Bachata
Manos de Tijera (Scissor Hands)
Also known as: Scissor hands, tijeras
Scissoring arm-styling that frames the follow's upper-body isolations — the hands cross and open like scissors to dress a chest or rib movement.
Coach's notes — the how & why
What This Move Is
A styling element where the arms cross and open repeatedly like scissor blades, framing and accenting an upper-body isolation. It is decoration — a way to make a chest or rib isolation read bigger and more deliberate.
Key Points
- Lead: Often the follow's own styling — keep your frame quiet and give her the space and time to play it.
- Follow: Cross and open the hands cleanly in front of the chest, letting the scissors answer the isolation underneath.
- Timing: On accents, over 2–4 counts.
- Common mistake: Flapping the hands without an isolation beneath, so the styling has nothing to frame.
Style Notes
A small flourish that lifts the sensual isolations from functional to expressive. Use it to punctuate a held moment in the music.
Quick notes, not instruction — always learn moves in person with a qualified teacher.
- Musical use
- Level
- Intermediate
- Type
- Frame
- Style
Chains into
After this, you can flow into…
Learn these first
One way to flow
Go deeper with your coach
Own Manos de Tijera (Scissor Hands), then make it yours
This page is free, always. Your online coach goes further on every move you own — styling that makes it look like you, variations to keep it fresh, and how to hit it on the music.
- Styling
- Variations
- Musicality