I am going to give you this information, whether you are the leader or a follower.
Leaders, it is your job to find the right place to execute the shines while dancing. The best salsa shines placement is during an instrumental solo in the music.
95% of the time, this the perfect opportunity where shines are expected to take place. The easiest way to start a shine is to simply release the hold.
But you can make it look more natural if you lead a free spin, like a hand toss turn, and avoid connecting afterwards.
Followers, it is your job to keep an eye on your leader at all times, if possible. This is the fastest way to understand what the leader is asking from you and for you to know what you can do at any given moment.
If the leader disconnects from you and doesn’t reach for your hand again, that means it’s go-time to do salsa shines!
Here is when you take control of your dancing and begin to show off your shines, in a solo environment. Keeping it short, sweet, and sexy is one of the secrets of salsa shines.