My Observations on the Dance Floor: Part I -- The 80:20 Ratio

Stepping in for a Salsa social is a nightmare for beginners and a sure-shot recipe to lose all your confidence. But there is a lot that goes into perfecting the intricate combinations and making it look effortless and sensual on the floor.

Note: these observations are specific only to the Mumbai Salsa scene (may also be applicable to the Delhi & Bangalore salsa scene)

80% of the men on the floor have been dancing for an average of 3 years + (most of these are instructors themselves)

20% have been dancing for less than 3 years.

That’s a lot of dancing experience under the sole. No ones got great overnight. These guys have been at it consistently. They have put in a lot of time effort and sweat to become enviable.

80% of the women have been dancing for less than 6 months !!!

20% have stuck around beyond that time frame.

Yes, it’s the exact opposite. I can’t pin point what it is. While it’s the same men you will see at all salsa parties, the women mostly keep moving in & out. I don’t know whether they get bored / move on to other exciting things (you can’t skydive every week though), get married / change jobs or simply stop coming because their boyfriends / husbands don’t like to see them getting groovy with other men.

The other 20% are veteran Salseras who will ensure they make time from all other commitments to get their regular dose of Salsa.

Well, it all comes down to commitment and practise, like any other skill. You will fumble initially, may be embarrass yourself but it will be all worth it if you hang on. You decide which side of the 80:20 ratio you want to be on.

The First Dance

One of my students (name withheld) is going out dancing next week. He’s a little anxious. “She” wants to “see him dance” …that one statement’s already cut our 6 ft 3 inch friend down to size. Our friend here has just completed his beginners’ level, whereas his friend is an Intermediate level salsera…

It’s a predicament many a first time “social” dancers’ experience, and a reminder for those who are not. So let’s just quickly put things into perspective………

Before the Dance:

Goes without saying ensure comfortable / appropriate clothing & footwear and take care of the hygiene factors (refer note on Dance Hygiene).

The Music:

The average Salsa track lasts for about 4 to 6 minutes. It’s only going to last for a couple of minutes, but it’s a challenge nonetheless and more than enough for your partner to pass judgments…If you want to ensure that your partner leaves satisfied after the dance, try and inculcate an approach towards the partner.

When you’re out on the floor with a partner, firstly try to connect with the music….get the flavor, the tempo of the song. Start out with a couple of basics….it will help you figure out how your partner moves. I always tell the men, “hold the lady confidently”…even if you are not, it makes the dance easier for both.

Not all songs have a standard tempo, see how you can play around with combinations depending on the tempo and the mood of the song. If a slow track is being played see if you can make it exciting by varying dancing speed without compromising on timing. If it’s a fast track then you have no other option but to literally think on your feet.

If you are familiar with the song, use it to your advantage by timing combinations/stops/shines/drops etc. to coincide with the music/ lyrics.

The Partner:

Smile and make eye contact with your partner. Remain focused on your partner while you are dancing. Be aware of how they are moving and how you can synchronize the moves and combinations.

Always dance at your partner’s level. The goal is for both individuals to have fun and to dance together and not outdo each other or show off how much better you are than your dancing partner.

Personal Space:

Be aware that not everyone is comfortable dancing close to someone that he or she might not know of. When leading, you should try to sense how much space your partner needs. Respect the space that she or he is comfortable with and dance within that distance.

The Dance:

Salsa is a pretty intense and complicated dance. You run the risk of getting tired too soon and also run out of combinations. One needs to pace the dance out, build the speed gradually. Start with basic moves and turn patterns, test the waters. Never try out complicated combinations – One, If you are not confident/ have just recently learned them, Two, if you are dancing with someone new.

The beauty of the dance is you can do the simplest of moves yet make it look different every time, there are 14 permutations and combinations (that I can think of) just for the simple spot turns !

The relatively complicated/ stylized combinations are to be used midway between the dance. If you intend on using dips and tricks in between, try to keep them relatively simple and leadable so that it’s easier to get back to the combinations with minimum recovery time.

If the track is long or if you are going to dance over a couple of songs with the same partner, it’s advisable to have some solo time as well. Use the various shines we practice in class, with dollops of styling. Again, your attitude and confidence is far more important than what you actually execute. Trying shines without ‘the’ attitude is like hearing a person speak with a fake snazzy accent without his grammar in place.

