Rich Basic? Chunky or Creamy Matches the Music

Is your basic "rich"?

Do you think of your salsa basic that way, being rich or not? I hadn't, but it's an interesting concept, sort of like chunky vs. creamy peanut butter. I'm watching the new Musicality DVD by Edie the Salsa Freak and Peter Fige, and among many subjects, he talks about having a "rich" basic and that term caught my ear and got me thinking.

Well, what is a rich basic?

I'm thinking of a full body, bold Cuban motion basic, where in addition to the footwork, your arms, shoulders, body and hips look like an integrated unit, all bubbling together creating a dynamic, urban, sensual feel, rather than something closer to a "toned down" basic, where the upper body really doesn't move much, but the foot work is still on time and comfortable. There is no absolute "right" basic, so both ends of the spectrum are fine, but they are certainly a different look and feel.

Lately I've been working on upgrading my basic, to add a little more flavor and feel to my dancing. By improving basic, everything else looks better. But I was thinking that I wanted that richer basic to replace my current style. I thought a more cuban, urban, flavorful basic would be a nice upgrade to my standard look and feel.

Now Peter has me thinking, because he was talking about how he uses his rich basic while the vocalist is singing, and his "toned down" basic during other parts of the music. Peter's concept is brilliantly simple, in that he adjusts his basic based on something in the music.

The big "Ah-ha" for me is to have a spectrum of basic, and use it to reflect the mood of the music! Bold, dynamic shoulders and Cuban motion for bold music, and softer, subtle basic for quiet music. And a scalable range in-between. This is one of those things that once I realized it I felt like "duh, that is so simple and makes so much sense..." but I admit my thinking was too narrow.

Most people will benefit greatly from practicing basic again, with an effort to make it look more dynamic; from minimalist to smoking aggressive, from smooth and subtle, to bold and rich. In this context the term "basic" includes side steps, open breaks, and fundamental footwork and the associated appropriate upper body work. Nothing complicated on one hand, but a challenge to have a wide range of feels with the same footwork.

The goal is to take this range, and then apply it based on the contrast in the music. When I watched in the clubs this week, I noticed most people with a rich basic use it almost all the time (I suspect they are proud of that look and feel). If they like lots of shoulders, arms and/or hips, they used it all the time as their concept of salsa is lots of body movement or flavor.

Instead, consider consciously developing a range, from bold, dynamic and sharp, to soft, romantic and minimalist. Then we can match our basic to the feel in the music. Most tunes have a soft quiet part and build to a highlight, and our basic should reflect that same momentum.

The "range" of your basic is important and can be enhanced at both ends. The more subtle and quiet your basic is at one end, the more your bold, rich basic will provide emotion. The full-time, rich basic can be like screaming all the time, and after a while it gets tuned out. If you vary your basic and create the most contrast possible, your rich will be richer and your partners will find you more dynamic and musical, assuming you change between rich and toned-down based on the music.

While Peter talks about how he changes with the vocals, you are free to alter the concept and use it as the band builds and relaxes, with your basic reflecting the flow of the music.

Simply upgrading your basic and matching it to the music will significantly enhance all your dancing and your musicality. We'll expand on this topic as we explore more of the music, but for now you'll want to think about your current basic and what you can do to extend your range in both the more and less intense versions. Your partners will feel the emotion in your dancing and notice your musicality when your basic is reflecting the feel of the music, on both ends of the intensity scale.

Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.
-Sam Carbin

Clave: More Than Most People Want to Know

I stumbled over this great clave article almost two years ago and I forgot about it. As I continue to refine my Music Principles outline, I tripped over the article in one of my archives and realized it should be shared as widely as possible. After first reading the article, I wrote the original author (Chris Washburne from Columbia University) requesting permission to reprint it. He graciously said "yes" and you'll find a link to his web site at the end of the article.

Because the foundation of salsa music is clave, it makes sense to learn about its history. This article is a little dense, but it's worth a good read. I will post a YouTube video at some point playing the rhythms so you can see how they sound and how that dovetails with the written versions in the article (in the graphics below).

