Tag Archive for 'salsa tips'

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Eclectic Styling is all about “la musica”

As most salseros and salseras know salsa dancing or dancing is general is all about the music and the atmosphere. When one enters a salsa club the usual sound one may hear is the sound of people chatting in the background and the pulsating music of drum beats, trumpets, maracas, piano, and the famous clave.(Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam-Bam) In all genres of music there is a thing called “timing” and in salsa, it becomes a question of, “On one or on two?” So, what does that have to do with styling, as the theme of this topic is about styling? Well, the way one moves his or her shoulders, the way most ladies flair their arm movements in a delicate manner, and the way one spins to the music has a lot to do with timing, experience, and experimenting. Through my exposure of the salsa and other forms of dance I will explain how the role of timing, experience, and exposure has a lot to do with styling.

  • Timing) “Do you dance on 1 or on 2?” and if your a beginner you may be thinking, “Does it really matter?”. For some it may be “yes” or “no” which has a lot to do with experience and preference. When I first started dancing on 2, I thought timing did not matter because by being a lady I just though you step forward instead of stepping back with the basic step. However, most salsa dancers I have spoken with told me that salsa on 2 has more of a pause and more time to play with the music and prep for a spin (my opinion- I believe it gives one more momentum). On that pause one speaks about may allow more room for styling such as body rolls, body movement, and footwork just a few to mention. In addition to allowing more time to style on the pause, some have mentioned that on 2 gives more room to play with the music. What do I mean by play with the music. Sometimes that has a lot to do with the accents of the music which is a strong syllable or musical note which emphasizes the pitch like a sudden and distinct loud trumpet in the music. This relates to styling ,if one can remember back to a childhood game of freeze tag, where one child becomes “it”-tagging people- and the other children are running around from that kid and if they are tagged then they “freeze”. Some people like to “freeze” to the accent by hitting a pose and standing still for that pause like a manikin.. Those are just examples of styling. So going back to the point of timing some prefer to style or hit the accents on 1 and 5 which can rely a lot on the vocals or the tempo of the music. Same thing goes with on 2, but the emphasis is on 2 and 6. So where can you see the majority of the style on 1? The famous style known for on 1 salsa dancers is in Los Angeles, California. Example of on 1 music can be Sonorra Carruseles. For on 2 dancers the majority or on 2 dancers in in New York and an example of an on 2 music group can be New Swing Sextet. Overall, there are a variety of styles of music which can depend on the music and some of styles of dances become world wide different. Some example can be: Colombian, Cuban, French, Argentinian, and Indian.
  • Experience) Timing does not only come into play with styling, but one’s background in dancing. A lot of dancers have years of dancing to little to no dance experience and some apply it to their salsa styling. Some genres of dancing can be hip-hop, tango, ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, Broadway, ballroom, or cultural dances like ballet Folklorico. Some hip-hop dancers love to really pose on the accents or use signature hip-hop moves like one might have seen on dance videos on MTV. (and that is a maybe). For dancers who have years of background in jazz, modern, lyrical, and ballet have a good foundation for technique which means that his or her style is very controlled and have very “good lines” with the placement of arms, feet and torso. In addition, there foundation in those strong dances can help them adapt spins a lot easier which has a lot to due with balance. As for Broadway dancers, they can be almost as fun as hip-hop dancers which can help them really play with the music. My experience in dancing is a little bit of everything, however, I have never been consistent at it, but when I found a dance I absolutely felt passionate about that’s when my styling had a lot to do with involving myself in group classes and being on several salsa teams. My style fluctuated from one style to another style which had a lot to do with preference of the team’s style of on 1 or on 2. (yet again) However, now I want to be able to find my type of signature style which has a lot to do with years of experience and exposure. When going back to the topic of experience some beginners getting into salsa can say they have no experience which is o.k. Overall, if one is starting to get into salsa I recommend to not figure out or get frustrated with styling because that become an issue into the end (key advice to beginning ladies- I recommend little or no styling when dancing with a partner because when I first started I tried to hard to style and ended up injuring a lot of my partners). If you have been dancing for a while and trying to find your “salsa style” like I still am doing some advice friends/dancers have given me are:
  1. Relax
  2. Practice any body isolation in the mirror like body rolls, shoulder rolls, and hip rotation
  3. This also goes with shines/footwork
  4. Watch videos (youtube.com)
  5. Take group classes/ join a team (depends on your budget)
  6. Go out to the salsa clubs for exposure
  7. Have a fantastic time on the dance floor feeling all sexy and smile because it makes your partner comfortable: )
  • Exposure) This brings me with the last topic of this article which I have been mentioning several times which has a lot to do with what I mentioned above on #7 under experience and that is “exposure”. What that means is not only practicing what you do at a studio setting like group classes and teams, but trying to cut and paste it on to the dance floor. Sometimes just watching your favorite salseras/salseros gives you a glimpse of what style you like whether it is on 1, 2, or 3. Basically it is up to you, not your friends, your crush, or “yo mamma”, but Y-O-U. Overall, dancing on the social dance floor should be an intrinsic motivation more than extrinsic motivation because while some want to show off others want to dance for themselves and they love of the “la musica”.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you got the concept/ meaning/ purpose of this article that styling is all about gathering a little bit of here, there, and everywhere. Think of it like food if you like it, eat more of it and if it really does not fit your taste, don’t eat it or even try it. Just always remember that eclectic styling starts first with the few pounding beats of your racing heart.

