Superstar Rhythm DVD

U

UK Dancer

Does anyone have any knowledge of the DVD produced by Chris Marques & Jaclyn Spencer for DSI called "Superstar Rhythm Vol. 1" containing material for Cuban style Salsa, New York Mambo & Merengue? They are life members of the IDTA, and seem to have some tie in with Paul Harris, author of a slim volume called "Step by Step Guide to Salsa, Mambo & Merengue", which incorporates the IDTA's Salsa Teachers Diploma syllabus.

I'm mainly wondering to what extent the DVD and the book contents overlap (ie whether the DVD is a good learning resource to support syllabus study).

Any wider comments, eg where the Marques/Spencer style of Salsa fits within the social salsa world, would be welcome too.

(This was first posted on DanceForums, and the only response, there, was to try reposting here and "watch the response"!)
 
Anyone?

They are otherwise known as 'Cuban Groove' and judging by their website, which modestly claims:
With a sensational natural talent and sensual Salsa moves, Chris and Jaci light up the dance floor as one of the foremost Salsa dance duos in the world.
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they have recently been teaching Ballroom & Latin in Wimbledon.
 
Hello UK Dancer and welcome.

Sorry I can't help with the DVD since I haven't seen it and have no desire to get it or the book, but

UK Dancer said:
Any wider comments, eg where the Marques/Spencer style of Salsa fits within the social salsa world, would be welcome too.
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It doesn't... :rolleyes:

Every time they appear on TV and are introduced as salsa champions, salsa people go "who are they?" - as witnessed here:
www.salsaforums.com/showthread.php?p=124040&highlight=Chris+Marques#post124040

They come from the ballroom latin world, won some obscure "salsa" championships and got a bit of exposure on TV when all those dance programmes sprang up, but they don't really have anything to do with the salsa scene at all as far as I know.

The YouTube clips of their ballroom-style rueda are quite amusing though - in the :shock: :roll: :nope: kinda sense... :lol:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB5cFQjUEdg check out this salsa demonstration!

I see some salsa moves in it, but no salsa music. Looks like they do know some cuban salsa but dance it in a very english style. Their presentation of themselves reminds me of the girl at school who is going to be a star and claims to be an "international competitor" because she once had a dance-off with a welsh girl in the playground.

I'm sure they have bags of technique and so on but for flavour there are several better places to go.

zomg, hope the video is not like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vdQOU6LIDU
 
Flying Donkey said:
That is 6 minutes of my life that I will never get back....
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LOL..

On a serious note, I find it kinda sad, that people with obvious talent, have not ( apparently ) ever been exposed to the "other " world of latin..or.. maybe they choose not to , which is usually a typical B/room attitude .
 
MacMoto said:
Salsa's not part of the 10 official dances of ballroom (international) competitions, but it appears many ballroom schools offer salsa.
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Its become official in this sense.. the 3 major Soc. have adopted a Sy. , and appointed examiners .

From what little Ive seen, its very close to a Mambo style .

And, not to forget, the B.R. schools in the States, were teaching Mambo ( and now salsa ) before most of the readers on this site were born, and its part of their competition package in Amer. style Rhythm .
 
terence said:
Its become official in this sense.. the 3 major Soc. have adopted a Sy. , and appointed examiners .

From what little Ive seen, its very close to a Mambo style .

And, not to forget, the B.R. schools in the States, were teaching Mambo ( and now salsa ) before most of the readers on this site were born, and its part of their competition package in Amer. style Rhythm .
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Paul Harris (as mentioned in OP) wrote the IDTA syllabus, and also I think the UKA one. I have the former but not the latter, but compared with, say, The Laird Technique of Latin Dancing, it is rather a lightweight piece of writing, trying very hard to look like a 'proper' technique (and anyone who studies such texts will know what I mean).

I don't know whether you would agree, but the figure described as the Mambo Break seems to my untutored eye to be the nearest thing to the 'basic step' that most people would instantly recognise as being salsa, and I would be interested to know just how the editors hand could be brought to bear on the not-very-many words on that page, to render what is being described as 'authentic', given the suggestion that it is not. 0.01% Cuban shouldn't be hard to improve upon?

MacMoto said:
Salsa's not part of the 10 official dances of ballroom (international) competitions, but it appears many ballroom schools offer salsa.
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Might it be equally true to say that in this salsa school, ballroom may be offered?

