Hot Salsa Lessons, Vol. 1
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ken BaldwinDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 60 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-02-08
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Starlight Video
Movie Reviews of Hot Salsa Lessons, Vol. 1
Movie Review: Great Introduction to LA Style
Summary: 5 Stars
Before I start, let me admit that I am not a beginning dancer, nor am I an absolute beginner at Salsa. I've taken private ballroom dance lessons (mucho $$) and group Salsa lessons (much cheaper). I have a small collection of Salsa instruction DVDs: the Salsa Crazy beginners series, the first "Quick & Dirty Guide to Salsa," et al. I rate Ken Baldwin's Hot Salsa Lessons Vol 1 among the best of the lot, for several reasons.
First, it really does start from the beginning: how to count the beats. It doesn't actually explain how to identify which beat is "1" but you can figure it out from the music. My wife has real trouble "feeling" the rhythm of the music and this DVD really helped her with this aspect, without which further progress would be difficult.
Second, Ken gives much attention to leading. This is in stark contrast to a DVD series like "Quick & Dirty Guide...", which gives no instructions for leading at all (and which, by the way, teaches an entirely different style). Without confident leading, Salsa dancing (heck, ANY couples dancing) goes nowhere mighty fast.
Third, the price is right. Many dance instruction DVDs are, IMHO, overpriced. Sure, the Salsa Crazy series is good (if a little slow to progress) but with prices of $30, $36 & $36 here on Amazon for beginner's Vol 1, 2 & 3 respectively, they're pretty expensive. Ken's DVDs (Volumes 1 and 2) are a bargain in comparison.
I've rated this DVD five stars but that's not to say it's perfect. First, as a previous review here already noted, when the moves and "patterns" are demonstrated fluidly the details are sometimes not EXACTLY what Ken teaches when he breaks the moves down. For instance, during pattern #3 near the end of the DVD, he teaches a quick hand change to be completed on the count of 1 after a cross-body lead. However, when he demonstrates the entire pattern in real time, he completes the hand change on the previous 8 (the pause) or sometimes as early as the 7. However, it works out fine each way and shows that details like this are not cast in stone.
Second, although the DVD does cover the essential cross-body lead and gives three different - and very useful - patterns that begin with it, I was surprised that there are no turns for the man. Other beginner's DVDs and the classes I have attended include these. However, this may be attributable to the LA style or they might be covered on Volume 2 (which I do not yet own).
Also perhaps attributable to the differences between LA and other "linear" styles (like New York), is that some of the moves are different than the way I was taught them, e.g., the man's and lady's footwork for the lady's turn and cross-body lead. However, the lady's turn as Ken teaches it is actually a bit easier for the lady to execute and the footwork shown for the cross-body lead does require somewhat less overall space on the dance floor, an advantage when it's crowded.
As a final nod of approval for this DVD, I'm ordering Volume 2 today!
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