Top Ten Best Salsa Dancers

 Salsa - a dance style included in my Professional Inquiry

I want to share with you my love and passion of Salsa Dance.  Salsa is under the dance umbrella of dance styles from the Caribbean Islands, with influences from Africa including Columbia,  Venezuela and connected to New York and Miami.   I have given a brief overview and taste of Salsa in this blog and some of the reasons for choosing to explore Fusion in Salsa and my interest in traditional dances.  Salsa literally translated means sauce in Spanish.  It is a cuisine term also used in Italy and is tomato based.  It can be spicy in Latin countries.  The dance is a reflection of it's meaning, hot, spicy, frenzied and sexy. 

Dance UK posted a video on Face Book of the 'Top Ten Best Salsa Dancer' asking for comments and your choice from the list.

It's worth watching this video link as you will appreciate how Salsa is danced today in clubs, classes, salsa congress etc.  All these dancers are based in the US but from my experience I see UK dancers in the London area on the par as the New York Dancers.
This video shows club dancers and some performers.

I posted a short, brief comment on Face Book that doesn't give a substantial and full explanation of what I refer to as 'mix of flavours' and full description of the basic Salsa dance step but merely touched on 'on2'.

'I'm not an expert, I'm from a dance teacher background trained in ballet with other various theatre dance styles. I have social dance experience of Salsa New York and Cuban style. Salsa is a mix of all flavours You bring to the dance floor your own individual style, (and knowledge of the basic foundations of Salsa) that's what makes it so exciting to watch. I've been privileged to have taken part in workshops with Eddie Torres during Salsa Congresses in the UK and a master class in New York. Eddie is known to have popularised 'on2', moving forward with a step on the 2nd beat (New York style). I think Eddie's footwork is ideal for the club dance floors, it's tight and compact with a smooth quality as opposed to using traveling steps and space for performances. I particularly love Nancy Ortiz styling, it's fiery and a little wild. Juan Matos oozes charisma, sexiness and is a real show man. He has girls queuing up to dance with him. I love watching Frankie Martinez's shines/mambo steps (individual footwork after breaking from partner hold), fab, fast and furious. It's a very personal and difficult choice, but I would pick Nancy Ortiz and Juan Matos.'

Top Ten Best Salsa Dancers 

Although since my interview with Super Mario from London (my first Salsa Teacher) and an international teacher, in his experience be believes there are more accomplished dancers in Europe.  I will be researching this further.

My preference is Cuban Salsa.  I feel a connection with the music and I love the earthy style of the dance.  This is achieved by dancing on the flat foot so the dance moves flow natural compared to New York style which has ballroom formalised partner dance hold and weight is forward on the balls of the feet giving a more impressive performance.  The couple move in parallel lines/ straight lines or swop places compared to Cuban style that is danced in the round.  There is more travel around the Cuban Dance floor compared to smaller, faster and neater moves in New York style. The NY style is accommodating to packed out clubs and venues where space is limited.
I remember being told to dance on a 50 pence piece and taught restricted moves if space is limited but still able to spin fast and dance furiously........

The link below shows Cuban Salsa with more traditional moves of African influence.  The African influence in the music can be heard with specific drum beats and rhythms.  This is a performance group dancing 'Rueda' which translated in dance term means wheel, round or rotating.  I've seen Rueda danced in Havana, Cuba.  It is a popular dance in the UK, it's great fun.  The fun part is the caller, calling out the next move or sequence of steps to execute.  It can increase in speed and the girls are almost lifted off the ground in places.

Cuban Rueda Dance Group

Maykel Fonts is one of the best Afro Cuban Mambo dancer's I've seen recently.   He clearly fuses a mix of traditional dance styles from Africa & Cuba.   Maykel is a powerful performer and is a regular guest at Cuban Salsa Congress in the UK.

Here is a link to Maykel giving a performance.

Maykel Fonts Afro Cuban dance performance.

This is a link to Maykel performing with a partner executing modern dance moves with traditional mix of salsa flavours.

Maykel Fonts with partner in modern Salsa Fusion dance with Cuban flavour

Salsa is a mix of styles that has become accessible to everyone.

What are your views and opinions on the preservation of traditional dances? Can they be a useful teaching aid in understanding the basic fundamentals of Salsa dance (basic rhythm and moves) including its history and culture? 

Do you think if Fusion continues to dilute traditional dances it could have a detrimental effect on it's identity?

What are your opinions, likes and dislikes on Salsa dance?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dance-UK/74671441371?fref=ts
http://www.danceuk.org
http://www.salsaclass.tv
http://www.londoncubancongress.com
Salsa, musical heartbeat of latin America, Sue Steward forward with Willie Colon, Thames Hudson-London.