Origin:
Salsa is often used to refer to Cuban genres such as Cha-Cha and Mambo. Salsa developed as an independent genre in the 70s although the music was already played and danced to for a few decades. Although Salsa originated in Cuba, it has recently moved across continents and is currently getting a new form in American Clubs with the NY and LA styles being developed. Both NY and LA styles are Linear styles, whereas Cuban Salsa refers to it's original circular form.
Music:
Salsa music is played in 4/4 with beats 4 and 8 representing a pause and the other beats representing steps. Claves, Congo or the tin drum are often used to mark the main beats of the music. The music is quite similar to Mambo.
Dance:
Salsa has a 4/4 rythm. The 4th and 8th beats are used to pause or tap. Women tend to subtly kick in the air instead of tapping. Like most forms of dance, the men lead with their hands, although Cuban Salsa has a very relaxed frame. Shoulders are often moved while dancing, the most common move being a "Shimmy"! The body is also slight bent while dancing and is lower to the ground with bent knees.
Latinos NZ Popularity Scale: 10/10
Salsa is definitely the crowd pleaser at Latin Clubs in New Zealand, with the Cuban style being much more popular to the Linear Style. In the recent months, the Latin dance scene in New Zealand has exploded with extremely fast growth and new clubs popping up around the major cities. Almost all this growth has been in the number of Salsa dancers.
Article taken from Latinos.co.nz (http://www.latinos.co.nz)
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