by Frank Ramos

Introduction

Concept 1: Terminology
Concept 2: Holds
Concept 3: Basic salsa dance step and variations
Concept 4: General dance tips
Concept 5: Open break
Concept 6: Opening out break (also known as 5th position breaks or whisks)
Concept 7: Cross-over breaks and throwout turn
Concept 8: Swivels and cross-over swivels
Concept 9: Overhead hand sweep
Concept 10: Cross-body lead
Concept 11: Cuddle position (also known as "sweetheart" or "side-by-side" position)
Concept 12: Change places
Concept 13: Haircombing and related arm techniques
Concept 14: Outside and inside turns
Concept 15: Dips and aerials
Concept 16: Dancing in crowded conditions
Concept 17: Hook turn and double free spin

Pattern 1: Cross-body with leader right turn and hand pass, checked outside turn, inside turn
Pattern 2: Cross-body with inside turn
Pattern 3: Cross-body with free inside turn
Pattern 4: Crossed-hold cross-body to cuddle, outside turn
Pattern 5: Crossed-hold cross-body, multiple inside turns, leader haircomb
Pattern 6: Checked inside turn (Peek-a-boo)
Pattern 7: Multiple checked inside turns
Pattern 8: Hammerlock checked inside turn
Pattern 9: Checked inside turn to wrap
Pattern 10: Checked inside turn to neck wrap
Pattern 11: Change places with double inside turn
Pattern 12: Change places with inside turn, change places, outside turn with change places
Pattern 13: Inside turn to neck wrap, leader haircomb while walking to step 3, free outside turn
Pattern 14: Crossed hold outside turn to cuddle, sidestep, outside turn
Pattern 15: Crossed hold outside turn, leader left turn, outside turn, haircomb, free outside turn
Pattern 16: Double hold outside turn, change places, cuddle, sidestep, outside turn
Pattern 17: Double hold outside turn, leader right turn under follower's hands, leader haircomb
Pattern 18: Outside turn to neck wrap cuddle, sidestep to choke hold, outside turn
Pattern 19: Outside turn, follower circles leader, free outside turn led by hip touch
Pattern 20: Outside turn, follower circles leader with hand on neck, free outside turn, leader left turn
Pattern 21: Hammerlock outside turn, follower circles leader, outside turn
Pattern 22: Hammerlock outside turn, sidestep back to back, leader duck, outside turn
Pattern 23: Hammerlock outside turn, free outside turn
Pattern 24: Crossed hold outside turn, shoulder wrap cuddle, walk backwards to step 3, free outside turn
Pattern 25: Crossed hold outside turn, shoulder wrap cuddle, follower circles leader, free outside turn
Pattern 26: Cuddle, sidestep, uncuddle
Pattern 27: Cuddle, cuddle leader (Figure 8)
Pattern 28: Cuddle, hammerlock outside turn, cuddle
Pattern 29: Cuddle, step in front, pull follower around, outside turn
Pattern 30: Cuddle, walk to step 3, outside turn
Pattern 31: Cuddle, walk to step 3, free outside turn, leader left turn
Pattern 32: Cuddle, walk to step 3, pull into wrap, cuddle
Pattern 33: Cuddle, walk to step 3, pull into wrap, pull into free inside turn
Pattern 34: Cuddle, walk to step 3, arm lever turn, follower circles leader, outside turn
Pattern 35: Cuddle, walk to step 6, follower duck, outside turn, haircomb
Pattern 36: Leader cuddle and hook turn to right

Introduction

This document originated as a set of notes I made while trying to learn salsa dancing (as a leader) from group classes given at San Francisco nightclubs. Prior to making these notes, I found that each time I learned a new pattern, I would forget the pattern from the week before, and thus never made any progress. After making the notes, I still forgot patterns, but at least had something written down with which to jog my memory.

