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The dance is a fascinating study in body dynamics. Quoting Joanna Bosse, who conducted ethnographic research into Salsa...

One of the most difficult aspects of salsa dance to convey to newcomers is the distinctive counter-body motion—a product of a particular combination of knee, hip, and ribcage movements.


Generally, the basic position requires one bent knee while the other remains straightened, and the basic movement involves alternating bent and straight knees. This juxtaposition of one bent knee and one straightened knee causes a secondary response as the hip above the straight knee juts out slightly. Simultaneously, the ribcage moves in the direction of the bent knee, opposite the direction of the extended hip.


The position of the ribcage serves to balance the weight distribution of the extended hip. With each beat of the music, salsa dancers alternate bent and straight knees and direction of the ribcage, maintaining a level height (with little rise and fall or bobbing of the head) and a balanced center of gravity. Another secondary result of this motion (in addition to the hip movement) is that the arms move forward and back in small circles, following the direction of the ribcage and shoulders.


This combination of movements is very subtle and can be executed in a number of ways, depending upon other elements such as arm movement, posture, foot placement, and direction of knee movement; however, it was present to varying degrees among most, if not all, of the Latin American salsa dancers with whom I worked. This is not to say that all Latin Americans were great salsa dancers, but generally speaking this particular issue was not a problem. During my six years of fieldwork I never personally witnessed a salsa dancer specifically reference this aspect—the counter-body motion—in any way. They generally focused on the rhythm and placement of the footwork.

{and this is such an interesting observation...}
Though the Latin American salsa dancers I worked with understood that their hips were moving, their focal awareness was invested in the active engagement of the knees and virtuosic footwork.


In contrast, outsiders to the genre overlooked the complex interplay of body movements and singled out only the movement of the hips as the root of salsa’s energy and perceived sexual appeal. Many fixated on the hip movement and worked exclusively on its performance, forsaking the necessary footwork and knee and ribcage movements that actually make it possible. This movement was not a typical component of their movement dialect and as such, it was very difficult to master and became something upon which newcomers fixated. This fetishization of hip movement on the part of my informants who were new to salsa resulted, in part, from the fact that the requisite counter-body movement was not a typical component of their movement dialect.

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References (Taken in whole from):
Joanna Bosse. "Salsa Dance and the Transformation of Style: An Ethnographic Study of Movement and Meaning in a Cross-Cultural Context." Dance Research Journal 40.1 (2008): 45-64.
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I had trouble spinning this past class. I always landed a bit to my right when I completed the spins... and got a bit dizzy.


I guess I need to practise something called "spotting". It is described in detail at this

Apparently...

It takes practice and you have to go verrrry slowly at first to get the hang of it... but you will be rewarded by non-wobbly turns, balanced stops, and a better feeling in your stomach all around.

Dancing is best learned visually, so I strongly suggest asking your teacher to teach you how to spot your turns.

You know how if you get motion sick, you're supposed to look at a stationary point? That's the idea behind spotting. If you're looking at something stable, your body will feel stable.

Here's a basic way to practice it without worrying about turn technique:

1. Facing straight ahead, find something to fix your eyes on that is eye level or slightly above. This is your "spot". It may be a wall clock, poster, anything that isn't going to move.

2. Slowly start to turn your body, keeping your focus on the spot *and your head stationary*. At this point your body is turning under your head, almost as if your head is floating. Once your body has turned as far as it can without moving your head, turn a little more so that your eyes are looking sideways at the spot. You are looking over your shoulder.

3. Without moving your feet, and keeping your body as still as possible, turn your head to find the spot looking over the other shoulder. This is the opposite of what happened in step 2 - now your head is turning above your body!

4. Always focussing on the spot, complete the turn with your body.

So your body starts the turn, your head whips around to catch up and go ahead of it, and then your body catches up. Your eyes are on one spot except for when it turns so fast you don't have a chance to get dizzy.

Practise this slowly, stopping at each step to make sure there is full separation between the head and body turn. Do it in each direction. Once it starts feeling familiar, do it without stopping the (still slow) rotation.

Then, do it for the types of spins you do, and work it up faster and faster. While practicing alone, you'll have to find a suitable spot in the room. If you're doing partner dancing, often you'll be spotting on your partner's face.

The other way of avoiding dizziness while spinning only applies if you are not generating the spin or unable to spot without disturbing your position; that is, if you are spinning in a lift, or in a super-fast spin where the partner is really powering it and you are basically turning on the spot. In those cases, you have to learn to "blank out" and not see the room, just sense your own balance and then focus as soon as you exit the spin. Those are special circumstances though!

But I am afraid all that detail sounds a bit like this right now...


Maybe I just need shoes that will not put a brake on my spinning all the time...

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ahead for Buffalo.

But mainly, I wanted to dwell on just how awesome Etta James ALWAYS manages to sound.


I love that surly little grittiness in her voice.

I was listening to the song that (e:Paul) posted on his miss-you-already-(e:terry) post (e:paul,53129) today morning and I could only think of Etta James and didn't she capture the very feelings in her own twisty way so many decades back?!

I could hear this song so clearly in my head that I had to hunt it down!

Oh, and (e:libertad) reminded me of this one!

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The NYC edition.