In other words, if you don't read musical notation, don't worry because I'll provide samples at some point. If you do read music, clap the rhythms to get a feel for the differences.

Below are photos of traditional claves, followed by modern "Jam Blocks" often used by today's salsa bands. The jam blocks last longer; being made from plastic they can be played with one hand by the timbalero (timbalies player), who beat the heck out of them for hours, and they still last for years. They sound similar to the traditional sticks, but they're much more durable and can be louder. Click here to hear a sample of the traditional clave sound. (On that page, scroll down to find the audio clip.)


One thing should be clear: Clave is not as simple as many people pretend. There are many variations and many self-proclaimed salsa experts talk as if there is one clave pattern, when there is a wide set of variations (as you'll see in the article below).

You'll note that historically, once the clave order is established (i.e. 3-2 vs. 2-3 clave, or forward vs. reverse clave) it doesn't change within a song. This is no longer valid, as a minority of today's salsa music changes clave order one or more times during a song. This doesn't happen at random intervals, but the musicians usually select specific points to "turn the clave around," changing from 3-2 to 2-3 or the other way around. This is still not the norm, but it's not unusual either. Note that some people think of it as the band changing around the clave, with the clave staying the same, but musicians feel forward vs. reverse clave differently, so most will view it as "turned around". In other words, it's another one of those symantic, circular discussions without a good answer, similar to finding an appropriate answer for the question, "Do I look fat in this?"

The music evolves, and this article focuses on the clave history and roots. Over time some musicians take liberties with the traditions and many of today's tunes have implied clave where there is no actual clave, but the music is still composed with the clave feel in mind.

Here's the complete article:

"Clave: The African Roots of Salsa" Published in Kalinda! : Newsletter for the Center for Black Music Research. Fall issue (1995).

In many musical discussions, styles of music found in the Americas and the Caribbean are often referred to as African-derived. Salsa is no exception and the following discussion explores what is particularly African about the music: clave, a rhythmic concept found in a variety of Latin-American styles. Similarities in sound and function to African bell patterns provide evidence towards a theory of clave's origins and an evolutionary link between African music and salsa.

Salsa is a Latin musical style that incorporates a variety of influences. Originating in Cuba and Puerto Rico and emerging from the musical climate of New York City in the 1950s, it has found popularity throughout the Americas and the other Caribbean islands, as well as in Europe and Japan. Salsa has its roots in Cuban popular and folkloric music and is enhanced by jazz textures. The name salsa, literally meaning "sauce," has been in use since the late 1960s, popularized by New York's Fania Records as a "catchy" marketing label. Salsa is often thought of as Latin essence as the word "soul" has been a description for black American essence (Baron 1977 : 217).

In Spanish, clave literally means key, clef, code, or keystone. Fernando Ortiz believes that it is derived from "clavija," meaning wooden peg, reflecting the appearance of the instrument which plays the clave rhythm, called claves (Ortiz, 1935: 9). Claves are two wooden sticks hit together to produce a high piercing sound. If no clave player is present in a salsa band, timbale players will often attach a hollowed-out, hard plastic, open-ended box to their cowbell stand and strike it with their sticks to produce a clave sound.

In Latin music terminology the word clave refers not only to these instruments but also to the specific rhythmic patterns they play and the underlying rules which govern these patterns. Concerning these rules, Steve Cornelius chooses the analogy of a "keystone, the wedge shaped stone placed at the top of an arch which locks all the other stones in place" to describe the function of the clave in relation to all of the other parts in the music (Cornelius, 1991: 15). All musical and dance components in salsa performance are governed by the clave rhythm. In some way they must correspond at all times to the clave rhythmic pattern.

The clave pattern is two measures in length "in which each measure is diametrically opposed. The two measures are not at odds, but rather, they are balanced opposites, like positive and negative, expansive and contractive, or the poles of a magnet. As the full pattern is repeated, an alteration from one polarity to the other takes place creating pulse and rhythmic drive. Were the pattern to suddenly be reversed, the momentum within the rhythm would be destroyed…" (Cornelius, 1991: 15-6).