Once I had written down a large number of patterns, I realized that most of them consisted of combinations and variations of a small number of basic moves (outside and inside turns, cuddles, etc), and so reworked my notation to reflect this fact.

I then discovered that other beginning leaders were having the same problem as me--namely, how to remember patterns. This especially affected leaders who, like myself, lacked a regular dance partner with whom to practice. So I took the notes I had made for myself, edited them into more or less readable format, and uploaded to the web, hoping that other beginning leaders might find them useful.

As my salsa dancing skills have progressed, I no longer use the pre-choreographed patterns shown in this document, but rather improvise while dancing using the basic moves that compose these patterns. However, I still think that memorizing pre-choreographed patterns is necessary for beginning leaders.

In case it is not obvious, it is next to impossible to learn to dance from reading. This document should be used in conjunction with attending group classes and watching expert dancers.

Several readers have asked for recommendations for videos which show how to perform the moves described in this document. The only such videos that I have watched myself are those of Josie Neglia, which I recommend and which can be ordered at http://www.dancexcitement.com.

Several readers have asked for recommendations for salsa music. A good starting point is Salsa Fresca - Dance Hits of the '90s, by various artists, on the Rhino label, catalog number 72195.

Concept 1: Terminology

• The first measure of the phrase is labelled "1,2,3" and the second measure "4,5,6".
• "Closed position" is leader and follower facing one another with left and right feet together.
• "Closing feet" mean bringing left and right feet together and side by side.
• Turns are assumed to be follower turns. Leader turns are explicitly noted as such.
• "Advanced" patterns fall into several categories:
  • Hard to lead with beginning followers. Some of these patterns are quite easy to perform in themselves, provided the follower is previously familiar with the pattern.
  • Hard for the follower to perform. For example, the pattern requires the follower to spin several times in succession.
  • Hard for the leader to perform. For example, the pattern requires the leader to spin himself or perform a hook turn.
• As in all social dancing, "leader" normally means the man and "follower" normally means the woman.

Concept 2: Holds

Closed hold

Leader cups follower's left shoulder blade or the middle of her upper back (depending on how far apart the couple wants to dance) with his right hand, and holds her right hand with his left hand, with his left arm bent at right angle. Leader should NOT put his right hand on follower's lower back, since this will cause pain during cross-body leads. Standard dance etiquette says that the follower decides how close to get to the leader when dancing in closed hold. She indicates her preferred distance in a subtle but unmistakeable way, such as by pushing against the leader when she feels he is coming too close. The leader then maintains the distance set by the follower.

Double open hold

Leader holds follower's left hand in his right hand, and her right hand in his left hand.

Crossed hold

Leader holds follower's left hand in his left hand, and her right hand in his right hand. When starting a pattern in crossed hold, the right hands should be on top, in general, so as to allow an outside turn of the follower.

Doubly crossed hold

The hold that results after an outside turn using a double hold. Same hand hold as double open hold, except arms are intertwined. It is very clumsy to simply release hands to get out of this hold. Instead, perform another turn (either of leader or follower) in order to untwist.

Single hold

Leader holds either of follower's hands in either of his hands. Most common combinations are his left to her right and his right to her right. The latter is the "crossed single hold".

Freestyle

No hand hold between leader and follower. They can each do whatever they want, such as show off fancy footwork (sometimes called "shines").

Underarm hold

Starting in double open hold, leader bends his elbows so as to bring follower's hands to his shoulders, then tucks elbows inside and then over follower's arms, then brings his arms down, so that follower's arms are trapped between his upper arm and ribcage (not in his armpit, but rather a few inches lower). This hold is an alternative to the double open hold and can be used to add some extra style when dancing a series of basics or sideways basics.

