Post: #1

Ive been slowly learning here in Canada. Looking for a city to travel to to improve etc but hear that salsa in many places i.e. colombia completely different than the salsa in N. America.

Can anyone comment? is the on1 salsa here of any help down in south america etc?

Post: #2

Yes it is. It will help you with cumbia or Colombian salsa. You might want to use facebook to connect with salseros in other countries. Learning salsa in Canada will provide you with a foundation for other types of salsa and other partner dances in general.

Post: #3

Not sure if on1 salsa will help you in SA. 90% of women do not even know what that means n the whole SA continent. Salsa is not really huge in any country in South American Continent except Colombia. Granted, there are some places to dance salsa, but not really common outside of Cali, Colombia.

They are more into Reggeaton, which I personally only listen to when fucking, not dancing.

may I ask why you are choosing on1? Are you in California?

Mixx

Post: #4

I've been dancing salsa for 4 years in Los Angeles. I attend the LA Salsa Congress every year and the promoter usually brings Columbian kids down to perform. Columbian style I would say is more characterized as more rotational, with faster footwork speed. LA and NY style salsa is danced more in a slot.

Tips for dancing salsa with a Latina (from Latin America):
-Keep it simple. Don't bother with those prezel-like patterns. It does not usually build attraction.
-Don't spin her (i.e. more than twice), unless you know you're dancing with a pro. Stick with single turns and add an occasional double.
-Get into the music. This means smiling more and adding subtle body movement in time with the music. They love this.
-Lead her with conviction.

Post: #5

I've been dancing salsa for quite a while myself. I've went to a few classes in Cali and in Havana before and they are significantly far a ahead of what is commonly taught in the US). I was in Cali about 6 months ago. I'd go to Swing Latino. They definitely know how to do their thing there. Also you can go out and dance at this place called "Tin Tin Deo". One of the best venue's that I've been to for salsa (besides Casa de la Musica in Havana). Colombian's (in Cali) love their salsa.

Post: #6

Good to know, thanks. I plan on visiting Columbia soon for language immersion and salsa shoring.

I'm certain that Cali is the salsa capital. But how is the salsa scene in Medellin and Bogota? Have you any recommendations for salsa dancing there?

(01-12-2011 10:05 PM)deebow Wrote:  I've been dancing salsa for quite a while myself. I've went to a few classes in Cali and in Havana before and they are significantly far a ahead of what is commonly taught in the US). I was in Cali about 6 months ago. I'd go to Swing Latino. They definitely know how to do their thing there. Also you can go out and dance at this place called "Tin Tin Deo". One of the best venue's that I've been to for salsa (besides Casa de la Musica in Havana). Colombian's (in Cali) love their salsa.

Post: #7

(01-13-2011 02:12 PM)psyrus Wrote:  I'm certain that Cali is the salsa capital. But how is the salsa scene in Medellin and Bogota? Have you any recommendations for salsa dancing there?

Almost non-existent. Medellin, Bogota, and just about any city in Colombia outside of Cali is more into Techno, Vallenato and reggeaton, with a moderate hip-hop scene in Bogota. Salsa is not even talked about.


Mixx

Post: #8

I don't know Mixx. One of the best spots that I've been to is Galleria de Cafe Libro in Bogota. That spot is on point. I think that it is better than anything that I've been to in Cali (they are two different types of clubs so I don't know if I can say that one was better). I had my stomach full of salsa in Bogota though and I was there for 6 weeks in my first visit (plus I've been there about 6 times now). It's on several radio stations in Bogota all at one time, I heard little reggaeton in Bogota as compared to Salsa. Again, that was just my experience. There are also other spots in Zona Rosa that play exclusively salsa but if you ask any one in Bogota, I'd bet that they'd say that Galleria de cafe libre (right in Parque 93) is the best in the city and one of the best in the country. If they have a live artist it will be packed (and it's a big place). That spot is never empty, and there are plenty of other spots that exclusively play salsa to choose from (check this list out: http://www.salsapower.com/cities/colombia.htm - all of those spots are in Bogota). From what I saw, Rola's know their salsa very very well and they are frustrated that not enough men know theirs. There are also tons of schools in Bogota.

I'd certainly say that Medellin has much less salsa. I heard it in one club, but many say that it is a dying art in Medellin. Like I said before, Cali no doubt has the most.

Post: #9

Well Bogota no doubt will have some clubs being the capital city. Lots of Caleños and residents around Valle del Cauca travel to Bogota for work, so it does not surprise me. However, when compared to Cali, it is not up to par to the clubs and active scene there.

I did not know about that spot, so thanks for mentioning it. I'll look it up when I find myself in Bogota again.

Mixx

Post: #10

You are certainly right when comparing Bogota to Cali. I agree completely.