The clave found in salsa, also known as son clave is notated in example 4. How a song begins determines which measure of the clave will be played first. The phrasing of the melody is the determining factor (e.g. where the accented rhythms of melody occur). This is referred to as either 3-2 or 2-3, meaning either the measure with the three strokes is played first with the two stroke measure following, or the two stroke is played first followed by the three stroke measure. According to tradition once a song begins the clave does not change its measure order. For instance there could never be a 3-2-2-3 clave sequence. Once the song has begun it functions similarly to the continuous bell patterns found in West African musical traditions by providing a rhythmic formula which serves as the foundation. As Roberta Singer states "Clave is a rhythmic time line that… functions as a rhythmic organizing principle for the entire ensemble" (Singer, 1982: 168). The rhythm may be overtly played or implied. Competent musicians in salsa must develop a "clave sense" similar to what Richard Waterman labels a "metronome sense" where a subjective pulse is felt by the participants which may not be overtly heard and functions as an ordering principle (Waterman 1952).

The clave concept reaches far beyond the musical context as demonstrated by the following excerpt from the inscription found on the inside cover of the first issue of New York's Clave magazine, published throughout the 1970s: Clave. …To us the word goes beyond explanations and definitions. It means life, salsa, the food of our leisure time, the motion of intense rhythm, the emotion of 20,000 people simultaneously grooving to the natural sounds of life. It's being in beat, on key, on clave… It means to be on top of things, to be playing it right... "Clave is history, it's culture. African drums from far off places like Nigeria, Dahomey, and Ghana married the Spanish guitar to bring us clave. The seeds were planted in the Caribbean and now their grandchild is Salsa...

This declaration effectively illustrates the broad range of the clave concept and some of its descriptive uses. More importantly it reaffirms the African roots of the rhythm.

The following evolutionary theory concerning the clave rhythm's origins, which may explain why Africa and its hereditary nature are mentioned in the Clave publication, is based on three assumptions. First, when the 700,000 African slaves arrived in Cuba during the 1770s they did not forget the bell patterns from the traditional music of their past but rather incorporated them into music making in their new surroundings. Secondly, this particular pan-West African bell pattern (example 1) or something similar existed during the 1700s. This assumption is based on the pattern's prevalence today among many different African peoples covering an expansive area. Thirdly, as new practices emerged from the combining of various African peoples in the New World, new performance styles arose. As the above inscription suggests, the performance of clave is a living and breathing tradition shaped by the performance practice of individuals. Each musician contributes to the proliferation and evolution of the tradition by their own subtle variations of feel and nuance. Over time, a subtle peculiarity or feel may become the standard replacing an older practice.


Rumba is a style of music originating from African slaves and their descendants living in Cuba. Some of oldest recorded Cuban rumba styles, such as rumba colombia originating from the small towns of the island's interior, are performed with a 12/8 feel, similar to musics where the bell pattern in example 1 is performed. However, in rumba colombia the bell pattern or clave is slightly different from the one notated in this example. Instead of consisting of seven strokes, two of the them are omitted while the others remain intact (example 2). In some Haitian musical styles the same two strokes are omitted but the pattern is started on the third stroke instead. The reason for this omission may never be known since it occurred before recording technology was available. It may have started with an individual variation, or, was the result of the fusing of two or more African styles.

Another later style of rumba emerged from urban areas in a quasi-4/4 feel instead of 12/8 , called guaguancó. The duple meter feel may have been the result of the influence of marching bands and other Spanish styles often heard in the larger cities throughout the 1700s. The clave used in guaguancó appears to be an adaptation of the clave rhythm found in rumba colombia to fit the new metric feel (example 3). This is most often referred to as rumba clave.


The next step of the evolution came from a simplification of styles. The son clave, used in salsa, displaces the final stroke of the 3 part of the rumba clave by one eighth note (example 4). This consequently, as with all of the other adaptations, changed the musical parts. The name "son clave" was coined because of its use in son , a Spanish-influenced musical style originating in the rural areas of Cuba in the early 1900s. The rhythm of son tends to be much less complex, less syncopated and polyrhythmic, than the rumba styles requiring the modification of the clave rhythm.

