Half rotating Cross Body Lead (1/2 rot-CBL)

Half rotating Cross Body Lead: Salsa Partnering Dance Technique. Online Salsa Dance Formula: 1/2 rot-CBL.

Description for Leaders and for Followers: The 1/2 rot-CBL can be described as a regular Cross Body Lead, but with some differences. When dancing in Closed Dance Position the Leader makes the same dance steps as he does when he's making a regular Cross Body Lead. But because he keeps the frame ALL the time the Follower makes different dance steps: She starts by dancing the first half of a Mambo Basic for Followers.

See Mambo Basic. But her 2nd step forward is now done in a 45 degrees angle (5th Dance Position), and her 3rd step forward is now a 135 degrees Forward Walking Turn (l) facing the Leader at a 90 degrees angle from her starting point (2nd Dance Position) (3rd count). After the pause (4th count) the Leader leads the Follower towards him making her step with her left foot to the front (4th Dance Position) (5), she then makes a Back Step with her right foot in a 45 degrees angle (5th Dance Position) (6th count), and she finishes by making a 135 degrees Backwards Walking Turn (l) and stepping with her left foot behind her right foot (3rd Dance Position) (7th count) (On1).

The Follower keeps facing the Leader all the time. The Half rotating Cross Body Lead in a Closed Dance Position can also be executed with the Leader stepping forward and making a 45 degrees Forward Walking Turn (l) (and the Follower stepping to the back while making a Backwards Walking Turn (r) on the 5th count (stepping together back into the Dance Line or Slot; 5th Dance Position), the Leader making a 135 degrees Forward Walking Turn (l) and stepping with his left foot in the Dance Line (the Follower making a 135 degrees Backwards Walking Turn (l)) (4th Dance Position) (6th count), and the Leader finishes by stepping forward (and the Followers stepping to the back) (3rd Dance Position) (7th count).

The Half Rotating Cross Body Lead is the "mirror image" of a reversed Cross Body Lead. It is a very Leadable Dance Move (see "Leadable Dance Moves") and it is also an excellent substitute for a Follower that does not know the "regular" Cross Body Lead.