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Salsa Personal Training

2 DVDs - $60 $50
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Practice your partnerwork by yourself, anywhere in your own home

Once upon a time, when a salsa dancer wanted to exercise alone, all they could do was to practice shines, spins or styling. Thankfully that’s all in the past now!

from
Salsa Personal Training - In English
English, Italiano, Français, Español, Chinese
Salsa Training DVD

2 DVDs - $60 $50
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Click here to view all our video clips (Salsa, Bachata & Merengue)
and
  • This DVD series can be used in two modes: you can either watch or exercise with it.
  • It helps improve your flexibility, agility, speed.
  • It helps improve your coordination between your armwork and the music and between your armwork and your footwork.
  • You can practise with looped exercises at your own pace, when you want and for as long as you need.
  • If you have a partner you can practice together with the exercises for couples, both with music and counting.
  • Finally, you can test your learning, your style, your memory, and your agility by following the instructor doing all the exercises in a sequence.
  • Improve your flexibility, agility and speed, the coordination between your armwork
    and the music and also between your armwork and your footwork


     

    Salsa Personal Training - Description

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    Once upon a time, when a salsa dancer wanted to exercise alone, all they could do was to practice shines, spins or styling. Thankfully that’s all in the past now!  With the help of this Salsa Personal Training DVD you will be able to practice your partnerwork, all by yourself without needing a partner. You can practice your armwork, how to lead a turn pattern and how to coordinate the armwork with the footwork, for Cuban style salsa.

    All this is thanks to Patrice and Juliette from ‘Salsa a la Cubana’. They had an idea, called Salsa Personal Training, which is as brilliant as it is simple.  Use one, or two belts to replace your partner's arms. With this simple strategy, any salsa casino figure can be transformed into an exercise which you can practice on your own. For example look at this turn pattern....   if your partner is not available you can practice it solo this way...

    Does it work? Well, look at Patrice and Juliette and you will see… yes, it works! …and you can make it work almost anywhere in your own home.

    These DVDs can be used in two different ways. You can either ‘watch & learn’; or you can exercise with the DVD. There are two DVDs, ‘Beginner & Intermediate’ and ‘Advanced’.  In each DVD, Patrice will first show you a set of warm up exercises.  You do these exercises, based on real salsa figures with a single belt.  The exercises will improve your flexibility, agility and speed.  They will develop the coordination between your armwork and the music and between your arm-work and your footwork. Next, Patrice will show you some exercises which require two belts, also based on casino salsa figures. For each exercise we will show you both the couples version… the solo version… and how the two relate to one another. All these turn patterns are shown both with music and at slow pace with counting. This is the ‘watch & learn’ way.

    Once you have learnt all the material it’s time to practice! This is where you get to exercise with the DVD and we’ve made this very easy for you!  For each turn pattern we’ve included a set of exercises to perform in front of the TV. These exercises loop forever so you can practice for as long as you need. Depending on your level of development you will be able to practice solo slowly with the counting or at full speed with the music. If you have a partner you can practice together with the exercises for couples, again both with music and counting.  

    Finally, you can test your learning, your style, your memory, and your agility by following Patrice doing all the exercises in a sequence.

    This DVD set is produced by SalsaIsGood, which means there is a beat counter on every frame to follow the timing and coordination of every move even in slow motion.  The looped exercises allow you to practise at your own pace, when you want and for as long as you need. Everything you need to learn is here.  All you have to do is to practice with the Salsa Personal Training method from ‘Salsa a la Cubana’!!!

     
    2 DVDs - $60 $50
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    "I received both the DVD and the straps - Fabulous!! I dance Cuban Salsa and recently relocated ... so the chance to be able to not only practice but also to refine my technique while searching out dance partners is great. I've already started using the DVD and am so impressed with it that I will be ordering the second DVD in the next day or two. ... This is a fabulous concept, and one which you guys should be highly commended for. Keep up the good work, and many, many thanks " (Nick, nickw _ at_easynet co dot uk)

    "... The format of the tape is absolutely exquisite... " (thenjhills @ msn dot com)

    "I received belts and DVDs . I watched them fromt he perspective of a dance fanatic who has been dancing for more than 10 years, i was lookign for a method for my brother and i was curious about this product. I tried it and i was really impressed. .. the video is clear, the slow pace is conducive to learn ... you have done a good job!" (salsabor @ orangemail dot ch)

    "I did receive the DVDS and I am enjoying them. They are excellent!" (amb4114 @ yahoo dot com)

    "The salsa personal training method looked a little kooky in the video, but I liked the idea. After trying and enjoying your bachata footwork training DVD I stepped up and ordered. Awesome! After using the video for one week my range of motion increased dramatically. It even helped walking my pet dog (dog owners will know why). I'm recovering from a frozen shoulder so I'm extra appreciative of your vid." (joshua _ darlington @ yahoo . com)

