher.
After all, when a guy dances Salsa he plays a completely different role in the dance.
Surely if you learn from a girl, you’ll end up dancing like a girl…won’t you?
It’s true, the guy needs to learn different things.
He leads, he initiates the moves and orchestrates the dance.
Guys move differently, are built differently, think differently.
They experience the dance from a different perspective.
And that is precisely why learning from a female teacher who is not only an accomplished follower, but a skilled lead in her own right will give you unique and valuable feedback.
I know what women want to feel when they’re being led. The best leads feel like you’re not being led at all.
I will be able to tell you how to refine your leads so they feel as smooth as a knife through butter.
I know that women like guys who are creative and can surprise them in the dance without being too crazy.
I can show you how to multiply the moves and combinations you know already to make interesting different ones without having to learn or memorise anything new.
I know that size and strength don’t matter.
I am small, which means my leading mechanics have to be perfect because I can’t rely on my physical size or strength to move my partner around.
I can demonstrate how to use your positioning, body language and physical presence to make your leading work better in a social dance situation.
I was told by numerous female teachers to forget about learning to lead more than the basics because “ladies only want to dance with guys”.
I know now that is complete and utter rubbish.
Ladies want to dance with good leads, regardless of their gender.
For sure I’ve had to work hard on creating a different energy and style when I dance the man’s role. It’s not been easy.
But I’ve found the whole experience of taking responsibility for the dance very liberating, and now dance socially as a lead whenever I can. For fun because I genuinely love it.
And I always get extremely positive comments from ladies, especially the advanced followers.
But the learning curve I encountered made me understand exactly what guys go through when they learn this dance.
Everything in life can be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage.
A negative or a positive.
It’s how we choose to act in relation to these perceived “hurdles” that will largely determine our outcome.
The attitude and energy that you bring to the situation.
The willingness to step out of your comfort zone and not follow the herd.
How much you learn from ANY teacher depends almost entirely on what YOU bring to the task of learning.
The only thing that matters is whether you connect with them and like the way they communicate, and whether you believe they know what they’re doing.
So you may want to lead like other guys and have their style.
But don’t forget that you’ll be dancing with a woman,
And your leading needs to impress her, not them!