Pages

Monday, August 26, 2019

Salsa Anyone?

By Sebastian Rodriguez, New York.
Dance aficionados claim that New York Style salsa is the original style of salsa, as the term and the dance were coined in the Big Apple. While salsa has its roots in many types of dance, such as rhumba, cumbia, guaracha and merengue, it didn't come together until the influx of Latin and Caribbean immigrants in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970 mixed bits and pieces of these other ballroom and club dances into a new form. The term "salsa" is thought to have come from the "sauce" made by all these different styles, and the connotation of the heat of chili pepper-based salsa definitely speaks to its flavor as well.

"Social dancers know that anyone can learn if you like the music. Then that is
your best bet for getting you on the dance floor to success!"


Salsa Music is as much an art as salsa dance, and New York style favors "salsa dura." Salsa isn't just a latin dance form; the music that salsa is danced to is an art of its own. New York style salsa is usually "salsa dura," a type of salsa that features fast tempos and long instrumental solos, versus "salsa romantica," which is more languid and full of lyrical passages. New York style salsa, in particular, takes its cues from the rhythm of the music rather than the melody, and percussion instruments such as the clave and conga drums are what dancers listen for on the floor.

"Lloraras” por Oscar D’Leon


The first NY salsa bands were predominantly "Nuyorican" (New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent) or Puerto Ricans who moved to New York. Most notable bands and performers include Tito Puente and Ray Barretto. New York dances salsa "On 2" You may often hear New York Salsa referred to as "On 2" dancing. This is because dancers in this style accent steps on beats two and six of a two-measure phrase with a 4:4 time signature. The lead dancer steps back on beat two, while the follower steps forward, unlike many other dance styles. When you watch New York style salsa being performed, it should look similar to the basic mambo step.

"Social dancers believe that the road leading to a goal does not separate you
from the destination; it is essentially a part of it."

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.