When we talk about
Hispanic dance culture, the first thing that comes to our minds is
Salsa, the most popular dance style among
Latin dance styles. However, many others are also popular among
Hispanic cultures, like
cha-cha, merengue, bachata, samba, rumba, cumbia, mambo, bomba, plena, jive, paso doble, to mention some. These
Latin dances have origins in the traditional dances of indigenous cultures of the Caribbean, South America, Central America, and Mexico. Like many cultures around the world, dance was essential in communal ritual life. They were performed during rituals and festivals as a symbolic representation of cultural beliefs. Other cultures have influenced them all, and they all have evolved, but the
African roots they all share remain in all of them.
Today we focus on Salsa, the most popular one and probably
the dance style most danced around the world.
Do you know where Salsa was born?
The truth is that no one knows with absolute certainty where Salsa was born. It is a controversial topic all over the world. Cubans claim Salsa was born there, also Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Dominicans and even New Yorkers.
Looking back through history, we know with certainty that
native Latin dances were precisely structured and highly organized. They involved massive arrangements of dancers who moved in intricate patterns, symbolizing many things, including cataclysmic events, combat, workers sewing and harvesting, and celestial bodies’ movement.
In the late 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish and Portuguese colonists conquered the indigenous empires; they brought lots of African slaves into the region, as well as the Catholic believes and ideas that incorporated into those
traditional dance rituals. They blended and became an essential part of colonial festivals.
Also read:
Dancing for surviving
During the 17th and 18th centuries, upper-class European immigrants brought more African salves and fashionable
European dances to Latin America. These dance styles swept quickly throughout the region. Over time, European dance styles’ elements were adopted into colonial dance festivals, making them an essential part of their social lifestyle.
Later on, in the 19th century,
social dances became fashionable in elite society. As they became more commonplace, they spread across urban and rural areas where African slaves left a lasting mark on all those dance styles.
African dance elements incorporated at that time include:
polycentric rhythms and movements, improvisation, body isolations, and whole-foot steps. These additions became more robust over time, allowing Latin dances that we know today as
Son, Mambo, Danzón, Pachanga, Bomba, and
Jazz become popular in the earliest 20th century.
Also read:
A journey through Mambo’s history
During the 1950s, there was an amalgamation of all those
popular dances in the ballrooms and nightclubs, mostly in
Havana, Cuba, and
American jazz dances in
New York. But it is really during the 1960 and 1970 that Salsa dance became known as
Salsa dance, as it was associated with the same name’s music genre, which originated in New York, resulting from a blend of different influences, rhythms, and styles of Latin music, mixed with some American jazz.
Johnny Pacheco, a Dominican musician-producer founded Fania record label; he gave the name “Salsa” to denote this genre blend. It was prevalent in New York City, especially in el Barrio,
Spanish Harlem, and the
Bronx. This music genre and dance style rapidly spread all over the world.
We can say that Salsa is a style of different regions, and even though we don’t know the exact origin, we do know that there are many
styles of Salsa dancing that vary according to these regions.
Do you know some of the Salsa styles? or have you ever heard about them?
First of all, we have to clarify what it means to Dance On-1 and what it means to Dance On-2. Here, we are talking about timing and the beat we are breaking forward on the music. When
salsa dancing, we count the music on eight counts. The basic step is done on beats 1-2-3, 5-6-7 we don’t count 4 and 8, because on those beats no additional steps are taken. When we dance salsa on-1, we break forward on the first beat of the music. And when we dance salsa on-2, we break forward on the 2nd beat. Since On-1 and On-2 are different timings, they require us to step forward and back on different counts, making the dance feel subtly different.
All right, after the timing, we have
4 mayor Salsa styles:
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- LA Salsa style, known as Salsa in-line, danced On-1
- Cuban Salsa, known as Casino o rueda, danced On-1
- Colombian Salsa, known as Cali Salsa style, danced On-1
- New York Salsa style, danced On-2
LA Salsa style, danced On -1:
It is probably the
most popular salsa style in the US and Europe. There is an imaginary line of dance on the floor, where dancers move across that line with different steps, patterns, complex turns, and an energetic and elegant dancing style. It has a look of speed and fast dancing.
Cuban or Casino Salsa, danced On-1:
It is a
playful salsa style with a provocative vibe, vigorous hips, and shoulders movements. It follows a circular pattern of motion as dancers weave intricate, pretzel-like figures around each other.
Cuban-style social dancing also differs from the other styles in that it isn’t just a one couple’s dance. From Havana’s streets to clubs in Berlin, Cuban salsa is commonly danced in a synchronized ring of couples, called Rueda. The couples involved have to know all the steps, and they switch partners as a specific step is called.
Colombian or Cali Salsa style, danced On-1:
It is a quick, wildly, and very flashy footwork style of salsa. It stands out for its explosive energy and speed, emphasizing kicks and footwork, and fewer complex turns. When salsa first arrived in Cali Colombia, in the late 60s, DJs would often play records at up to double their intended speed; the exhilarating pace of Cali-style salsa hasn’t let up since.
New York Salsa style, danced On-2:
It’s a smoother and
more sensual type of salsa dancing, as it uses the intricate old-school rhythms of Mambo music. It is danced On-2, which is a different timing. Followers step forward on the count of 2 and leaders on the count of 6, which gives the dance a slower cadence and a rhythmic complexity.
For beginners and in general, it is easier to identify the
beat of the music when dancing On-1. Therefore we recommend starting
learning how to salsa dance On-1. Also, to focus on properly learning the basic steps to have a solid grown, then moving into more complex footwork, patterns, and turns.
Also read:
On one, On two, On for Salsa! 