♥♪♥♪♥♪♥♪♥ SALSA ♥♪♥♪♥♪♥♪♥

I am going ga-ga over SALSA.It some how became a part of my life now.I had the passion of dancing at a very young age.I would take part in dance for school performances and clubs in school then at times I would be performing in functions.I am currently taking SALSA classes which is just mind blowing experience.I am also teaching a friend of mine in college.It is so cool.I am learning the LA style of SALSA.

Salsa is a syncretic dance genre from Cuba, as the meeting point of European and African popular culture. It later spreads to Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean Isles. Salsa is essentially Cuban with deep Afro-Cuban beats, and taking musical influences from Son, Guaguancó, Rumba, and later improvised to regional rhythms such as Boogaloo, Pachanga, Guaracha, and Bomba

Johnny Pacheco,creator of the Fania All-Stars, who "brought salsa to New York",with members including Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Roberto Roena and Bobby Valentín, says "Bueno, la Salsa es y siempre ha sido la Música Cubana",meaning "Well, salsa is and has always been Cuban music."

Rhythm

Salsa steps.Music suitable for dancing ranges from about 150 beats per minute (bpm) to around 250 beats per minute (bpm), although most dancing is done to music somewhere between 160-220 bpm. Every Salsa composition involves complex African percussion based around the Clave Rhythm (which has 4 types), though there can be moments when the clave is hidden for a while, often when quoting Changüí or Bomba. The key instrument that provides the core groove of a salsa song is the conga drum. The conga drummer slaps (high pitch) on the 2nd beat of each measure and strikes twice with an open tone (often on a 2nd lower pitched conga) on the 4th beat (see salsa music).Every instrument in a Salsa band is either playing with the clave (generally: congas, timbales, piano, tres guitar, bongos, claves (instrument), strings) or playing independent of the clave rhythm (generally: bass, maracas, güiro, cowbell). Melodic components of the music and dancers can choose to be in clave or out of clave at any point. However it is taboo to play or dance to the wrong type of clave rhythm (see salsa music). While dancers can mark the clave rhythm directly, it is more common to do so indirectly (with, for example, a shoulder movement). This allows the dancing itself to look very fluent as if the rest of the body is just moving untouched with the legs.

Los Angeles

In Cuban based rhythms, the strong beats are on 1 and 3, except in the case of Son. L.A. style is danced on 1, in a slot. It is strongly influenced by the Mambo, Swing and Argentine Tango styles of dancing. L.A. style emphasizes sensuousness, theatricality, aerobics, and showstyle. The two essential elements of this dance are the forward/backward basic as described above, and the cross-body lead. In this pattern, the leader steps forward on 1, steps to the right on 2-3 while turning 90 degrees counter-clockwise (facing to the left). The follower then steps forward on 5-6, and turns on 7-8, while the leader makes another 90 degrees counter-clockwise. After these 8 counts, the leader and follower have exchanged their positions. Most LA Style dances are not particular on the quick-quick slow rhythm seen on NY Style or Latin American style.

Major LA Style pioneers are Albert Torres, Laura Canellias and Joe Cassini rightfully deserve much of the credit for the early development and growth of L.A. Style Salsa.[citation needed] Later, such dancers as Alex Da Silva, Edie Lewis, Joby Martinez, Thomas Montero, Rogelio Moreno, Josie Neglia, Liz Rojas, Francisco Vazquez and Janette Valenzuela are often credited with developing the L.A. style of Salsa Dancing as we know it today