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Speaker 1: Leader’s turn. This is all about me. I have my timing. I do the timing. I take a song, I say one, two.
Now, this is really important. Now remember, if you raise the hand, she might thing she wants to go. Make sure your hand’s a little towards you. Don’t let her know that you want her to turn by raising the hand and giving a little more arm towards her direction, otherwise she’s going to think “I’m going to turn.” For a leader, make sure it goes up and in your area. I mean, up, this is my area. I turn. This is my left turn. I also can place it on my shoulder. Remember, timing is in your hands. You can do everything you want. Right now you have all eight beats. If I want to turn to my right, I turn to my right. Again, I raise. Now, I might change my hand position in order to make it easier for me and for her to know that I want to turn. Flat, like a pizza. It’s the easiest way to learn it.

Speaker 2: And followers, just keep your basic step. Just keep that motor running just like he said before, he’s going to keep doing his turning, you just keep following with your basic step. So as his hand goes towards him, he does his turn. I stay in my basic.

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Ernesto: Your right turn, left turn with a reverse style. After you’re more comfortable with your hot, sort of style, turning. This is the only way you can add something like a little bit more flavor to your turns. Depends on the music , and remember you always have to dance to the music while your felling, while you getting at a means of some songs that are really fast. So the style would be minimal, they would be more about speed. Also, if the song is slow, then you have something to work with. Then you can add the hips, and the body, and you can make it as sensual as you want. Remember need to use a counter turnaround, we can cut it down to four, we can cut it down to six beats to get around. Just feel free and relax your body. So this style of Merengue is a lot to be used with your body, the expression that your giving, the communication, having fun, add feeling to this. It’s kind of like a way you want to look on the dance floor, most of the times.

Crystal: Yeah, so you can move your head a certain way of the style. His hips he can move this way, forward, back, we can use our head, we can do our hair, we can do a lot of things.

Ernesto: For girls, the hair always get the guys. So, I would say one of the way we can show it to you is… Crystal will actually show us how to do a little more sort of sexy, more relaxed turn instead of being so square from the clock. So just give us a right turn that you like.

Crystal: And we can take our time, make it a little softer a little bit, take our time, take more than 8 beats, and then get back to him.

Ernesto: Make sure the leader or your motor is still running. So, you could in any time, step and let her, you just move your hips, you don’t need to do anything else. Keep moving. So, one of the important things about that is we need to stay always on the same foot. Meaning that I’m going from my left, she has to be on her right to make a perfect [swing] to where we come back together. So, this is the key of following and leading, making again the right turn. As a leader you can do it the same thing, you can take to the right, stall you can put it on your shoulder, give her a little more flirt. The style is all about what you can add to the right turn. I can give her the right turn with my right hand, which actually makes it look totally different than if I’m doing it with my left. Add a little more of the hips, or go down as it will give a little twirly levels in your dancing. Don’t always dance up here, you’re gonna be able to drop whenever you want. So the dropping is a little more sexy, more communication, we’re having fun.

Crystal: And followers, you can, you know, play a little bit, you can stay looking at him, you can get down, you can look away, and not pay attention, you can do a lot of things.

Ernesto: So Mary, let’s with the music and you’ll see a difference… So, now the music is fast so we’re gonna stay on the beat though but we can still do all our stops… with my left hand… That could be couple ideas or tips for your right turns and left.

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Hi, my name is Crystal Rodriguez and I’m a manager/teacher at Stepping Out Studios in New York City. I’ve been dancing salsa professionally for four years with the company Descarga Latina. My name is Ernesto Palma. I come from Costa Rica. I’ve been dancing since I was 13 years old. In 2002, I started my career in ballroom dancing. I’m actually the 2010 Same Sex Latin Dance champion. I teach at Stepping Out Studios in New York City. I’ve been here for six years. Dancing has always been a part of my life, my family, and culture. I love dancing and I hope you get to love it as much as I do. Let’s get started.

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Another turn pattern you can use in merengue is the Texas Tommy. Basically, get pulled in close. Ernesto will bring my right hand behind me and he’ll turn me out. The other way you can do it is by opening. Use a separation step to create momentum as she goes, turn on the back. I have to send my hand, send her hand behind, catch. That’s why we’ll create the momentum as she’s coming forward, back to you. I’ll show you. First, for the close position it can be at any speed depending of the song. This is just a change a natural, slightly soft turn. It doesn’t have to be that fast. Also, if you want to again, create a momentum, this will do it. Open it, send it and it will make her turn. Let’s try to do it now with the music. That is the Texas Tommy.

