Two best dance styles to incorporate to create???

[Monsour]

I'm a dancer, singer and song writer. I've studied ballet, jazz and tap but took a couple of years off dancing to concentrate on other pursuits.

Now I'm back into dancing. I'm learning street/hip hop dancing. I have an ambition to create my own unique style (Like the King MIchael Jackson did).

I want to get an opinion on what you guys think would be the best dance style to incorporate with my street/hip hop dancing.

Regards
Monsour

[cocodrilo]

One of our forum members seems to be incorporating Kung Fu moves with his salsa! :lol:

[Sabor]

I want to get an opinion on what you guys think would be the best dance style to incorporate with my street/hip hop dancing.

in my view.. definitely salsa and all its genres can be incorporated.

personally i mix hip/hop, jazz and tango styled moves in my salsa.. it works for me :D

[Pacion]

:roll: I can't quite picture it myself Sabor. Any chance of a demonstration please :roll: :wink: :friend: :lol:

[Sabor]

Thats what imagination abuse is all about bonbon :wink: :lol:

[cocodrilo]

I think you can incorporate any dance form with salsa-
I do just as Sabor does- I mix in some hip-hop steps with my shines(and they look very cool)- I only know a couple tango moves, though...

[Monsour]

Salsa is more partner orientated though......while hip/hop is more individual.

So how would that work if your main focus was hip hop but you wanted to add something different with it.....

[Sabor]

not necessarily.. if one chooses, one could dance salsa solo .. ie shines, body isolation and styling throughout the dance.. afro-cuban style works very well with hip-hop i believe.. so u can take the stuff that works with your danceing from salsa - partner movement not inclusive..

that could add alot of 8) footwork to your dance.. arms styling ..shoulder, hip/waist movement etc..

[Pacion]

Thats what imagination abuse is all about bonbon :wink: :lol:

:lol: In today's world of automated answering services and switchboards, personal service is a rarity these days :mrgreen:

[Genesius Redux]

One of our forum members seems to be incorporating Kung Fu moves with his salsa! :lol:

"Everybody was kung fu fightiiiiiiiing!
Their moves were fast as lightniiiiiing!
But you know it was a little bit frighteniiiiiiiing!
Oh that kung fu fightiiiiiiiiing!"

[Genesius Redux]

I'd like to see a hip hop minuet. :wink:

[d nice]

If you are serious about developing your own style with hip-hop as your base, I would not add salsa to it... sorry but the movement and music doesn't translate quite as well in that direction as it does for hip hop steps being added to salsa.

My suggestions would be in no particular order-

West African
Afro-Cuban
Afro-Brazilian (such as Capoeira)
Contemporary Jazz
Rhythm Tap

My personal suggestions would be West African or Rhythm Tap.

[Monsour]

D Nice -

West African - Never herd of that style....can u explain it to me


Rythym Tap - How could tap be implemented with a style that wouldn't be using tap shoes.

[d nice]

West African is a group of "folk" or traditional dances done by various tribes in Western Africa. Depending on where you are located it shouldn't be to difficult to find a class that teaches... look for one that uses live drummers.

Ever see stomp or Tap Dogs? What about Black Fraternities like the Alphas or Omegas when they Step Shows? That is Rhythm Tap type of percussion, syncopation, and polyrhythms without taps. Powerful stuff.

[Larinda McRaven]

"Everybody was kung fu fightiiiiiiiing!
Their moves were fast as lightniiiiiing!
But you know it was a little bit frighteniiiiiiiing!
Oh that kung fu fightiiiiiiiiing!"

everybody join in...
"o whoa whoa whoooa
o whoa whoa whoooooa"

[Monsour]

D Nice,

I'm located in Brisbane, Australia. What kind of moves does West African dance offer and would there be any classes teaching me this.

Regards
Monsour

[Vince A]

I tend to agree with d nice . . . hip hop and salsa . . . I don't think they mix
well. Oh yes, you could do it, but the music just does not dictate it.

What about incorporating the hip hop into what you know . . . the jazz and tap should be a great place . . . I would think that Lindy would also work as I've seen it done quite a bit, but you better be fast.

I have also learned several hip hop moves and MJ stuff that works well in West Coast Swing, and much of the music that we dance WCS to is R&B, BLues, and some hip hop!

I think you have to find your own thing to do . . . my 13 year-old wants to learn WCS, so that she can put her hip hop into it!

Experiment . . .???

[tj]

I tend to agree with d nice . . . hip hop and salsa . . . I don't think they mix
well. Oh yes, you could do it, but the music just does not dictate it.