Concept 3: Basic salsa dance step and variations

Salsa music has a regular tempo, and is normally counted as 4 quarter notes or beats per musical measure (4/4 rhythm). The even beats (2 and 4) are heavily stressed. Measures are grouped into phrases of 2 measures or 8 beats each. A phrase lasts about 3 seconds at a tempo of 160 beats per minute. Phrase boundaries are easy to distinguish because the vocalists and melody instruments seem to pause and change key between phrases. Also, most of the rhythms in a typical salsa song repeat over the interval of the phrase instead of over the interval of the measure. A good collection of salsa dance music is Salsa Fresca - Dance Hits of the '90s, by various artists, on the Rhino label, catalog number 72195.

The "forward basic" dance step is:

Music beat / Dance step	Leader	Follower
1 /	Transfer weight onto right foot	(same as leader's step 5)
2 / 1	Step forward on left foot (break)	(same as leader's step 6)
3 / 2	Rock back onto right foot (rock)	(same as leader's step 7)
4 / 3	Bring left foot back (close), without weight transfer	(same as leader's step 8)
5 /	Transfer weight onto left foot	(same as leader's step 1)
6 / 4	Step back on right foot (break)	(same as leader's step 2)
7 / 5	Rock forward onto left foot (rock)	(same as leader's step 3)
8 / 6	Bring right foot forward (close), without weight transfer	(same as leader's step 4)

Some dancers reverse the leader's and follower's steps in the above table. That is, the leader steps back on beat 2 and forward on beat 6. Since the leader's and follower's steps are mirror images of one another, this makes little difference.

Note that the first break step occurs on beat 2 of the phrase, and not beat 1. This is because of the stress on the even beats. There are times during a salsa song when the rhythm stops but the melody continues, in which case you should remember to pause a beat at the start of the phrase, since you want to hold beat 1 and then break on beat 2. If you don't do this, then when the rhythm resumes, you will be breaking on the non-stressed beats, which probably won't feel right.

Beginning dancers often have great difficulty following the salsa beat. Partly, this is because they tend to waver between breaking on beat 1 (following the melody) and breaking on beat 2 (following the rhythm) and eventually lose the beat entirely. Some dancers think they are breaking on beat 1, when in fact they are breaking on beat 2, because they wrongly assume that the first heavily stressed beat must be beat 1. If you are certain that you are breaking on beat 1 (a non-stressed beat), and this feels right, then by all means continue to dance this way. It is more important to always break on the same beat, than to break on any particular beat. Leaders choose which beat they want to break on, whereas followers must do whatever their leader does.

The "in-place basic" is a basic in which the break steps are either very small or in-place.

The "sideways basic" is a basic in which the break steps are to the left and right instead of forward and backward:

The "backwards basic" is a basic in which the break with the left foot is backwards instead of forwards. That is, leader steps back on the left foot on step 1 and the follower steps back on the left foot on step 4. The backwards basic is normally performed in double open hold.

The "backwards basic with leg styling" is performed as follows. Leader gives a vigorous push on the break steps (1 and 4). On this same step, leader and follower make a sharp step backwards while bending the knee of the free leg (right leg is free for leader on step 1, and so forth) so that the heel lifts but the toe remains touching the floor. The rock and close steps are the same as for the standard basic.

The "whiplash" is similar to the "backwards basic with leg styling", except that on the break step, the spine is bent backwards and the head thrown back. The whiplash is normally only done by the follower.

Other variations on the basic:

• Perform the close after forward break in a single beat of music (instead of spreading it over 2 beats), then kick the right foot forwards before breaking backwards. That is, leader would kick forwards on beat 5 and follower would kick forwards on beat 1.
• Add an occasional additional thrust of the pelvis, somewhat offset from the normal motions caused by the leg movements.
• Instead of bringing the feet into side by side position during the close step, cross the right foot in front of the left.
• Instead of stepping to the left or right during a sideways basic, just point the left or right leg to the side and hold for the entire measure. The pointing leg should be straight, with the toe touching the floor and the heel lifted.

