What's your motivation for/contribution to the Salsa World?

[peachexploration]

Okay, so many of us enter the Salsa world for many different reasons. Once our initial entrance is over, what becomes your reason for staying with it and also, what is your contribution? Example: When I first wanted to learn Salsa, my initial reason for entering was first the love of music and second I always wanted to learn a method of dance. Because I was in my 30s, I wanted to learn a dance that hopefully I could be somewhat decent at. Not that Salsa is easy by any means but I thought it was a dance desire that was obtainable for me as opposed to me learning ballet this late in life. Anyway, once I passed through the gateway so to speak, my contribution was (and I hoped this is what others got from me) sharing the love, joy and passion with others whether is was in conversation, added a page dedicated to Salsa on my website, etc.

What were your reasons for entering the Salsa world and what do you think your contributions are now?

[sagitta]

I too got into salsa because of the music. I had just started learning swing, ECS, and was getting into lindy, but once I heard salsa I was a lost cause. Now I listen to salsa music all the time at home, while at work when not working the circ desk...

My contributions? I want to share my passion of salsa with others. I love to teach. Every time I go dancing I teach people something. I strongly believe that I am there to dance, but if people show an interest I jump at the opportunity to do so. Tonight I taught the basic, back breaks, and right turn to a couple friends of a friend, at their request. I'm going to be helping teach a latin class on Mondays, starting on June 14th, or I think that I'm going to be doing so. Plus I'm helping teach a rueda class this Sunday and next, with the hope of making this 2/1 class rueda session a regular staple of a dance class at Cornell University, in addition to the folk dance club.

Speaking of wbe pages. I too have a coupel pages devoted to salsa. When I manage to redo my entire site I'll share it, but until then you'll just have to find it on your own. Suprisingly quite a few people in my local area have and liked the information that I have, though they comment on difficulty in navigating. I just haven't bothered to put up any navigation menu!! :oops: It actually is more a tool for me to fool around and learn stuff.

[salsachinita]

What were your reasons for entering the Salsa world and what do you think your contributions are now?

:D Isn't this common love we all share for salsa fantastic!!???

I fell in love with the music in my late teens, then seeing that beautiful Robby Rosa in the movie 'Salsa!' convinced me that I really should try & learn to dance it :wink: ! As a 19 yr old with two left feet & low confidence, this opened a whole new world for me.

15 years on, I'm still living salsa as my lifestyle 8) !

As I have grown up with the salsa conmmunity in my city, I have been a lucky one to have learnt from some of the old-school ledgends about musicality & the true essence of this culture. Most of these are never covered in studio dance classes & I felt a certain obligation to (1) pass on what I know, learn what I don't (2) introduce any new aficionados to local ledgends & (3) be an embassador/host to visiting dancers/musicians so we may all learn from unfamilar styles & evolve.

I've spent a fair amount of time (read: non-dancing hours) each day on SF & DF because I love being here. Nothing satisfies me more than knowing a bunch of dancers & music lovers sharing ideas/experiences on a global level :D !

I am an idealist and would like to work towards building a united international salsa community, where all the characteristics of different styles are not merely tolerated, but celebrated! So we may enjoy dancing with anyone & everyone wherever we go 8) !

[MacMoto]

Speaking of wbe pages. I too have a coupel pages devoted to salsa. When I manage to redo my entire site I'll share it, but until then you'll just have to find it on your own.
I've been meaning to do this too, but since I started dancing, I just can't find time to update my website :oops:. I used to use weekends for this; now weekends are for dancing!

[borikenSalsero]

The love, the love, pass it on baby...

My main purpose, aside the sharing of this passion, is to bring to light that which is extinct in salsa, eventually to plant a seed, even if it takes decades to bud.

[squirrel]

When I entered the Salsa world all I wanted was to learn how to dance... my first contact with the dance was so enthralling that I had to take lessons... I wanted to be out there, enjoying myself as the persons I saw appeared to...
Now, after more than 3 years, I want to stay in this world, 'cause my love for this music and dance is forever growing. And I want to share with others what I have learned! And of course, learn myself more... :)

[peachexploration]

Anyone else?