Err... wasn't he saying that hip hop will mix into salsa but salsa won't mix into hip hop?

IMHO, some of the best dancers in Seattle have mixed hip hop into their salsa - as do some of the more famous instructors/performers out there: Al "Liquid Silver", Orville from Toronto - to name a few.

[Monsour]

Whats West Coast Swing - ive never herd of that style of dancing

[Vince A]

I tend to agree with d nice . . . hip hop and salsa . . . I don't think they mix
well. Oh yes, you could do it, but the music just does not dictate it.



Err... wasn't he saying that hip hop will mix into salsa but salsa won't mix into hip hop?

IMHO, some of the best dancers in Seattle have mixed hip hop into their salsa - as do some of the more famous instructors/performers out there: Al "Liquid Silver", Orville from Toronto - to name a few.
Yep . . sorry . . . that's what he said, I read what I wanted to see!

Although I'm just a rookie at Salsa, I would have a hard time fathoming adding hip hop to incredibly fast music . . . the hip hip is fluid and round, whereas Salsa is staccato and sharp. - although I could see some bodyrolls, waves, etc.

[tj]

Although I'm just a rookie at Salsa, I would have a hard time fathoming adding hip hop to incredibly fast music . . . the hip hip is fluid and round, whereas Salsa is staccato and sharp. - although I could see some bodyrolls, waves, etc.

I don't know if I understand your descriptions of staccato and sharp versus fluid and round - won't the individual song dictate this much more than a particular style? I can't imagine dancing to a slow salsa romantica song being very staccato and sharp - seems disjointed to me. Could you further explain what you're talking about?

When I've seen hip hop style moves and style incorporated into salsa, (and when it's done well) the partnership flows smoothly and effortlessly. And the same ol' moves that I've seen hundreds of times, gain new interest when these dancers add a little something extra.

For example, one of the newer styling moves floating around here, is that ladies are finishing off their spins with this cool little belly dancing style shimmy. Very cool the first time I saw it.

[Vince A]

I don't know if I understand your descriptions of staccato and sharp versus fluid and round - won't the individual song dictate this much more than a particular style? I can't imagine dancing to a slow salsa romantica song being very staccato and sharp - seems disjointed to me. Could you further explain what you're talking about?
The "only" Salsa that I've seen - most of it at Reno last month - was very, very fast, and very staccato. Guess it's my inexperience speaking???

For example, one of the newer styling moves floating around here, is that ladies are finishing off their spins with this cool little belly dancing style shimmy. Very cool the first time I saw it.
I've seen a similar move in WCS, but WCs is some 200bpm slower, which allows more time to execute these moves and make them look like something.

Maybe, as I get more Salsa under my belt, I will begin to see the light?

[cocodrilo]

I see hip hop moves in salsa quite often these days and I do some myself. Most of the young salseros/as are doing it! Salsa gives a dancer the freedom to do practically anything you can get away with(read:Kung Fu moves :lol: ) as long as you get back to the basic step.

[tj]

Vince - yeah, I agree with you - you'll see a lot more once you get more exposure to salsa. There's a decent amount of variety in what you can do with it, depending on the song, your own ability & knowledge, and your partner.

I see hip hop moves in salsa quite often these days and I do some myself. Most of the young salseros/as are doing it! Salsa gives a dancer the freedom to do practically anything you can get away with(read:Kung Fu moves :lol: ) as long as you get back to the basic step.

Coolness. I agree with you, and I'd go further and say that you can do anything in lieu of a basic step as long as your timing is right.

[cocodrilo]

Most definitely, tj!
I'm not really interested in hip hop, but having watched some fabulous salsa dancers incorporate it into their shines & moves and making it look REALLY COOL, I have started carefully watching hip hop to see if I can pick up more neat moves!

[Monsour]

So your saying suggesting that maybe I should try my hand at Salsa and see if I can incorporate it with hip hop??

My only problem is (correct me if Im wrong) but isn't Salsa more partner work where Hip hop/funk is more individual dancing.

[d nice]

Hip-Hop can be smooth or sharp, staccato or legato. Just depends on the music and the individuals personal style.

[cocodrilo]

Monsour
You should learn salsa ANYHOW because it's a blast! And it looks cool and the clothes & women are beautiful, and the music KICKS!
I 've never heard of anyone mixing salsa steps/moves with hip hop but rather vice-versa, dancing salsa with hip hop moves thrown in. See how the latino guys dance hip hop- maybe they ARE incorporating some salsa moves into it! :)