| Follow this program and solve your Salsa timing problems once and for all! |
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Specifically designed for people who like to learn Salsa by doing, not watching |
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Bachata
Caribbean Style |
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| Bachata Caribbean Style Set (3 DVDs) US$ 70 |
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A different way of dancing Bachata - closer to its origins!
You have never seen Bachata danced this way..
You have never seen it look so good ! |
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Today's Salsa CD review:
Various Artists – Cha Cha Cha me encanta
This is a curious compilation, which includes an unlikely group of artists; from timba heroes like Paulito FG, NG la Banda and Dan Den to the more traditional Conexion Salsera and Geraldo Alfonso, to the heavily commercial Orquestra Jorin and Havana All Stars. As you can expect from this mix, several styles of Cha Cha Chas are represented, from ‘Boom Boom Latin’ kind of night Club music, (“La Enganadora”, “ El baile del suavito”) to romantic ones (“Arebatado Cha Cha Cha”, “Ven a mi cha cha cha’) even to include some bossanova influences (“Cha Cha Tumba Cha”). Hard core mambo lovers of Cuban, Puerto Rican or NY pedigree may play a joke by saying that in all this variety what they forgot to include are ‘real’ cha cha chas.. more seriously, I think this CD will please better ballroom dancers/instructors who are usually less strict in their music choices and who usually have to provide for a wider dancing audience. Personal tastes aside, all tracks are danceable with a good medium or slightly slower pace.
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Salsa CDs you can't live without |
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Today's Salsa DVD review:
Jami Josephson - Advanced I (Silver) Salsa Syllabus
Level: Int-Adv
Style: On1, On2
Content: Turn Patterns
General Comment:This DVD is as good as the ‘Open Combinations’ to which I refer you for my comments on the overall style and approach used in this series. Rather than showing complex turn patterns, this DVD focuses on the ‘elements’ of contemporary salsa, which are the basic moves you need to know to attend any congress or established salsa club where people dance NY or LA salsa and not feel like an alien. You will lean Cross Body Leads, Copas, double turns, back turns, touch and go, and much more, plus variations on most ideas. The teaching is top class, with focus on all details for both the lady and man, camera views of arm-work and foot-work, and attention to the difficult passages. As I mentioned in the description of the ‘Open Combinations’, I particularly like Jami’s reference to the influences of different salsa styles (LA, NY etc), and how certain elements are executed differently according to the style. Each turn pattern is shown on2, then broken down on2, explained, shown on1 and then danced on1.
It is solid teaching: while in salsa given 10 teachers you will get 11 different explanations, what Jami offers, while not the Bible, is surely something you can trust. I recommend this DVD to students who need to learn these elements, to students who may know them already but need to consolidate them, as well as to the more advanced ones who may dance these already every night but may want a reference to go back to occasionally for a check.. not to mention all teachers of course, who can surely get 1 or 2 tips from Jami and Jose
Reviewed by Fabio of SalsaIsGood - Recommended
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On2? Which On2? |
Hello everyone
I am writing this post to all experienced salsa dancers out there, and in particular to all salsa instructors. I have a question which hopefully will spark an e-mail exchange from which I may understand a few things which are unclear to me. In order to put this into context, first a few 'facts'.
Fact 1 . Roughly speaking, most people dance salsa either On1, or On2 Modern Mambo (NY style) or On2 Classic Mambo (Puerto Rican style also similar to Cuban contratiempo). Today Modern Mambo is used more frequently than Classic Mambo at congresses and salsa classes around the world.
Fact 2 . Back in the old days (late 90s, say) whether you danced On1 or On2 was not a matter of choice, like the language you speak it was merely a matter of where you lived. Today, with more and more frequent salsa travels and weekly congresses, dancing On1 AND On2 is a must: we all need to be salsa multilingual.
Fact3 (here things may start to become a bit more controversial, but I proceed nevertheless).
- Converting a turn pattern or a shine from On1 to Classic Mambo (PuertoRican style) is very easy.
- Converting a turn pattern or a shine from On1 to Modern Mambo (NY style) is surely less easy.
Question(s) : Would it not be easier for the 'international salsa community' as a whole to adopt dancing Classic Mambo (PuertoRican style) as the standard 'On2' dance, in place of Modern Mambo (NY style)? Would this not make it much easier to convert from On1 to On2? Would this not make things much easier for travelling students as well as for instructors at congresses? Am I missing something here?
PS1. Just to clarify:
- On1 = [1,2,3-5,6,7] - Break on 1
- On2 Modern Mambo = [1,2,3-5,6,7] - Break on 2
- On2 Classic Mambo = [2,3,4-6,7,8] - Break on 2
Let's not worry of whether the man steps forward on 2 or on 6 in Mambo; this is a matter of symmetry between the dancers which we can ignore for now.
PS2. Eddie Torres explained to me the historical reasons why he introduced Modern Mambo (NY style) counting. I respect it, I believe it was a very clever idea and I have profound and unlimited admiration for him. This post does not intend to attack his style, his dancing and what he has done for salsa. I am just considering a possible simplification and a step toward unification of how salsa is danced around the world.
PS3. According to a very small survey I did, some established international instructors who were originally On1 dancers in fact dance Classic Mambo (PuertoRican style) when they dance On2 socially. According to what I see on YouTube (Oh dear, I hope I won't offend anyone now.) many declared Modern Mambo (NY style) dancers in actual fact dance to Classic Mambo (PuertoRican style) counting when they dance socially (I won't name names but you can check on YouTube yourself). How often is Modern Mambo (NY style) counting actually used, outside salsa classes and workshops?
I would love to hear your opinion, so please send me a e-mail at info@salsaisgood.com |
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Salsa DVD review page
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Check out our
Salsa CD review page
By dancers for dancers,
to help salsa fanatics, students in particular, to choose what music to purchase for their enjoinment and for their practise
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Creativity, Style and Salsa
How can I be creative in my dancing? How does SuperMario come up with his incredible moves? Did Eddie Torres invent NY style? What is style? Who creates a style? What does it mean to be creative anyway?
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