Another factor that lead to this simplification was the growing popularity of Latin music in countries other than Cuba. The foreign dancers were not always able to assimilate the complex rumba dance styles, therefore changes were made to accommodate the new audience.

The rumba tradition has continually been a stylistic influence on salsa music and performance, but the predominance of this new expanding market required change. The result was the preference of the son clave over the rumba clave to facilitate learning of the new dance styles. This theory can be tested with any newcomer to Latin music. The son clave will be inevitably easier to clap than the rumba clave. The son clave grew to prominence during the mambo dance craze of the 1950s in the United States and Puerto Rico and has remained in use in salsa performance today. Occasionally, salsa arrangements will have short rumba sections, or interludes, but will invariably resume the son clave for the body of the arrangement.

Current drumming styles in Ghana also suggest that a similar process of rhythmic adaptation has occurred. Patterns resembling rumba and son clave in both rhythmic construction and function are occasionally found. For instance, in David Locke's book Drum Gahu there is a description of a "gankogui" pattern (example 5) that "establishes the overall rhythm of Gahu" and when playing this music one should "always try to establish your feeling for timing and groove by concentrating on this sounded phrase" (Locke, 1987: 16-19). This is precisely how salsa musicians use the clave rhythm. Notice that the gankogui has five strokes and only differs by one stroke from the son clave. How long this style of music has been performed in Ghana is not clear. This pattern may have been in existence during the slave trade era.

The search for Africanisms in the music of the Americas has been one approach scholars have taken throughout the last fifty years to understand the roots of black music. It is a quest that is wrought with difficulties because of the degree of generalization and speculation required due to the lack of objective documentation in written or recorded form. The processes of acculturation provide a complex of issues that are too vast to address in this short discussion. However, the similarities of the clave rhythm and its function to African bell patterns is worthy of note and may demonstrate the origins of the clave concept found in salsa today. Throughout this constantly evolving and changing process there appears to be a process of simplification occurring, if omitting strokes from the pan-African bell pattern can be equated with simplifying as less rhythmically complex styles are fused and merge with the African roots. This is not to say that new types of complexities are not formed with the newer styles but simply that music change is constantly in motion. This one evolutionary possibility is presented above in hopes to stimulate future inquiries.

Christopher Washburne
Columbia University

Reprinted by permission from the author.
Visit his site at: http://www.chriswashburne.com/

The single most important conclusion I reached, after traveling through Japan, as well as countless hours reading, studying, and analyzing this fascinating culture, is that you should always tighten the cap on the shampoo bottle before you put it in your suitcase.
-Dave Barry

My Favorite Tunes: Part 2 of 367

In a previous article, "SalsaMama" asked me--via one of the comments--to put together a list of songs I like to go along with my "Listening to Music: 100 Times or More" article. (Click here for My Favorite Tunes: Part 1.)

In the background I'm working on my musicality series, and in that process I'm deciding which tunes are going to become examples, as we explore different aspects of the music.

In addition to the "Salsa Never Ends" tune referenced in the previous article, we'll be exploring the Marc Anthony tune called "Valió la Pena". You'll probably recognize the tune and you can hear a low fidelity preview here and/or find places to download the tune.

I highly recommend you purchase a copy and start listening to the tune over and over. The rhythm section has tremendous energy, the horns are powerful and he sings with great emotion. This is a great example of quality music. View the YouTube of the tune below.

Listening via YouTube is a good start, assuming you have quality speakers on your computer, but you should also purchase a copy and put it on your mp3 player or a CD, listening over and over in your car, working out or simply when your best friend wants a serious discussion with you. If they won't shut up, simply use your earbuds and you can lip-read their comments. That will be highly entertaining for you even if they don't have a sense of humor.

Most of you have already heard it in the clubs. Especially take note as the tune gets very quiet toward the end of the tune. The time is still running, and if you count out loud you'll know exactly when he will shout "one, two, three, four" to restart the complete band and burn down the house at the end. (More details on that section during the musicality series.)