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Your right or left turn, simple patterns. You’re going to use the eight beats. These turns are done by the follow or by the lead. You’re going to try to use the clock in order to give you some idea how to do it.

On the count number one, you would turn your beat and your body to 3 o’clock. You will close your feet, then 6 o’clock. Then 9 o’clock, then back to 12, and that’s your partner.

If we’re doing a left turn, we have to go backwards. So I’m doing 9 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 12. Back to your partner.
That isn’t a slow actions. Turns to meringue doesn’t have to be in a specific timing or a specific tempo. She can take as long as she wants as I raise the hand, as long as I’m not leading a fast turn. If I just raise my hand then she wants to do, take an entire eight beats to turn around if I leave that, if I lead that.

So if I have my eight count beats in a dance, I’m going one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, I will raise my hand on the one. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. If I want to go under my arm, that would be my left turn as a leader. So I’m going one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. I would raise, 9 o’clock, 6, 3, 12, back to my partner.
Six, seven, the basic, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, go. There’s my turn. And that’s your step.

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Speaker 1: You’re trying to get a style. There is a step that you do while you’re dancing, your basic step. When you get more comfortable with your partner this is a step you can throw instead of having to do a full turn and trying to figure it out. This could be a time for the leader to try and figure it out and think about what can I do. It’s not that complicated but still a little stylish.

Again, it has to be with a person sometimes that you feel more comfortable with so it doesn’t come across as a little, what would you say, a little.

Speaker 2: Improper.

Speaker 1: Improper.

Speaker 2: Sometimes the music calls for it so it’s a drop almost in the music.

Speaker 1: It’s a drop and it totally has to be communication from your body to the follower. So, I’ll show it to you first. If I had my dance position, close dance position so we’re doing one, two, three, anytime I want I can go one and come back to my follower.

Again, just for the leaders just to remind you about this, don’t go for the pelvis. Still, just go down when you want, make sure as you do I still keep myself in my position and I come back to her.

Let me show you with the music. Five, six, seven, that’s your side step, step.

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Speaker1: Your pivot turn in Merengue is kind of like the basic step that we just did. It is really simple, though it is fast, you do not have time to use your hips because it would take you off balance. Also it will slow you down. Anything you want to add to that?

Speaker2: Through the pivot turns because it is so fast we are locked in together.

Speaker1: I am in my closest dance position that I have been. Now when I want to start turning I have to make sure my follow goes with me. Use a hand on the back to keep her close to you, though do not squeeze her. Keep her close to you as you turn, you go faster and faster. As you see there is no hip motion, otherwise you will lose balance.

Speaker2: If you can see, my legs are directly between his. So as we are stepping, we are locked together. I am stepping out in, out in, together. The faster he goes the faster you go.

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So your basic turning, is really simple. It’s just a rotation with your partner going around, left or right. [Footwear] wise, it would be really simple if you use the clock.

You can go to the right or to the left. It will be real simple, I’ll show you. I half-start my basic, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, one, two. That will be your basic rotating. Simple, but this is the most-used step in meringue.

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Man: This is a single turn both turning. We could do same time turning but the most important part is that we lead the follow into the turn. As the leader I will do my left as a follow would do the right.

What I want to do is raise the hand, flip the hand, let her know that I want her to turn and that will follow right after and come back together.

That’s your simple turn and again, I will flip the hand, I will raise, flip, make sure it’s softly. As she goes I’ll take in and finish the turn.

Woman: The leader can, he’s doing both and we come back together. Let’s try all turns with some music. Followers turn.

Man: Leaders turn. Follows, changes the hand, leader. You can do a single, double turn. That will hand hold, this here is all you have. Add a. It all requires you knowing want to do and just a little imagination. They’re all right and left turns.

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The tunnel is an easy, simple step. You’re going to use part of the basket step, which requires to lift the left hand. Turn to follow. Place her on your right side, leaders. Just lift the hand high enough that she can go under. As you see, her hands are twisted. To untwist, just give her another turn to open.

This step can also be done by the leader. Really simple. Roll yourself in and go under. Either way, you can turn yourself or turn her. That’s a tunnel step. Now if you want, let’s try it with the music. Now the leaders. I could turn. Back together. That’s your tunnel step.

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Alternating turns.

This pattern requires you to have right to right, left to left. Bring both up. Turn on. Finish entire turn as you finish you go under. Do it yourself, her, me. You can start getting fancier and start using different actions to it. I can do first one side, or use both at the same time.

You can create different movements with it. Now let’s try it with the music. Difference. Regular. Take it back. That’s alternating turns.

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And this is the basket step or cradle step with a rotation. Let’s see Ernesto do this.