    "..the Personal Trainer DVD is really great new idea - thank you!" (info @ danner - pcsys . de)

    "*Simone on Mecanico DJ*, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODAAOay4jes, This is me after two months more or less. IT WORKS! Now Pal'piso on the dancefloor is very simple... A big thank ! You have take my salsa to the next level!" (el . triplo . bachatero @ gmail.com)

    "I can tell you that watching how good Patrice isI almost brought tears to my eyes... Next time i teach salsa I will count in french is his honor :) " (el . triplo . bachatero @ gmail.com)

    "The teaching style incorporated in these video is very unique and I have found it to be the best teaching videos that I have ever seen and I am looking forward to purchasing more of your products" (charles . coker @ mail .com)

    "... the DVDs are awesome" (dmurla @ gcrconsulting . com)

    "...wonderful exercises for my frozen shoulders and learn impressive patterns, thank you" (all satellites @ gmail . com)


     

    How to use the Salsa Personal Training DVDs

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    Each DVD is organized in a number of different sections and can be used in 2 different modes, so it is very important you spend a few minutes reading this document and follow these instructions carefully to make the most of it. The following explanations refer to Volume 1 of the Salsa Personal Training but apply equally to Volume 2, since their Menus are structured in exactly the same way.

    1) Each DVD is divided into 2 main parts, or modes, with 2 very different purposes.

    2) The first part is something to watch, just like any other dance DVD; this includes the Watch all demos & explanations menu. Here we show all the material contained in the DVD. All material is both demonstrated to music and broken down slowly with counting.

    3) The second part is something to exercise with; this includes the Exercises menu. This will guide you through the exercises and will let you practise the material in the DVD both in solo and with a partner. Consider it your Salsa Personal Trainer.

    4) Obviously, the exercises are taken from salsa turn patterns shown in the Watch all demos & explanations section. We recommend you first watch this section carefully in order to understand how the exercises fit into the turn patterns. Once you have understood this relation, then try the exercises.

    Salsa Exercises
    Figure 1.
     

    Ok.. suppose you are ready to watch the DVD. Click on the Watch all demos & explanations menu with your remote control, as in Figure 1. You can now watch all the content of the DVD. Do not worry about breaking it down yet, this will happen in the Exercises session. For now, just watch and try to digest the idea behind the Salsa Personal Training method. Once you have understood the idea, proceed to the Exercises.

    Now, suppose you are ready to exercise. We will now guide you through one of the exercises.

    Figure 2

    1) Click on Exercises as in Figure 2, you will see a Menu like in Figure 3.

    2) We can choose two kinds of exercises. The Warm up & stretching are solo exercises which involve a single rope; they are designed to improve your flexibility, agility, speed and coordination. The Two ropes & Partnerwork are exercises designed to learn a salsa turn pattern and they can be performed both solo and with a partner; they involve two ropes.

    3) Click on Warm up & stretching and you will see a Menu like in Figure 4, showing all the warm up exercises available. Just as an example, highlight Paseo a la izquierda and press Play on your remote control.

    4) You will reach a Menu like in Figure 5. By choosing Paseo a la izquierda - Demo & Explanation you will be able to review the content of this exercise. This is the same clip for Paseo a la izquierda you saw in the Watch all demos & explanations section and it is here to remind you of this move.

    Salsa Exercises
    Figure 3
    Salsa Exercises
     

    5) By choosing Paseo a la izquierda - with counting you will be able to practise the exercise following Patrice. In this clip there is no music and Patrice counts the music beats for you at a very slow pace, ideal for learning. Also, you see Patrice from the back, which is perfect in order to understand and reproduce the exact movements. The clip loops forever, that is, it never stops so you can practise this move until you are satisfied with your progress. To stop the clip, press the Menu button on your remote control, which will bring you back to the previous Menu.

     
    Figure 4
     

    6) By choosing Paseo a la izquierda - with music you will be able to practise this exercise with Patrice following a music loop. This clip is faster than the one with counting and allows you to practise the move at a proper tempo. Also, now you see Patrice from the front, which provides some style clues. Notice the beat counter on the bottom left: it shows all the 8 beats of a typical music phrase, which helps you to ensure you are in time with the music. As before, the clip loops forever so you need to press the Menu button on your remote control to stop it and go back to the previous Menu.

    Salsa Exercises
    Figure 5
    Salsa Exercises  

    7) Now, suppose you are done with the ‘Warm up & stretching’ exercise and you want to try the rest. Click on Two ropes & Partnerwork in the Menu as in Figure 3. You will reach a Menu like in Figure 6. You will see a number of available exercises. Suppose you choose Agossar. Once again, highlight it with your remote control and press Play.

