does salsa dancing improve your dancing skills in general

[EAE]

Hi!

I am taking Exotic dancing lessons to improve my body confidence and self-expression. I have had only one lesson so far and I can really see myself developing with Exotic dancing lessons.

However for work I am spending 4 weeks in Guatemala next Spring and whilst I'm over there I have the opportunity to take private salsa dance lessons. I've youtubed it and some of it looks great for self expression/body confidence, obv. not as much as exotic dancing but I'm guessing Salsa helps more with general rhythm/co-ordination and finding the beat more than exotic dancing does.

I can take a maximum of 8 Exotic dance lessons before I leave for Guatemala including the first one I've already had, so that's 7 more starting from now. I should mention I am a VERY bad dancer because not only am I naturally unco-ordinated, I am also very shy and inhibited. The Exotic dance classes are weekly and when I go to Guatemala I will have a whole months break from any kind of dancing, followed by a month of private salsa lessons (5 hours a week). When I come back to the UK, I am hoping to take around 4 more exotic dance lessons in the space of 2 weeks before I fly to Ibiza, where my ultimate goal is to be able to enjoy myself dancing in the clubs without any alcohol and be able to move fairly gracefully and without any inhibition. I'm intolerant to alcohol.

MY question is, does Salsa improve your general dance skills i.e. will it sustain the benefits that I get from my exotic dancing enough so that my Guatemala trip wont wreck all the progress I make?

Thanks!

 

[DanceMentor]

I think it can. I would divide that into two areas:
1. Dance technique - as you repeat actions (hopefully correctly) you will improve your muscle memory as you keep dancing, so by all means keep dancing!
2. Passion - If you like salsa, it can improve your passion for dance, and that can be a real driving force in helping you get better. For example, you will be thinking about it all the time, practicing watching videos and having discussions like this one.

 

[Spitfire]

While dances differ I believe if you learn one it will help you with others. I probably would have had a difficult time with WCS had I not learned other dances that I did beforehand.

 

[HothouseSalsero]

I think that, in general, every dance you study has the potential to enrich the other dancing you do. I took a couple swing classes a long while back. I didn't really take to the dance, but I think it helped improve my ability to lead turns in salsa. I don't remember how, exactly (if I ever figured it out). Likewise, I'd like to think that having taken some West African dance, a maybe a year and half of jazz samba, both helped me move better to the African-rooted rhythms of salsa.

However, one negative thing I observed after immersing myself in salsa for a while is that it seemed to make my general dance free-styling more limited. My feet tended to want to do salsa-like steps all the time. Also, I think it made me a little less relaxed about just free form dancing.

I have hardly ever done any freestyle dancing in clubs (and haven't done much salsa, for that matter) over the past several years, so it's hard to say if my freestyle dancing has been permanently made more limited, but I doubt it. When I was dancing around my apartment to some UK funky (great stuff a lot of the time) I was getting into some decidedly un-salsa-like movements.

 

[tangotime]

I took a couple swing classes a long while back. I didn't really take to the dance, but I think it helped improve my ability to lead turns in salsa. I don't remember how, exactly (if I ever figured it out).
.

Thats because salsa/mambo, "borrowed " many variatons from the Swing genres .

 

[ajiboyet]

I don't think timing gets any easier than salsa basics...

 

[pygmalion]

I think that, in general, every dance you study has the potential to enrich the other dancing you do. I took a couple swing classes a long while back. I didn't really take to the dance, but I think it helped improve my ability to lead turns in salsa. I don't remember how, exactly (if I ever figured it out). Likewise, I'd like to think that having taken some West African dance, a maybe a year and half of jazz samba, both helped me move better to the African-rooted rhythms of salsa.

However, one negative thing I observed after immersing myself in salsa for a while is that it seemed to make my general dance free-styling more limited. My feet tended to want to do salsa-like steps all the time. Also, I think it made me a little less relaxed about just free form dancing.

I have hardly ever done any freestyle dancing in clubs (and haven't done much salsa, for that matter) over the past several years, so it's hard to say if my freestyle dancing has been permanently made more limited, but I doubt it. When I was dancing around my apartment to some UK funky (great stuff a lot of the time) I was getting into some decidedly un-salsa-like movements.

Hi HothouseSalsero! Long time no see. :-D

And on topic, yes. As a rule, I agree that doing one type of dance can enrich your ability to do others. I think there are exceptions, but as a rule, I certainly agree.

 

[HothouseSalsero]

Hi HothouseSalsero! Long time no see. :-D

Hi. I don't know if you remember me complaining about my allergy/sinus problems before, but I'm still dealing with that. The relocation has helped some, but I still hardly have the energy to do more than just work and go home. Hoping to jump start a return to dancing over my (fairly brief) winter break.

 

[pygmalion]

Hi. I don't know if you remember me complaining about my allergy/sinus problems before, but I'm still dealing with that. The relocation has helped some, but I still hardly have the energy to do more than just work and go home. Hoping to jump start a return to dancing over my (fairly brief) winter break.

I don't remember the sinus stuff. I do remember your having lived in a different city, the last time I "saw" you. It's good to see you back in DF! :-D Good luck with getting back to dance over your break.

 

[wonderwoman]

I don't think timing gets any easier than salsa basics...

Really? Because it seems like the majority of people who take a beginner salsa lesson give up because they can't figure out, and even people who keep at it, never figure it out.

