Salsa

Body Wave / Body Roll

SalsaIntermediateStylingBoth

The vertical ripple. A smooth sequential wave through the body, hips to chest to head.

This move builds: Style …on the always-on five — Connection, Frame, Comfort, Posture, Consent.

A video walkthrough for this move is on the way.

Entry
any (layered)
Exit
same as entry
Tempo
slow
Musical use
accent
Connector
No
Level
Intermediate
Cluster
Styling
Style
Both

What This Move Is

A sequential vertical ripple: bend the knees keeping the body vertical, then move hips, then mid-body, then chest, then chin/head forward as if pressing against a wall. In salsa it should be smoother and subtler than the hip-hop version.

Key Points

  • Solo/either role: Move one body part at a time in sequence, top-down or bottom-up, keeping the flow continuous.
  • Timing: Stretched over slow counts; pairs with half-time phrasing.
  • Common mistake: Doing it too big or sharp (hip-hop style) or breaking the sequential flow.

Style Notes

A styling layer, not a step — drop it onto a pause, an open break, or a slow passage. The Cuban "salsawave" is a smoother, fluidity-focused variant (an informal term, not universally standardised).

Chains into

Layer this onto any move.