Salsa
Body Wave / Body Roll
The vertical ripple. A smooth sequential wave through the body, hips to chest to head.
Coach's notes — the how & why
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).
Quick notes, not instruction — always learn moves in person with a qualified teacher.
- Musical use
- Level
- Intermediate
- Type
- Frame
- Style
Chains into
Layer this onto any move.
Go deeper with your coach
Own Body Wave / Body Roll, 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