Concept 4: General dance tips

• The torso should remain upright while dancing. In particular, try to avoid the upper body rocking movements of swing or foxtrot dancing.
• Be sure to fully transfer your weight forwards or backwards on the break steps: don't just stretch your foot out.
• Lean slightly forwards. Some moves (such as a dip) may require leaning backwards, but other than these special cases, leaning slightly forwards should be the normal posture for both leader and follower.
• The hip movement of salsa dancers (sometimes called "Cuban hip motion") is a consequence of proper legwork, and not a movement in its own right. Do not force movement in your hips or you will look grotesque.
• Leaders should try not to pump their left arm up and down excessively when in closed hold.
• Keep feet pointed slightly outward, especially the left foot on the forward break. Avoid the "pigeon-toed" look, with the toes pointing inward.
• Keep the legs close together in passing, or even cross them slightly in front of one another. Avoid the "bow-legged" look, with the thighs and knees spread wide.
• Always step first onto the ball of the foot, and then lower the heel, regardless of the direction you are moving. Never step heel-first.
• Keep feet close to the floor. Lifting them high is ungainly looking--like a horse stomping around. Keeping feet close to the floor also reduces the chances of stepping onto another dancer's ankle--which can be very painful for them.
• The faster the music, the smaller the steps should be. The slower the music, the larger the steps should be.
• When performing the basic alone, try to move around, turning slightly to the right or left each phrase, instead of just moving back and forth like a robot on a track.
• Don't grip your partner tightly. Be especially careful about thumbs: it doesn't take much force for a thumb pressing against the back of someone's hand to feel uncomfortable. This applies to both leaders and followers.
• Especially in the closed and double open holds, arms should be slightly tensed (no "spaghetti arms") with pressure between the partners. This pressure feels good (at least to experienced dancers), looks good to observers, and makes it possible to perform moves that would be impossible otherwise. During complex turns, dancers should relax the arms to let them move freely.
• Look at your partner's face while dancing (except during a turn, of course), and not at the other dancers or towards the ceiling or the floor or out into space.
• Follower should carry most of her own weight (especially her arms) and provide most of her own turning power.

Concept 5: Open break

The open break is commonly taught as the way to exit closed hold in preparation for a pattern. A more graceful way to leave closed hold would be a cross-body lead followed by a cross-over step to the right for the leader while the follower does her normal backward basic (leader must relax his arm during this cross-over so as not to lead the follower). Advantages of this second approach are that there is more motion and the dancers stay closer together. Also, this second approach does not require arm tension in the follower, which is important because many beginning followers don't give that tension.

Concept 6: Opening out break (also known as 5th position breaks or whisks)

The term "5th position" is from classical ballet. The term "whisk" is from ballroom dancing.

Opening out can be exaggerated as follows:

Steps	Leader	Follower
1,2,3	Opening out break, twisting to the left more than normal, releasing left hand and catching follower at waist with right arm.	Opening out break.
4,5,6	Opening out break, twisting to the right more than normal, releasing right hand and catching follower at waist with left arm.	Opening out break.

Concept 7: Cross-over breaks and throwout turn

Will normally need to be in open hold of some sort to perform cross-over breaks.

Can perform the left and right components of the cross-over break in any order, mixed up with other patterns.

A series of cross-over breaks can be concluded by a throwout turn. For example::

Steps	Leader	Follower
1,2,3	Cross-over break	Cross-over break
4,5,6	Begin cross-over break to left, but then give push with right arm and release, thus "throwing" follower into free outside turn, while simultaneously performing left turn of our own.	Free outside turn (to right)

Concept 8: Swivels and cross-over swivels

Swivels are performed in the double open hold. There must be strong pressure between leader and follower to make swivels work. The leader can swivel with the follower, or he can remain stationary.

To swivel to left, twist hips to left, transfer weight to left foot, then bend right leg at knee and cross right knee over left knee. Similarly for swivel to right.