My inspiration- Magna Gopal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY2WJEseblc

This is me experimenting :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsUWvEJ-heM

Published 4 years, 7 months ago in dancer post. 7 Comments Tags: , , .

The effectiveness of dance teams to your salsa social dancing..

Salsa Dance TeamsSo, I (Anthony Persaud – so others don’t claim this article…cough..cough) was asked recently about my thoughts on being on a dance team. This is a pretty controversial topic because being truthful hurts businesses (and the way some of dancers make a living). With that sentence said, you already know where my opinion lies.

My disclaimer. Now, let me be clear: joining a dance team is beneficial to your dancing. However, the question that was brought up to me was on how effective is joining a dance team to improve your social dancing. In this context, I have a different opinion on dance teams.I am not big into performing and choreography because my true passion in salsa dancing lies in social dancing (and music of course). Now, I’m not sure about everyone else, but the main reason I love learning salsa, watching salsa and being around salsa is because of the social dancing parts of salsa. I think it is because social dancing lets everyone have a unique flavor, style and chemistry in every different dance that feels more natural and is fun to watch.

Now, to answer the question – in general, YES. Dance teams do help with technique, teach you styling and work on your fundamentals at the same time as you are learning teamwork and choreography. However, it is only #3 or #4 in my list of things that you should be doing to get better in your social dancing. The #1 thing to do to improve your social dancing is………wait for it…..wait…. for it….. there : go out social dancing more often. Sorry, no miracle cure or magical trick – we all have to go through salsa hell (I decided to make an entry in Wikipedia for this term).

I understand how beginners feel, I used to be one (or maybe I still am in some dancer’s eyes). It sucks to go out to a club where there are just amazing dancers, and you just don’t want to ‘intervene’ in the scene. You may think that you’ll get better by having a partner to practice with in your alone time – and that is not necessarily true either. Dancing with a variety of people all the time will help you determine what you are specifically and consistently doing incorrect in your lead/follow/spin. That is the key word: consistency. We are always consistently doing something wrong and right. But the only way to find out what it is, is to test you ability in different situations. Just like science: keep an independent variable (you) and change the dependents (your partners). Putting yourself in different situations will teach you more about your ability than anything else. While I have been on different dance teams, I have to say that the most I’ve learned has come from going out more often, watching social dance videos online and throwing-myself-at-the-salsa-congress-dance-wolves. You end up learning from your mistakes more often than your successes.In a team, you are placed with a partner who will learn to compensate for your mistakes unintentionally due to both of you knowing the choreography. Therein lies the biggest problem with trying to become a great overall social dancer in a team environment. In social dancing, everything happens improvised (in some sense) and therefore it makes you work twice as hard just to perform any single action than in choreography. Additionally, you cannot develop your own style in a team because you must follow order to match the style of the choreographer as well as retain appearance in the performance with the rest of the dancers – unless the choreographer’s style is the style you are willing to gain.

In conclusion (for my opinion), while joining a team is beneficial to your dancing in general especially when you have a great dancer as the director, it cannot compensate enough for getting most of your practice and learning from going out and social dancing. Now, some people will probably disagree but this has always been my experience that when I see a person improve – it has been by their own doing, not by the director’s instruction.Your experiences are very much welcomed in the comments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_yKagPJQqA

Published 4 years, 7 months ago in article and salsa tip. 21 Comments Tags: , , .

Eddie Torres explains Salsa On2

Thanks to our correspondent Karlos, who sent us this nice video clip of an old Eddie Torres instructional DVD. I get a lot of questions about timing and clave – and of course, the main discussion of dancing On2/On1. Here is a great find, one of the best I’ve seen, on what it is to dance on clave. This instruction specifically shows you how the ‘tumbao’ or ‘el vacio’ hooks into the basic salsa step. Specifically, watch how when those parts of the beat match the parts where Eddie in the video breaks forward and back. Of course, that is all I will say (to reduce the nasty-grams about On2). Anyways, a video is worth ten-thousand words.

Published 4 years, 7 months ago in salsa technicals. 12 Comments Tags: , , .

A video is worth 1000 words – On2 partially explained.

A forum member (Rumnet) found a great video by an instructor exaggerating the salsa basic step on2 timing. Again, if you haven’t already check out the forum post “Salsa Technicals : On1 vs On2. The Difference “. This video shows the example of what I have been trying to explain in words. When dancing on2, the pause happens when your feet are apart – and therefore you actually have two whole counts to get your feet back together. While On1 and On2 are TECHNICALLY the same steps, the way they are EXECUTED are different.

Continue reading ‘A video is worth 1000 words – On2 partially explained.’

