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BY JOSIE NEGLIA
Sitting in a restaurant one day, a student asked me to break down my
interpretation of what skills are necessary to be the ultimate salsa dancer. I broke
it down into six levels.
LEVEL 1
Beginner level. Two people are just learning how to move in unison without
stepping on each other and not hurting each other.
LEVEL 2
The man and lady are now dancing in time to the music while doing basic patterns and
variations.
LEVEL 3
The man is now dancing more complex variations and patterns. They begin to use
the space more interestingly with rotation and changes of direction while maintaining
flow.
LEVEL 4
The man stops worrying about his own steps and starts leading the lady with ease and
control. This is when his leading skills excel and he understands what the follower needs.
It is often the time that the man starts to "show-off" his lady with more
elaborate variations.
LEVEL 5
This is when the man and lady start to play with the rhythms. Syncopations,
changes, slows, quicks, accents, and stops are all used and then the dancers can find the beat
again to continue dancing.
LEVEL 6
The ULTIMATE LEVEL...when it all comes together. This is when the dancers become
"the physical instruments" of the music. If a deaf person were to
watch them dance, he/she could SEE the music through their movements and interpretation.
This is when the man leads his lady to the stops, accents, energy level and mood of every
song. Therefore, every song looks different because the dancer is inspired in that
moment to feel that piece of music.
This is when I personally achieve the "dancer's high", Euphoria, or
Ecstasy. When I can feel an accent building in the music, and my partner gives me
the opportunity to do a move that punctuates the "break", I get such a feeling
of thrill and satisfaction.
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Feedback
Name: robert capili
EMail: gxd5@yahoo.com
The ultimate level is not a level at all, but a state in which
you are operating at 100% of your ability. The thing about the ultimate level is
that it teases you at every point along the way... gives you tastes, glimpses.
Let's you know it is there. It isn't reserved only for the advanced: Beginners
and intermediates sometimes stumble upon it by accident... that's how they get
hooked. But only the masters can summon it at will. And that's why they
continue.
Name: Micaela DaCosta
EMail: islareina@aol.com
You should have negative degrees of a dancer! I started out at
-3, seeing Latin Dance for the first time and being absolutely astounded. Then I
moved to -2, wanted to learn badly but to afraid to dance in public. Then to -1,
frequenting salsa clubs and taking their beginning one-hour dance classes before
the club opens, and finally to 0, knowing the basic steps and still afraid to
dance in public!
Name: Irene Perez
EMail: SPerez8930@aol.com
It's great to finally see all the levels broken down step by
step, instead of in categories. My partner and I have wondered where we stand,
and just how far we have to go until we've actually reached that level of
excellence. Now we Know, and we have a ways to go, since we're in between levels
3&4. Thank You
Name: Rosy
I can totally relate to your "Dancer's high".
Dancing salsa is the way I get rid of my daily stress. I am a free person when I
am dancing. All the unhappiness and problems go out of my head.
Name: Tapan Biswas
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas
Fantastic breakdowns. This is quite scientific. In fact I am
going to use it to train my thought process while dancing. I started
dancing salsa a year back and improved a little bit mostly because of myself
being shy and lack of people who have the patience to improve the style to enjoy
it more.
You asked whether I can relate to these levels, definitely, even
though I am in the transition of level 2 to 3. Few here in Houston clubs dance
in level 4 and almost none in 5 since I always find people (with good
techniques) over doing their variation in style but not dancing to the rhythm of
music. I have used some of your other web sites and thanks for creating
such nice sites.
Name: Liz
EMail: liz@studylink.com.au
I love your web page, it's great! I've been dancing salsa for
about half a year now, and I agree with you, it's the most amazing feeling in
the world, I can't get enough!! I really like your breakdown of the different
levels, it gives me something to aim for! I look forward to the day when I get
to level 6! I'm going to be traveling through South America (I'm from Australia)
early next year and I intend to dance every opportunity I get. Keep up the good
work, Viva Salsa!!
Name: Gitana
EMail: gypsiwoman@aol.com
Your 6 levels bring to mind my own classifications. I am a
soloist, therefore my point of view is a little different. I always said that
there were three kinds of people: those who dance, those who are dancers, and
those who perform. Those who dance are those who can move in time to the music.
They need not be trained, they're just in it for the fun of it. Those who are
dancers are usually, but not necessarily, trained in the art of dance and have
learned to interpret the music. Then there are the performers. These are the
ones who live, breathe, feel the music and become one with it. They infuse
themselves with the energy of the rhythm and the energy of their audience, (even
if their audience is no one but themselves). They then take that energy and
convert it into a physical form. They give it shape and form, infusing it with
their own energy and giving it back to their audience. The performer, the music
and the audience all become one in a cycle of energetic give-and-take. !
I considered myself a performer. My passion for dance, rhythm and movement is
visible in everything I do. I hope I haven't bored you.
Gitana, Brooklyn NY
Name: Myron R. Ward
EMail: wardmr@yahoo.com
You put this very well, I congratulate your perceptive skills.
Name: Gerry Santiago,Jr.
EMail: gsantiagojr@hotmail.com
I can relate 100% with your levels of salsa dancing.I've been
dancing with my Better Half for over 30yrs and we still feel our music from
within when dancing. The Key is to dance as a team with and for each other and
enjoy. Your web page is fabulous and very informative.Keep up the good work. Tks
y Hasta luego!
CAN YOU RELATE TO THESE LEVELS OF DANCING?
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONS
Thank you for your feedback!
-- Josie Neglia
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