Ernesto: Lift the left hip, turn her, place her on your right side. Now this is really important, the rotation. I have to go forwards as she goes back. So it creates a perfect turn in circular rotation. If I go back as she goes back, there is no rotation. If I go forward, she goes forward, there’s no rotation. I have to bring her around using my frame, my body at the same time, to give her the information. Then just lift the hand and bring her out.

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The cuddle step. It could be led in a total different ways. You can add your separation step, or take it just from the basic, but you need double hand hold. First thing to do is to raise your left hand leader, and turn her to the left, and get into your cuddle position. To get her out of it, just raise the left hand again and get out. That was from regular basic; from separation, it will be the same. Remember, slide the hand, grab the other hand, bring one hand up, bring it down, keep dancing, raise the hand, come back out. As a follower, you want to keep the connection the entire time. So, we’re in close position, and we get into our separation step, we trail his arm. As he lifts his arm, I’m walking into him, and keeping a nice tight hold, he goes and lets me out, and we go into our basic step. Now for a regular dance position. Cuddle step is amazing.

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Ernesto Palma: This step’s a little more complex. It requires the hammer lock, and to be able to change places when we’re not facing each other.

Give her the hammer lock step. This is where it gets complicated. First of all, I need to go under her right hand. I step forward. Now, from here we need to rearrange. I need to change places with her. In order to do that, I need to bring this hand down, and this one up. I have to do it at the same time, and slowly, so that I won’t hurt my partner. Then, I can get myself out. Again, we find each other in a hammer lock position, and turn her out. Raise my hand, turn her around to hammer lock, walking under her arm, change hands from up to down, get myself out, and turn her.

A little faster. You have walk, under, out. Let’s try it with some music. Take all the time you need to do this step.

And that’s our Colocho step.

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A side cross step. I’ll start with the left. Take a small side step. Take a back step with the right. Cross with the left. Take the right to the side. Back left. Cross right. So it goes, a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Let’s do it together, so I’ll show you how it’s done. Double hand hold. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Also, as you can see, it’s a little, we get close to each other and we get away from each other. It’s close, away, back to close. Close, away, back to close. Close, away, back to close. Close, away, back to close. Let’s do it with me a sec. Side Cross Step.

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Our next step is swivels. Easiest step to do combining the Cuban Motion and the basic step. A little more rotation on your hips so that it will require to do when you bend your left foot, bring your left knee across front to the right side and switch it. Your waste should be on the ball of the foot. You’re gonna be switching and switching and switching.

Your step is following what you’re doing with a partner. You have to do it with a double hand hold. It is a fast step. So, you’re close. Make sure your partner’s in with you. Switch and switch. So, it’s one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Make sure there’s some connection here. It’s hard to do it if you don’t have the connection with your partner. It needs to be a little bit firm.

So, we’re gonna go again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Let’s try it with the music. Let’s start from the basic step. Go for a double hand held and rotate it. Those are your steps.

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At some point in Merengue sometimes your partner lets you go. It’s not a bad thing. It’s normal. If we’re together and we’re doing our basic step and my partner lets me go, I can do my own solo freestyle. I can turn on my own without him. He can go down. I can do a side step. We can do anything on our own. We can go forward, back. And then as long as we are keeping the same time and the same foot, we can get back together to a partner dance. In case you do not came back together with the same foot, make sure as the leader you click on it and them come back to it. Cause you have to hold probably for one count and then you will be able to catch on. Okay so let’s try some freestyle solo with the music. And then you solo freestyle.

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Ernesto: Our sweetheart step. It requires the woman changing her hands from right to right. Bring it around, make a curve with your arm, place it on her shoulder behind her neck. Make sure don’t push too much forward. Grab the other hand, turn her to the other side. Again. Around her arms. It’s kind of like when you’re walking with your body, you’re walking on the street. Same sort of thing.

Crystal: Here, sweetheart.

Ernesto: You’re a sweetheart. You going to bring her across from you, place it on the other side. Let’s try it with music. That’s just the first step.

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Ernesto: As the word said, it’s combinations. We’re going to use all the steps that we have learned so far and try to combine it into one. Go from one to another one to another without having to go to the basic.

How do we do that? This is the easiest way to start. Basket, walk it around, into a hammerlock, colocho, tunnel, back to front. We never had to do the basic. Again, I give it to you again. Basket, walk it out, hammerlock, colocho, tunnel, back out.

Crystal: Combinations are a great way to make it your own. Let’s try some with music.