Marc Anthony: Valio La Pena


Without counting, the time is very clear if you really listen to the piano and percussionists playing (very minimalist) in the background. That section can be extremely difficult to hear in the clubs, so be sure to listen on a decent sound system. Musicians often refer to this concept as a "false ending," where they imply the tune has ended, but it's simply an artistic statement and the tune continues, surprising most people.

Again, we'll discuss the details later. Check it out and listen closely now to prepare for that series. Let me know what you think of the tune.

Scientists tell us that the fastest animal on Earth, with a top speed of 120 ft/second,
is a cow that has been dropped from a helicopter.
-Dave Berry

Musicality: You Have It or You Don't?

Is musicality teachable to a dancer?

I'm in this salsa discussion and one lady says, "I don't think you can teach musicality. It's an individual thing based on your personality, your partner, the music, the moment and more. There are too many factors involved and there are no rules, so I don't think so."

From her perspective, you either have it or you don't, and if you have it, you can't teach it to others. I disagree, although I share her observation that it's not a trivial task to teach, and I'll add that for some people, it's more effort than they want to invest in their dancing.

Assuming you want to be musical in your salsa dancing, what does it take? Awareness is the first step, and that includes learning some core concepts about the music.

Anybody can learn the core concepts, even if they don't fully master all of the details. You need to know the music, have reasonable control/dance experience, and be able to reflect the music in real time, including your partner in the process. Most people will take a while to mature into it because it requires a set of skills to come together.

Most people will NOT become world class just because they learn a few musical concepts. However, those that decide they want it can become dramatically better at it, especially as they become more and more aware of the different elements. Beginners rarely have all the skills, but that doesn't mean they can't be building awareness and putting a set of foundational pieces into play. Intermediate/advanced dancers will have a much shorter path since they have many of the body control pieces already in place.

Teaching dance musicality is similar to teaching someone to play jazz music, where improvisation is the cornerstone of the art. On one hand jazz appears to be somewhat random, but there are significant structures and foundations behind the scenes. You learn the overall structures, work through a set of exercises and concepts, learn from the masters before you, and with some effort and practice, you can dramatically improve. Over time you develop your own "voice", even though the foundation is similar for most people.

Many people won't put in the effort to learn all the components, and that's fine. Salsa dancing works for a wide set of people at many different levels and that's part of the beauty of the dance. Nobody has to do any of this for social dancing because it's not required to have a good time with your circle of friends/partners. A few people will pick up the musicality with little formal training, just like a few learn all social dancing without ever taking a class.

Most people grow faster with some assistance from those already down the road. The few people that decide they want to get to a different level will take the musicality seriously and will learn as much as possible from those who are already strong in that area. None of that negates your personality or the interplay, you simply have more tools to use as you grow your dancing.

Musicality awareness is a logical extension from the current state of the scene. Ignore it, embrace it--your choice. I suspect you'll see more people embracing it as it gains additional visibility over time. Salsa continues to grow, mature and morph. Musicality is one more branch for people to explore.

I have plenty more to say on this subject; behind the scenes I continue to work on my outline for music fundamentals for dancers. The first of that series will go live over the next week or so.

Subscribe to this bog if you want to get an update e-mailed to you as I post articles. (Free - On the left toward the bottom.) And be sure to leave your comments and feedback. I always enjoy hearing from you.

I wanted to make it really special on Valentine's Day, so I tied my boyfriend up. And for three solid hours I watched whatever I wanted to on TV.
-Tracy Smith

Do I Know You? Have We Met?

It's funny when they turn the tables on me. I have fun saying hi to people who don't know me well, knowing they have to wonder if they should remember me from a prior meeting. Most are polite and pretend we are friends, and they do remember me in the future. When people remember you from prior events, you get more dances and everybody wins.

Last April I wrote about The Power of Greetings, stating you should hi to almost everyone, even if you barely know them. Even if you simply think you know them, say hello to as many people as possible. Salsa is an intensely social dance, and the more people you know, the more fun you'll have. It was very interesting to be on the other side of the technique. Here's how it all went down:

I walk into a crowded jazz class last night at Millennium Dance. Class already started and the warm-up is in progress. I'm weaving through twenty women doing stretches to put my gym bag in my usual spot on the far side of the room.

