Once upon a time I danced for the sheer joy of it, oblivious to the many 'styles' of dancing I am now aware of. I think I liked it better that way...

Without a doubt, I’m a dancer. The question is… what sort of a dancer am I? Which style of dancing do I follow? The more involved I get in the Salsa world, the more I realize that due to my lack of technical knowledge, I don’t even know which label I carry as a dancer.

I have been reading posts on several websites, (i.e. RMAL), and I see people going back and forth about the mambo-salsa style, the 'on-two' style (or are these two one and the same?), the ballroom dancing style, the L.A. style, the street style, etc. The more I read the more I wonder as to which group I belong to.

I have tried using the process of elimination.

I know that I’m not an ‘on-two’ dancer. I can follow a lead if he dances me ‘on-two’, but I will absolutely loose my place the minute he lets go of me. The fact that I have also been encouraged by members of the new spurt of ‘on-two’ dancers in Los Angeles, to switch over from dancing ‘on-one’, (since ‘on-two’ is apparently believed to be a much more refined craft), also indicates that I’m out of that group at the moment.

I also know I’m not a ballroom dancer. Ballroom dancing requires formal training, which I have none. With the exception of one ‘shines’ class with Felipe Polanco last year at one of the L.A. Congress’ workshops, I have never taken any dancing lessons.

Am I a street dancer then? I may be. a) I have taken no dancing classes. b) I learned to dance simply by going out two or three times per week, until I got it right. c) I can follow the lead of an L.A. dancer as well as I can follow the lead of a Cuban or a Colombian man. d) I know when I loose a step and I can come up with something to fill the space until I get back on track (and do it without loosing my ‘groove’). Is that not what I have read as the ‘definition’ of a street dancer?

Then again, several things could categorize me under the L.A. style just as well. If I was to dance ‘solo’, you would see my feet moving back and forth and ‘on-one’ as the L.A. style goes, and you may even catch me repeating a little ‘shine’ a few times. Oh... and I live in L.A.!

I have read the stereotypes of L.A. dancing though. It is said that L.A. dancers don't feel the music, that we memorize steps and follow them mechanically just for show. It is said that girls dress as skimpy as possible calling for attention, but if we are taken out of a routine we can't dance a step. If that is what belonging to the L.A. dancing style will be equivalent to, then I can't say I belong to it.

I also read someone say that the L.A. style is the 'little brother' of ballroom dancing. Does that make me sort of a ballroom dancer wanna-be?

This is all confusing.

Four years ago when I got into Salsa, it became my prime entertainment because I was having the time of my life. It was based on pure enjoyment and love for the music and its rhythm. Now I find myself caring about the different styles of dancing, and wondering whether I should belong to one or the other. When did this start, why and how, I don't even know.

I wish there was a ‘style’ category for those of us who only want to be free to dance and to love it. For those of us who don’t care to feel inferior than the ‘on-two’ dancers, and don’t care to feel superior than the Cumbia dancers either. For those of us who go out to dance wearing clothes not for show but for comfort, yet still enjoy the luxury of a good pair of dancing shoes. For those of us who enjoy the energy of a fast paced dance with an L.A. dancer to a Sonora Carruselles song, just as much as a classy dance with an 80 year old gentleman to a Tito Puente song.

But I don’t think there is.

As of now, I feel I have a mini 'style' crisis going on. The best I can come up with is to say that I am an ‘'on-one' street dancer, under the influence of the L.A. dancing style’.

But it is a mouthful, so I'm glad I don't have to say it all that often.