3 swivels per measure:

Steps	Leader	Follower
1	Push with left arm and pull with right. Swivel to left.	Push against leaders hands. Swivel to right.
2	Push with right arm and pull with left. Swivel to right.	Push against leaders hands. Swivel to left.
3	Same as step 1, except with a pause after ("slow" count instead of "quick").
4	Same as step 2.
5	Same as step 1.
6	Same as step 2, except with a pause after ("slow" count instead of "quick").

2 swivels per measure:

Steps	Leader	Follower
1	Push with left arm and pull with right. Swivel to left.	Push against leaders hands. Swivel to right.
2	Push with right arm and pull with left. Swivel to right.	Push against leaders hands. Swivel to left.
	(repeat the above 2 steps for the next musical measure)

In cross-over swivels, swivel to the right and step with left leg crossing over right leg, then swivel to the left and step with right leg crossing over left leg. Cross-over swivels are normally performed at the rate of 2 swivels per measure.

A typical exit from swivels is for leader to give a vigorous push with both hands on step 1, so that both leader and follower perform a backwards basic with leg styling (alternatively, the follower can perform a whiplash).

Concept 9: Overhead hand sweep

While in double open hold, leader ensures there is strong arm pressue between himself and follower, then steps forward (on either measure) and raises arms until they are extended straight up. He then sweeps arms down in quarter circle, keeping them straight, with the left arm sweeping down to the left and the right arm sweeping down to the right. This move will not work very well if the leader is much taller than the follower. A good followup to the overhead hand sweep is a series of cross-over breaks. Example:

Steps	Leader	Follower
1,2,3	Backwards basic	Backwards basic
4,5,6	Backwards basic	Backwards basic
1,2,3	Forward basic, lifting arms up and then sweeping them down	Basic
4,5,6	Cross-over break to left	Cross-over break
1,2,3	Cross-over break to right	Cross-over break
4,5,6	Basic, turning follower	Outside turn (to right)

Concept 10: Cross-body lead

Experienced followers will snap the turn on step 5. Beginners will seem to stumble through it.

A variation on the cross-body lead is the "slide":

Steps	Leader	Follower
1,2,3	Same as for standard-cross body lead.	Basic
4,5,6	Step left on right leg, crossing in front of left leg. Then step left on left leg, then bring right foot closed.	Forward on left foot, then quarter turn to left and step sideways on right foot, then bring left foot closed.

Concept 11: Cuddle position (also known as "sweetheart" or "side-by-side" position)

Entering the cuddle can take either 1 or 2 measures to complete. Leader may end up on follower's left or right. When walking in a circle while in cuddle position, the axis of rotation is the space between the dancers. That is, both leader and follower should be walking in a circle and not just one of the two partners.

It is also possible to cuddle the leader. For example:

Steps	Leader	Follower
1,2,3	Open break to double open hold.	Basic
4,5,6	Half turn to right, lifting left arm over our head and bringing it down when the half-turn is complete.	In-place basic.
1,2,3	Sideways basic	Sideways basic
4,5,6	Release both arms and perform half turn to right. Resume closed hold at conclusion of half-turn.	In-place basic

Concept 12: Change places

While in single hand hold, leader and follower change places, possibly performing some turns and/or fancy footwork on the way. Changing places is especially useful when the leader has somehow gotten off beat, because it can be performed in less than a full measure if necessary, and because there is no need to synchronize footwork since there is only a single loose hand hold.

Concept 13: Haircombing and related arm techniques

For follower haircomb, leader brings either of follower's hands over her head with his hand, as if combing her hair, then releases. Beginning followers often misunderstand haircombing, and try to perform a turn of some sort. Haircombing allows a graceful return to closed hold. Leader haircomb is similar, except leader brings follower's hand over his head. It is also possible for either leader or follower to comb themselves, using a free hand, to add some "pizazz" to their dancing.