One attractive twenty-something looks at me and says "Hi!" as I glide past. I just want to get my shoes off and join the warm-up so I quickly grin and say "Hi" like we're old friends. But now I'm thinking, "Do I know you?" She looks like someone I know from the salsa scene, but I can't be sure.

It kind of bugs me, because I can't figure out if I've just seen her in other classes, maybe she's been in one of the classes I teach, or worse, I've danced with her at some salsa club and I'm having a senior moment, but I'm way too young for that excuse. It's embarrassing to forget someone I danced with, but it can happen if we only dance once and don't see each other for months. Maybe we're MySpace "friends" because we have mutual connections or maybe I'm losing my mind.

I'm warming up with the class and running my mental Rolodex thinking "where do I know her from?" just in case we end up talking later. As the class moves around, our paths cross many times and I'm still drawing a blank. I keep trying to put the pieces together, but I can't be sure. Thoughout the class I'm still wondering, "Who is this person?"

Toward the middle of the class, there is a quick water break and I'm still baffled, but now I'm determined to solve this puzzle, because it's been bugging me the whole class. I walk up to her and admit, "I know you from somewhere, but I can't recall where we met last..." I ask if she dances salsa and she says "yes". We talk a bit and figure out we have mutual friends, and she also takes other classes at Millennium, so that is probably our actual connection point. I'm relieved we haven't danced, as I tend to remember those people and I don't need another reminder I'm the grayest person in the room.

So now we have a real connection and when I see her in a club sometime, I'm sure we'll dance. Her simple "Hi" set up a situation where I won't forget her in the future.

Later the irony of the situation hit me: I do that to people all the time. I say "Hi", "Hello", "Good to see you" to everybody possible (click here for my April article). She turned the tables on me and it worked great for both of us. I doubt I would have said anything to her in the class, because I wasn't clear on the connection.

You should do the same thing, because even if she was wrong and we'd never met, since she thought she recognized me, now we have a connection and a quick conversation. Because people prefer dancing with someone they know, you should do it as often as possible. That simple two letter word - "Hi" - will provide you with a wealth of future dance partners, as long as you use it every chance you get.

My grandmother was a very tough woman. She buried three husbands. Two of them were just napping.
-Rita Rudner

One Night Stands: Not My Idea of Success!

Ever had a one-night stand on the dance floor?

A gal finally gets asked by that hulking lead she’s been trying to attract, or a guy finally asks the sexy salsera that makes all the guys look great. They gaze into each other’s eyes for a complete song, feeling like maybe they're the chosen one.

Then…nothing. Complete radio silence. No flowers, no "Wow, that was amazing," no "I'll always love dancing with you..." He rarely asks again, or she almost ignores him the next time he's around, or worse, she avoids him and says "Oh... I'm too tired," or "I need a break," or “Sorry, I have a headache,” the next time he asks.

I'm stuck on the idea of doing it again and again, and my partner still wanting more.

If a guy seeks you out two weeks from now, or the lady puts herself in a position where you have to ask her again, that creates an amazing energy. Little compares to the energy of two partners who both want to dance together. (OK, maybe I can think of other things, but we're talking dancing here.)

Your goal is to tease your partner so they want to dance with you more in the future than they do today. Dancing because you ask is fine, but I don’t consider that success. Sure, it beats getting turned down, but the first “yes” is just the start in my book.

Progressive Success Signs

Watch for these signs as you progress with your favorite partners:

• A partner says yes without hesitation when you ask
• They have real fun when dancing with you (no faking it)
• They make an effort to get your attention in the club
• They ask you to dance even if you don't ask them
• They follow you home (ok, that's is a bit much, and way beyond my pay grade).

My male private students know their job is to become the lead women want to dance with, rather than someone who gets a “yes” out of obligation or habit. Sometimes a lady will even provide a couple "pity dances," dancing with you because you don't look like a stalker, and her policy is to assist less advanced leads moving up in the scene. You want to get out of this phase as quickly as possible, by taking classes or lessons and practicing regularly.

