Organic Oranges and Hothouse Apples: Its all Good for You!

It has been said, that all ballroom dances are "elevated folk dances":  Minuet, Quadrille, Polonaise, Pas de Gras, Mazurka, are all folk dances  that first crossed over,( after being regulated, sterilized and "civilized" ( to  be danced in aristocratic and upper class balls of Europe. Over time,with the development of Dance Sport and with the emergence of new dance styles from swing to rock and roll to Hip Hop and Jumpstyle, "nightclub dancing" and so on,  the boundaries between ballroom dance and "social dance" have blurred.
Modern International Ballroom and International Latin Ballroom dances are less restricted and allow more individual interpretation and expression.

In the meantime, especially in Europe, traditional folk dancing has became nearly extinct at "mainstream" dances and parties: with the exception of rural areas, it is more likely to see ballroom and social dancing at weddings, festivals and parties, than traditional folk dancing.

In Latin America, the trend sometimes developed in reverse:  most of the Latin dances now danced in the ballrooms, at clubs, and social dancing events were "invented" in Cuba, where African Rhythms, the sounds and movements of Carnival were incorporated with the Spanish Guitars and ballroom dance elements. In fact, most Latin Dance styles known today, Salsa, Cha Cha, Son, Danzon, even Tango have their origins in Cuba. 

When the first radio waves in 1909 hit America with the sounds of music played by the first Cuban Big Bands and Orchestras, musicians in the U.S. took note, (literally) and Latin Jazz emerged. With the U.S. soldiers positioned in Cuba getting "infected" with the rhythms and sounds, and, during the prohibition area, Americans partying in large numbers in Cuba, where alcohol was legal,  Latin Dance and Music crossed over to the mainland, where it quickly spread to Puerto Rico, Colombia, and eventually, all the way south of the Latin American continent, becoming an integral part of the Latin American Culture.

Simultaneously being incorporated into street and "folk" dancing, while being refined and regulated, Latin Rhythms now are part of the International Latin  and Dance Sport divisions and they are completely integrated into Latin Culture. To complete the circle, Latin Dance, ballroom, or "ethnic",  crossed back over the oceans again to become a very popular in Europe and in Asia: no matter where you are, chances are you will find a  Latin Dance event any weekend anywhere: L.A. Cuban, Miami, Colombian....your choice and it is sometimes a very hard choice too!
The following videos demonstrate the closing and widening of gap between "Ballroom" and "Street" Latin Dance.

Competitors in an International Latin Ballroom Competition dance to Cuban rhythms by Celia Cruz, "Queen of Salsa"





Various couples dance "street salsa" in Cuba





It is like comparing apples with oranges, isn't?


Another  excellent example of this migration is Colombian, Cali Style Salsa: originating in Cuba, Salsa was "imported" to Colombia by way of New York by Puerto Ricans,  Cali style salsa incorporates acrobatic elements of  North American, especially L.A. Style salsa, with the distinctively intricate and super fast footwork. Colombian, and especially Cali Style Salsa (Salsa  Calena)  has become such an integral part of Colombian culture, that it was recently declared to be  "National Cultural Treasure" of Colombia.
In turn, graduates and professional Salsa dancers of Cali Ballets and Academies of Salsa  are consistently winning international Salsa competitions world wide and the style is being incorporated more and more into "mainstream" L.A. style and European Style Salsa.


A good example of L.A. Style Salsa: this couple dances still very different;y from the "International Ballroom Style", but it is easy to see the way they incorporate certain elements of  Dance Sport acrobatics, and Ballroom into their routine.




In contrast, "pure" Salsa Calena is focused so much on the footwork and styling that there is no partner required at all!




And here is an example of Salsa Calena that seems to be the winning combination at international salsa championships world wide: L.A. Style showmanship and drama, Dance Sport style acrobatics, and the same intricate, intense, highly technical footwork that made Cali famous:



At the end...how can one even begin to compare these styles? What is better? Organic oranges that ripened on the tree, but might not look so perfect on the outside? Or hothouse apples force ripened in a warehouse, beautiful and appealing to the eye but without real "sabor" or taste? Depends where you are, what is the season and what your taste is in fruits, I say.

Many would argue,  that when it comes to dance as a sport or performance, there is no such thing as an "unbiased" or "purely objective" judgement, and I agree. Weather watching, learning, judging, or critiquing, everyone experiences dance on a deeply personal, biased and subjective way, and this is great: Dance, let it be ballroom, folk, primitive, or eloquent, moves all of us on an instinctive level, and not only allows us to express emotions, but it is naturally a highly personal and emotional experience.

So, enjoy your oranges, apples, bananas, strawberries, and all the fruits that are available in your area, hothouse or straight off the tree: ITS ALL GOOD FOR YOU! Enjoy!