If you go to La Galleria, tell me how it was when you get there. I found it easy to get numbers and ass from that place as well as just have a good time.

Post: #11

Mixxx, I have danced quite alot of Salsa in Bogotá all around La Candelaria. El Rincón Cubano is this place on 19 right near Las Aguas that gets PACKED. There is also a place on k 4a right near Doña Ceci that is pretty popular, as well as a hostel called Fatima that seems to always have salsa playing (and free classes every week). Hell, even this hipster joint i went to started bumpin salsa as the night wore on and alcohol washed the pretenses off of everyone. It seems that I haven´t found a girl who doesn´t know how to dance salsa. House parties also very very commonly play salsa.

I mean, it´s not EVERYWHERE but it´s certainly no rarity, and a lot more fun to dance than vallenato. Though it seems that it definitely attracts an older crowd.

I think we all kinda let our own experiences shape our impressions of reality. I´d guess you´re not in La Candelaria much, going to house parties hosted by rastas or French backpackers charging 5 mil cover. But maybe you should check it out, you´d certainly stand out all suited down.

Post: #12

(01-15-2011 02:06 AM)Sonsowey Wrote:  I mean, it´s not EVERYWHERE but it´s certainly no rarity, and a lot more fun to dance than vallenato. Though it seems that it definitely attracts an older crowd.

lmao!! This is exactly what I was going to post in your reply. Salsa clubs anywhere outside of Cali is as close to a an American "cougar" bar you will find. If Cougars are your thing.

Mixx

Post: #13

Yeah thats why you gotta go house parties on décima and 11 to catch the late night salsa with all the funky chicks. If that´s your thing.

Post: #14

I wouldn't necessarily say that you can expect to see a majority of older people in these crowds (I know that no one is actually saying that). You will get your cougars but the place won't be packed with them. There is plenty of salsa to go around out there for sure. Women love it in Bogota. You'd be hard pressed to find a woman (young or old that didn't like it). All of the salsa clubs (and trust me, there are plenty) that I've went to had a young and vibrant crowd. Like you said, the music will attract an older crowd, and some will go out. But the spots that I've been to, were always packed and it was very rare for me to see more that a few of the real "older crowd" out there.

Also the main difference between Cali and Bogota when it comes to Salsa is that in Cali, almost all that you hear is salsa (for the most part). Bogota is so big, that although they have a lot of salsa, they also have a lot of everything else.

Post: #15

Thing is I´m in my early 20´s, so to me an ´´older crowd´´ means anything besides University students.

Post: #16

(01-10-2011 12:50 AM)MiXX Wrote:  Not sure if on1 salsa will help you in SA. 90% of women do not even know what that means n the whole SA continent. Salsa is not really huge in any country in South American Continent except Colombia. Granted, there are some places to dance salsa, but not really common outside of Cali, Colombia.

They are more into Reggeaton, which I personally only listen to when fucking, not dancing.

may I ask why you are choosing on1? Are you in California?

Mixx

I think salsa can be a great way to meet women and get out of the tourist economy and into the local vibe if you know how to work it right. Depending on the situation, the women may not be a technical On1 type dancer, but a gringo who has learned salsa on1 should be able to adjust to the women and also learning in California can't hurt in terms of understanding and feeling the music. It can at least give you something in common with the people. BTW, the last time I was in Medellin I went to see a concert with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

I strictly hit salsa spots in Japan and hooked up with a lot of women. Some people would be surprised to know that so many Japanese are into salsa. There is even a world famous salsa band from Japan. Korea also has a big salsa scene.

Here is a partial list of salsa congresses in Latin America. These congresses attract a lot of local dancers as well as dancers from all over Latin America and the world.

Ecuador http://www.ecuadorsalsacongress.com.ec/

Costa Rica http://www.crsalsacongress.com/

Peru http://www.peru-salsacongress.com

Brazil http://www.salsacongress.com.br/

Domincan Republic http://www.puntacanasalsacongress.com/

Puerto Rico http://www.puertoricosalsacongress.com/

Medellin Colombia http://www.thecolombiasalsacongress.com/

Chile http://www.chile-salsacongress.ca/index.php?lang=en

Nicaragua https://vianica.com/headline/514

Mexico http://www.mexicosalsacongress.com/

Post: #17

(01-15-2011 04:21 PM)JayMillz Wrote:  

(01-10-2011 12:50 AM)MiXX Wrote:  Not sure if on1 salsa will help you in SA. 90% of women do not even know what that means n the whole SA continent. Salsa is not really huge in any country in South American Continent except Colombia. Granted, there are some places to dance salsa, but not really common outside of Cali, Colombia.

