How Posture and Frame Make You a Better Salsa Dancer - Salsa Tips _ TheDanceDojo.com

This tip is all about posture .

Ok .

Now , uh when it comes to posture , what we're really trying to do is achieve , achieve a neutral spine , a stable spine .

Now , some signs that your spine is not very stable when you are partnering with somebody , if somebody tends to have really stiff arms , imagine if I'm going to turn Scarlett and she's one of those girls that hangs on for dear life and is pushing like crazy even though she's , even though she's it bitty , she doesn't feel like it .

Ok .

So using the guns and using the arms , that is a sign that your spine is not stable .

My lovely , beautiful grandmother who's going to be 96 years old , her back is not quite like it used to be .

Her spine is not so stable .

She used to be about 57 .

Now she's maybe 47 .

Ok .

So when she's going to pick up a bag of groceries , this is how she'll do it .

Oh , she uses those arms and she's working really hard with those arms instead of somebody with a stable spine , the arms are really secondary , right ?

They'll bend down , they'll stand up and the arms are relaxed .

Ok .

Stable spines .

Now , here's , here's a couple of , of little cues that you can do and we do with our students all the time .

We say stand up next to the wall .

Sorry , I was gonna do it .

I didn't mean to , but please go ahead .

So , what we're looking for is your backside , your shoulder blades and your head to be against the wall .

Now , you're gonna find that a lot of people will have a really difficult time doing this .

I recommend see a kist or a chiropractor , some professional in this field to help you achieve a neutral spine and brace it .

Ok .

So her backside , her shoulder blades and her head are against the wall , making those things all stacked over top of one another .

Now , if she steps away that a new woman now , but when you're doing that , the shoulder blades are gonna use you as a model shoulder blades slightly in towards the spine .

Yeah , there you go .

Bad girl .

Now , slightly in and then down towards the hip , but don't change that neutral spine .

Ok .

Slightly in and down to the hip .

What happens when you start doing that is you fire muscles that brace act acts as a buttressing system for your spine .

So it supports that spine .

Ok .

Now , imagine if I'm dancing with Scarlett and her shoulder blades are nowhere near in place and then the shoulders tend to fall forward and then I go .

I'm going to be the bad girl .

Patricia .

Go ahead and pull me , Scarlett .

Whoa , I'm not connected to my spine .

So I'm gonna have to process what my partner wants .

I think she wants me to go that way and then I respond .

We don't have time to process and try to decipher leads .

So instead she's gonna have frame by just simply connecting to her own spine , making it stable and go for it slightly in and down to the hip .

Now , when I pull her , her arms are relaxed , she doesn't have to process what I'm asking her to do .

She just goes , she doesn't have to use her eyes .

Doesn't have to think just like this table .

It has frame , it has structure .

I pull it goes , I push , it goes ok , stable spines , shoulder blades slightly in down to the hip , whether it be walking to the water cooler or work saying oh yeah , slightly in and down to the hip or whether it be at every red light .

Oh yeah .

Cue my posture , little things in your daily life that will help .

That's one little tip .

It will definitely help not only your , your dance ability but your presence and poise .

When it comes to dance and the rest of your life , you're really only as old as your spine .

So take care of that spine .

Good luck makes you look and feel better .

Ok .