SALSA SUELTA CANDELA
(Hot Loose Salsa)
salsa Cubana danced in lines

DVD
video type: demonstration
dance level: beginning to advanced
dance troupe: "Ban Rara"
42 Minutes
filmed in Havana, Cuba
dance genres: Cuban salsa casino

SALSA SUELTA means "loose salsa" ...salsa danced without a partner. Have you seen those great step routines many salsa band members do on stage? The Cubans call it salsa suelta.

Similar to rueda de casino, salsa suelta is initiated when people want to party and dance together as a larger group. But instead of dancing in a circle as in rueda, salsa suelta is danced in lines.

With an emphasis on step routines combined with an imaginative variety of gestures and moves, salsa suelta is an easy going dance style that can be learned as you go. Because there is no partner involved it can be danced:
~ in mixed groups large and small
~ by yourself
~ when you want to break apart in regular salsa dancing
~ as a way to teach salsa steps and salsa choreographies

This DVD features Cuban style salsa suelta inspired from the dance culture of the barrios of Havana. The moves have evolved from a variety of Cuban dance traditions including rumba, orisha dance, son, cha cha cha, mambo, casino, plus the more modern influences of timba and hip hop.

The steps, routines, and changes are initiated by a leader who can direct the action using a variety of techniques including: - calling out the name of the moves - hand gestures - demonstrating with their body

Leaders repeat the steps and moves long enough for followers to catch on. Followers imitate what the leader is doing and change steps when the leader changes.

DVD chapters:
1 - introduction
2 - salsa suelta performance
3 - salsa suelta basic steps
4 - combination moves advanced
5 - dancing on and off the beat
6 - combination moves beginning

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reviews of the dvd

J.J. - England
"My 'Salsa Suelta' DVD arrived last week and may I say that they are getting better all the time. Both content and production are excellent: the choosen shots for the demonstrations are perfect (both group & solo), the music is clear and you give enough time in the demos for us to try to follow. Also a very good demo, in clarity and length of time for the 'dancing in and against time'. I really look forward to your next production."

Simona Boucek - Oregon, USA rumbanana.org
"First of all, for anyone who truly loves salsa music and dance - this DVD is a great addition to anyone's collection. The DVD shows a dance form that gives you one more option to feel connected to the music. This line dance is fun do at parties, out at the club, or in your living room. Also, any salsa band will appreciate an audience that does this dance because of the interaction with the music. Heck - you can face the musicians while dancing. You don't get that chance while dancing as a couple.

Second, as someone who often teaches Salsa dancing, this DVD is a great tool. One of the hardest things to teach someone who has not grown up around Salsa music is how to feel the rhythm and truly have fun with it. This dance form is an easy way to get people to move to Salsa music. I use the foot patterns taught on the DVD as fun drills for folks who are learning to Salsa dance. It really helps beginners to understand how to move their body to the music, which makes learning Casino dancing that much easier.

The DVD is easy to understand and the motions are fun to learn. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Cuban Salsa dancing, and I especially recommend it to those who teach Salsa."

C.B. - Oregon, USA
"I discovered your website through a friend. She had brought this DVD over to my house to view at a salsa/rueda party I was having. A group of us got around the TV and started practicing the the salsa suelto. It's great dancing! I couldn't wait to have the DVD so I could start practicing on my own."

Jennifer Jonay despelotedance.com
"I just received my videos, and have already viewed my first one, Salsa Suelta.  I DEFINITELY got my money's worth!  This is an excellent video.  It is good that the moves are repeated slowly then faster with style.  I greatly appreciated the filming, where the camera stayed still at a wide angle, with no cutting back and forth to different dancers.  This really helped me to see what they are doing.  I also really liked the fact that every move has a caption with the name of the move in spanish and english.  The video has a good pace, not too fast or too slow."