Salsa dancing, like the majority of hobbies, takes time and persistence to get right. Both partners’ roles are carved out from the start and foremost in salsa is the fact that the man leads and the lady follows. Along with listening to the music, finding the beat, staying in time and deciding which move to execute next, the man must clearly indicate his intended move to his partner.... and all this with split-second timing. Does this constitute multitasking?! The lady for her part has the difficult task of interpreting these signals and following the lead without question. Whilst hoping the man will stay on the beat, she must avoid trying to predict what she believes the next move to be. (Hands up those who have just now decided to take up a different hobby?). So it is clear to see that lead is important. But how important, and, what is it that makes for a good lead?

Leading is a combination of factors, each of which adds to making the dance enjoyable for both partners. Every dancer has his/her own ideas of what constitutes leading and the aim of this article is to attempt to define what is considered “a good lead”. In the interest of accuracy and effectiveness, the views of those affected most by a lead, the ladies, were sought in order to offer a balanced view of the subject matter. Four followers, all at advanced / teacher level, were asked for their opinions on what it is they enjoy in a good lead and, as importantly, what it is they feel contributes to a bad lead. What follows are, in essence, a collective view on what is sometimes overlooked in favour of a plethora of complex moves.

So, what is a Lead anyway?

"A good lead / follow is like a good conversation - you don''t have to yell, you only need to talk. As you get better, all you really need to do is whisper". (Mark Balzer)

Leading was referred to earlier as a combination of factors which come together to create a smooth, creative, enjoyable dancing experience. But what are these “factors”? Below are the most common, yet regularly overlooked techniques that can add to the enjoyment of the dancing experience.

Rhythm / Timing: Salsa dancing is of course to music and must be danced to the beat of that music. Good timing is not optional, it’s essential. Every step, every move, every turn, every spin is done in time to that rhythm. All ladies contributing to this article were categorical in their support of this point and saw timing as one of the most fundamental aspects of a good lead. For example; if the lead is even a split second too late, it can result in the ladies weight shifting and a possible loss of balance. The lead should be timed so as to allow the lady to react correctly and on time. However, good timing alone does not constitute a good lead …. keep reading !

Choose the correct level: In deciding what move or pattern to lead your partner into, you must choose a move which is matched to the level or ability of the lady you are dancing with. You may be comfortable with a particular complex move, but is your partner comfortable with following it? If a lady has difficulty following a move that you have tried with her on two or more occasions, don''t embarrass her by repeatedly trying to lead that move. Ask yourself - is the dance floor really the correct place to try teaching someone a new move? Adapt your moves to suit the follower. To quote one lady:

“I would prefer a Salsero who knows fewer moves but leads them well, than someone trying moves that are not clear - or even worse end up hurting! You don''t need a million moves to impress me! It''s sometimes nice from time to time just to put in a few stylish basics.”

Another noted that:

“Leaders often seem to think moves must be complicated to be interesting, but in my experience this is not true. I would much prefer to dance with someone who has a small range of moves that are well led, than dance with someone who has a vast repertoire of clumsily executed (sometimes gymnastic!) moves.”

Would you consider dancing an advanced move with someone who has just finished an improvers’ class? When leading a lady into a complex dip, consider whether the follower may have back problems? There are many examples of back injuries on the dance floor as a result of bad dips. This is an issue which is easily overlooked but with severe repercussions for the follower.

Communicate your intentions: Having found the rhythm and decided on the correct dance level it is now important to communicate your intentions to your partner with finesse, subtlety, yet clarity. Leading is not pulling and dragging; it is understanding how the lady moves and coordinating your hand movements so as to clearly indicate your desired actions. The trick is in understanding the exact position where the ladies weight and balance are correct so as to create an effortless transition into the move (well, no one said it was easy). However, lead well, and every lady will love dancing with you. Once again this issue was strongly supported by all ladies, with one commenting that:

“A good lead is not passive, not aggressive, but assertive. Smooth not abrupt. Making clear distinctions between when the arm needs to be relaxed (in the case of a head loop for example), normal (like in a cross body turn) or strong (such as in an open break). A good lead gives plenty of extra clues about what the leader wants - a different grip here, a tap on the shoulder there.”

To make matters more complicated, the right strength of lead is different for each lady. So part of the dance is for the leader to adapt to suit each and every lady. If your arms are stiff then the girl will react by stiffening her arms thereby making it harder to lead and follow, moreover the use of thumbs will restrict movement for both partners. There is no winning formula but for those wishing to improve, there are many ladies happily willing to assist with constructive opinions in order to help, but you have to ask them!!! Most ladies are far too polite to comment on your lead without invitation, regardless of the pain they might be enduring.

