Hello everybody, I am a long time reader and I have only recently created an account here. I originally wanted to ask a question in the 'Name that tune' section, but I found out I am not allowed to post links until I have a number of normal posts under my belt (which makes sense), so I thought to introduce myself and ask a couple of things until I am eligible to ask my song question 
First of all, I would like to say a big thank you to all of you ladies and gentleman here, both to the long-time active and more resent posters. It has been a great pleasure to read about the very many salsa related topics, hearing about the different opinions, and how they may vary with geographic location. I have certainly learned a lot about the social dance culture, the music, history, theory, even technique! A recent thread about 360s helped me improve that element in my repertoire greatly, for example. So I can't thank you all enough, all of you who contribute to this forum, making it one of the best corners on the internet I have ever visited. I really hope it will continue for a long time to come.
Anyway, I have been dancing salsa for 4.5 years now (as a lead). I prefer, and nearly exclusively dance the linear style. Originally started learning on1 (LA influenced, but not as flashy), since that was available where I lived at the time. I took classes regularly for the first 2-3 years, and with work, i got steadily better. After being exposed to the (European) congresses, my teachers and the time told me that "if you want to get better, and dance with the really good people - you need to learn on2 (ETon2)" . From what I saw at those congresses, that indeed seemed to be the case. But, so far, I have not been fortunate to live in a place where one can take pure on2 classes. So I learned by simply social dancing, trying it out with with my teachers at the time and the few advanced people in the scene (but also Youtube and this forum helped a lot). Finally it "clicked", and I am able to dance smoothly to most songs.
However, about 1.5 years ago, I changed jobs and moved to Groningen, a town in the north of Netherlands. To my dismay, the salsa scene in that town (and in the surrounding few) is poor at best. There are few schools that organize socials, but the level is extremely low, even for the people that have been at it for longer than myself (included the teachers). The style pushed is some mixture of linear and "cuban", something I doubt any of the regular posters were would appreciate. I noticed that very few if any of the people actually are aware of the dance world outside the town and actually would like to get better. The others are happy doing their "little choreographies", regardless of the music being played..
I tried adjusting myself to the follows there, to make myself as comparable as I can for them, while slowly trying to show that there is so much more do the dance that they think there is. However, I have noticed recently, when I am able to travel and go to congresses or socials in the bigger cities across Europe that my own level has dropped considerably, I have lots a lof the the (little?) technique I've had and I have fallen into plenty of bad habits while trying to make myself compatible to the dance scene in Groningen.
I really like dancing and I do not really want to quit, my dancing (once per week at best) in my current local scene appears to do me more bad than good. I am yet to find a partner to practice with outside of socials who would actually like to learn improve herself. If anybody has ever found themselves a similar situation can you please offer some advice, on what can I do keep both my spirits and muscle memory up (not even thinking about learning new things at the moment.. :S). I started focusing on free spins, but without a proper teacher, I am afraid I may build even more bad habits (youtube and reading things on this forum helps immensely, but it is still not the same as having someone teach you in person).
Maybe if there are some Dutch people, or people living in the Netherlands that could offer some advice. I am quite disappointed, since the salsa scene in Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague (all cities in the south of Netherlands) is great, and people are really really good, the north where I am at, is nothing like that..
Thank you in advance.
(Aside: I know this is a salsa forum, and I am not technically allowed to ask things about other dances, but I am just curious: I was looking at the workshop schedule for the Warsaw salsa congress this November, and on Sunday I saw a "bachata on2" by Troy Anthony. on2? Is this a typo, something new, or I simply don't know my stuff..? Just puzzled and curious)
First of all, I would like to say a big thank you to all of you ladies and gentleman here, both to the long-time active and more resent posters. It has been a great pleasure to read about the very many salsa related topics, hearing about the different opinions, and how they may vary with geographic location. I have certainly learned a lot about the social dance culture, the music, history, theory, even technique! A recent thread about 360s helped me improve that element in my repertoire greatly, for example. So I can't thank you all enough, all of you who contribute to this forum, making it one of the best corners on the internet I have ever visited. I really hope it will continue for a long time to come.
Anyway, I have been dancing salsa for 4.5 years now (as a lead). I prefer, and nearly exclusively dance the linear style. Originally started learning on1 (LA influenced, but not as flashy), since that was available where I lived at the time. I took classes regularly for the first 2-3 years, and with work, i got steadily better. After being exposed to the (European) congresses, my teachers and the time told me that "if you want to get better, and dance with the really good people - you need to learn on2 (ETon2)" . From what I saw at those congresses, that indeed seemed to be the case. But, so far, I have not been fortunate to live in a place where one can take pure on2 classes. So I learned by simply social dancing, trying it out with with my teachers at the time and the few advanced people in the scene (but also Youtube and this forum helped a lot). Finally it "clicked", and I am able to dance smoothly to most songs.
However, about 1.5 years ago, I changed jobs and moved to Groningen, a town in the north of Netherlands. To my dismay, the salsa scene in that town (and in the surrounding few) is poor at best. There are few schools that organize socials, but the level is extremely low, even for the people that have been at it for longer than myself (included the teachers). The style pushed is some mixture of linear and "cuban", something I doubt any of the regular posters were would appreciate. I noticed that very few if any of the people actually are aware of the dance world outside the town and actually would like to get better. The others are happy doing their "little choreographies", regardless of the music being played..
I tried adjusting myself to the follows there, to make myself as comparable as I can for them, while slowly trying to show that there is so much more do the dance that they think there is. However, I have noticed recently, when I am able to travel and go to congresses or socials in the bigger cities across Europe that my own level has dropped considerably, I have lots a lof the the (little?) technique I've had and I have fallen into plenty of bad habits while trying to make myself compatible to the dance scene in Groningen.
I really like dancing and I do not really want to quit, my dancing (once per week at best) in my current local scene appears to do me more bad than good. I am yet to find a partner to practice with outside of socials who would actually like to learn improve herself. If anybody has ever found themselves a similar situation can you please offer some advice, on what can I do keep both my spirits and muscle memory up (not even thinking about learning new things at the moment.. :S). I started focusing on free spins, but without a proper teacher, I am afraid I may build even more bad habits (youtube and reading things on this forum helps immensely, but it is still not the same as having someone teach you in person).
Maybe if there are some Dutch people, or people living in the Netherlands that could offer some advice. I am quite disappointed, since the salsa scene in Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague (all cities in the south of Netherlands) is great, and people are really really good, the north where I am at, is nothing like that..
Thank you in advance.
(Aside: I know this is a salsa forum, and I am not technically allowed to ask things about other dances, but I am just curious: I was looking at the workshop schedule for the Warsaw salsa congress this November, and on Sunday I saw a "bachata on2" by Troy Anthony. on2? Is this a typo, something new, or I simply don't know my stuff..? Just puzzled and curious)
