 Salsa is great fun and the latest craze to hit the dance floor .Just like the music, the dance is also a wild mix of everything -- emotions, tempos, spins, dips, drops, syncopations, a little Mambo here, a little Cha Cha there, perhaps a pinch of Argentine? From romantic Salsa to the dance- til-you-drop tempos, it is highly unlikely that you'll ever dance the same Salsa twice. However, the fun doesn't stop here. There's that moment that Salsa dancers eagerly anticipate -- the "descarga" (firing or unloading).
This is the moment when the music heats up to a blistering 1000 degrees. This is when the horns burst with triumph, when the rhythmic, pulsating chant of the background vocals captivate and entrance and when the raw, native sound of the bongos and timbales leave you breathless. You don't have to stand too close to feel the vibration emanating from the dance floor. The "yunfa" (energy) is contagious.” It is a trend yet for others it has become a lifestyle. When this rhythm grabs you, almost anything goes.” |
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Modern jive (sometimes called French jive) is a new phenomenon that has started over the last 10 years mainly in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It has many of the qualities of the jitterbug brought from the States during the war but without the foot steps! It is easy to learn and can be used for much of the modern music that is about today as well as rock'n'roll and swing etc.
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The Meringue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic, and also to some extent, of Haiti, the neighbor sharing the island.There are two popular versions of the origin of the Dominican national dance, the Meringue. One story alleges the dance originated with slaves who were chained together and, of necessity, were forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of drums. The second story alleges that a great hero was wounded in the leg during one of the many revolutions in the Dominican Republic. A party of villagers welcomed him home with a victory celebration and, out of sympathy, everyone dancing felt obliged to limp and drag one foot.
There is a lot of variety in Meringue music. Tempos vary a great deal and the Dominicans enjoy a sharp quickening in pace towards the latter part of the dance. The most favored routine at the clubs and restaurants that run a dance floor is a slow Bolero, breaking into a Meringue, which becomes akin to a bright, fast Jive in its closing stages. The ballroom Meringue is slower and has a modified hip action.
Ideally suited to the small, crowded dance floors, it is a dance that is easy to learn and essentially a "fun" dance. |
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Modern freestyle dance is very popular with children. No partner is required and dances are interpreted to the latest in chart music. Dance teachers take into account modern trends but most importantly allow dancers the freedom to express themselves.
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