If variety is the spice of life, the single mindedness would make life like a box of powdered water. That said, I really like to see when people take their dancing interests to places outside of their dance of choice.
Me? I’m a self admitted Mambo-head as I ride and die with the soul and the unbridled fire that was coursing through the veins of the musicians and singers at the time the music was being made. Loving Mambo/Salsa Dura I of course am a huge lover of Cha Cha as well but it seems like my interest in the Latin dances had gotten derailed after that. I didn’t jump onto the Reggaeton train as even Stevie Wonder could see that wasn’t too long in the tooth and I have to admit…and hey, I’m being honest here, that I thought Bachata was going down the same path ( I was wrong!).
Even though Bachata has become a staple of the social Latin scene, I haven’t really been moved to learn it. As a dancer and teacher I understand the basics and am certain I could learn the dance but I have found that an internal connection to the soul of the music has to speak to me to make me want to learn the dance. I am sincerely happy to see when people get out there are SOOOOO into Bachata when it comes on and they do the dance with passion. As you can imagine, us teachers wear our poor little feet out a lot and end up watching a lot of dancing and seeing it done with passion is WAY better to see/feel than watching stale, homogenized dancing any day of the week. I’m happy to say Bachateros represent nicely in this department.
I do see some new dances creeping into the city and have been more curious as the music that powers the dance seems to speak to my soul. I’m eager to learn more about Kizomba and Zouk and see these new dances, as well as others, become part of the dance vernacular of more dancers in the future. I know they have taken off HUGE in Europe and around other parts of the world and I’m sure that this will trickle over to us in due time.
The great thing about learning new dances is that you begin to round out your overall skill set and become more adept at leading and following, not to mention rhythm and movement. Think about it, Mambo/Salsa helps you learn to dance compact, Cha Cha (street style) helps you learn to open up and move and dance big whereas Bachata helps you educate your feet and learn to be more rhythmic with your steps and I’m sure Kizomba and Zouk will add to your Batman utility belt as well.
For those who know me, I am also a big fan of Ballroom dances as I like the science behind moving with someone as well as being able to dance to ANY kind of music. I understand completely how that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think we, as an underground dance community, are developing our own body of dances that will begin to challenge us and help us to learn how to move together in new and interesting ways. I would also suggest those of you who are into Latin dancing to try a Jazz/Ballet/Hip Hop class as well because, hell, you might just be into DANCING (raises hand)!
This thought initially crept into my head as I met an older gentleman who was a former champion in Ballroom (Waltz, Foxtrot, etc..) and he asked me what my interests were. I mentioned I was a mambo head and there are many more like me and whole events based around the dance. This prompted his question:
“You mean you only do one dance?”
It was at the time, but I’m happy to say that the answer to his question is NOW a happy “NO” and I think that’s just cool…
What dances are you looking forward to trying? Are there any that you have found that have made you better overall?
Talk to me!
Its not often we get to see a dance instructor promote and motivate clientele to try variety of dances for growth. So kudos to that. I think most of the times its because instructors are passionately busy with their own art form and they don’t get a change to explore other dances. I agree, like you said the music has to speak to you and the rest happens.
I love Hustle and West Coast swing. Apart from looking awesome on their own they both would benefit any (Latin)dancer looking to improve their tool belt of technique, styling, turn patterns, etc. Just how Del stated, every dance has something that it teaches you. By doing a different dance you will learn things that you may have never even been exposed to because they play a more critical role in that particular dance, but once its in your tool belt it can make all your other dances really stand out. Over time this will help create your own personal style and differentiate you.
Thanks Miguel! Awesome response. I agree that the more different stuff you do, the better you get. Keep dancing my friend!
Nice piece, Del!!! Looking forward to reading more. I’m one of the people that is just ‘into dancing’. I have done hip hop, West African Dance, Steppin, Belly Dance, of course Latin Dance, and some ballet and jazz. I would love, love, love to learn Bhangra. I think that learning different dance styles has not only helped me with technique and rhythm in latin dance, but it has also allowed me to become familiar with different music styles. Becoming familiar with different rhythms and instruments used in different music has also influenced my dance style. Now, when I hear certain forms of bachata, I notice that the guitar sounds like the instruments played in a number of Egyptian belly dance songs. As a result, my body automatically moves to a belly dance rhythm to that guitar, even though I am dancing bachata. When a steppin song has elements of a cha cha, I find myself throwing in a cha cha move in to my steppin. That always results in getting a “hey now!” from my partner I’m dancing with. LOL! Mixing it up makes dancing fun, but also gives me a better appreciation for the artists and instruments making the music.
Awesome Yolanda! I’m sure people are like O_O when you get your Belly Dance break on during Bachata!
=)
Thanks for your comment Ananat! Indeed, different dances give you a different skillset…learn learn learn!