Boogalu's Salsa Cubana Dance Competition Video

Alternatively go to: http://www.boogalu.com/video-gallery?bcpid=1328266088&bclid=1333254773&bctid=1333257769, and in the MOVIE ARCHIVES section, watch the 'Salsa Cubana Dance Competition' clip

General

• the couple featured are rhythmically excellent although not technically fantastic in the individual-turn department
• they change from salsa timing to Son timing (called contratiempo*) 15 seconds into the clip; from the end of the first into the second side-step
• the circular form of Son i.e. Son rueda (meaning "wheel") forms the backbone of their style
• the man's dropped elbow when leading a turn causes the taller follower to duck under the arm
• good mobility and coverage of the floor, which incidentally is not easy to move on
• the couple have excellent clave phrasing: it becomes obvious if you pick out the clave from the band, turn down the volume, and keep track of their movements whilst keeping clave ticking over in your mind
• other couples, some of whom are also contratiempo, are not so clearly clave-driven
• this clip demonstrates how Son elements especially partnership skills and musical interpretation, can be expertly incorporated into salsa
• you can see that their salsa has more depth as compared to the others due to an understanding of if its ancestry.

*Contratiempo can mean something else musically, and I address that in the Son Phrasing (Part 1) tutorial in Rhythm Sense.

Loo Yeo