Off the Floor and on the Stage
So I wrote this post March of 2011. Do you think it’s still relevant?
When you put a dance on stage, there are certain expectations you.....well expect. Energy, character, stamina, execution of steps - these have been built into our perception of a staged dance. So what happens when you put salsa on stage? I doubt you want to see social dancing on stage. As a friend once said, "people don't pay to see normal, they pay to see abnormal."
So, when dancers get on stage, the audience expects a certain caliber of technique and performance. We want to be blown away by a dancer, recognizing full well how difficult the movement is. If the performance doesn't convince us of that then we consider it okay at best, which only adds pressure to be bigger, flashier, better.
So, how do we do that?
The salsa stage world has turned to splits, tricks, and insane amount of spins. The abnormal, if you will. Hence, performers who have technique rooted dances as a base do well in giving us the show we expect . And the technique rooted dance that comes to mind to perform those feats, is ballet. Many, if not all the professionals I've spoken to, agree that technique is a fundamental core practice needed to push your dance to the stage level. And when it comes to stage performance, I'm going to have to agree.
When it comes to regular social dancing, the most important aspect for me is that you're having fun, followed by an enjoyment of your partner, and parting the floor with a smile. There is plenty of technique involved in that aspect of salsa but it's still social dancing. When it comes to the stage, and you want to kick up your leg, land in a split, pop up, and then proceed to do multiple spins - you're going to need the technique to do it... effortlessly. Keyword. And what it boils down to is that a dance rooted in technique, like ballet, can help you achieve that. The training and formalization of ballet has been around since the late 1400's. Over 500 years of people figuring what works and what doesn't. So why not use their knowledge to put on a clean, effortless performance?
Before you yell at me, I'm not saying use ballet moves on salsa, but take the fundamentals elements that work, massage them and apply to salsa specifically for the stage - pointed feet, alignment (more for physical health than aesthetic), and the biggest one in my book...that muscular control that makes any movement look so easy. It's that ingrained, specific discipline that leads to that effortless movement that dancers can use to put on a clean performance that people have come to expect on stage…including salsa.
That was the end of the 2011 post.
Today, I would add that there are more technique rooted dances /training besides ballet that can lead to different aesthetics that are simply amazing on stage. Afrocuban, hip hop, latin jazz, modern…etc are styles that come to mind. And while salsa definitively has its own technique, it will forever be a social dance.
Agree? Disagree? Comment below!
