February
2, 2001
Having
entered dance from another world of physical expression I have seen
people in both fields exposed to poor instructors. One young lady
in England started teaching a class at which I helped out for a few
weeks (this brings to mind another thread which I will post later).
She had no instructional ability, neither was she a competent dancer.
I tried
to help learn some instructional techniques (as a long term martial
arts instructor, ex-teacher and professional presenter I know something
of what I speak). I also tried to teach her some salsa. In both cases
she showed no desire to try to advance her skills, either through
myself (not perfect) or by seeking advice elsewhere. She is still
instructing. The only reason that the class is still going is that
there is little competition.
Two competing aspects to consider, is poor instruction better than
no instruction, or is it better to have the students (those seriously
interested in learning) put themselves out a littel bit to travel
to gain instruction from competition.
The other aspect is that she has introduced a lot of people to salsa
that otherwise may not have been. Which is more important, quality
or quantity? This is the essence of the problem, I believe. I want
salsa to grow AND to be strong, not just a passing fad or fashion.
I also believe that a syllabus would highlight the charlatans who
bring a bad name upon those who genuinely want to further the cause
of salsa (sounds like a political cause, lets get the politicians
dancing in the aisles).
The syllabus needn't be a fixed syllabus just an indication that the
instructor is competent. If Teddy could get all instructors to follow
his 'syllabus' then that would be a great advancement.
One more point, when entering competitions, what moves are considered
acceptable and which are not? For example, are aerial moves (acrobatic
throws, leaps etc.) are acceptable? If there are any moves which are
not acceptable, why not? (Remember, the question relates to competition
where floor space is much more open compared to club dancing).
-- Graham
March
19, 2001
I have been dancing for roughly 4 years in Toronto. I am definitely
an addict! I have been to most of the clubs in the Toronto area. I
know the styling techniques of dancing on 1 and 2. I have danced with
quality dancers and those who feel they are quality dancers. I love
to see new faces on the dance floor, as they bring a new energy to
the Toronto dance scene. I follow a very simple philosophy about Salsa
Dancing; K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sexy!)
Dancing
is like kissing. If it is kept simple, it is beautiful. If it becomes
harsh and complicated, it is no longer enjoyable.
Salsa
dancing to me is about the movement and rhythms between 2 people.
It is a connection expressed and shared through non-verbal communication.
The desire you see in your partner's eyes, the rhythm you feel when
your bodies are close together, the sexy hip movements and creative
styling techniques is what makes the dance so beautiful. The spirit
within a dancer comes alive when they feel the music. It is about
being sexy and free-spirited.
It is
a picturesque dance when you see the connection expressed rather then
the quantity of moves competitively executed.
I feel
the increased standards of Salsa dancing in Toronto are being imposed
on people. There is a creative force out there trying to make Toronto
dancers into something we are not. We are not LA dancers or NY dancers.
We are Toronto dancers. Let the uniqueness of Toronto be that.
K.I.S.S.
May
11, 2001
I cannot
see much good coming out of an attempt to formalize salsa with a syllabus,
regulatory groups, etc. It is a dance that has been evolving well
on its own and brought and laughter into people's lives.
Why control it and pin it down? The people who want to do that are
most likely either interested in making money from it or are coming
from a ballroom-competitive background. In addition, there might be
a few people who are concerned about badly trained teachers leading
people astray (but such teachers tend to not last long anyway).
I do a lot of ballroom dancing in addition to salsa, merengue, etc.
and although I enjoy ballroom immensely, I do not like the control
that some people try to impose on it or the politics of factions fighting
to make their version the official one.
If it is not fun, why do it? (unless your interest is money) Fortunately,
if standards are developed, a most people will likely ignore them
or see them as just a curiosity.
David S.
October
18, 2001
Hi Rose, I
stumble upon this site http://www.worldsalsafederation.com/index.html.
The WSF is a corporation with World Headquarters in Miami, Florida,
and was legally formed in August 2001. Below are some of the steps they
say what an instructor should know to be qualified as an instructor
in 3 different levels, Professional Salsa Instructor, Advanced Salsa
Instructor, and Master Salsa Instructor. This will coincide with the
Bronze, Silver, and Gold Levels. Examinations now can be taken by video.
I have heard some of the Spanish steps they mention called out during
casino rueda dancing. They are or will be giving "salsa instructor
certificates" to those that meet the requirements they have established.
