You will hear me say often that Salsa is one of the best styles to dance and one of most enjoyable ways to dance. Let me give you 5 reasons why it is the dance to learn if you live in the Americas.
1. Salsa was created through Cultural interchange and interaction.
The origin of salsa is simple it took from the international Ballroom dances and was combined with steps from the Caribbean and African dances that is what made modern salsa. Originally from Cuba it represents a whole range of different Latin dance music. It started in the early 1900s and gained popularity and inspiration from Jazz music creating the dance and music known as Jazz today.
One of those interaction and connections can be seen in the group called Los Primos. It is an organization that allows young musicians from Cuba to play in Canada and tour through out the Maritime and young aspiring Jazz musicians from the Maritime to learn and play with Cuban musicians. The entirety of this project was started and funded by a music teacher Jeff Godspeed.
2. Salsa is as diverse as all of Americas
Every part of the America's has their own version and variation of salsa. There is a lot of different variation of Salsa from LA, International, Colombian to hot flavored Miami style. It keeps on adding in every part of the world were salsa is danced.
From Salsa Clubs in Moscow, Russia to Salsa Clubs in Anchorage, Alaska. Each area and neighborhood will find their own style and Appreciation of salsa.
It has many different stories sometimes starting with one individual teaching in a University class room he got for free or a small storefront. Go to our friends at Salsa Gente who broke down the diversity of salsa from every era and area.
3. Salsa is everywhere
You can not travel and not find a salsa club or event in the part of the world you are traveling to. Salsa is one of the most wide spread dances and you can almost always find a Salsa club or dance school in every city. Even in Nova Scotia Salsa is starting to spread. Just in the last years we have had over 4 dance studios start teaching salsa as part of their core programming .
Find a community near you by simply asking online salsa community or the Instagram of Gwepa. #gwepa
4. The community is inviting
I have never felt more welcomed and excited when I danced in a Salsa venue. There was someone there who just came and asked if I wanted to dance with them. There was also people who wanted to dance with me even though I never met them. It is also not uncommon to see two guys or two girls dance together
5. Salsa is a social dance that invites solos
It is not uncommon for salsa dancers to dance a solo. If you are shy and need an extroverted person to drag you on the dance floor Salsa is the right way to go. If you do not feel like dancing with other just dance alone. In salsa it is called shining and it comes from show salsa and made its way into regular salsa. You should always take advantage of it and not shy away from a little challenge of doing a solo.
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