[johnnyBG]

Okay,
I'm in my 30s too .. so I love to dance ... my friend pick me and take me to this salsa club... it was amazing...
than I've started to learn it and very soon I move to the next level. After this I found a partner and I am very happy with her. She becaome not only a dance-partner :oops: So now... we go together, dance, enjoy the music... and it's great

[DeeplyDippy]

My contribution at the moment is extensive in that I prepare and write a weekly salsa newsletter. It's distributed via email to 700 people in my area.

I have to keep on top of what's happening locally in the clubs and nationally for special events. I have to tell people about it and ask for their email addresses. It's also an outlet for me to wibble on about what I'm doing on the salsa front.

I do it because, coming from IT, I'm a believer in doing stuff for nothing and in what goes around, comes around.

Salsa is more than my hobby and I'm doing what I can to encourage it locally so that I can continue to dance.


As for why I started, well I had / have very base motives !

[peachexploration]

That's awesome DD. :)

[salseralon]

My motivation to start actually came from my mum, who had this thing about doing salsa, i'd always liked non-partner and partner dancing but hadnt really equated it with starting salsa,anyway my mum wanted me to come along with her so i went grudgingly with a bad leg injury, then i met loads of nice ppl and really started to feel the dancing and music, so i carried on...

As for now i mean i still love to learn and dance, even more than when i started, and as i met my b/f dancing obviously i dance with him.

As for what i contribute, i dont know, because i dont contribute alot compared to others. i mean i brought alot of friends in to the glorious world of salsa, and sometimes help out teaching others, but thats it....maybe its time to creat my own salsa website or something...

[HF]

Speaking of wbe pages. I too have a coupel pages devoted to salsa. When I manage to redo my entire site I'll share it, but until then you'll just have to find it on your own.

Any hint on the starting url?

[Salsamakossa]

Ever since seeing people dance to it I have wanted to do so as well, but had never made time for it till recently. Just going with the flow, and breaking in beginners whenever I get the chance... lol.

[smiling28]

Anyone else?

I want to talk to my soul then learn to sing for everyone!

[Swannie]

I've always enjoyed dancing, now I don't feel stupid doing it (without the aid of alcohol ;) ). I started so I could learn how to dance. I'm always going to be doing that!

However the things that have kept me with salsa rather than any other style - the classes are fun, I'm actually not too bad at it (I hope, people think I have been dancing longer than I have), the music is really good, the friends I have made are wonderful wonderful people. (Ohh, and the girls... but I'm at the club to dance, I don't want to ruin that by doing anything else there, how annoying :S).

My contribution? Not really made one, beyond trying to have lovely dances with every partner.

I do think I want to become an instructor someday, though. I love teaching people stuff, explaining things to people, having to get into their heads to see what they don't understand/don't feel. That would be a wicked contribution.

[Jambo]

My motivation - Nearly loosing a leg, being told by my consultant that my dancing days were over (did various other dances before accident), I wanted so desperately to prove him wrong ;)

My contibution - Proving him wrong! :D :D :D

[MacMoto]

My motivation -- I love dancing and I love the music :D (I'm a compusive dancer -- I hear music, I start dancing :oops: )

My contribution -- hmmm, I dance? :roll:

[AndrewD]

These things motivate me as I learn to dance.

When I hear ladies say “the night was ok – I only had three good dances” I want to be responsible for one of those dances (maybe all three!)

When a great tune is being played and a lady needs to dance to it – I want to be one of the men she looks for.

When a beginner is nervous, I want the ability to put her at ease and make her feel good about herself.

[lolita]

my contribution... Hmmmm :roll:
i... i .. mmm YEah i finally arranged for a congress in Cairo
i'm sure i'll see all of you there or else i aint posting here no more :evil:

[Jambo]

my contribution... Hmmmm :roll:
i... i .. mmm YEah i finally arranged for a congress in Cairo
i'm sure i'll see all of you there or else i aint posting here no more :evil:

When is it? Have you got a link? My hubby used to work in Cairo, I'm sure he'd like to go back :D