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Definition
of Salsa
The popular usage of the word “salsa” for danceable Latin
music began in 1933 when Cuban song composer Ignacio Piñerio wrote the song
Échale Salsita. According to the late Alfredo Valdés Sr. whom I interviewed
in 1974, he said “On July 6, 1933, I married Anita Purmuy, guitarist for the
all-female band La Anacaona. I didn’t have a honeymoon because hours later I
was on a boat with Nacional (Septeto) headed toward Miami…then on to the Chicago
World’s Fair. On the train I rehearsed Ignacio’s new work Échale Salsita.
He got the idea after tasting food which lacked the Cuban spices.
Salsa Fun
Learning Curve
The Moves
Salsa is danced by
stepping on 3 consecutive beats of music and then pausing for 1 beat, then
repeating. The step timing can be thought of as step, step, step, pause; step,
step, step, pause.
The basic
footwork pattern is as quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow. Each quick consumes
one beat of music, each slow consumes two beats of music. Depending on how you
hear and feel the music, you may start the dance on any beat of the measure you
wish. Most beginners start the dance on the first beat of the measure.
Some teachers
call out the timing as three steps are taken during each measure of
music. In other words, three steps are taken to four beats of music. Recall that
the step timing is counted quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow.
The basic step
is easy.
An essential character element of salsa is
Cuban motion.
Cuban motion, especially the hip action, comes, comes mainly from the alternate
bending and straightening of the knees. A full basic of the Salsa can be thought
of as having a forward basic, which takes 4 beats of music, and a backward
basic, which takes four beats of music. So, eight beats of music are required to
complete one full basic. Each forward and backward basic can be considered to
contain the following three steps: a break step, a replace step, and a slow step
usually taken to second foot position. Most salsa dancers perform a touch step
or tap step, not entailing a weight change on the second beat of the two-beat
“slow” step. In other words, the tap occurs during the “pause” beat. Thus, this
tap step precedes the break step.
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The Music
The tempo of salsa
is typically 180 to 210 beats per minute. It is written in 4/4 time, with four
beats to each measure. Two measures of music are required to complete one full
basic step.
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History
The basic step of salsa dancing probably derives from
the Rumba, often called the grandfather of the Latin dances. The Rumba
originates from Cuba and it was first seen in the United States around 1920.
Salsa dancing as we know it today was mainly developed in the Latin Quarter in
New York City.
Cal Tjader’s
Soul Sauce and Santana’s Oye Como Va gave the salsa movement thrust
and its beginning was with the Mexicans in San Francisco. But it did not become
popular usage until after Latin New York magazine used it over and over in its
ads and stories and the Fania All Stars used it to describe its music outside
New York. After that kid kicked the can in the opening scene of the movie Our
Latin Thing and the wow wow synthesizer of Luis Cruz Jr. to Ray Barretto’s
Cocinando Suave began to sound and raise goose bumps on flesh, did the Salsa
explosion detonate. The mushroom cloud fallout has been felt around the world.
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Tips & Info
Here are some
"universal tips" for learning how to dance a partner dance such as Salsa.
-
First,
acquire a few audio CD's
of the music and play the music over and over in your home or automobile.
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Next,
count the step timing in time to the music.
This you can do sitting down, perhaps while driving. For example, for waltz,
call out the 1,2,3 1,2,3 step timing in time to the music. For foxtrot, call
out the step timing using slows and quicks. For cha cha and rumba, it's
important to recognize the first beat of each measure. Otherwise you may
dance on the incorrect beat.
-
Have
your instructor assist you in learning to
count the step in time to the music. Dancing in correct time to the music is
absolutely essential. Continue this "sitting down and listening" exercise
for as long as necessary until you can easily and automatically count the
step in time to the music.
The 18 Dance
Practice CD sold
by 18Dance Store might be a helpful
tool.
To learn to take steps onto a bent knee and begin weight transfer before the
knee straightens. Cuban motion (that is, hip and body action) comes from the alternate
bending and straightening of the legs. As a knee is bent, the same hip
drops. Rather than feeling like you are dancing lightly on top of the floor,
you should feel like you are dancing into and pushing out of the floor.
Before beginning any Latin dance, think about lowering yourself slightly,
perhaps as if a glass ceiling is overhead. Do not stoop or compromise
posture, however.
To learn to keep connections relatively short and connections very
responsive to sudden changes in the direction of the lead. Generally, arms
should not stay rounded with the elbows bent or allow elbows to collapse
behind the body (the chicken wing look).
To always maintain firm and secure connections. Count the steps always
silently. Always start "on phrase" with the music. Keep your frame up and
look up, not at your feet. Don't allow your frame to collapse or loose
integrity.
-
Next,
practice the basic step,
including the step timing, until the step is automatic - like tying a shoe.
Using east coast swing as an example, practice the triple step, triple step,
rock step basic until it's automatic. Next, practice this basic to music
until it becomes automatic. Many basic steps can be practiced without a
partner.
Salsa steps are very small. Keep the feet beneath the body versus taking
huge break steps. As the music gets faster, smaller steps must be taken.
Your feet should generally be less than one foot apart, usually less than
1/2 foot apart.
Foot turn out. Break steps should always have foot turn out. Never dance
break steps in a pigeon toed fashion.
Avoid "blending" the slow step with the quick steps. Instead, hold the slow
step for the complete duration of two beats of music and delay stepping to
the first quick prematurely. A verbal queue, if dancing on the "2" beat
would be: 2,3,4, lift, 2,3,4, lift, 2,3,4, lift. In this case, the break
step occurs on the 2 beat, the replace step occurs on the 3 beat, and 4 is
the first beat of the "slow" step. Many mambo teachers say, "Nothing
happens on the 1 beat." That's true in that a step is not taken. However, on
the 1 beat, the heel is lifted and the same hip drops, as the same foot is
released in preparation for making the upcoming break step on the first
quick. In other words,
during the "lift," the heel is lifted and the knee is bent as the same hip
drops and weight then goes to the other foot. You could also use the verbal
queue, 2,3,4, drop, 2,3,4, drop to remind yourself to drop the hip. This
might help in developing "Cuban
motion." Adding
the "flick" action to your basic will also assist in preventing "blending,"
and premature movement to the first quick. An observer should be able to
clearly discern your slow steps and your quick steps.
To the extent possible, each step should be distinct and should entail a
complete weight transfer versus a "shuffling" of the feet.
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Salsa