Published 4 years, 9 months ago in articles. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

How to find the beat in salsa music (part 1)

Anthony's iPhone - Salsa Gadget[Update] You might want to check out our video version of the “Finding the Beat in Salsa Music“

Well, this episode has long been coming. One of the hardest things I ever went through in my salsa ‘life’ was to find the beat in the music. We all go through this problem, and with this part 1 (of a multiple part series) – I will try to do my best to help you practice on how to find the beat. I will play some songs, do some counting and hopefully give you some tips on how to train your ear to listen and feel the clave of the salsa music.

Published 4 years, 11 months ago in podcast. 17 Comments Tags: , , , .

Salsa Dance Technicals : The Yin and Yang in Salsa Dance

Salsa Playing on the Dancefloor

There is something to be said about social dancing. It is a different type of dancing compared to performing – (of course you’ll say thats a given). But sometimes, some people forget that. In my case as a leader, its my job to ‘entertain’ and ‘play’ with the lady – as well as make her look good. However, what should I be expecting from the lady? Mainly to show me that she’s having fun – that gives me the reward that all my hardwork (doing the combos, being smooth, keeping timing, footwork, smiling..etc) is paying off. However, for some dancers, I feel this simple concept is lost.

The Yin and The Yang in Salsa. Now, while I will be mentioning two different type of dancers and their circumstance – its not only prevalent when I dance with them, but with others who feel the same way about them. And because of this ‘survey’, I decided that it should be explained on “What goes on in the minds of men when they like when dancing with a lady”. To help my example (and not mention names) I will use the Yin and Yang dichotomy: Yin is the darker element; it is serious, passive, dark, and corresponds to the night. Yang is the brighter element; it is happy, active, light, and corresponds to the day.

I will take two different followers that I dance with most of the time. One that doesn’t get it, and one that does. – a Yin and Yang.

I will call the playful lady – Yang. She is a lot of fun to dance with – why? Well, she smiles when she dances. This helps me get feedback that she’s having fun. She provides good eye contact – which means, we have a good connection. She also provides good dance chemistry…. hmm what does Anthony mean by this? Well, a dance is like a conversation between the both of you just using your body (hmm.. sounds like sex too). As an example, we might be doing footwork, and all of a sudden I may stop, do a body roll for her, and she might notice and possibly do another body roll in response or something else sexy. That is what I mean by playful chemistry. Maybe I perform a shoulder shake and she smiles and shakes her hips. Again, playful chemsitry. Who knows, she might not have the best styling, or be a professional, or can do 10 turns on a dime – but you feel like its only the two of you dancing, maybe being a little flirtatious, but you feel that you are in a perfect zone where both of you are having a blast. Does it sounds like salsa heaven? Trust me. It is.

Now, there is this other lady I ‘have’ to dance with every now and then. I will call her Yin. This dancer is an amazing dancer. She has great styling and can spin on a dime and if you see her dance (while you are in the crowd) you can pin-point her out of a crowded dance floor and be amazed at the dancing. Like a flare in the night sky. Yep, she’s a professional and you most likely would like to take lessons from her. However, a lot of people are afraid to dance with her becuase she’s so stylish and so ‘performance’-ish and they are afraid they can’t handle her (or are worried about screwing-up). She makes herself self-intimidating. The other folks who know how to control her movements and react to her styling, don’t really like to dance with her (without the use of force) because she takes a lot of work to manage, she styles to much that affects the lead, and specifically, she is not playful – which makes dancing not fun. When you dance with her, you’ll trully notice that she’s more into pleasing/showing-off for the crowd around you, than showing-off for you – the person she is dancing with. She doesn’t provide that much eye-contact, doesn’t smile often, or play any show-response games as I mentioned above. This doesn’t feel like a conversation, but more of a monologue. You work your heart out, do cool shines, smile, make her feel comfortable – but all you get is flat-lines because she is very solemn. Now, you give her credit that she might be hard in concentration in the dance – but no, we are talking about a professional. Does this sound boring? Dull? If you could do the dance over, would you have still asked to to dance, or would you have had better chances with someone else? Maybe have a second dance with Yang?

If it was a question about friendship, who would you find more interesting? If it was a question about dating, who would you rather date? If you had to take a one of them to a theme park – who would you rather take? Yin or Yang? I think you know the answer to the question. And I think an intersting addition to this story is the fact that Yin sometimes questions why some of her favorite dancers do not ask her to dance as often as she’d like – and she believes is because it is because she is not skilled enough. Again, its not a question about skill, but attitude.

Remember, salsa is about having fun on the dancefloor. No one needs to judge, judge your styling, or judge your technique. Its not a competition at the club. Its about chemistry, connection and about the two dancers that matter at that moment for those 3-4 minutes. You and you partner. Forget if you screw up, and forget that you have repeated the same combination like 3 times in a row. As long as you both are smiling – that is all that matters. There is no reason to dance salsa, if not to make yourselves happy.

Updated: Added this link so I can track who else is stealing articles..

http://www.addicted2salsa.com

Published 5 years, 2 months ago in salsa technicals. 2 Comments Tags: , , , .