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In the second part of this series we will learn how to properly place our feet as well as exercises to improve our balance and strengthen our feet, ankles, and legs. Let’s start with the feet.

FEET PLACEMENT

In most partner dances including salsa, Latin ballroom, swing, and even tango, the ideal position of the feet is an adaptation of ballet’s first position whereby the heels are touching and the toes are turned out almost 180 degrees. For salsa however, the turnout of the feet is slight where the heels are closer together than the front of the feet. To achieve this position, stand up with your feet together so that the outer edges of your feet are parallel to each other. In other words, heels are touching and the big toes are also touching. From there, open the balls of the feet away from the midline anywhere from 25 to 45 degrees, or about one to two inches. How much you turnout your feet will depend on the flexibility of your hips and hip flexors. So go only as far as it’s comfortable and stable for you. Do this while keeping your heels together.

You may ask, why on earth do I want to keep my feet in this position while I’m dancing?

Good question. I wondered the same for a long time. One of my ballet teachers in New York who was a principal dancer for many years in Russia, put it like this: at the end of a turn, your turnout will assist you with balance and will help you stop and take off for a turn more efficiently. Another teacher of Modern Jazz told me, in more technical terms, that the bigger the area of the square your feet create, the more balance and hold you will have on the floor. So there, be it for balance or aesthetics, if you keep a slight turnout on your feet, you will have more control of the beginning and end of your turns. Voilà!

DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT

During a turn, you want to keep your weight on the ball of the supporting foot. Avoid at all costs to turn on your heels. Imagine that you want to reduce the size of the surface on which you are turning. Ballerinas do it on the round of a quarter. For the rest of us earthlings, that may be the round of the ball of our foot. Why? Because the less surface area of your foot making contact with the floor, the less friction created, and thus, the less work you have to exert to turn. Makes sense, doesn’t it? But to accomplish this forward-weighted stance, some of us may need to strengthen our ankles, legs, and hips. Here are some exercises that will do just that.

DRILLS TO IMPROVE BALANCE & STRENGTH

TRIANGLE POSE
There are two main exercises I have used with great success not only on myself but also on the dancers in my dance company. The first one is called Triangle pose and it comes from yoga. It is a seemingly simple balancing pose and yet it can challenge the best of us. So be patient with yourself if it’s challenging at first. Here is what you have to do. Stand with your feet in dancing position, remembering to keep the balls of your feet slightly turned out. Now switch all your weight to the right leg. Lift your left foot off the floor and bring it to the inside of your right knee. Your can keep your left knee pointing forward or you can open it 90 degrees to the left as in ballet’s Passé position. Make sure both hip bones are aligned and parallel to the floor. Bring your arms in dancer’s position in front of your body, or for an extra challenge, extend them over your head while keeping your upper arms close to your ears. Hold this pose for up to a minute while gazing forward. Then switch legs.

CALF-RAISES or RELEVÉ
The second exercise is the popular calf-raise. In ballet this is called relevé but most of us just know it as calf-raises: raising the heels off the floor as high as possible then returning to neutral position. This exercise will improve your ankle strength as well as your ability to engage every muscle in your supporting leg while turning. But here is the deal, try doing calf-raises with your dancing shoes on and with both feet raising up and down at the same time. Make sure you are close to a wall or a stationary object such as a chair to support yourself while doing this exercise. Eventually your balance will improve so that you can do this exercise without the need of a wall.

Okay, now that you have your feet properly placed and your posture straight, we are ready for take off. In the next part of this series we will go over the preparation and execution of that perfect turn!

Read: Improving Your Spins in Salsa – Part 1...

Read: Improving Your Spins in Salsa – Part 3...

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