How To Salsa Dance: He Goes, She Goes For The Leader

Pair of soft-soled shoes

Step 1: Footwork For The Leader

The He Goes, She Goes is an exciting salsa dance step. The leader's footwork begins with a basic salsa step. So, starting with your feet together with equal weight on both feet, move your left foot forward about a foot or two, placing your weight on this foot. Keeping both feet where they are, now replace your weight to your right foot. Now bring your left foot back to its original position, next to the right foot with equal weight on both feet. Now, move the right foot back a foot or so, placing your weight on this foot. Keeping both feet where they are, now replace your weight to your left foot and then move the right foot back to its original position next to the left foot, with equal weight on both feet. This is essentially a front break followed by a back break.

Now you will begin your right turn, by stepping forward with your left foot and angling it in front of the left foot with a distance of about a foot between the two. The toe of your left foot will point towards the heel of your right foot. The right foot will angle toward your left. Now you will pivot on both feet clockwise a half a turn...so that now the left foot is the opposite of its original direction. A beat later, continue to pivot another half turn in the same clockwise direction and in the process bring your right foot back together with your left foot, so they end together. You will have now completed your full turn, now it is time to lead the lady through hers.

You will do with a back break as you lead the lady through her turn. Starting with your feet together with equal weight on both feet, move your right foot back a foot or so, placing your weight on this foot. Keeping both feet where they are, now replace your weight to your left foot and then move the right foot back to its original position next to the left foot, with equal weight on both feet.

Step 2: Upper Body For The Leader

In terms of upper body movement, the leader will hold the follower in a closed position hold for a front break and then do a back break, bringing her right hand up on the last count of the back break (seven) to a height equal to top of the man's head. Some call this the "pizza position" as the man's left arm is as a right angle with his hand titled back so that only his fingers support the lady's right hand, thus creating a shape similar to a pizza slice. This "pizza position" creates a sort of frame, through which the man looks directly at the lady as be begins performing his right turn. He turns, still keeping his left hand elevated at the same height so that she knows that her turn is next. As the man begins his back break, he raises his left hand higher and turns the lady in a clockwise direction, to her right. As she finishes her turn, the man resumes a closed position hold, placing his right hand under her left arm, resting on her shoulder blade.