For the ladies, real success is being asked multiple times, and especially when the guy has multiple choices. Because guys ask most of the time, they primarily ask those they like. If they don’t ask you without prompting, you have an idea you didn’t leave the type of impression you wanted that last dance (assuming you want to dance with them again).

If you aren’t getting the repeat dances you want, you may need to upgrade your dancing a little, fine-tuning your attitude and/or your moves. Everybody can be better and if you are progressing, you should see more and more repeat dances over time.

Here’s another hint for improvers: Don’t ask the same partner more than, say, twice in one evening, even if they are kind and even encouraging. They don’t want to be mean, but most don’t want to do simplistic moves ad nauseum for more than a couple songs in one evening. I’ve even known some gals who were careful not to be too encouraging to a beginner because they didn’t want to dance with him multiple songs in one evening. They wanted him to stay in the game, but not become his unpaid instructor or guinea pig.

Do your homework; take your classes and private lessons and practice what you’ve learned on your own as much as possible so that your partners can see you’ve made progress when you dance together the next time. Then they will look forward to dancing with you because you’re making noticeable progress even when you aren’t yet up to their level.

Getting Down to the Details
If they say yes, without feeling as if they are doing you a favor, that’s a first level of success. If you are just starting, this is a great first sign. At least you have a chance to show you are respectful and fun. Note that fun will trump weaknesses in your dancing in the beginning, so keep it light, and have as much fun as possible. (Of course, there’s a balance here; the point is not to take yourself too seriously.)

Remember that making her feel good is your number one task, and everything follows that idea. Fun includes your pre and post dance socializing, so don’t think you have to be the best lead in the room for her to enjoy herself. A beginning lead doesn’t need to know a hundred turn patterns; the lady will sense you are beginning and your attitude and care are more important at the start.

Ideally she will notice you improving over time, as women are attracted to guys who make them feel better each dance. You’ll notice some partners complimenting you if they want you asking again.The next step is getting some fun happening and making that obvious on the outside.

Maybe you’ve heard the rumors that some women know how to fake it. They can pretend they love you, even when some of it is an act. When your partner smiles or giggles with you while dancing, and it's not an act, that is a step up the success ladder.

Guys want their partner to be having fun, enjoying herself and feeling safe enough to laugh during the dance. If you pay attention, you'll see it in her face and when it happens, that is positive progress. This generally happens when your lead gets strong enough that you focus on her rather than staying inside your head worrying about the next move or combination. As you progress and relax about your dancing, your partners feel your confidence and they feel safer. Ultimately, you want her feeling as though she can trust you to take care of her, and make it interesting and fun, all at the same time. Don’t worry if this doesn’t happen the first few months you dance, it’s something most guys have to earn over time.

Again, you are closing in on ultimate dance success when previous partners either ask you to dance directly or put themselves in a position where you’ll feel rude if you go ask someone else. Then during the dance, it’s obvious your partner is feeling great about being with you.

It doesn’t count until it happens a few times, and your partner has other reasonable options. As you advance, this should happen more and more and it’s a major positive if your partners are at your level or above. After you’ve danced a few years, the beginning partners will probably enjoy dancing with you, but it may or may not mean you’re a great dancer.

Consider it a success when the stronger partners see you on the way into the club and just say “hi” or stop to give you a little hug as they walk by. More advanced dancers learn not to stop and chitchat with someone when they don’t want to dance later. It becomes rude to ignore that person later during dance time, so few do it. As a guy, having ladies dance with you because you ask is good, but having them want you to ask, and looking forward to your next dance is much better. You want both partners trying to make the dance great for the other, not just dancing because their policy is to never say no.

Most of this article is directed at the guys’ point of view, but women will find it interesting to see what we guys are thinking. Just because you know we want you to feel great, faking it beyond a reasonable smile is not great form. We may be slow, but we’ll figure it out over time.

When two partners are excited to dance with each other, the positive energy is far greater than any one-night stand or the pity dances from the more advanced partner. In addition, this is one game where monogamy is not expected. Watch for the signs and you’ll notice more and more waiting for you when you arrive at the club.

We don't know half of one millionth of 1 percent about anything.
-Thomas Alva Edison