It would be nice to hear the comments from other instructors on this
certification issue. -- John
BRONZE
1. Basic Movements
A. Forward and Back
B. Guapeo
2. Cucaracha
3. Under Arm Turns
A. Turn From Basic
B. Turn From Open Break
C. Male Turn From Basic
D. Alternating Turns - Girl First
E. Alternating Turns - Man First, Change Of Hands Behind The Back
4. Cumbia Step (5th Position Breaks)
5. Di Le Que No (Cross Body Lead)
6. Enchufa
7. Coca Cola (Reverse Turn From CBL)
8. Double Enchufa (Stop and Go)
9. Alternating Enchufa Turns
10. Exhibela
11. Natural Top
12. Adios
SILVER
1. Alternative Basic
2. Vacilala
3. Vacilense
4. Siete (7)
5. Numero Dos (shadow cumbias)
6. Dedo
7. Sombrero
8. Setenta (70)
a. Cuban Hook
b. Male head loop
c. Female head loop
9. Basic Wrap Around
10. Setenta Complicado
11. Reverse Top
12. Advanced Setenta
GOLD
1. The Tunnel
October
22, 2001
What's this about the World Salsa Federation crapola!? Sorry if
you are for them but I don't believe that Salsa should be put on a
'Ballroom' category where we have to be soooo technical. I mean, that
belongs to Ballroom crowd. I think this is just another Ballroom people
trying to control another form of dance where everything has to be
technically correct. Feet position, hand, stiff posture just like
Ballroom. Don't get me wrong, Ballroom is great!!! But every person
had their own taste... I enjoy watching those professionals; but Salsa,
well Salsa is different, I love the way people move differently, each
person adds his own 'style' 'character' to the dance and that's what
is so great about it. It's a big topic. But I think these couple wants
to own part of the market, but to have a syllabus for salsa for us
to follow??? ..no thanks. I like the freedom of expression and these
people most likely will make Salsa into a strict stiff looking dance
with no feeling.
Just
my two cents -- don't mean to insult Ballroom crowds, but leave Salsa
as it is !!!!!! Let the music move you not the syllabus that they
want to create for us!!! -- Roy
July
30, 2002 -- SALSA SYLLABUS
OK, then
let's make up a syllabus so everybody else can teach what we think
is correct!
Give me a break!
First, let me tell you that there are numerous different styles around
the world (on1, on2, on3, cumbia, ballroom mambo on2, just to name
a few).
The list of the "World Salsa Federation" is based on casino
rueda, and based on Miami, if my understanding is correct! I believe
I read something about it a while back in a NY/NJ yahoo Club. Is their
intention to have everybody in the world dancing casino rueda-like
moves (no disrespect intended)?
What would they think if NY comes out with a syllabus based on On2
moves leaving out LA, Miami and others?
I'm really worried about this because if this is successful, talented
and creative instructors like Ismael Otero (my mentor) and Super Mario's
credibility would be destroyed, because they create their own moves
and would not meet their criteria.
Salsa is dance different around the world, because people are different
and feel the music in very different ways. Isn't it wonderful to go
to a Salsa Congress and see the diversity of styles on the dance floor?
I think that is what makes salsa so unique! No matter how hard you
try there is always a new move you don't know or a new style you haven't
dance to!
Please don't let anybody take that away from you, from me, from the
world! Betto
September
3, 2002 -- Salsa Syllabus
As both
an instructor and a director of a dance company (Tribu Nueva, San
Francisco), I've found it very useful to create a syllabus of salsa
moves. I agree with the other posters on this site who say that salsa
should be kept real, sexy, passionate & creative, but that's not
to say that it can't be a little bit organized while you're at it.
:) I also agree that there shouldn't be a prevailing style of salsa
that sets the standard for the entire salsa world. That said, the
reasons I put together a syllabus were to aid in teaching, give all
my students wherever I teach the same foundation of moves, develop
a "vocabulary" for the moves to improve students' ability
to remember them, and to keep track of the ideas I come up with and
learn from others. Drew
May
12, 2003 -- Salsa syllabus
Dear
Rose, Yes,
it is true that Britain now has a salsa syllabus. This has been established
by the UKA (United Kingdom Alliance of Professional Dance Teachers),
which has existed for nearly a hundred years, mainly as a ballroom
dancing organisation.
The British
example demonstrates some of the potential benefits and pitfalls of
establishing a salsa syllabus.