Avoid collisions: Sometimes referred to as "floor-craft"; when leading it is your responsibility to make sure that there is space available where you are sending your partner. Check that other couples are not in the way or heading the same direction thereby keeping the lady out of harm’s way. When the dance floor is crowded use small steps, avoid outstretched arms and be aware of the dancers around you. Ensure where possible not to place the lady in a position where she might get stepped on. Likewise, you must respect the ladies personal space:

“If you''re not on close terms with the girl you''re dancing with don''t crowd her space and hold her against you. It''s uncomfortable for her to be pressed up against someone she doesn''t know and it makes leading a move next to impossible.”

It is important that you make you partner feel comfortable in terms of distance, eye-contact and flirtatiousness. Look for the signs where the person you are dancing with would rather have more space; these signs should not be ignored!

Enjoy the dance: Dancing is all about having fun. Remember that while it is hard to speak over the music, your facial expressions can speak for you. Smile and show that you are enjoying the dance. Compliment her dance skills, turns, footwork, and attire, where appropriate. Most of all, try to make it enjoyable, after all this is not a test of skill or endurance!

So, why is a lead so important?

A good lead makes the whole experience so much more pleasurable and relaxing. If the follower is constantly having to try and interpret what the lead means, or having to make educated guesses, then it will be a more stressful and anxiety-inducing dance for her.

“I try to lose myself in the dance and be almost an ''extension'' of the leader, such that as soon as he has indicated what he wants me to do, I do it (without needing to be pushed, and with no real thoughts of my own about what I''m doing). In order for me to fully “surrender” to the lead, the leader needs to be both a good lead and a nice person!”

Like it or not, followers rely on a good lead to be able to bring out their own skills. As the old cliché states “the leader is the frame and the follower is the painting”, a good lead allows the lady to relax and trust the leader thereby enjoying the experience. A bad lead on the other hand is confusing and can result in the lady being unable and/or unwilling to act on the leader’s thoughts, sometimes resulting in pain.

A good lead makes the dance enjoyable! What better reason is needed?

What do Ladies dislike in a lead?

All ladies contributing to this article were asked what it was they dislike in a bad lead. Suffice to say, the list was exhaustive - and a revelation. Below is a scaled down list of the type of habits developed in leading but disliked by followers. The resultant effect of any of these habits can be; confusion, pain, dizziness, annoyance, embarrassment. Many of them are self-explanatory.

• The use of thumbs (particularly when they are creating a tight grip)
• Pulling or dragging (usually caused by leading too early)
• Failure to recognise rhythm or listening to the music
• Counting at your partner (Ladies can count …. honest!)
• Telling the lady verbally what to do (what does this say about your leading?)
• Spaghetti arms (confusing, tiring and puts the lady off balance)
• Not staying on the line in cross-body style
• Switching from cross-body to Cuban style mid-move (not giving the lady time to adjust)
• “Rowing the boat” (i.e. swinging your arms aimlessly during a basic)
• Extra “shoves” in the middle of a turn (compensating for a bad lead perhaps?)
• Hitting the ladies head during a turn
• Leading the lady into another dancer
• Spins non-stop throughout the whole song
• Brutal leads on inappropriate parts of the ladies body (e.g. during a waist or neck lead)
• Switching feet at random (the lady then has to pay a lot of attention to the leader''s feet).
• Leaders who correct the lady in the middle of a dance (“you were supposed to do a wiggle there. Don''t you know that move?”, “Why won''t you turn?)

As you can see there are many ways to lead badly. However, these errors are not always evident when learning to dance. Taking the time to question / looking at your lead may result in gaining an insight into ways of improving, doing so will reap rewards. The question is .... do you recognise any of the above in the way you lead???

Conclusion

Men have a hunger for new moves, repeating the same moves can become monotonous and brings with it the fear of boring the lady by repeating the same old moves over and over. So much time is spent learning new moves that it is easy to forget that being able to communicate the move to the person you are dancing with is an essential part of the dance. Yet, as discussed earlier, the majority of ladies would far prefer a few well executed moves to a plethora of complex yet badly led “gymnastic routines”.

As stated, leading is a combination of all of the above factors, it is the leader’s role to learn to lead properly and deliver the right balance so as to make the dance as enjoyable as possible. Do so, and you will have ladies queuing up to dance with you. On a lighter point, its worth noting that a study in America (where else) of 2000 ladies concluded that the way a man dances is an indication of the way he performs between the sheets. It may be worth asking yourself “What does your dancing say about you?????”

In conclusion I would like to sincerely thank Hilary Clarke, Lynnea Fitzgerald, Kieva Flynn, and Siobhan Mortell for their frank and informative insights into the issues associate with good leading techniques. I hope that our combined views will give food for thought and might encourage greater interest in the development of a good lead. In answer to the opening question, a good lead it seems, can be hard to find but is certainly not as hard to create - if the leader is willing to take the time to do so.