 

[HothouseSalsero]

Really? Because it seems like the majority of people who take a beginner salsa lesson give up because they can't figure out, and even people who keep at it, never figure it out.

A lot of people do struggle with just getting the beat, but if he grew up in Nigeria, I can see how the rhythmic framework for salsa would probably seem more familiar than it does for many of us. (Of course, I have seen nothing that indicates he did grow up in Nigeria, just that he's there now.)

 

[azzey]

Hi!

I am taking Exotic dancing lessons to improve my body confidence and self-expression. I have had only one lesson so far and I can really see myself developing with Exotic dancing lessons.

However for work I am spending 4 weeks in Guatemala next Spring and whilst I'm over there I have the opportunity to take private salsa dance lessons. I've youtubed it and some of it looks great for self expression/body confidence, obv. not as much as exotic dancing but I'm guessing Salsa helps more with general rhythm/co-ordination and finding the beat more than exotic dancing does.

Hi, welcome to DF! You may be also be interested in our sister forum SalsaForums.com which has a more singular focus on Salsa. Some of our members travel the world and may be able to give you good info on Guatemala.

Yeah Salsa is great for improving confidence, having fun together with lots of different partners and learning more general dance skills. Because it's a partner dance you're not just learning how to dance on your own, you're learning how to to follow a partners lead, just like Tango, Swing, Ballroom or any other partner dance.

I can take a maximum of 8 Exotic dance lessons before I leave for Guatemala including the first one I've already had, so that's 7 more starting from now. I should mention I am a VERY bad dancer because not only am I naturally unco-ordinated, I am also very shy and inhibited.

Everybody is in the beginning. I've been dancing Salsa now for 10 years on average several times a week and I can tell you that everybody starts out uncoordinated and it takes time for them to loosen up and get used to dancing. There's no such thing as a "natural", just people with some prior dance or movement experience from another genre (e.g. martial arts) that they can take across into the new hobby. I have some friends who have done belly dancing, exotic dance for years which can help but learning something new takes time and can't be rushed. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just have fun with it. If you enjoy it you'll keep doing it and improve over time.

The Exotic dance classes are weekly and when I go to Guatemala I will have a whole months break from any kind of dancing, followed by a month of private salsa lessons (5 hours a week).

Although Salsa is not native to Guatemala or mexico (the rhythms and dance originally come from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia and then spread out through the rest of the world), if you are in one of the major cities in Guatemala you should be able to find a class or instructor at a reasonable price. South america being one of the cheaper places to live.

When I come back to the UK, I am hoping to take around 4 more exotic dance lessons in the space of 2 weeks before I fly to Ibiza, where my ultimate goal is to be able to enjoy myself dancing in the clubs without any alcohol and be able to move fairly gracefully and without any inhibition. I'm intolerant to alcohol.

MY question is, does Salsa improve your general dance skills i.e. will it sustain the benefits that I get from my exotic dancing enough so that my Guatemala trip wont wreck all the progress I make?

Thanks!

It won't wreck your exotic dance skills but as to the benefit it really depends what your focus is.

Exotic dancing, night club dancing and Salsa dancing are all pretty distinct skills from each other. With each one you need to train the body to do the moves or steps to the point that you can do them naturally, without thinking, to the style of music that's playing, and relax, let go and enjoy yourself in the moment.

Salsa is also a partner dance, which you do together with someone else. That's not to say you can't learn some steps and ladies styling from a female teacher without a partner being involved, just so you can look good dancing on your own.

Trying to take one dance (like Salsa done to Salsa music) and then fit it to club music is probably harder than you think. Salsa has nothing to do with Spain (always a big misnomer in movies) and may not be of so much benefit when dancing in Ibiza clubs where there probably isn't much latin music either. You're more likely to hear Reggaeton in a normal club than Salsa.

What is common between all these dances (Salsa, Reggaeton, Bachata, Zumba, Belly dancing, Zouk, Cuban Rumba) is learning body isolation. Learning to move the body parts (like hips, rib-cage or shoulders) independently. It's what changes someone from looking stiff as a board doing steps to gracefully flowing body movements, with lots of practice of course. Think Beyonce and Shakira. That's the stuff they're doing and then mixing it all together. Look up videos of each of the dances I listed to see what I mean.

Examples of body isolations are:
Ritmo Latino Presents: Yanet Fuentes Body Isolation Class
Fundamentals of Rumba
oliver luda basics
The Dancer & Green Fish Salsa School Basic Lesson
Rib Cage Exercises
T&G Salsa School - Ladies arms practice
T&G Salsa School - Hand Style Training
Bachata Body Isolation Part 1
Bachata Body Isolation Part 2

In my opinion what you need is to get someone to teach you how to move your body and all the parts properly and then add some footwork and ladies arm styling, and show you how you can use simple steps and body movements to freestyle on the dance floor to club music.

Here's an example using hips, upper body and arms together:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umzM-ssELtQ

OR you can learn to dance Salsa with a partner on holiday, have some fun and then maybe mix a step or two into your club dancing when you go to Ibiza.

It really depends what it is you really want.

If you're taking private lessons any good instructor should be able to teach body isolations, arm styling and footwork so that you can learn to freestyle. You need to tell them what you want though. To dance in a Salsa club with salsa dancers or to solo dance in an Ibiza club and look sexy doing it. Maybe a bit of both.

Good luck!