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Salsa!
Salsa lovers recommend dance for everyone
Features
of salsa matches with its name, which is a hot
Mexican dip that heats people up. (Karen Tong)
By Karen Tong
‘Passionate, sensual, dynamic, intimate and spicy, that’s salsa,” says a local salsa instructor.
Franky Wong teaches at the Fringe Club and is one of the founders of the Hong Kong Salsa Congress.
“Features of the dance match exactly with its name — salsa, a hot Mexican dip that heats you up,” he said.
Salsa is a Cuban blend of music and dance from South America and Africa. Both its dance and its music have a mixed and complex origin.
Its dance steps are borrowed from Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances while its music is influenced by African drum rhythms, Spanish guitar, and other Cuban musical components.
The origin of salsa is controversial. Some say it came from Puerto Rico, but most people recognize Cuba as the birthplace of this music and associated dance.
In the late Fifties, there was a craze for Rueda de Casino, a group dance, in Cuba. In the dance, the leader led by calling out commands or giving gestures.
It consists of many turns and breaks, which are considered to be the ancestry of salsa’s steps.
The dance was introduced to Miami in the late Eighties and influenced the development of salsa in the U.S.
Salsa music is a mixture of various Latin and Caribbean musical styles such as flamenco.
But it is also heavily influenced by the rhythms that the Congolese and the Yoruba from, Southwestern Africa, created to worship their gods in ancient times.
The music was brought to the U.S. when a drummer called Ijibwa was a captive on a slave ship and forced to play music to entertain people on board.
All ingredients were blended in the U.S. as well as in Central America, which provided a broad base for salsa to flourish.
Salsa is welcomed by all classes in many countries such as Spain, Mexico and Colombia.
A 26-year-old Spanish salsa lover, said, “Everyone in Spain loves dancing and we love salsa!
“Music plays a big part in our lives and it is not confined to certain classes.” But salsa has not caught on in a big way in Hong Kong.
According to Franky, about 5,000 people in Hong Kong do the salsa dance. About 60 percent of them are Chinese. Most of them, aged from 24 to 45, “come from the middle and upper classes,” he said.
The low popularity may be due to a public misconception about salsa.
“Many people think salsa is similar to ballroom dance in a way that it is slow and old-fashioned, and that only wealthier and older people would like it.
“Salsa is an energetic dance with quick and stylish moves. The way to illustrate the dance is also flexible.
“Anyone can learn to enjoy it; even kids are welcome!”
The dance has almost no regulations and rules, for, unlike tango and cha-cha, it has not been standardized by the British Dance Council.
The dance contains a lot of twists and turns, which express the femininity and lightness of the women’s outfits.
Men move mainly from side to side, while women have more back and forth steps. Men lead the dance by gently guiding their partners’ hands and body.
Dance partners are given the freedom to create their own movements and postures.
There is no costume required for salsa, but women normally wear dresses with wide sleeves and open-toed shoes.
“Thus, practicing salsa helps dancers become more creative and improve body coordination,” Franky said.
Salsa also benefits dancers by keeping them fit.
Franky explained, “It tightens their hips and slims their waists because the dance requires a lot of bottom swinging.
“You can ask anyone here, dancing salsa regularly can help you lose weight. “Generally, people lose at least five to seven pounds.”
According to Franky, about seven organizations in Hong Kong offer salsa classes. “We want to expand the salsa community,” Franky said.
He set up the Hong Kong Salsa Congress with partners from U.K., U.S. and Kenya in 2001.
They serve as a communication bridge, binding the salsa community. They also introduce salsa to more people through performances.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of resources and lack of support from the government, they are unable to arrange larger-scale performances or functions.
Franky said, “The government should provide sponsorship and funding for the training and promotion of salsa.”
He added, “By paying more effort to cultural development, Hong Kong would no longer be regarded as a ‘cultural desert’.”
The congress is considering organizing salsa workshops with universities.
“In a salsa class or party, you can meet people in different occupations — lawyers, businessmen, tourists, office ladies, you name it.
“You will not only get to enjoy the vivid dance, but also remove a social barrier that you have not yet faced but must overcome in the future,” Franky said.
Thomas Tam, champion of the Hong Kong Salsa Competition 2003, agrees.
He said, “My social network has expanded and my salsa friends’ stories have broadened my horizons.”
It will be difficult for salsa to compete with popular youth pasttimes like disco dancing or karaoke.
“The natures of disco dance and salsa are so different. You can dance crazily in the disco without any routines but in salsa you can’t,” said Franky.
“For salsa, you can’t expect to become skillful in a few weeks. It takes about five to six lessons to reach the basic level, but still, the progress depends on eachindividual’s talent,” he added.
Not giving up on promoting the dance, Franky concluded, “I truly wish salsa will be able to bring excitement and happiness to anyone’s life, just like what it has brought to mine.”
African drums, Spanish guitar and Cuban music make salsa
music rhythmic and passionate .(Karen Tong)
Salsa builds up confidence
By Karen Tong
Thomas Tam, who won the championship at the Hong Kong Salsa Competition 2003, did not know how to dance two years ago. Salsa went into his life by coincidence.
“My friend Ben asked me to go to a salsa party after I had broken up with my girlfriend in January 2001. We hoped to meet some pretty girls there,” he recalled.
But once he stepped into the party, he became more interested in salsa than the beauties.
“I saw people dancing so vividly that I admired them so much. I dreamed of being as skillful as them some day.
“I hadn’t learned any musical instrument or dance before, but I was deeply moved by salsa music,” said Thomas.
Due to the cultural differences between Chinese and Westerners, he was too shy to dance closely with a woman at first.
“Chinese seldom hug or kiss each other unless they are in an intimate relationship. I danced like a robot at the beginning, but I soon got used to the physical touches and felt free and natural when dancing,” said Thomas.
He started to “fall in love” with salsa and it brought drastic changes to his life.
Recalling the days before he discovered salsa, Thomas said his life was boring.
“Movies, dinners, computer games. . . I couldn’t find an ultimate interest or goal in my life.
“I used to feel regretful and ashamed about having no specific strengths. At 1that time I had no self-confidence at all,” said Thomas.
Since devoting himself to salsa, he feels like a different person.
“I came to realize that I was talented in salsa, and my confidence began to grow. I am less self-centered now since I have to care about my partner when leading the dance.
“I am glad to have understood myself,” he said.