Yet another essential part of the Salsa dancer's repertoire, the Cross Body Lead is a turning version of the basic step, giving dancers more liberty to move freely around the dance floor.

The Cross Body Lead is normally danced with a total of 1/2 turn to the left, but most interesting is the difference of timing between the man and lady's turn: The man will first turn away from the lady, and she will turn later. This results in the lady passing briefly in front of the man, giving the Cross Body Lead its name.

Fig. 1 - Cross Body Position
Man turns away from lady, leading her to dance in front of his body from his right side to his left.

As an alternative to the basic closed position, the Cross Body Lead can also be danced in open facing position using a one- or two-hand hold, or cross-hand hold such as RH-RH.