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Speaker 1: It requires to do a double hand hold. Raise the hand, the left hand leaders, turn the fellows to the right and then bring your right hand down. Make sure don’t raise it up and finish your turn. Don’t let this hand stay here. Finish all the way across. That can come from a separation step of a regular basic step. So either way, if I’m doing a basic, I would raise her hand as I’m turning her to the right to get into hammerlock. If I wanted from a separation, we’ll do the separation step, wrap her hand, and lead her into the same way.

Speaker 2: Followers, it is very important for you to stay connected to your partner the whole time. I’m still connected with my left and my right hand.

Speaker 1: If we want to be out of this, we just have to bring same hand over in any way. Front separation from no separation.

Speaker 2: Now let’s try the hammerlock set with some music.

Speaker 1: Front separation. Leave the separation and the hammerlock. That’s your hammerlock.

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This is the follower’s turn. For the leader, make sure if you want the follower to turn or do anything, you have to raise the hand and give direction. It comes from your hand. So if I want the right turn, I would raise it and go around her head. Now, remember, I have the speed in my hands of how fast she’s going to turn. So if I raise my hand and give her around the head, depends how fast I go with the hand, depends how fast she goes. See if I just raise my hand in Merengue, she can take as long as she wants. That’s for my right turn. What would you like to add. As a follower, you always want to pay attention to where his hands are and why is he going up. He’s going up to give me a signal to turn. So as he raises his arm, I go under his arm. If he wants me to turn left, I’m paying attention and he’s pulling up, and I turn left because his hand is facing this way. So if I want to know, if I’m turning to your left or right. Left is the easiest way to learn it, is to turn your hand and look at your watch. So that’ll be the easiest way to show the follower this is going to be your left turn. If he switches the hand, just make sure you’re paying attention to what he’s doing. I know I’m going to go this way because his hand is tilted that way.

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So this is a variation of a turn pattern, it’s call the basket step, and Ernesto’s going to lead me into it. Lift the left hand, here for a left turn, and place her on your right side. This will be the picture. Also, it’s called cradle. To get out of it, just, again, lift the left hand, and turn her out of it. You’re basically unraveling. So let’s try it one more time. Let’s try the basket step with some music.

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With Merengue, you can always find a really slow song, or a really, really fast. If you’re a beginner, try to stay away from the fast songs, because it will complicate your life to stay in beat.

Try from the slowest to the middle ones. You’ll hear it with the music. The fastest they go, the more instruments sometimes they have, and as fast as it sounds, stay away from it.

Take the ones that are really slow and the beat’s clear for you to dance. More important is that you have fun, and every single time that you go on to the dance floor, that you’re having fun, that you’re actually doing what you have to learn and showing it off.

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Speaker 1: One of the most important things to lead is your frame. You gotta use your body in order to tell her or to tell her to follow where you want to go.

Also any sort of way of leading with my body it has to be implied that means showing her so if I turn my body I need to take her with me. My frame, we need a little firmness from the arms, firmness from the body, from the hand on their back which is actually one of the most important hands.

Now there’s a lot about being on the shoulder blade, on the waist. In Latin America we use always the way wrapped around. Sometimes if you’re comfortable with the person you’re with you can really hold her all the way.

Make sure you’re nice to the people you’re holding and you don’t go ahead and use your pelvis. It’s always about your body, your stomach is in contact with the person. It’s not your pelvis. For men make sure you do not use your pelvis forward. It’s a little uncomfortable for the ladies and it could be a little bolder as well.

Speaker 2: Yeah, don’t do that.

Speaker 1: It is important to make sure you use your body and basically you’re dancing with is all about your stomach. Your upper body, your hands so I can tell her where to go.

It’s sort of like driving guys. If I want to drive, if I want to turn to the left I’ll turn to my left. If I want to turn to my right I’ll turn to my right. If I want her to turn I just raise my hand and turn her. If I want her to turn to the left I have to change directions and change the hand position which will make it much easier for the follower to know what direction she wants to go.

Speaker 2: Raising his hand is giving me an automatic signal just like a left turn signal. He’s gonna give a left he’ll turn his hand position and I automatically know as a follower I have to turn left.

Same thing for if he’s turning right. He’s going to raise his hand and I automatically know I have to turn right. If he want’s me to get close he’ll pull me in. By keeping my frame and him keeping his frame I know that he want’s to pull me closer or pull me away.

Speaker 1: The frame is really close and in Latin America we all dance close. This is the way we dance. Also there’s times that you dance this way. There are times that you can dance this way. You still lead as a man or as a leader. You don’t need to be a man to be a leader.

She could lead me, I could lead her, it could be anybody. If you’re the leader you just need to know what you want to do.