The double haircomb is useful as a graceful exit from double open hold. While performing a basic, leader loops his left hand over his head and his right hand over follower's head (so that his right hand touches her right shoulder). Partners then pull apart, letting their right hands slide down the other partner's right arm. A good followup would be a change places.

As an elegant return to return to closed hold from double open hold, leader can bring his right hand to his right shoulder on step 1 of the forward basic, thus placing follower's left hand there. He then slips his right hand behind follower's back and continues with the remainder of the basic move, or perhaps with a cross-body lead.

Concept 14: Outside and inside turns

An outside turn is a right turn of the follower. An inside turn is a left turn of the follower. The terms "outside" and "inside" are used instead of "right" and "left" to avoid confusion, since a follower's right turn (outside turn) is to the leader's left.

Outside turn:

Steps	Leader	Follower
1,2,3	Open break	Basic
4,5,6	Sideways basic, turning follower	Outside turn (to right)

Inside turn:

Steps	Leader	Follower
1,2,3	Open break, then pull follower into inside turn, changing places as she moves forward, and lifting arm over her head.	Back on right foot, then inside turn (to left).
4,5,6	Optionally turn follower again.	Basic, or another inside turn (to left).

Concept 15: Dips and aerials

The safest and simplest dip is the partial dip. Using a right hand to right hand single crossed hold, pull follower into inside turn. As she turns, release hand hold and reach around and hug her closely: leader's right hand placed behind follower's back, his left hand on her right shoulder, leader's and follower's bodies pressed tightly together. Leader then twists to left, steps to left on left foot, and bends left knee so he leans slightly to left. This causes follower to twist and lean back. Follower's feet remain on the ground. If the lean is a slight one, then the leader will only have to bear a small percentage of the follower's weight with his upper body--most of her weight will still be carried through her legs or pressing down against his right hip. Follower can add some style to this simple dip by lifting and bending her left leg and wrapping it around leader's hips. This won't add to the weight the leader has to bear, since her right leg will still be planted firmly on the ground.

Concept 16: Dancing in crowded conditions

When the dance floor is crowded (the normal condition in popular nightclubs) turns can be unsafe and therefore a leader should be careful about leading them. Turns are unsafe because a follower who is turning may get hit in the face by the elbow of someone else who is turning, which can cause serious injury (such as a broken nose or knocked out teeth). Whereas, if she is not turning, the only place she is likely to be hit is the back of her ankles, back of her torso and back of her head. Being hit in these places is unlikely to lead to serious injury (though having the ankles stepped on is quite painful). This restriction on turns rules out the patterns described below. The following simple moves are still possible, however:

• Basic
• Sideways basic
• Backwards basic with leg styling
• Opening out
• Cross-over breaks
• Swivels
• Overhead hand sweep
• Cross-body lead (without turns)

Concept 17: Hook turn and double free spin

Leader's hook turn to right:

Steps	Leader
4	Bring right foot behind left, and spin on right foot.
5	Stop spin with left foot.
6	Transfer weight to right foot.

Leader's double free spin to right:

Steps	Leader
4	Step slightly to right on right foot.
5	Rock onto left foot and twist to left, with arms thrown back to left.
6	Twist quickly to right, transfering weight to right foot, swinging arms around and then bring them close to body to add to turning momentum. Perform a full spin on this step.
1	Transfer weight to left foot momentarily for balance. Twist right foot so it points diagonally to right and back.
2	Transfer weight to right foot and perform another full turn.
3	Lift arms and transfer weight to left foot to stop spin. Left foot may be extended slightly to left to aid in balancing and stopping.
4,5,6	Basic (break back on right, etc)

The spinning steps should be performed as smoothly as possible. For a follower, the spin would occur on steps 3,4,5,6 instead of 6,1,2,3.

To avoid dizziness while spinning, look at partner for as long as possible, then snap head around and look at her again from the other direction.

Bringing arms close to body while spinning improves balance and adds turning momentum.