I use a dance studio as one of my teaching venues, and there, a whole variety of styles is offered. Its staff do come from the teaching society world, of course, but they hold a very wide variety of qualifications in dances across all genres. Some of us (a minority) hold Ballroom qualifications, Latin is more common, and nearly everyone teaches Freestyle, together with mixed a handful of the style-specific diplomas such as Rock & Roll, Argentine Tango, and, of course, Salsa.

It would probably be true to say that you couldn't fairly describe that studio as a Ballroom one, unless you meant the term perjoratively.
 
UK Dancer said:
I don't know whether you would agree, but the figure described as the Mambo Break seems to my untutored eye to be the nearest thing to the 'basic step' that most people would instantly recognise as being salsa,


and I would be interested to know just how the editors hand could be brought to bear on the not-very-many words on that page, to render what is being described as 'authentic', given the suggestion that it is not. 0.01% Cuban shouldn't be hard to improve upon?



.
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The Fwd and Back basic , is really more a matter of style; look at current LA style and you are essentially seeing old school Mambo basic .

As to editor(s).. I think what "authentic " means to that individual, is what he/she has been informed ,is as shown.

In real terms, there is very little authenticity, in much of the teaching in the world of Salsa . And.. how does one define "authentic " ? .
 
terence said:
In real terms, there is very little authenticity, in much of the teaching in the world of Salsa . And.. how does one define "authentic " ? .
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Quite. We all have our own personal preferences, and no doubt we are influenced by whatever goes in our local dance scenes. I see this in Argentine Tango all the time. Everyone is an expert. On closer examination, this expertise turns out to be the product of a five-minute casual conversation with someone who took a trip-of-a-lifetime holiday to Buenos Aires, but who never strayed more than five minutes' walk from the hotel. They attended Milongas where the only other people present were a load of other tourists, all pretending to be locals, and a few, bored, taxi dancers, who could barely dance themselves, but who are happily taking the money. They come home, with five pairs of shoddily-made tango shoes in their luggage, determined to grow the obligatory pony-tail, and wondering whether adding an 'O' to their surname* would make them sound more Argentinean.

Six weeks later, Mr & Mrs Smitho are teaching - authentic tango, straight from Buenos Aires. Apparently. Hmm.

[*This is the men, of course]

So authenticity is usually whatever I say it is, or whatever you say it is, or whoever speaks loudest. At least in the standardised dances (whatever we may feel about them as dances) the technique is properly documented, and there is some unanimity of opinion (at a high level) about what the dance is, and what styling represents proper characterisation. For anyone taking the first tentative steps (sorry about the pun) in one of the less standardised dances, how on earth are they supposed to be able to tell what is good and what is bad (and who says so, anyway, and why should I care?)?

Around here, the most active salsa teachers are all UKA members, so presumably, although their classes and socials are usually very well attended, I am to believe that I should look elsewhere for instruction if I want proper salsa. But if I stick with the local offering, at least I should stand half a chance of being able to dance with the local dancers, regardless of the authenticity?
 
UK Dancer said:
and wondering whether adding an 'O' to their surname* would make them sound more Argentinean.


Around here, the most active salsa teachers are all UKA members, so presumably, although their classes and socials are usually very well attended, I am to believe that I should look elsewhere for instruction if I want proper salsa. But if I stick with the local offering, at least I should stand half a chance of being able to dance with the local dancers, regardless of the authenticity?
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1st para. very funny !

I guess you have a choice to make.. and, is there no one else locally that teaches Salsa that would be less "BR " style ? .

And, as you are probably aware, good teachers prepare their clientele for other styles ,dance wise and musically ( even if only a limited approach ) .
 
terence said:
... is there no one else locally that teaches Salsa that would be less "BR " style?
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How should I know? What is this BR salsa anyway, and how does it differ from any other sort?

There are lots of styles, aren't there, and seemingly, little agreement as to the competing merits of any of them.

[Afterthought: Perhaps Classical Sequence would be a better project for the New Year. I could even learn the Gainsborough Glide - it always makes me laugh.]
 
UK Dancer said:
How should I know? What is this BR salsa anyway, and how does it differ from any other sort?



[Afterthought: Perhaps Classical Sequence would be a better project for the New Year. I could even learn the Gainsborough Glide - it always makes me laugh.]
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You posted a good e.g. of it already !

And, you would probably make more money if you did !!
 
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