Quote: (08-11-2013 05:07 PM)JayMillz Wrote:
Quote: (08-11-2013 03:06 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:
yes, Japan and Colombia are big, but there are usually performances from other countries as well, and I specifically recall performances from teams in Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador... even though Colombia was amongst the most represented with sometimes a very high pace dance and lots of acrobatics in the performances.
I've been to the Congreso in Japan and it was a good way to plug into a network and get automatic validation since the Japanese salseros are very welcoming. Once you're into that network, its easy to meet other salsa and non-salsa dancers. I know many from Asia probably go to the LA event since it is closer, but we get a lot that visit NYC also and keep in contact on FB for when we travel there. I'm looking at hitting a few events next year.
Yes, JM, whenever I travel I like to check out the
salsa dance scene, since I already have a pretty solid set of skills, and definitely I find some of the asian dancers to be amazing and more willing to follow a white guy. Sometimes the latinas are more reluctant to follow a white guy, especially, if they have been
salsa dancing since they were three years old, then they may think that they do not have to follow the guy.. or something like that... which at times can be a little frustrating.
Some of the posters here mentioned that a guy should be able to match his dance style to the location and/or style of the girls where he goes, and I really do not believe that to be the case.
Even though there may be a little bit of truth to the fact that the majority of girls in whatever scene will be trained in the style of the local scene. However, with
salsa, guys dance all over the place, and even in Los Angeles locations in which there are a lot of skilled
salsa dancers, one will also see quite a variety of dance levels, and even some skilled dancers are not consistently on any beat (in their social dancing), and sometimes I wonder whether these supposedly advance dancers even know how to count the music on whatever beat they are dancing. Sometimes the guy may have good rythm and moves but he is all over the place in terms of the beat... if the girl is comfortable, she can still follow him. Girls who dance a lot are going to be used to dancing with guys on a variety of beats, rhythms and styles. Some girls are better at following than others, and some girls may be very beginner in their dance skills, but be very good at following and synchronizing with the guy. And, some girls, who are really nice to look at, may not have a lot of dance talent, but they may not have any problem with a large number of guys ready, willing and able to show them the moves for free - and guys really like to target the beginner girls who are moldable.
In my point of view, the girl synchronizes ti the guy's dancing and not the other way around.
Salsa is a male-lead dance, and i have found that if the girl is not willing to synchronize with me, then I am really wasting my time with her. And, believe me it happens sometimes that the girl says "no, do it like this," and that is a sure sign to dump that girl as soon as possible b/c she is not willing to follow. However, since i try to be a classy guy, I will generally finish the song with her before refusing to associate further with her. However, there have been one or two times in my dance life that I have had to live da bitch on da dance floor b/c she was way too much for me, and i do not go on the
salsa dance floor to be lead by the woman (although, for fun and for teaching purposes, I have learned to follow a little bit, and I may allow the girl to lead me for fun.. but only when i am willing.. and not b/c she is not willing to follow me).
In sum, if your lead is good, then even if at first the girl does not know your dance style, after some time, she should begin to get a feel for for your style, and possibly, if it is different from what the local guys do, then that may be a very big "in" for you.. especially, if you are otherwise a competent dancer with a variety of dance moves that makes the girl look good.
Oh, and i do not believe it is beta to make the girl look good, b/c quite a reality of dance is the spectacle nature of it, and frequently, people will be looking at the girl much more than looking at the guy... it is another aspect of
Salsa dance.
And, that gets me back somewhat to the question of the OP of this thread, in which he posed the question of whether training for
salsa, in Canada i believe, would help for his travels to and employment of
salsa dancing in Latin America, and most certainly, the answer is that such training would help, even if it is not the same style of the local dance, b/c ultimately, a guy needs to be able to get into his comfort zone with dance and the more variety that he knows in regard to dance the more he is capable of playing with that variety and even possibly molding his style into other styles and frequently keeping some components of his previous dance training.