    8) You will see a Menu like in Figure 7: the different options work exactly as for ‘Paseo a la izquierda - with music’, however now you can choose whether to exercise solo or with a partner. If you exercise solo, you will use 2 ropes. In either case, you will be able to learn the move first by following the instructors slowly with counting and then at proper tempo with music.

    Figure 6

    9) From the Menu in Figure 3, by choosing Test your learning - warm-up exercises sequence, you can test your learning, your style, your memory, and your agility by following the instructor doing all the solo Warm up & stretching exercises in a sequence.

    10) Finally, from the Menu in Figure 2, you can choose Further challenges. These are additional Cuban Salsa moves which come without the solo exercise with the rope. You need a partner to exercises these moves and they are here to provide some bonus ideas to increase your Cuban Salsa repertoire.


    Salsa Exercises
     
    2 DVDs - $60 $50
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    How to use, make or purchase the belts

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    Here we describe the belts in detail so that you can decide whether to purchase them from us or to make your own. We will also explain how to use the belt both for the exercises which require a single belt and the ones which require two.

    Please note: you see plenty of ads on TV and on the net trying to sell you exercise equipment. Usually this is done by ‘inventing’ some fancy exercise for it. What we offer is different.  We offer a novel method to practise salsa; the equipment (the belts) is just a means to perform the exercise. You can make the belts yourself; if however you are too busy or you can’t be bothered to work out the details you can purchase them from us.. easy.

    Single Belt. You use a single belt to perform all the stretching and warm up exercises contained in the Salsa Personal Training DVDs.

    What is it made of? After some experimentation with different material, Patrice worked out that the most effective solution is to use martial art belts. The only modification that is needed is the addition of loops at the two ends so that you can hold the belt with your fingers and not by gripping with the full hand, exactly as you do when you dance salsa (you surely know that using the thumb in salsa in totally illegal!) 

    How is it made? Since people come with different sizes (arm length and chest width) two loops are added at each end of the belt so that you can use the belt at different lengths, without any further adjustment. This is important because the arms and chest width of your dancing partners may vary and you need to learn to execute the exercise with belts of different lengths. I also find that using a longer belt extension makes it easier when I learn the exercise and when I am familiar with it I start to practise with a shorter length.

    How does it look? So here is how the belt looks like. As you can see there are two loops at each end, which we call outside and inside loop.

    Salsa Personal Training - Loop position

    The measurements are:

    Salsa Personal Training - Length

    How do I use it? This design allows the use of the belt at three different lengths:

    Belt used for Salsa Personal Training

    full extension: hold the rope at the two outside loops: length 87 cm.

    Belt used for Salsa Personal Training

    intermediate extension: hold the rope at the outside loop at one end and at the inside loop at the other: length 72 cm.

    Belt used for Salsa Personal Training


    minimum extension: hold the rope at the two inside loops: length 57 cm


    Two Belts. You use two belts to practise by yourself the salsa moves you normally execute with a partner. Each belt is exactly the same as the single belt described above. The loop at one end is used to hold the belt as before; the loop on the other end is used to hook, tie or hang the belt to a wall, pole, door handle, wherever is convenient in your home or your dance studio.  The loop allows you to hook or hang the belt without knots or permanent fixing, so you can hang and remove the belt anytime you want. This also means that buying two belts allows you to carry out both the exercises with a single belt and the ones for two belts (you do not need three belts).

    Here is how you hook the belt to a fixture:

    Salsa Personal Training - Setting up the belts 1 1 Salsa Personal Training - Setting up the belts 2 2 Salsa Personal Training - Setting up the belts 3 3
       
    Salsa Personal Training - Setting up the belts 4 4  

    And here are examples for fixtures you can use in your surroundings.

    Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 1   Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 4   Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 3
             
    Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 5   Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 6   Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 7

    Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 9   Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 10   Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 11

    Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 8   Salsa Personal Training - How to use the belts 9  

    Do I really HAVE to use a martial art belt? Of course not. This is the material we prefer, you can try to experiment with whatever else you have at home. If it does not work you can go back to the martial art belt idea.


    How to Purchase the Salsa Personal Training DVDs

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    Salsa Training DVD Salsa Personal Training Vol 1 & 2

    Salsa DVD

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    Cuba Salsa Video Clip
    2 DVDs - $60 $50
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    Salsa Training DVD Salsa Personal Training Vol 1

    Salsa DVD

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    Language
    Cuba Salsa Video Clip
    DVD - $30
    Click for more info
    Click for more info
    Salsa Instruction DVD Salsa Personal Training Vol 2

    Salsa DVD

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    Language
    Cuba Salsa Video Clip
    DVD - $30
    Click for more info
    Click for more info

     

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