El Cantante in Theaters in the New Brunswick, NJ area.

For salsa dancers, salsa music is as familiar and as necessary as the air they breath… for salsa dancers. However, salsa is not Pop Culture, there are still loads of people that have not been introduced to the beautiful world of salsa.

El Cantante, released Friday, Aug 3rd 2007, is a movie featuring the life of Salsa singer Hector Lavoe (played by Marc Anthony). Read the rest of this entry »

This is a response to an email that I received commenting on a previous post (On 2 SalsaBeat - How to dance On2).
I will answer a couple of questions presented on this comment: “Why an 8-beat measure? I hear salsa in 4/4 time.”

Steve, Thanks for your email. I appreciate the invitation to discuss the starting step for men in mambo (Salsa On2). But first I think I need to address the music, then the different styles of dancing.

Musicality

Your assertion that salsa is written in 4/4 timing is correct. For a musician (piano, bass, trumpet player, etc.), the music is best organized with a 4-beat measure. Wearing my guitar player hat, I like to feel salsa music in 4/4 time (count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4…) because I’m interested in the harmorny (chord) changes and basslines of the songs. I come from a rock/blues background and I like to hear the chord changes on the 1st beat of every measure. So, Yes I agree with you that I can feel 4/4 timing in salsa. In salsa, it is very common to hear chord changes in the 1st beat of the 4/4 measure (or the 1st and 5th beat of the dance measure).

Rhythm and Dance

Things change, however, when I listen to melody and rhythm. Let me differentiate by defining the following:

Musical measure is 4 beats. Following is two (2) musical measures

|1 2 3 4 |1 2 3 4|

Rhythmic and Dance Measure is 8 beats

|1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | Read the rest of this entry »

Bailamos, hosted by the RU Salsa Club, was a great hit last night at the Douglass College Center. The event kicked off with music by DJ Dany J at 8:00pm at the classy ballroom of Trayes Hall. Within half-hour the room was full of attendees. Dinner was promptly served at 8:45pm. Scarlet Mambo opened the event at 9:15pm with a Salsa performance. Swing Sabroso took the stage and performed live. Angie Gomez, RU Salsa Club member, sang two original bachata songs. The RU Salsa Team performance headlined the event with a four-couple salsa routine.

RU Salsa Team

Angie Gomez

Scarlet Mambo

Click here for more pics Read the rest of this entry »

Joe Radigan, Punter for the Rutgers Football team and President of the RU Salsa Club, is a good friend of Scarlet Mambo and therefore we are pleased to showcase him.

Joe was interviewed by CDS Radio (ConsensusDraft.com) on March 29th, 2007. In the interview, Joe discusses his experience at Rutgers as a football player, his plans for the future, and his dancing experience in the RU Salsa Club.
Click here to hear Joe Radigan’s interview. Read the rest of this entry »

Scarlet Mambo made its debut by opening for HUEPA last night at the Nicholas Music Center. Scarlet Mambo’s four-and-a-half-minute performance was a hit with the crowd and set the tone for the rest of the show. It was truly a Red Carpet Event! Scarlet Red Event!!! Gina and Camila looked as beautiful as always, and Thidian and Dany held their own on stage.

Update April 9th: I just scanned the flyer for HUEPA. Red Carpet all the way! Scarlet RED!

Click Here for the rest of HUEPA Pictures. Read the rest of this entry »

There is no right or wrong way of dancing salsa. The most important thing is to be able to enjoy dancing Salsa with your dance partner. Listen to the salsa beat, pick a style, and throw down!

But given the fact that some people dance On 1 and other people dance On 2, it’s important to dance well in both styles. In Salsa congresses, I have noticed how certain dancers only dance with a specific few dancers of the same style. Let’s not limit ourselves to dancing on only one style.

So how do you dance On 2?

Short Answer:

In musical terms, assuming an 8 beat measure (or 2 repeating 4-beat measures), the simple answer is trivial: On 1 you break on the first salsa beat, On 2 you break on the second salsa beat. This is the I-don’t-feel-like-explaining-it or I-really-don’t-know-the-answer answer. But the real answer has various layers in depth.

Succinct and Complete Answer:

If we expand a bit more, the answer can be contained in the following diagrams. Read the rest of this entry »

OK, so we have all experienced dancing on floors that are either too slippery or too slow and rough. You’re trying to do some crazy shine or styling move and your feet either get stuck to the floor or you can’t stop yourself. Ahhh!! It’s a dancer’s biggest nightmare, especially for the ladies!

So what can you do to solve the problem? I found a great article that outlines all of the quick fixes and permanent solutions to many of the problems that dancers face. Everything from do-it-yourself suede soles to purchasing a different shoe for every type of floor out there (too expensive though). This article also addresses all of the things a dancer should NEVER, and I mean NEVER EVER do to alter the surface of a dance floor.

Fast floors (Slippery floors)

1. Try wearing shoes with more of a grip.
2. Scuff the bottom of your shoes. Alternatively, go to the bathroom and wipe clean the bottom of your shoes with wet toilet paper. Then dry the soles of the shoes with dry toilet paper.
3. Takes smaller steps, bend your knees more than usual.

Slow floors (Sticky floors)

1. Try wearing shoes with non-rubber soles or actual dance shoes.
2. Stick a name tag Read the rest of this entry »
   

By: Thidian

Hip-Hop was, is and always will be my first love. I will always love hip-hop but when I met Salsa, it was love at first sight! I have been dating Salsa for a while now, a little over a year to be exact. We have a great relationship. We don’t fight or argue… we just dance! I do get frustrated with her every now and then, but that’s just because Read the rest of this entry »

Who knew that the 1 2 3… 5 6 7… actually helps in football?

- Dany J -

Home News Tribune Online 12/21/06

By PAUL FRANKLIN
STAFF WRITER
paulf@thnt.com

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/SPORTS0201/612210329/1002
PISCATAWAY — Joe Radigan’s punting really stepped up this season and the major reason may literally be steps.

The steps have nothing to do with approaching the ball. These steps are dancing steps. Salsa steps.

It may be more than coincidence that Radigan’s senior year coincides with his status as president of the Rutgers Salsa Club.

Following Rutgers football practice yesterday evening on the grass fields, Radigan’s dancing authenticity was highly questioned. He glanced over at senior Brian Leonard Read the rest of this entry »