You have to appreciate how popularly arcane urban art can be! haha

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PS: I saw this video first in my salsa class. My dance teachers were fascinated by the new moves. I was fascinated watching them so immersed. I love how involved they are with dance. It's almost as if dance flows like art and blood through them and they live for the thrill of dancing. They inspire me so much it's hard to express in words. They ARE art.

I think I could be a massive hip hop fan (especially with southern roots, they are SO catchy!) IF ONLY they didn't insist on crooning out absolutely offensive and downright annoying lyrics with those really outstanding tunes.

Does it all have to be about crime or calling women all kind of juvenile names?! It irritates me so much because I really dig the whole rhythm and the complex multi-layered arrangements of several hip hop artists but I just don't want to listen to them singing about how they clobbered someone to death (and not in a black noir way, either) or how their guns and drugs are so cool.

Of course, I have the option of turning off the vocal frequencies, but the problem is the vocals are so much a part of the melody and rhythm in the song, the song loses a LOT if you eliminate the vocals.

Man, how I wish they all sang/rapped in French!

Hippety hop dilemma.

Okay, I spent every minute of my mp3-player time today playing traditional salsa by greats like Roberto Torres (and OMG-so-popular-its-POP Marc Anthony) and listening for this Clave Rhythm:

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I am nowhere close to deciphering this elusive rhythm in real salsa songs. But the funny thing is I can now hear it clear as day in Prodigy's d&b hit.

(Yeah, I know. Weirdest video ever. And I have no idea what they are croaking on about in the middle of all those raving-loony-peeping-into-screen dance moves. They definitely need the hospital. Any hospital. But listen to that clave right there! Listen to that d&b clave!)

At this rate, I might start hearing the clave when people speak. Who knows...

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PS: Being a bit salsa-clave-overzealous nutcase here but I also found a software called "The Salsa Rhythm Machine" at this I am going to give it a whirl and report back.

PPS: The Salsa & Merengue Society's website is an absolute delight It's so plain and innocuous but every little corner is a nifty surprise!

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I godzilla-stomped through Sarah and Sean's basic dance moves and yet, they made me feel as if I was their best dancer on the floor. They are probably the most amazing pair of teachers I have ever met.


At some levels, their class reminds me of the days I struggled to comprehend the molecular orbital theory. In fact, salsa and the orbital theory share more intricacies than you might think is possible. It's all about energy levels, subshells, orbitals and spins. Solo salsa steps closely mirror the energy densities of s, p and d orbitals.

At the heart of all salsa steps is a return to a high energy center - the S orbital.


You step out of the center and distribute the energy a bit to the periphery capturing the P orbitals.

The d orbital is all those twirls and twists subtly layered on top of the p energy density distribution.


And if you didn't guess already, the f orbital houses the salsa shines and some of the inspired freestyles by Sarah!


The molecular orbitals or partnered dancing becomes easier once you get the gist of the atomic orbitals or solo salsa! Oh, and there is also this perplexing mystery of how exactly one picks up the rhythm of the clave in the music and decides to dance on-1 or on-2.


I spent a good chunk of time listening to the Salsa Beat Machine at the but the beat of this quirky instrument is one of the toughest to isolate in the middle of all the other instrument racket. I read somewhere that some people are born with the rhythm resonating in their bones. I think I can believe this easily of Sean and Sarita. There is something so very inherently rhythmic about the way they move. If one of them is dancing, they can make even the most waddly of partners look graceful and poised.

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PS: Drop by the Configuration Dance Studio (at the corner of Ashland and Lexington at 7:15 PM on Thursday evenings) for some super-stylish Salsa Chemisty with Sean and Sarah! Catch up with Salsa for the Soul at: and

I browse the Sartorialist for fun. I just saw this picture. The little kid looks somewhat like my brother... back in the day. I had to post it here, just so I could look at it and smile! :-)


From the Sartorialist, November 9, 2010

I am at home on a sunny beautiful weekday after a really long time. As wonderful as it sounds, it's not even remotely satisfying. Every 10 minutes, I am coughing out what looks like greenish-greyish-yellowish globs of primordial slime. I am sorely tempted to post a gross picture here but I am trying not to offend (e:libertad). :-)

The thing is I have dance class at 7:15 today. And these two are my instructors:


I know. It's intimidating, especially when you have cold and can't think straight. Last week, I was caught up in lab and crashed the intermediate class instead of the beginners class. It didn't do my confidence any good but it was fun to watch all the footwork and see Sarah and Sean dance. I am hoping that I am well enough to get there at 7:15 today.

Oh and before I forget, I can't really be at home for long because my cells need some TLC in the lab.

I have a terribly sore painful throat right now - probably a result of lecturing at the top of my voice for two and half hours combined with a pharyngitis causing virus. My throat probably looks like this:


What is worse is the nagging feeling that I didn't really give an interesting lecture. I wasn't feeling the joy I usually do and totally violating my personal rule of presentation zen. I was miles away mentally, worrying about my lab assays and data analyses while I was lecturing. I didn't connect with the students. As a result, I feel very fake and very ill right now and down in the dumps.

Maybe it's the impending cold or maybe it's just a realization that I didn't get all my energies out there conveying a simpler message to the students - always a sign of bad and graceless teaching. I feel as if I misused the time of those 25-odd students in the class. They definitely deserved a better lecture than this.

Sincerely yours,
Swimming-in-misery-and-throat-inflammation.