They are more into Reggeaton, which I personally only listen to when fucking, not dancing.

may I ask why you are choosing on1? Are you in California?

Mixx

I think salsa can be a great way to meet women and get out of the tourist economy and into the local vibe if you know how to work it right. Depending on the situation, the women may not be a technical On1 type dancer, but a gringo who has learned salsa on1 should be able to adjust to the women and also learning in California can't hurt in terms of understanding and feeling the music. It can at least give you something in common with the people. BTW, the last time I was in Medellin I went to see a concert with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

I strictly hit salsa spots in Japan and hooked up with a lot of women. Some people would be surprised to know that so many Japanese are into salsa. There is even a world famous salsa band from Japan. Korea also has a big salsa scene.

Here is a partial list of salsa congresses in Latin America. These congresses attract a lot of local dancers as well as dancers from all over Latin America and the world.

Ecuador http://www.ecuadorsalsacongress.com.ec/

Costa Rica http://www.crsalsacongress.com/

Peru http://www.peru-salsacongress.com

Brazil http://www.salsacongress.com.br/

Domincan Republic http://www.puntacanasalsacongress.com/

Puerto Rico http://www.puertoricosalsacongress.com/

Medellin Colombia http://www.thecolombiasalsacongress.com/

Chile http://www.chile-salsacongress.ca/index.php?lang=en

Nicaragua https://vianica.com/headline/514

Mexico http://www.mexicosalsacongress.com/

Yea I remember in the mid to late 90's Orquesta de la Luz from Japan came out with some great music.

Post: #18

For those aspiring salseros, this is the kind of flow you wanna have with a latina on the dance floor

Post: #19

^ive seen that vid before...solid social dancing (cuban style i should add)

he adds some cool flirty/playful stuff in his dancing.

Post: #20

I know that a variation of the below SalsaPower link was posted earlier in this thread. The below variation of the link gives a listing of various cities with salsa dancing in cities around the world (including in cities in Latin America).

Some of the city pages on SalsaPower are more up-to-date than others, and yes, it may not tell you whether the local scene is young, mixed or cougars or even whether it is vibrant... but you can compare the locations on salsa power to other websites to figure out the prevalence of the web postings. And, as suggested, the web prevalence of the scene may not really tell you for sure the best locations with the best environment to suit your needs - such as ratio of young hotties.

http://www.salsapower.com/cities/index.htm

My experience dancing salsa more than 11 year in the USA, and attending many events that attract international dancers is that once there is a large enough venue, there is going to be a mix of ages. And, the dance can be done by the old and the young, even though more acrobatic and energy would come from younger folks - and even "wow" performances would be coming more from the younger dancers. The LA salsa congress is fairly big, and it attracts dancers from all parts of the world.. 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.

Post: #21

(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.

Post: #22

(08-11-2013 05:07 PM)JayMillz Wrote:  

(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.

Post: #23

What style of salsa is best for S America, though? There are many flavours - Cuban on one is what I tried to learn in the UK. I thought it would be a universal dance 'language' but someone told me it's not.

Post: #24

(08-12-2013 07:26 AM)Acute Angle Wrote:  What style of salsa is best for S America, though? There are many flavours - Cuban on one is what I tried to learn in the UK. I thought it would be a universal dance 'language' but someone told me it's not.

I think that i personally gave my opinion on this.

Maybe another member will have another opinion, but as I said i think that it is important to get comfortable with your own style b/c i think that the girls can follow and figure it out. I dance Los Angeles style on one, but you can dance on two and you can also have New york style, which is more likely on two. I personally believe that any of those should work in latin america b/c the girls can generally follow whatever the guy leads... however, since I have not specifically danced and traveled in latin america (except Mexico in puerta vallarta and in tiujana, if that counts), maybe another salsa dancer traveller can chime in to give his perceptions/experiences. BTW, the girls in Puerta Vallarta and tiujana had no problem following me, and when I dance in Los Angeles with girls from various parts of latin america, they have no problems following me (even though sometimes it may be different from what they are used to in their home country dancing).

Post: #25

(08-12-2013 08:02 AM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  I personally believe that any of those should work in latin america b/c the girls can generally follow whatever the guy leads.

In general I agree with JayJuanGee, although I think On1 LA style is probably universally more popular. That being said, most people probably don't dance to any real timing because they haven't taken classes.

Therefore, it's important for the Lead to be flexible and also firm and clear. What I mean is, be flexible in terms of don't be too rigid and anal with the timing you learned; have a firm and clear lead so the follow feels that you are in control, yet also be graceful and not ruff. The best kind of Lead doesn't give the girl too many options, but also knows how to dance to her level.

At the end of the day, its all about developing chemistry on the dance floor that you can parlay off the dance floor.