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This is a useful, long, two handed figure, quite common with many videos found. Kentucky Complicado consists of three sections: 1) Kentucky, 2) Lazo Complicado, 3) Kentucky. This setup makes the move very versatile. One can just do the Kentucky, or one can prolong it and prolong it even more, or one can start with Lazo Complicado and end with Kentucky, or one can use Lazo Complicado and combine it with other moves.

Video 1 is from “BailarCasino.pl – Poznańska Szkoła Salsy Kubańskiej”, Poland, 2013. Note how long the figure is, two handed all the way, and how easy it would be to break out of it very many places and to continue with something else.

Video 2 is from “Son de Habana”, Bogotá, Colombia, 2015. It is easy to follow the count in this video.

Video 3 is from “LatinaDance Corp”, Russia, 2015. They have decided to shorten the move by dropping the last Kentucky. It makes a lot of sense. The last Kentucky is of cause optional. If we do it twice, we can just as well start all over again and do it three times!

Long two handed moves

Two handed, and especially long two handed moves, is one of the defining features of Cuban Salsa. I strive at having at least one, very long, two handed section in each social dance.

The challenge is not to be too mechanical, and just continue a long move no matter what, despite the music. A dance should not be driven by moves but by the music. Long choreographed moves works best with one piece of music. In social dancing, not knowing the music in advance, long combinations must always be modified on the fly when necessary.