Safety

Social dancing can be dangerous, particularly salsa. Many women complain about guys who tightly grip their hands and wrench their arms as they try to force them to do moves they can’t follow or haven’t learned. One local salsa instructor reportedly broke a lady’s arm.

Women can be dangerous, too. For starters, high heels can be vicious weapons. Some women act like un caged tigers when they hit the dance floor, frantically whirling and twirling like an amusement park ride - and if they lash your face with their beautiful long hair, you’d better hope there are no hard ornamental objects in it.

Men and women both may step on other people’s feet or nail them with their elbows, occasionally breaking people’s noses.

Another problem that generally lies somewhere between Safety and Etiquette is of a more social nature. It generally involves men who prey on women, though some women are creeps, too.

Listed below are some tips for keeping you and your partner on the dance floor, as well as protecting other dancers from yourself.

Proper Training

Taking dance classes from a competent instructor(s) is a logical first step for anyone interested in Latin dance. People who are financially strapped can learn on the dance floor or be taught by friends. But don’t just focus on technique; try to pick up tips that might help you dance more safely.

Small Steps

Some Latin dances are known for the small steps they require. And when the dance floor gets crowded, people generally take even smaller steps.

Nuff said.

Be Alert

Although you want to focus on your partner, it’s also important to monitor the people dancing around you - especially if you’re a lead.

Leads should be especially vigilant when executing a cross body lead, scanning for wayward dancers before guiding the follow across the slot. Of course, you also want to make sure the coast is clear before executing any wild move.

Lead Lightly

The most common complaint voiced by follows may be leads who lead with an iron grip, sometimes referred to as the “lobster claw” grip. There are various ways of holding and turning partners, but good instructors do not teach their students wrestling moves.

In general, salser@s should not grab with the fingers and shouldn’t use their thumbs at all. If you’re just learning, don’t be afraid to ask your partners if you’re gripping them too aggressively.

Of course, you also need to be careful not to twist or wrench your partner’s arms. And steer clear of complex or dangerous moves unless you’ve both practiced them with each other. Dips can be dangerous!

Protect Your Partner!

The lead’s foremost responsibility is to protect the follow. One of the best strategies for accomplishing this is to simply make sure the coast is clear before executing a cross body lead, turn, dip or any other complex or wild move.

Some instructors can teach special skills for protecting your follow.

Know Your Partner’s Limits

If you’re a talented lead who’s been dancing for ten years, and you dance with a lady who’s just started Salsa 101, you can’t expect her to follow all the moves you’ve learned. Yet some leads try to force their partners to follow complex - and sometimes dangerous - moves.

Dancing at your partner’s level is also a part of Latin dance etiquette.

Some moves, including dips, are best avoided unless you’re dancing with a partner you’re comfortable with; i.e., someone you’ve practiced a particular move with before.

Jewelry, etc.

Keep jewelry to a minimum. Large rings can scratch your partner’s hands, while long necklaces and big bracelets can get caught in clothing. Hard objects in long hair can become weapons when a woman begins spinning.

Some salseros advise men to wear watches on the right hand. Otherwise, the watch band might get caught in your partner’s hair when you screw up a double-turn lead and drag your wrist through her hair.

Objects carried in front pockets can also be a problem when dancing in close contact, though this is generally more of an etiquette issue than a safety issue.

Creeps

Yes, Latin dance isn’t off limits to the creeps who stalk the real world, though they’re probably much rarer. When salser@s talk about creeps, they’re usually referring to men who range from a little weird to sex predators. However, women can be creepy, too.

There aren’t many formalized rules for dealing with creeps. It’s generally a matter of common sense - beginning with the adage an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Be especially cautious when visiting a club for the first time, especially if you’re alone. After you begin visiting a club on a regular basis, you become familiar with its patrons and can restrict your dancing to partners you feel comfortable with. Women often watch men dance with other women, sizing them up before agreeing to dance with them themselves. Club regulars or veteran dancers may be able to point out any creeps to you. But keep in mind that people have different definitions of the word creep, and some people can also be a little paranoid.

If you’re asked to dance by a man (or woman) who makes you feel uncomfortable, you have every right to turn that individual down, with or without an excuse.

If you’re dancing with a man who tries to hold you too closely, slide your left hand off his shoulder onto his chest and push firmly.

Of course, you have every right to communicate with your partner verbally. And if you’re dancing with a jerk who just can’t take a hint or who does something way out of line, do whatever you feel is appropriate. In most cases, this would probably consist of simply ending the dance by walking away from your partner.

In extreme cases, you might even call for help, stomp on your partner’s foot or slap his face. However, it wouldn’t be prudent for a man to physically assault a woman, no matter how creepy she is. If she’s so strong you can’t escape her grip and walk away, then call for help - but you may not want to visit that particular club again. :)

References

All the links below lead to threads on SalsaForums.