Comments on: why we don’t teach salsa “styling”

By: rick collier

rick collier — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:42:47 +0000

you never lose from trying.

the beginner classes almost always take place while “higher” classes do, and sometimes the big kids have to teach the little kids moves, so what’s to lose from instead of two ruedas to music, you did an expression movement exercise to some patato, like you used to do mass sueltas for everyone? or pair big kids with little kids and just do a one-on-one nondance.

as a teacher, i’ve frequently found that it’s not so much the students aren’t “ready” but me, the teacher. i have to be willing to take that plunge if i would expect my students to do so as well.

teacher as second lieutenant platoon leader, who’s almost sure to catch that first bullet. and still, into the fray…

By: eduardo

eduardo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:53:59 +0000

You can do better than that! Why? Because you realize and want it. Many people have never had their eyes opened to the immense possibilities that exist within themselves.

Haha! I was just saying yesterday that I was trying to avoid being too eccentric. I didn’t want to become a big time Mr Miyagi saying “wax on wax off” and never giving students any practical advice! LOL.

I used your advice today in class and it worked great. I ran a late night Guaguanco lesson after ICD III and instead of teaching Clave/steps and put on some raw Rumba and told them to do anything BUT steps to rhythm. They were not “trapped” by the rhythm from the beginning. It was music not simply a beat to keep themselves locked into.

After they moved in an abstract way to the music then we taught posture->Clave->movement etc.

Thanks for that tip. I want to see if there is any room to use it at the lower levels. A little deep for beginners? Maybe. It’s that whole rabbit hole.

Holistic approach? Giving it our best shot.

By: rick collier

rick collier — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:17:02 +0000

actually, you DO teach salsa styling, but not those porn actress head tosses or the hairspray moves. so many times at clubs i see flashy dancers, you know, the ones with kangols turned around backwards, matching vests, and shoes they bring in a bag, only to realize after a couple of songs that they’re actually doing a fairly limited set of moves, over and over. and sometimes i realize i can do better than that, if only because i can’t remember what i did during the last song. i have learned to dodge those kicky things that lots of women do when they dance. bachata, what the hell?

paso salsa “styling” gets taught every time you do an exercise that involves moving to music without judgment, every expression exercise where you stipulate it’s not about technique. every time you invite us to get crazy and not worry about failing. if anything, that’s paso “style” and that’s the thing that sets this school apart from others. like in karate kid, “wax on, wax off” or “paint the porch” –life lessons that can’t help but evolve into an organic “style” that is always one’s own.

utterly holistic. and that’s just righteous.