Is Your Salsa Dancing On Time?

Timing comes natural to some of us. But for many, it is a completely foreign concept.

What is timing exactly? Timing is the ability to hear and dance on the beats of the music. And it is super CRITICAL in partner dancing. Being in tune with your partner on the dance floor is next to impossible if you can't nail down correct timing.

So take a few moments right now and get real honest with yourself about where you stand when it comes to your own Salsa dancing. Can you find the beats or timing of a Salsa song? Once you do find the beat, are you then able to continuously remain on those beats throughout your dance?

If not, don't worry. The first step to improvement is acknowledgment. Below we cover four levels of awareness you can use to evaluate where you are in your understanding of Salsa timing and rhythm. Read through each level of "awareness" and honestly ask yourself if you fit into that category. Your ultimate goal is to be in level IV.

Level I. Unconscious Incompetence.

you are unaware of the existence or relevance of timingunaware that you may lack the ability to find and hear timingyou may deny the relevance of usefulness of timing

Level II. Conscious Incompetence.

you are aware of the existence and relevance of timingyou are aware that you may be deficient in this skill areayou realize that you can improve

Level III. Conscious Competence.

you can stay on the beat, but need to concentrate or think in order to do soyou are able to perform the skill without assistancetiming has still not become second nature to you

Level IV. Unconscious Competence.

you have practiced so much that timing is now second natureyou can carry on multiple tasks, such as having a conversation, while remaining on timetiming has become instinctual for you and you no longer have to think about it

The last level, unconscious competence, is the desired level you should strive to attain. This is when the music flows naturally through you and counting the beats in your head or out loud is no longer necessary. At this level, you FEEL the music viscerally. This is when dancing becomes magical.

With practice and awareness, you CAN improve your timing skills. And you have good reason to be proud of yourself when you do, because not everyone will put in the effort to really understand timing. And they will continue to frustrate their dance partners out on the dance floor.

Try this: Next time you are out at the club and ask a partner to dance, find and start counting the beat as you are approaching the dance floor. This way, once you make it to the dance floor you will right away be ready to begin dancing instead of having to take time there to find the beat.

Here's to your dancing success!

Sheena Larsen
Step Into Salsa
More FREE tips and advice on Salsa dancing at http://www.stepintosalsa.com/.

Original article