Other Dances

[la morena]

Has anyone found that learning other styles of dancing helps you with your salsa? I have just started learning ballet (at 21!!!!) - would this be good for building strength and balance?

 

[lynn]

i was told by my teacher that any physical activity will help with your dancing - i think it all comes down to how well you can "move" your body.

 

[ash88]

The most obvious ones to combine with your salsa are

*merengue
*street chacha
*cuban rumba
*bachata

Belly dancing would be great for isolations.

 

[macha]

I'd also suggest taking horseback lessons (huntseat or saddleseat style) to build up your leg muscles, not to mention jar your teeth loose:lol:.

Really though- you think it's just "sitting on a horse", but it moves muscles you never knew you had, Lol.

 

[Medira]

Has anyone found that learning other styles of dancing helps you with your salsa? I have just started learning ballet (at 21!!!!) - would this be good for building strength and balance?

Ballet is fabulous for core strength and balance, not to mention spins and turns. (I danced it for 20 years) ...and 21 isn't too old to start. Good luck with it!

 

[africana]

For salsa I'm always learning afro-latin and african dances to get more "flava". I've learned and performed many afro-cuban dances, afro-brazillian (samba and others), afro-peruvian (don't remember the names), puerto rican (bomba) movement and others. It's pretty fun integrating the body movements and footwork from these dances into salsa styling and shines.
Also most of these dances involve various isolations without the drudgery of practicing them intentionally without drumming or music

I'd study pretty much any dance with african/afro-derived percussion

 

[itorres]

Has anyone found that learning other styles of dancing helps you with your salsa? I have just started learning ballet (at 21!!!!) - would this be good for building strength and balance?

I would say definitely, yes. Not only for strength and balance but you will learn proper technique for performing moves and turns that are seldom covered in your average Salsa lessons. You'll also learn proper terms and descriptions that will be very useful and most salseros don't know about, like types of turns, what certain steps or moves are called. That will help you to identify moves and remember turn patterns, shine routines.

Just don't let your Salsa get overly theatrical... Sometimes too much of one dance style one knows creeps into another.

Good luck!

 

[HothouseSalsero]

I took two or three sequences of (east coast) swing classes, and I felt that those classes helped me better understand how to leald a turn in genera, improving my salsa lead somewhat. In my opinion, it's somewhat easier to lead a basic turn in swing dancing than it is in salsa.

I also found that the jazz samba class I used to take on and off (going back to before I started with salsa) helped me loosen up somewhat, for freestyling.

 

[HothouseSalsero]

Also, my primary salsa instructor had been a ballerina, and I felt that she had a very clear and deep understanding of balance that helped when she taught me to do turns. (Although I think my turns have gotten a bit sloppy after having been away from dancing for a long time, and not having had any private lessons for even longer; so I wouldn't give her the blame for my current state.)

 

[Rosa]

The most obvious ones to combine with your salsa are

*merengue
*street chacha
*cuban rumba
*bachata

I agree with all of those. I've tried them all to one degree or another and they definitely help with salsa, as well as being enjoyable dances in themselves.

Rosa