Double Turn

The Last Few Fundamentals 🎓

You are almost done with the beginner course. What is left are the final few moves that are still fundamental to dancing Salsa, and these ones are slightly more advanced concepts.

You can already dance 90% of what we do here with the moves you know. But if you want to take it to the next level, you need these.

The Axle Turn is what unlocks the Double Turn you will see in the intermediate course.

In partnerwork, a Double Turn is the Follower turning twice on a single lead instead of once.

What Makes It Different 🔑

Everything you have turned so far happens on 2. Not this one.

The Axle Turn is a Right Turn on 1. One count.

Follower: Steps and Technique 💃

• prepare on 7, opening slightly towards the left diagonal
• open the position as much as you can on 1. That is what makes the turn easier
• finish the turn on 2
• step on 3, and carry on into the basic, 5 6 7

Spotting: look at the Leader on 1, then find your spot on 2. Look for it as early as you can, that is how you keep control of your own body while you turn. Keep your focus on him as much as you can, exactly as we said at the very beginning of the course.

Lead: Steps and Technique 🕺

Until now you drew the J on 6, 7. Here you do something else:

Draw a circle, anticlockwise, with the left hand. A nice big one.

You can lead it with one hand. We practise with both, just to feel how it works on both.

• basic, 6 7, 1 2 3
• start to the right on 5, and draw the circle through 5 6 7
• on 7 you are prepared, right hand up
• from there you spin her on 1, and 1 2 3

This is no longer the old 6 7 1 2 3 style. We are using the tension we already have. I am creating space, and that is what lets her spin in a single count.

Keep her frame, this matters more than ever here. Her hand stays just above her head, always in front of her, and her elbow tucked at 90 degrees. That is what makes doubles and triples possible later.

Giving The Gas 🚗

Your left hand can push a little to add momentum. Think of it as the accelerator:

You give the gas, you go, and then you release.

It is not five times the energy for five times the turns. It has to stay gentle. We never want to throw the Follower off her balance.

💡 Drill it: Make the circle genuinely big, and feel the tension before you spin her. If she is off balance, you pushed instead of giving gas.

🎯 Community

Practice without judging yourself. Every dancer started exactly where you are. Be patient. This lands in the body over months, not days. Record yourself. You will see things you cannot feel. Post it in the community tab, or on Instagram tagging the page.