Pattern 1: Cross-body with leader right turn and hand pass, checked outside turn, inside turn

Pattern 2: Cross-body with inside turn

Pattern 3: Cross-body with free inside turn

Pattern 4: Crossed-hold cross-body to cuddle, outside turn

Pattern 5: Crossed-hold cross-body, multiple inside turns, leader haircomb

Pattern 6: Checked inside turn (Peek-a-boo)

Pattern 7: Multiple checked inside turns

Here's a very flashy enhancement to the multiple checked inside turns. On step 3, leader dips deeply to left, bending left leg and keeping right leg straight. On step 4, he checks followers turn by using his hand against her thigh. On steps 5 and 6 he raises himself and, optionally, performs some sort of turn or spin as a followup

Pattern 8: Hammerlock checked inside turn

Pattern 9: Checked inside turn to wrap

Pattern 10: Checked inside turn to neck wrap

Pattern 11: Change places with double inside turn

It helps to precede a double inside turn by one or more peek-a-boos, to give the follower some turning momentum.

Pattern 12: Change places with inside turn, change places, outside turn with change places

Pattern 13: Inside turn to neck wrap, leader haircomb while walking to step 3, free outside turn

Follower's arm must be relaxed in order for leader to have time to grab her elbow before she turns again.

Pattern 14: Crossed hold outside turn to cuddle, sidestep, outside turn

To make the 1 and 1/2 outside turns easier: release left hand on step 2 and use it to gently push follower forward on step 3, so she starts the outside turn early.

Pattern 15: Crossed hold outside turn, leader left turn, outside turn, haircomb, free outside turn

Pattern 16: Double hold outside turn, change places, cuddle, sidestep, outside turn

Pattern 17: Double hold outside turn, leader right turn under follower's hands, leader haircomb

Pattern 18: Outside turn to neck wrap cuddle, sidestep to choke hold, outside turn

Pattern 19: Outside turn, follower circles leader, free outside turn led by hip touch

Pattern 20: Outside turn, follower circles leader with hand on neck, free outside turn, leader left turn

Pattern 21: Hammerlock outside turn, follower circles leader, outside turn

Pattern 22: Hammerlock outside turn, sidestep back to back, leader duck, outside turn

Pattern 23: Hammerlock outside turn, free outside turn

Pattern 24: Crossed hold outside turn, shoulder wrap cuddle, walk backwards to step 3, free outside turn

Pattern 25: Crossed hold outside turn, shoulder wrap cuddle, follower circles leader, free outside turn

Pattern 26: Cuddle, sidestep, uncuddle

Pattern 27: Cuddle, cuddle leader (Figure 8)

Pattern 28: Cuddle, hammerlock outside turn, cuddle

Pattern 29: Cuddle, step in front, pull follower around, outside turn

Pattern 30: Cuddle, walk to step 3, outside turn

Pattern 31: Cuddle, walk to step 3, free outside turn, leader left turn

Pattern 32: Cuddle, walk to step 3, pull into wrap, cuddle

Pattern 33: Cuddle, walk to step 3, pull into wrap, pull into free inside turn

Pattern 34: Cuddle, walk to step 3, arm lever turn, follower circles leader, outside turn

Pattern 35: Cuddle, walk to step 6, follower duck, outside turn, haircomb

Caution: many followers intensely dislike this pattern (they don't like ducking).

At conclusion of pattern, partners will be in a double open hold. It is possible to return directly to closed position, but a more graceful followup would be to re-enter cuddle position or perform a figure 8.

Pattern 36: Leader cuddle and hook turn to right

This move can be used as an exit from double open or doubly crossed hold.

Steps	Leader	Follower
4,5,6	Half turn to right, lifting arms and separating them to form loop. Bring this loop down over our head and body. Release both hands when loop is at mid-chest level and make another half turn to right. There will normally not be enough time to complete this second half turn. However, if done properly, leader's momentum will be such that the turn can be completed on the next measure.	In-place basic.