So you want to learn more about Salsa, but you notice that Eugene is not the center of the Salsa universe. What now? Well, unless you have the money to fly to Miami, L.A. or N.Y. every other weekend, then the World Wide Web is the next best thing.
You can find just about anything on the Internet. From Elvis' blue suede shoes to Martha Stewart recipes, anything you need is only a few key strokes away - even Salsa lessons.
Learning by video is easy once you get used to it and then, think of all the resources you now have since you picked up the skill. Of course, you do need to be weary of bad information since there's as much of it out there as the good stuff. Here's a way to tell if the video instructor is selling you a bunch of crap:
1. Are they teaching on a rhythm? Let's face it. Salsa is a dance, danced to music, which means on a rhythm. Now there are a variety of rhythms to choose from. Some dance on the 1 (or first beat of the music), some on the 2 (first step of basic begins on the second beat of the music) and some dance on the 3 (first step of the basic begins on the third beat of the music). Whichever one they choose is fine, but they should stick to it all the way through the dance. So if you get a video and the teacher seems to have a hard time staying on a rhythm, then be careful of what you learn.
2. Are the moves leadable on a dance floor? Of course if you buy a video tape called Crazy Acrobatics in Salsa, it's to be expected that you will only dance those moves with your permanent partner. However, if the moves are for social dancing then they should be leadable on anyone who has not seen them before. So intricate transitions between moves for which the follower somehow telepathically knows to put her hand in just the right place are a sure sign to be careful of what is being taught.
3. Do the moves make sense with your footwork? This may be a little hard to explain, but here goes. In Salsa, the basic is essentially taking three steps starting on the left foot for leads and the right foot for followers, and then three steps starting on the right foot for leads and the left foot for followers. The basic goes...left-right-left and then right-left-right for leads, and the opposite for followers. If you put numbers to it...it goes like this: left (1)-right (2)-left (3)-pause on 4, then right (5)-left (6)-right (7)-pause on 8. So if the teacher tells you to start the move on your left foot (1) then do a fancy turn and somehow end up on your left foot again on (5), something went wrong. Trust me guys - nothing drives a follower crazy then to have you do a bunch of fancy turns and then step forward with your left as if you were on the 1, but you're actually on the 5 so you should be stepping with your right. If you follow the guideline of keeping your feet going to the basic rhythm, even through the fancy moves, then you will never have to shuffle your feet at the end of each move because your feet don't match up. And if you notice someone teaching like that - be really careful.
Other than that, keep your mind open to different ways of doing things. There are a variety of different styles in Salsa to choose from and each has it's own unique flare. So don't assume because someone is doing something differently that it is wrong.
Here's a listing of great places to get credible video tapes of Salsa. Also, many of these are listed on the Eugenesalsa.com Video section and in the www.rumbanana.org links section.
L.A. style
Josie Neglia - www.latindance.com
Salsa Brava - www.salsabravapro.com
Salsabor Y Cache - www.salsaborycache.com
L.A. Salsa Congress Videos - www.alberttorresevents.com
Liz Lira - www.lizlira.com
The Best of Best Ladies Styling Video - www.stylingvideo.com
N.Y. Style
Cultural Explosion - www.salsainstruction.com
Razz M Tazz - www.razzmtazz.com
Jai and Candy - www.jaicandy.com
Red Hot Salsa - http://www.swingthings.com/redhotsalsa.htm
Miami Style/Cuban
Salsa Racing - www.salsaracing.com
Salsa Lovers - www.salsalovers.com
Salsaville - www.salsaville.com
Boogalu - www.boogalu.com
That should get you started. If you ever have a question about a certain video (is the source credible?), just email me at info@rumbanana.org.
Simona Boucek is one of the dancers in the Rumbanana Salsa dance group. Visit the group's website at www.rumbanana.org.
