Ballroom Salsa vs. Street Salsa (L.A or N.Y. Style)

[Matrix]

what do you guys think?

any differences?

Are Ballroom salsa dancers inferior dancers or just schooled? (only when it comes to Salsa, obviously)

Go to http://www.clubmayan.com, click on ENTER, then 2005 World Competition, Professional Category, click on Liz Lira and Jose Valencia on both, semi-finals and finals, and notice this tweaked version of STREET & BALLROOM put together. :applause: :applause:

I love it!


But back to the topic... what do you guys think?


I went to the ALLEGRO BALLROOM in San Francisco, CA and all the ladies waned to dance with me and get some "Street Salsa" dancing (as they called it). It kind of made me feel weird, but then I did notice that they do dance a little bit too 'trained' (if we may call it like that). It's not like they STOP, feel the music, do a bomba break, a body break, look up, do shines, spin to the music, etc, etc. It's more like dancing "the way your instructor taught you."

So, any opinions anyone?

 

[DancingMommy]

IMNSHO there is no such thing as Ballroom Salsa. There's Mambo (part of the AmRhythm 5 dance) and something that is called Salsa but really isn't.

And since there's way more versions of LA & NY style Salsa, I can't comment on which is more authentic. Although.... Every time I hear Salsa & NY in the same sentence I get the Pace Picante Suace commercial in my brain - New York City?!

Anyways. Salsa is a non-ballroom dance. And teaching it in a ballroom environment won't ever make it a ballroom dance. Sorry.

I've rarely seen Salsa taught well in a ballroom environment. That said, I do think that ballroom *dancers* have the capability of dancing Salsa as it was *meant* to be danced just fine.

Ballroom dancers are not inferior, just different. Saying they were inferior would be the same as saying the Domincan Salsa dancer is inferior to the Puerto Rican one. BAH.

FTR, I am a ballroom dancer who learned Salsa the way it was meant to be danced - In Da Club. And my style is Atlanta style - which we all know is far superior to either LA or NY style. So there. ;P

 

[tacad]

I'm thinking of one couple that competes in International Ballroom. When they do salsa it looks great. Especially the woman. Disciplined, stylish, hot! Definitely not street salsa. But other than them, I haven't noticed any interesting, hot, passionate ballroom salsa dancers. And don't get me started on ballroom merengue! :roll: :lol:

 

[DancingMommy]

HAHAHAHAH Ballroom Merengue is dancing for dummies. I hated teaching it. Now club merengue is another story all together. Hot hot hot!

 

[Matrix]

anyone watched the Liz Lira video clips @ the 2005 Mayan World Salsa Competition?

what do you guys think?

thoughts and opinions, please...



BTW, Liz Lira & Jose Valencia will be competing in International Ballroom competitions and judging by this preview I gave you, what do you think will happen to them? I think they'll make a big impression in the Ballroom world.

 

[DancingMommy]

Ummmm International Ballroom doesn't *have* a Salsa category.

International Style consists of:

Standard ---> Waltz, Tango, FoxTrot, V Waltz & Quickstep

Latin ---> Rumba, ChaChaCha, Samba, Paso Doble & Jive

However, if you are referring to them dancing internationally at ballroom events, I can't say....

 

[DancingMommy]

Amen.

 

[alvaro]

ok, i watched the mayan clips (liz's) ... just out of curiosity: where's the ballroom in what they do?

Anyway, that dancing style leaves me completely cold. It can be entertaining and also amusing if i'm watching it 'live'. Otherwise, just boring.

well, that's my taste.

 

[tacad]

I'm thinking of one couple that competes in International Ballroom. When they do salsa it looks great. Especially the woman. Disciplined, stylish, hot! Definitely not street salsa. But other than them, I haven't noticed any interesting, hot, passionate ballroom salsa dancers. And don't get me started on ballroom merengue! :roll: :lol:

This is a couple that competes in International that enjoys dancing salsa at some ballroom dances I go to. They look really great. But they are the exception.

 

[Angelo]

HAHAHAHAH Ballroom Merengue is dancing for dummies. I hated teaching it. Now club merengue is another story all together. Hot hot hot!

Ballroom merengue, club merengue, street merengue, lemon merengue......can't get excited about any of it for some reason

 

[DancingMommy]

What about Coconut Merengue? Now THAT is something SPECIAL. And it doesn't do near as much for your physique.... And it doesn't take 20 minutes per each....

 

[tacad]

HAHAHAHAH Ballroom Merengue is dancing for dummies. I hated teaching it. Now club merengue is another story all together. Hot hot hot!

Ballroom merengue, club merengue, street merengue, lemon merengue......can't get excited about any of it for some reason

To be honest, I was at a club last night. It was pretty silly there too.

 

[Medira]

I learned "street" salsa before I learned "ballroom" style salsa and the street style is much more fun for me to dance. That's just a personal preference though. As for the clip, I didn't find it all that entertaining, but then again I was trying to watch it in stealth mode at work...

 

[Matrix]

is ballroom merengue just as good as ballroom bachata?? :roll:

where's the grinding!? 8)

 

[DancingMommy]

No such thing as ballroom bachata.