Latin Posture, Hips and Arms: A Follow-Along Masterclass

The short answer: Latin posture starts in a neutral pelvis, with your upper body weight brought forward over the balls of your feet. Your hips have four actions, rotational, lateral, settling and hip twists, and settling is the one that starts your movement. Arms come last. Once your posture, hips and feet work without thinking, practise coordinating your arms with double-beat Rumba walks.

Where does Latin posture start?

In the pelvis. It can look as if Latin dancers are stretching up into the air, but stretching up made my Cha Cha Cha impossible for years, because I didn't know how to use my body weight. Tilt your pelvis back, then forward, and find the neutral point in between. Your abs should feel engaged but not flexed, because flexing a muscle contracts it and pulls you down.

Next is where your weight sits. When you walk, it's in the middle of your feet. In Latin you want it over the balls of your feet. That doesn't mean pushing your hips forward or pitching your whole body forward. Lift out of your pelvis and bring your upper body, your sternum, over the balls of your feet. It will feel like you're about to fall at first. That's normal.

And train it outside the studio as well as inside it. I put notes around my work and in my car to remind me, until holding myself up became an unconscious habit.

What are the four types of Latin hip action?

• Rotational: a figure of eight around the spine. It can transfer your weight or create rhythm on the spot.
• Lateral: side to side, with minimal rotation.
• Settling: the most important of the four.
• Hip twists: the ladies' twisting actions through the hip.

Why do you settle your weight in Latin?

To start a movement, not to finish one. Settling means your body weight going into the supporting leg, and that creates a hip rotation towards the direction you want to go. To go forward, the settling action rotates and pulls your leg through. To go to the side, the hip settles to that side first. To go backward, the hip settles and comes slightly forward so your body can travel back. Think of your hip as a joystick for your movement.

How do you loosen up your hips?

Put your hands on a wall with your weight forward, keep your posture up, and practise the rotational movement again and again to free up the hip flexors, quads, obliques and back. Then work in three stages:

1. Segment: move only the hips.
2. Isolate: keep your shoulders and knees still, with no bending and no wobble.
3. Coordinate: add an arm movement, a back movement or your feet.

You won't get full coordination without the segmenting and isolating first.

When should you work on Latin arms?

Last. Arms in Latin should be natural and unaffected, but natural has to be trained. Your balance, timing and technique need to be automatic before you can think about your arms without losing everything else. Arm work really belongs to advanced dancers who know their steps and routine and no longer struggle with balance.

How do you practise posture, hips and arms together?

Use double-beat Rumba walks: one step for every two beats. Add one layer at a time.

1. The walk: forward on 2 and hold 3, forward on 4 and hold 1.
2. Posture: keep your pelvis up, not sagging, and land each step in that same upward position.
3. Hips: keep your arms still, settle your body weight to start the movement, step, then hold.
4. Arms: start in port de bras. Your arms go forward on 2, up between 2 and 3, out on 4 and down by the end of 1. They keep moving while your feet hold.
5. Everything together: combine the layers, then take the walk up to normal speed, 2, 3, 4, 1, and practise it backwards too.

Common mistakes

• Stretching up instead of building your posture from the pelvis.
• Pushing the hips forward to get your weight onto the balls of your feet.
• Settling to finish a movement instead of to start it.
• Letting the shoulders and knees move while you practise hip actions.
• Working on arms before your posture, hips and feet are automatic.

Try this in your next practice

Spend your practice on double-beat Rumba walks: posture first, then hips, then arms, then all of it together. Film your dancing today, then again at 14 days and at 30 days, and practise the walks every day in between. Think of your arms as breathing and painting the air, softening and strengthening again without tension.

Frequently asked questions

Can I practise Latin without a partner?

Yes. Everything in this lesson works solo, and the better your own body works, the better partner you'll be.

What does "natural and unaffected" mean for Latin arms?

Arms that move freely and on time, without stiffness or tension. They look natural only once they've been trained, which is why arms come after posture, hips and feet.

Why do I feel off balance when I bring my weight forward?

Because your nervous system is used to something else. You're not just learning technique, you're rewiring how your body moves. Hold the position, even when it's hard, and it becomes easier.

Am I too old to improve my Latin?

No. I've taught dancers from 7 to 77, and they can all get better at this. The aim is to be better than you were yesterday.

Related lessons

• How to use your feet for Latin American dancing
• Rumba Forward Check body actions
• Perfect balance for Ballroom and Latin dancers
• How to express yourself better in dancing

Vaughan Liddicoat is a 4 time World Professional 10 Dance representative for Australia, an accredited coach and the founder of Ballroom Mastery. He has a passion for dance and wants to help you become the best dancer you can be and have an amazing time doing it.