Lets
look at the positives. Whilst I agree that salsa is far more variable,
fluid, dynamic and evolving than ballroom, I must disagree with some
of the people who argue that it is totally free form and therefore
can't be structured. Salsa is a semi-formalised partner dance and
despite the intricacies of the various styles, they actually share
a great many moves, steps and concepts. I dance predominantly LA style,
but that has not stopped me from dancing (and greatly enjoying) dancing
with Cuban and Colombian style dancers.
The basic
fundamentals need to be taught properly, or else bad habits will set
in or even worse, injury. Basically it comes down to safety and liability.
Teachers and responsible and liable for their students' safety. Students
need some way of knowing that their teacher is properly qualified
and that they won't injure themselves. Sadly, I have seen far too
many people injured in lessons I have attended. And it isn't just
immediate injuries. Bad dancing and technique can lead to long term
health problems.
The more
advanced and adventurous dancers become, the more important proper
qualified teaching becomes, especially when warming up and learning
concepts such as body awareness and spacial awareness and learning
more dangerous dips and flips. Good dancers are not necessarily good
teachers and good teachers aren't born, they need training.
Salsa
is no longer just a street / club dance. It is a sport and I'm afraid
this needs regulation.
Now for
the negatives. As i said before, salsa is a fluid and multicultural
dance and to have a syllabus set in stone would indeed kill the dance.
Any board of examiners should reflect the variety of styles. The syllabus
should also reflect the basic root styles. This would also ensure
that potential teachers are exposed to more than one style. This might
also have the added benefit of making teachers and their students
less likely to make sweeping statements and enter pointless arguments
about which style is better (when they have little knowledge of other
styles). What the syllabus should ensure is that teachers can teach
their students about the salsa rhythmn, about basic foundation moves,
about body awareness, about spacial awareness, about dance floor etiquette
and about safety (particularly warming up and down).
Someone
argued in this thread that bad teachers will naturally go out of business.
Sadly this is rarely the case, especially in smaller towns where there
isn't the choice or way of comparing teachers. Especially vulnerable
are beginners, who might not realise their teacher is bad until it
is too late and they have picked up injuries or hideous habits.
Salsa
is a massive worldwide phenomenon. Whilst it shouldn't be overly restricted
for fear of killing it, the fact that it is no longer just a street
dance and the fact that it is so widely (and badly) taught means we
are now forced to pay the price of popularity by having to regulate
it. If it is done properly, with people working together from different
styles and teachers sharing their experiences, salsa and people who
want to learn it can only benefit. -- Ivan
May
15, 2003 -- syllabi and certification
I don't
think that having a syllabus is a bad thing. Obviously, in casino
you have to have a syllabus in order to a) 'standardize' and remember
turn patterns and b) to teach and designate turn patterns to differing
students, depending on their proficiency.
I know
much less about LA style or NY style, but clearly there are many 'standard'
patterns/combinations that are done virtually the same way by any
practitioner of these styles. Providing a syllabus to students is
also, in my opinion, a good way to allow students to chart their progress.
Clearly, however, dancers can and should stray from any absolute standards
when they acheive a certain level of proficiency. Not everyone does
the basic the same way.
What
is absolutely ridiculous is creating a system of 'certification,'
as the WSF has tried to do. As a teacher, student, or whatever, you
either have the goods or you don't. Having a certification in salsa
does not mean s&%t!!! -- Brian
May
18, 2003 -- Salsa syllabus
Dear
Brian, I'm
not so sure that having certification in salsa would necessarily be
*???!!!! or any other expletives people would care to use (and as
a rule, the more expletives or put-downs in an argument, the weaker
it tends to be).
I take
people's point that they do not want salsa to be standardised or go
the way of ballroom. Nor would I.
But I must disagree with you that teachers (and students) either have
it or they don't. Sure, some people are more naturally gifted at dancing
or communicating ideas than others but learning a dance is more than
this and good teachers, naturally gifted or not, need training. There
is a method and theory to teaching (and learning) anything, whether
it be a language, dance, music, cooking..salsa is no different. These
theories and methods make learning safer, easier and quicker. Although
only semi-formal, salsa does have rules, theories and methods.
It depends
what level you are looking for. If you want to learn a new art or
skill, sure, you can just ask your friends, family, or in the case
of a language, go and live in that country. If you just want to learn
a few salsa steps, just ask anyone in a club. I have no problem with
this, and infact that's how I started to learn. But if you want to
learn something properly, you go to a qualified (certified?) teacher.
The problem is at the moment, any old schmuck can set up as a salsa
teacher, teach hundreds of people and charge money for it. If it were
any other activity, would you pay good money to be taught by someone
who has no idea or proper training?? I don't think so. -- Ivan
May
19, 2003 -- Salsa Syllabus Discussion
I agree ... a syllabus can be a great thing, especially on a local level,
to ensure that their exists a common basis to facilitate people being
able to dance with each other no matter which school they learned at.
