cdroge. How do you dance to a fast Salsa. Don't. Go and sit down and then tell the music presenter if he plays at more than 120 bpm he is wrong. Just as you would if a Cha or a Rumba was not played at the recomended tempo. That's what I would do.

Salsa is recorded in several different " styles-- notably, Romantica ( sometimes called Monga ) Dura and Descarga .Add to this Cuban " Son " and all the variations by different countries ( Cuba-- Panama-- Venezuela- Colombia-- PR and NYC etc. )

As you can begin to see- the music is very very complex.

Fast ( descarga ) is not wrong-- but IS wrong for a beginner-- on the other hand-- the very slow tempos are more difficult to interpret .-- mid range is what i teach to my beginners, and the variety is endless.
Romantica, by the way, does NOT mean slow, its the type of Singer associated with the style .

Most Son is a very good pace for beginners and the music is the original form ( Son Clave )-- if your DJ knows anything about music he will have some . If not-- I can reccomend several .
I should add-- that Cuban Son is a style that defines a break on "2" rhythm to the trained ear -- but 1 will work .

Terence.Wouldn't it be better to do what i suggested.I'll add to that. If the Salsa is played faster than a Cha then in any situation it is not acceptable. In a night club it could be downright dangerous. i dont think any of us are trying to set any land speed records are we.

My friend-- have been teaching Salsa/ mambo for 50 yrs-- it is NEVER easier to produce the desired foundational work with too slow a tempo-- the recordings i use, are fairly universal in their acceptance-- and is always more acceptable to the beginners ( I introduce various speeds, and they always go for the mid range )

the common mistake today? many people " Teaching?" salsa, that have no music or dance background-- hence the wrong musical choices . .
from a technical standpoint , all slower dances require more control and salsa is not designed ( for the beginner ) to handle the slower speeds like Cuban Son.

I would tell the DJ to slow it down. Also, learn the names and artists of your favorite songs so that you can request them. It sounds like the DJ did not understand the need to provide more moderately paced music. Maybe he was used to working at latin clubs. Only very experienced salsa/mambo dancers in the clubs can effectively dance to the fastest music. However it is personal choice, no matter how experienced the dancers, as to the speed of music they prefer. I do not enjoy the fast music, for one because I enjoy ballroom Mambo and all the hip motion and other technical aspects that become practically impossible to execute with very fast music. Other dancers like to fly though their CBLs and spins and dips, which is fun to watch, but for this writer is not as sweet as nicely executed figures and technique to moderately paced music. Oh, and by the way, Salsa/Mambo music is typically faster than Cha-cha music. It is the slower tempo of cha-cha music that allows the additional syncopated cha-cha steps to be inserted. Dancing Salsa/Mambo to most cha-cha music is too slow. Thanks!

IndySpinner. I am no expert on the Salsa. I just use common sense. It is worth bringing to your attention that The speed that the Salsa is played is the same as the recomended speed for a Cha Cha. Did you also know that it is possible to do a Cha to a Rumba tune if the Rumba is set at 30bpm which is 120bpm Just put the syncopation in at the correct time..The recomended speeds for Salsa range between 30bpm to 35bpm. As with any dance that has a Latin Motion the first thing that will disappear is the movement of the hips if the music is played too fast. So is faster music a step in the wrong direction ?.

PLEASE PLEASE do not classify Salsa as a ballroom dance !!

The very thing we are trying to do as Pros is retain its integrity .

The songs of salsa cover a variety of speeds that CANNOT be controlled by strict tempo .
If one attempted to do that-- it would begin to look regimented--thats the one thing it ISNT, and thats why it has a world wide appeal .

World class salsa bands and groups play songs at different speeds for reasons-- its all about telling a story. Cuban Son and Guaganco are written at different tempos for a reason, as are Guajiras( they even change into the original form of Cha )

The " Son " rhythm that dictates ALL " rumbas" ( thats a collective term )is divided into 2 categories- Rumba clave and Son clave-- all this is tied into the composition of the music-- you CANNOT regulate that .

We have already messed up-- beyond recognition-- every latino dance we get our hands on -- and this one does not need to follow suit .



Before you start giving declaritive statements about tempos-- you need education into the culture and its music ( Ive spent 50yrs doing this, and am STILL learning ! )

Terence,

I have a question for you about Cuban son, and other styles, but will start a new thread, since the topic doesn't fit here.

OK--will do my best to answer

Terence. Although I don't agree with with your suggestion that we have already messed up-beyond recognition every Latino dance we get our hands. On the contrary If they are dances that are going to be taught then there has to be basic rules for the basic timing.I would say in the case of the Salsa the most popular tempo is about 30bpm. Now that there is a Salsa World Championship and a Salsa World Champion there has to be a set speed the music is played at. Breaking on two is another point.
Question. Is Salsa music 4/4 and Phrased into 8 bars. Also as the footwork appears to be ball flat does the toe arrive before the beat and the heel is down on the beat just like it is supposed to be in a Samba. Unless you want to be chasing the beat.Then that is out of time and begins to look muddy.