The idea is to be prepared, not over prepared. Do not try to memorize sequences and plan the entire dance out. It’s a social dance, relax and enjoy. It’s all that matters in the end……

Hope our friend does well at his first salsa-social. Will keep you posted :)

From Banking to Ballroom: Part II

Once you enter the corporate space, you cease to have a life. A ten hour workday, add to that about two hours of gruesome travel. Day in and out. You’re a living machine with bottled up emotions, frustration and dissatisfaction….I found respite in Salsa. After months of contemplating and research I finally walked into a studio with a friend and took up Salsa Classes. Gradually, Salsa became indispensable for me. I would rush from work in order to reach class in time. It became the highlight of my week. Over a period of time, I moved from someone who was just learning Salsa to someone who started teaching Salsa. I became a weekday dancer and a weekend teacher. I found a lot of pleasure in teaching and dancing. Unlike other days, I was up and enthusiastic on Sundays. That was a day when I taught, from morning to evenings…some people catch up on movies, some people read, most laze…. I unwound with Salsa, on my toes all day long.

For someone who was so aimless and relatively short on enthusiasm, I surprised myself when I realized two years passed by and I was still as enthusiastic every Sunday. Teaching Salsa gave me the satisfaction that I desired…I changed jobs, sacrificed sleep and socializing, but Salsa was the only constant. I guess that was the time when the seeds of rebellion started taking root…

This was compounded by the fact that I had started stagnating as a dancer. I was thirsty to learn more, still am…I hope to continuously push myself. Improvise and innovate. It is important for me to add value to each and every student of mine.

Salsa wasn’t a hobby anymore, it became a passion. So I decided to take things to the next level…

For months I analyzed, studied, I tried to pick up from the best that was offered and that was desirable, using others stumbling blocks to pave my way. It was all there in my head…but no execution.

How could I ?

A ten hour workday, add to that about two hours of gruesome travel. Day in and out………..

MBA’s today are bred like domestic animals. We were supposed to be the fierce breed, the people who took charge, the innovators, the non conformists.

No, we’re just a bunch of hungry cows who want to get to the greener pastures without getting our feet wet in the stream.

From Banking to Ballroom: Part I

I come from a middle-class, moderately conservative joint family. The lineage boasts of bankers, CA’s, doctors, lawyers, teachers et al….Well …I…am….a Salsa Instructor!

Even in my wildest dreams I could never have imagined that I would take up teaching dance professionally!

I come from a family where education receives the utmost importance. Any form of art would be perceived only as a hobby. No further encouragement would be given to it.

My family has always been a service-oriented one. A stable, salaried job was what my family felt would be best for me. I had been trained to follow the herd, so I followed…the grind of Management School followed by a stable job, a good salary….I was on the right track, I was “a suitable boy”…though, not for long.

Even with the money and the perks, I found something a-miss. I was just living my life day in and out, nothing to motivate me, nothing to look forward to. Financially, I was at peace. Internally, I was still unsatisfied. I was unsure about what I wanted and I felt aimless. I had a lot of unanswered questions. The only sure part was that, this routine was not what I wanted for myself. But, I was equally apprehensive about doing anything else…honestly I did not know what else to do, I was bred for this! And now that “I had it all going for me”, I really did not want it.

Maybe I needed a better job ?

So I got myself the fancy, coveted well paying Investment Banking job…yet zilch on satisfaction

The internal turmoil cannot be explained, it’s like a pain which you cannot pin-point. I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling like this, I’ve had conversations a many with my friends over weekend dinners about this struggle, but all was forgotten by the time the bill was settled.

Motivation, primarily in the form of power, position and money is sought after. Mind you, not everyone looks for job satisfaction, even if they do, it could be compromised by any or all of the aforementioned factors. Whereas there are some, who wouldn’t mind drifting away…it’s not that my friends don’t want to do anything about it. Either they’re victims of worldly obligations or simply haven’t reached that tipping point yet…

There comes a time, amidst the chaos there is an explosion of silence…you can’t hear anything, you can’t see anything…all the apprehensions and insecurities cease to trouble you….you just have to spread your wings…and take that leap of faith.