There are dangers however.
One danger, of course, is that there is a tendency for people to think
in terms of anything written down as being a sort of holy book and it
can foster a "this is right ... that is wrong" attitude. Strict
standards (e.g. "weight should be on the inside edge of the ball
of the foot" etc.) are great for situations where the emphasis
is on "dance as sport" and there is a real value to be obtained
by making the judging criteria in the technical sense as clear and objective
as possible to allow for fair competitions and judging (a difficult
goal to achieve in any case). For social dancing, however, standards
which are too "technically precise" or too extensive can be
stifling and have the effect of stunting the "live" development
of the dance.
For what it's worth, I think a syllabus aimed at social dancers (as
opposed to competitors) should be :
1) Local. The syllabus should be developed jointly by local teachers
to reflect salsa as it is most commonly danced in the specific locality
i.e. a social salsa syllabus for Toronto should be different from one
in London or LA.
2) Fluid. The syllabus should be updated frequently (yearly ?) to truly
reflect changes in the way salsa is danced at the clubs. The idea is
not to "regulate" how salsa is danced but to provide a practical
guide to current practices at the clubs and a common conception of the
"lead/follow" technique, including any shift in prevalent
style. If the syllabus beomes too "official" and is not updated
frequently, it will quickly became a museum piece from the point of
view of club dancing or simply become another "style" over
time to be indulged in by a closed group of syllabus followers learning
from certified teachers (rather like International style Latin/ballroom
whose versions of dances have little resemblance any more to the purely
social versions of these dances as done outside of their circle in those
areas where they survived).
3) Stylistically specific. By "style" I am not referring to
"styling" but to distinct approaches to salsa (some dance
scholars would refer to these as "dance dialects') which involve
fundamentally different principles such as which beat you dance on ("on
1", "on 2" or Cuban "a tiempo" and "contra
tiempo" etc.) and what the basic step is. While there are common
elements between all the salsa "dance dialects", they are
somewhat different in feel and look and this difference should be respected
and reflected in the syllabus. A syllabus for casino should be very
different than a syllabus for LA style, for example. I, for one, like
my eggs, bacon, sausages, toast and orange juice as separate items and,
while I may enjoy mixing the tastes on my fork, would not care to have
all these items put in a blender to be consumed as a homogenous mass
9unless this was, in fact, the prevalent local style). Borrow from the
different styles where appropriate in constructing a syllabus but do
not consciously and willfully destroy them.
4) Comprehensive in terms of "motifs". It is true, as Ivan
said, that salsa is a semi-formalised couple dance (all couple dances
are - otherwise they don't "work"). At the fundamental level
there are both common figures (cross-body leads, under-arm turns, variants
on the "stop and go" etc.) and individual "elements"
common to a wide variety of figures ("hand drops", "hand
tosses" , "arm wraps behind the back", "hair comb"
movements, "fling" motifs, "pretzel" arm moves,
"sombrero" type moves, single and double spins (from either
a hand, shoulder or hip lead) etc. etc. etc. ). I think it is familiarity
with these fundamental elements (as opposed to whole choreographies)
which allows a woman to become a great, responsive follower. How many
guys out there have NOT had the experience of trying a "hair comb"
or "sombrero" with a beginner (no matter how naturally talented
she is) and having her fight back as though she were defending her honour
from a lascivious scoundrel ? But once she has experienced the move,
she can generally recognize it even in a new context. And ... it is
familiarity with the base elements which allow a man to become a creative
improviser rather than being limited to reproducing "choreographies".
These elements should be listed in the syllabus, maybe with sample figures)
but the teachers given the freedom to combine them in their own way
(i.e. to have and retain "signature" combos which set them
apart from the other teachers).
