Valentino y Ryuji

“The leader leads, but they always, always have to follow too.”

Explaining the core concept of sensual style — introducing the idea that leaders also need to embrace their follower's styling

“It's exactly like driving. You put your blinker on before you turn left — the person driving straight has no way of knowing otherwise.”

Using a driving analogy to explain the importance of delivering the lead without eye contact in the media (shadow) position

“The lead isn't about pushing your partner forward, it's about lifting them up. The feeling is a whoosh upward — like giving them an airplane ride.”

Explaining the direction of the leader's lead when lifting the partner in the Titanic move

“The woman's tension goes down, the man's tension goes up. The force between the two people stops right here in the middle — that's tension.”

Explaining the principle of building basic tension (the frame) in a closed hold

“Break the count a little when you're doing a pattern. Instead of finishing on the 8, let it run past the 8 and land on 1, 2 — leading it that way is how you build your own musicality.”

Explaining how to build your own musicality by playing with the count of the infinity (Shakira) move

“Without breath there's no wave. You go up on the breath, and you only come down as much as you went up.”

A moment of explaining breathing directly to a student as the foundation of the onda (wave) move

“The leader body leads by moving the ribcage, but if the follower doesn't have that resistance pressing the arm down, you can't feel that moment at all.”

Explaining Pablo y Raquel's body lead–body following concept and stressing the importance of resistance

“You're not switching your left foot, you're just forcing your way to the right — that's why you can't get in. Switch the foot first.”

Pointing out that forcing the direction change without first switching the left foot angle blocks the move

“If you move the body first, the head follows. Once the head follows, you can go a little further. Just move the body — then the body and the head move together.”

Explaining, in English during a head roll demo, the basic principle that the body moves first and the head follows as a result

“Look at my hand — I'm not gripping her shoulder. Don't grab her shoulder; just give the feeling of turning the whole frame.”

Demonstrating what the hands do when leading a turn

“The man always has to think of it as creating the move for the woman.”

Pointing out that pushing her upper body during the preparation leaves her no way to do the move

“You want her to feel, 'ah, he's about to turn me.' And for that, you can't just spin her with no weight shift — the man has to step and shift his weight along with her.”

Explaining how to signal a turn by changing the hand direction

“The woman's base posture — shoulders back, always, strong and proud!”

Explaining the woman's basic posture

“The line from the sternum out to the shoulders is never straight — it leans gently back. And the man has to give his support at that same angle.”

Explaining the woman's posture line and how the man supports it

“Don't grab! Use the pressure on the shoulder axis!”

Stressing hand use in the 'turn again' movement

“If you drop your arm after she's already come all the way around, she reads it as 'oh, another turn.' It has to be down before she comes back — earlier than you'd think.”

Explaining the misread that happens when the timing of finishing a turn is late

“I hope people watch and go, "oh — that person dances their own dance."”

Ryubalance director Ryuji talking in an interview about where the classes are headed and what they hope for the members

“When you lift a little, don't lead with just the hand — breathe and lengthen your own body. The elbow only comes up because your body is lengthening.”

Explaining that the lift going into a head circle comes from the leader's breath and extension, not from the hand

“When you get a lead and you have no idea where it's going, you always send your energy from the top down.”

Explaining the energy direction a follower should take when receiving a lead whose direction isn't clear

“Sink down together with the grip. You're turning in this position, and if you use that sinking-down energy, then when you drop — bam — the force you were pulling down with is what bounces you right back up.”

Sinking the grip and body downward during a turn creates a rebound that pops you up on the drop

“When you send it to the right, don't go straight across at a right angle. The head just drops. Send it lightly back, that kind of feeling, and then catch it toward the front.”

Explaining the safe angle and the feel for changing direction in a head circle

“The head roll breath has to go into the chest, but the second you think of it as head movement, you start wanting to throw your head around.”

Warning about the common mistake that comes from thinking a head circle is moved by the head itself

“Those of you tucking your chin in — that's a hard no. It's a really tough position for you, and it makes the lead heavy too.”

Pointing out a common mistake — tucking the chin in on the way into a head circle

“If you've got both arms wrapped inward, you just keep getting sucked in. You always have to keep your posture outside your arms — that's what lets you drop from up top when it hits.”

Explaining how arm placement affects the head circle drop position