I've been reading assessments with students telling me that the Nazis "evilised", "beridded" and "genocided" the Jews. Salsaforums neologisms are not my highest language priorities at the moment
What would it take for salsa to have a revival?
- Thread starter rheemixed
- Start date
Oh stop. My assessment marking mountain is giving me enough trauma without you adding to it...
So I went to this WCS crash course yesterday. My last try about five years ago resulted in me struggling with the asymmetric basic step. This time I was better prepared by checking it out before with a youtube clip. I even knew what a sugar push is. So the course was nice this time. We did the expected basics: left side pass, right side pass (name was somewhat different) and sugar push.
One thing was remarkably different to my salsa experiences: instructors encouraged us to switch roles, and indeed some experienced persons did. In salsa I was forbidden twice in two schools to switch role, so I never could really learn to be follower. Owners were afraid they could lose customers because they guessed people come for hetero mating. Of course I prefer dancing with the opposite gender, but occasionally learn the other side would help a lot.
Both instructors were females, switching roles. I liked the relaxed atmosphere resulting from this. Male instructors often can't hide how much they enjoy to be the top guy in the room, surrounded by adoring women and inferior men. Male instructors never showed real interest in me improving - for them I'm not a potential dance partner, and even worse: I'm not a potential flirt partner. Female instructors were always more interested in me improving.
After the course there was a gap, nobody danced yet. I left because I needed to get up early the next morning. So I can't say anything about behaviour in WCS social. But it's possible I would return there, just to improve my dance experience.
Uh oh, thread is about reviving and growing salsa, and yet it looks like we might have put you onto WCS instead!! Someone call the doc STAT, we're losing him!
Move over Nigerian Princes!
A new German scam?
He'll probably ask for my CC and SSN in order to collect the prize. You can't trust these people.
That's how I dance 90% of the time. I am not sure the leads actually enjoy that or are offended
And prohibition worked so well...Might work in some super repressed states or communities. Normalizing vs Shaming will have a greater impact.
So there was a massive bachata night last night drawing dancers from across the region. So I went to a salsa only event last night, which I think was put on as salsa only because if that as it’s usually 50/50. The DJ did play one bachata & it went down like a lead balloon with people grumbling and the dance floor was the emptiest I saw it all night. The music otherwise tended a bit too much towards the elevator salsa stuff for my tastes, only a couple of duras. Very heavy on the slower romantica. But preferable to the usual SBK. It was well attended too. So there is hope. But then again if hope is elevator salsa, erg.
DJ Yuca
Son Montuno
The only way would be to force everyone to dance on 3. Which would actually be quite interesting, but how would you enforce it?
I've read this a few times and I still don't understand it. Can you write it in a simpler form please.
B
Backwards compatible is not the correct term. What I mean is since there are several types of Salsa, you can't really mix and match the different styles as easily; almost completely different dances/feel. For some reason (only from watching), I feel that other "versions" of the same dance (Urban/Kiz?) may be easier to fluidly transition and find that middle ground. With so many variations/type of Salsa, I feel there is universally a bigger disconnect. The only other dance I feel is this severely different is International vs Brazilian Samba; they are nothing alike other than the name.
The only way would be to force everyone to dance on 3. Which would actually be quite interesting, but how would you enforce it?
Let's keep On2. I like the slower pace. And money would be the only way. For all socials/schools to be funded for doing only one type. Of course that would mean a global agreement of funding sources/entities to agree to only have it that way.
I've read this a few times and I still don't understand it. Can you write it in a simpler form please.
Backwards compatible is not the correct term. What I mean is since there are several types of Salsa, you can't really mix and match the different styles as easily; almost completely different dances/feel. For some reason (only from watching), I feel that other "versions" of the same dance (Urban/Kiz?) may be easier to fluidly transition and find that middle ground. With so many variations/type of Salsa, I feel there is universally a bigger disconnect. The only other dance I feel is this severely different is International vs Brazilian Samba; they are nothing alike other than the name.
I think if teachers would stop counting numbers and focus on weight transfers switching and adopting wouldn't be such a problem. There are a lot of common ground between salsa styles.
Yep agreed.
Disagreed completely.
First it wouldn't overcome the problems of a linear dancer trying to connect with a cuban style dancer.
Second the very good instructors admit they do count by themselves when they do difficult shines. Any teacher saying "Don't count, just feel it" is a bad teacher.
Well, I can switch styles, including mid song, I can lead you into it. I know a lot of people who can do it. I've taken a classes including from Cuban dance stars on the topic. It's not only on123cuban. There are multitude of rhythms in salsa music that ask you to change what you do. Like pachanga or rumba guaguanco, or that Cuban twerk where I forgot the name. Quite radical changes.
It makes sense for choreographers to count, the way it makes sense for books to have numbers on each page. It's a reference, orientation tool. Musicians often count, I can count as well, it's like an internal metronome, developed using actual metronome and a lot of practice.
But one is able to read and enjoy the book, or tell a story without paying attention to page numbers or psalm numbers.
We have better tool in salsa dancing to know at which page are. It's called music. And if both dancers sync their weight transfers and dance to the same song - stylistic differences will add color not cause problems. (maybe some confusion at first times)
So do good linear dancers. I dance both linear & Cuban and the percentage of dancers (lead & follow) who adjust to the music v pattern monkeys who struggle with the music is pretty much the same. IMHO it’s not a which style is better thing, it’s the dancer & the way salsa is taught.
I agree. IME I mostly hear the ‘ it’s so different it’s not compatibile’ from people who only really dance one style.
As someone who can dance linear & Cuban to a high level there is far more similarity than difference, especially when you consider the history & common roots. Also the styles still take influences from each other today esp as the scene is international with congresses etc, moves being adapted to each style.
You’re right, I think if there was more focus on transferable lead & follow skills it’d help. I think my following skills improved the most by doing some Argentine tango, because we focused so much on weight transfer & feeling every nuance of your partner’s moves etc, those skills I have been able to transfer to salsa.
bailar y tocar
Son Montuno
In salsa scenes/cities where there are enough dancers to have multiple events per week, the dancers tend to go to the event that fits their musical preference.
In salsa scenes/cities where there are not enough dancers to support even a single pura salsa event, the dancers go to "whatever-music-is-played" event or stay home.
IME, the focus on the music and the playlists makes all the difference in how much salsa can be played and how many dancers want to dance to whichever version of salsa.