|
Salsa styles: Colombian Styles, Ballroom Style
Colombian Styles:
Salsa is danced differently all throughout Colombia. In Cali, it is more "showy", in other, more rural parts of the country, it is danced more closely and tightly, with heads touching in some cases. However, the underlying commonality is that there is no forward and backward motions of the feet. It is simply what we call "Cumbia" style, which is feet alternating to the back or to the side. There are not too many fancy tricks, turns, or spins in Colombian style - except if you are a professional dancer, dancing with bands, or competing. Casual social dancing, Colombian style is much calmer, closer, where both dancer's bodies are almost completely touching each other, from head to toe.
Ballroom Style:
This is what is officially called "Ballroom Mambo". Here, there are no tricks, fast spins, dips, nor lifts. Ballroom Mambo is normally danced on the "two", "three", "four", beats of the music, where both feet come completely together at an almost stand-still on the "four" and the "eight" beats of the music. This is normally taught in professional dance studios by professional ballroom coaches. The Ballroom Mambo style differs from the New York Razz M Tazz style of dancing on the four, five, six, in that Razz M Tazz style is more showy, and has a big hustle influence behind it. It also differs from the Eddie Torres, "5, 6, 7" method of teaching Mambo on "two", which also has a big hustle influence, and includes a great deal of spins and fancy floorwork (shines). |
|