Cuban Salsa: Overview of traveling turn techniques in Casino
- Three Step Pivot-Compass
- Three Step Pivot-Spiral
- Cuban Lazy Turn
- Three Step Half Pirouette
- Three Step Châiné
- The Janus Turn
- Walk Around Turn
- ExhÃbela used for turns
- Two Step Pivot-Compass
- Two Step Pivot-Spiral
- Two Step 3/4 Pirouette
- Pirueta al Medio
- Back-Rocking Three Step
- Salsa Right Vuelta
- Salsa Left Vuelta
- Coca-Cola Three Step
1. Three Step Pivot-Compass
The Three Step Pivot-Compass is the natural way to do traveling turns as two half turns of 180 degrees. It is the standard turn technique for traveling right turns and left turns (Vacilala, Coca-Cola). The Follow pivots around on the first step and lands on the second with her back to the front. The third step swings the leg around and completes the circle like pivoting the leg of a a pair of Compasses.
2. Three Step Pivot-Spiral
Pivot-Spiral is the only serious all-round alternative to Pivot-Compass but far less common. The Follow pivots around on the first step and lands on the second with her back to the front. The third step is brought around by using spiral turn technique. When the technique is learned, Spiral turns are easy, sturdy and more reliable than Pivot-Compass.
3. Cuban Lazy Turn
This turn technique is by far the most common turn technique in Casino. It can best be described as a badly executed Three Step Pivot turn. The Follow is not able to turn 360 degrees with three steps. Often as much as 90 degrees of the full turn is missing. It works in many situations like for the Setenta Hammerlock. Lazy turns make double turns unlikely and undermines the circular motion.
4. Three Step Half Pirouette
This is a Three Step Pivot Turn starting with a half pirouette, collecting the feet. A very common technique in many social dance styles. It works for Setenta Hammerlock but takes a step out of the forward walking motion. Double turns are not likely and it doesn’t work well in many situations.
5. Three Step Châiné
Three Step Châiné turns, collecting the feet on “2-3” looks great in some situations when done by good dancers but in general it integrates poorly into walks because it takes a forward step out to the forward motion. The collecting of the feet makes it hard to do double turns.
6. The Janus Turn
The Janus Turn is a quite common stationary Four Step Turn. It start like a Three Step Pivot turn but instead of bringing the third step around like the Leg of a pair of Compasses or using Spiral technique, the Follow steps forward in the direction she was coming from. This gives of the two faces of the Janus God. Next the Follow half pivots around the third step adding a forth step to complete a 360.
7. Walk Around Turn
The Walk Around Turn is similar to a Salsa Vualta except that the Follow walks forward on all steps. It only works in a small sub-set of situations like for the Setenta Hammerlock. Since it is not really a turn it makes multiple turns impossible and doesn’t work in most turn situations. It can be done stationary or semi traveling.
8. ExhÃbela used for turns
ExhÃbela is an oval walk three step forward and three steps back again using the pauses to change direction. We can add traveling turns to the Exhibela walk, like doing a Vacilala inside ExhÃbela! But we can also use the Exhibela patten to walk the Follow into simple turns like the Setenta Hammarlock, Half-Sombrero and Sombrero.
9. Two Step Pivot-Compass
I regard Two Step Pivot Turns as the last half of a Three Step Turn where all the turning has been transferred from the first half of the Three Step Turn to the last half of the turn. It works very well in many situations for better dancers and can be used as an advanced option. I don’t recommend using them because they are more demanding to lead and follow, they give a faster turn, and the technique is more difficult for multiple turns.
10. Two Step Pivot-Spiral
I regard Two Step Spiral turns as an option for the last half of a Three Step Pivot Turn where all the turning has been transferred from the first half of the the Three Step Turn to the last half of the turn. That is, the first step is for prepping. It works very well in many situations and can be used as an advanced option if a fast turn is wanted or needed.
11. Two Step 3/4 Pirouette Turn
The “3/4 Pirouette Turn” is a two step turn completing a full 360 with two steps. It is common at beginner-intermediate level but it almost never happens on purpose and nobody regards it as a proper turn techniques. It is more like a “too long” Three Step Half Pirouette turn or a “too short” full Pirouette turn.
12. Pirueta al Medio
This is a difficult turn and mostly happens when the Lead fails to lead the Follow into a proper Three Step Pivot turn on “3-5-6”. If the Lead leads with too much force, the Follow is likely to overturn the pivot into a full circle like a pirouette. Some Follow’s do it on purpose. But it is not a universal or versatile turn. It makes multiple turns unlikely and works. best between “3-5”: Al Medio.
13. Back-Rocking Three Step
Back-Rocking turns doesn’t exit in my “Casino based on natural walking” but it is possible to do a perfect Vacilala on “1-2-3” starting with a back-step! It is extremely rare because it is not a universal or versatile turn technique. In the video I show it with Spiral technique but Compass technique can also be used.
14. Salsa Right Vuelta
In American Salsa on One “LA Style” and Salsa on Two “New York Style”, the right Vuelta is the standard way to turn. The Follow starts with a back step and is prepped on “1-2-3” and turns on “5-6-7”. The Salsa Vuelta doesn’t exist is my Casino based on natural walking. Not only does it start with a back-step for no good reason, it is also not a traveling turn but stationary.
LEFT TURNS
Almost all the turn techniques for right turns can also be used for left turns. But we see much fewer. For two reasons. Left turns are less common in general and the most common Coca-Cola turn is done as an “inside turn” around the Lead on “5-6-7” as last part of DQN.
15. Salsa Left Vuelta
The Salsa Left Vuelta has no place in “Casino based on Natural Walking”. It is interesting that even at Cuban Salsa Events, the back-rocking right and left Vuelta is often used when warming up. A little silly since many Cuban dancers like me never use these turns in social dancing. Even dancers that do use them once in a while, would be much better off using traveling Three Step Turns for warming up because they are harder to master.
16. Coca-Cola Three Step
Traveling left turns, so-called Coca-Cola turns, are almost always done with Three Step Pivot Technique using “Compass” pivot at the end to bring the leg around. Spiral techniques could also be used. Most of the turn techniques mentioned above could be used but we rarely see them. Cuban Lazy turns, that is Failed Three Step Turns”, are the most common. Even the good techniques often exit with a trailing first step after the turn making multiple turns impossible or unlikely as quality turns.
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