So ... by all means let's have a syllabus to help students learn and
retain the fundamentals that they need to dance successfully with each
other but please ... let it be a practical guide to dancing rather than
an attempt to impose a sort of "regulation" on a still very
much alive and kicking, regionally diverse dance form and, in the process,
discouraging experimentation and creativity in the process. -- Gabor
May
19, 2003 -- syllabus
-- response to ivan
ivan-- you are
right; normally i do not agree with using expletives when making an
argument, and i shouldn't have done so then. and looking at what i
wrote, i was not sure that i explained myself properly.
someone had responded
earlier regarding a salsa syllabus that the wsf had construed. when
i checked out their website, i read that they offered a salsa 'certification'
to anyone who demonstrated to them -- on a video and with a small
fee of 12 dollars -- that he or she mastered a certain level of moves
appearing on the syllabus.
if this is not
a racket, then i don't know what is. yes, one could certainly say
that he or she is certified by the wsf, but does anyone really pay
attention to that? and who would? an advanced dancer normally seeks
out a teacher for their experience, teaching method, array of combinations,
or talent. a beginner seeks out a teacher through a reference, a web
page, or an advertisement. the point i should have made is that a
'certification' from the wsf holds no true value. when i mentioned
having the goods, i was implying numerous traits -- being a good teacher,
having talent, having knowledge. i believe these qualities in a teacher
are apparent in other ways than having a piece of paper from the wsf.
in that
sense, how a certification from the wsf benefits anyone -- other than
the wsf itself, financially -- would be news to me. -- brian
May
19, 2003 -- Salsa syllabus
Dear Gabor, Spot on!! I agree totally with you.
The point about turning a dance into a museum piece if it is set
in stone is a great one and in fact this happened in the UK when cha-cha
was set in stone and effectively killed.
Good ideas about an evolving syllabus too -- Ivan
July
9, 2003 -- Syllabus
I have
read the string on this topic and it looks like the general consensus
is it is good to have some structure to teach the basics (basic salsa
step, proper tension, posture, hand positioning, etc..). I agree with
this also. To learn how to dance certain styles there must be guidelines.
These guidelines will help the students to dance smoothly with proper
footing, tension, etc and at the end feeling that they have learned
something. Not all guidelines will be 100% the same due to the different
styles that are out there and no one should expect it to be. That
would be unrealistic.
What
should the guidelines be? That is a tricky one to answer.
I do
not agree with what WSF is doing, charging people to be certified
by video. My question is what does that piece of paper mean? In my
view, nothing.
There
are plenty of people out there that are great dancers but just cannot
teach or shouldn't be teaching. On the other hand there are instructors
out there that are not the best dancers but can explain things to
the littlest detail and are wonderful instructors. And of course the
ultimate dance instructor is the one that is a great dancer and can
teach.
I agree
with a comment made that learning needs to be safe. I would like to
add one more element...FUN!! The more fun you are having, learning
becomes easier.
In summary,
I agree with some kind of guideline but not to make it gospel across
the board. Every style needs to be looked at closely. Every style
should have their own basic guideline to follow. -- John
July
16, 2003 -- Salsa Syllabus/Standards
I think
that most people that have written in are agreeing that a syllabus
is needed. ?
There
are a lot of instructors currently out there that can't even keep
a basic step and are teaching either for money or for other selfish
reasons. Having a syllabus will not necessarily make you more reputable
but not having one will hopefully get the student to think and wonder
if the instructor is credible.
Otherwise
what do you teach? Whatever comes off the top of you head
There
are a lot of factors. However, as an instructor you have to keep in
mind what you teach and how much you teach. Many people forget what
is to be a student and how overwhelming it can be.
Also,
there are standards that all instructors should teach no matter what
the style or timing is.
1) Basic
steps - no matter where you go or what style is danced most of the
basic steps are the same. They just have other names or danced on
a different time.
2) Connection
- If you and/or your partner do not have proper connection (I don't
like to use the word pressure) then how do you lead or how do you
follow? Answer you guess. This is not what partner work is about.
You can't dance together if you have Jelly arms!
3) The
syllabus should be made to have patterns flow well together for easy
transition as well as getting the student to be creative (and not
100 basics between each transition)
4) Timing/Musicality
- It's good for the student to understand the music and the timing.
This will help them hear and understand the music better. They will
know when the music is building to the Descarga, when a phrase ends/begins,
etc...
5) Body
Isolations/Movements - Some people comment on how stiff someone dances.
However, if they've don't naturally move well and someone has not
taught them to move how do you become an all around good dancer? Answer:
YOU CAN'T. They may not even know that they are a little stiff.
OOPS
I'm starting to run late for a class.
I'll just make the following comments and then hopefully come back
another day to finish.
THE onus
cannot just be on the instructor alone. A student also has to practice,
interpret the music as they hear/feel it, maybe take lessons from
other instructors that offer something their current instructors are
not providing. Just get out there and dance!
ALSO,
a class should be fun but isn't always necessarily so. Especially
if the student is learning something that they are not good at or
don't like.
Live,
Love, Laugh y Salsa
Rene
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