Salsa
Hair Comb (Peinala)
Comb her hair, walk away clean. A graceful hand-over-the-head pass that resolves a two-hand tangle into open position.
This move builds: Frame …on the always-on four — Connection, Frame, Comfort, Posture.
- Entry
- open, two-hand or R-to-R, facing
- Exit
- open, L-to-R, facing
- Tempo
- any
- Musical use
- accent/filler
- Connector
- Yes — connects open, two-hand or R-to-R, facing → open, L-to-R, facing vocabulary
- Level
- Intermediate
- Cluster
- Position-Changes
- Style
- Both
What This Move Is
A small, elegant resolution: you bring one of the follow's hands up and over her own head — the motion looks exactly like combing her hair — then release down the other side into a clean open hold. It's the classic graceful exit from a tangled two-hand or crossed-hand position, the move that says "let's tidy up and breathe" before the next idea.
Key Points
- Lead: Lead the hand up and over the crown of her head, not across her face — give her room. Keep the arc smooth and the height generous so nothing snags.
- Follow: Let your hand travel over your own head and follow the arc down; soften your neck and let your head stay level — you're not turning, you're being combed.
- Timing: Unhurried — the comb fits any 8-count; lift over 1-2-3, settle to open on 5-6-7.
- Common mistake: Leading the hand too low so it drags across her face or catches her hair for real. Lift higher than feels necessary.
Style Notes
Names vary by scene — "hair comb," "peinala," or just "the comb." A double version combs both hands in sequence to untangle a fully crossed hold. It's a connector precisely because it always lands in clean open position, ready for half the library.
Chains into
After this, you can flow into…