Articulo en Revista extranjera
Como seguimos creciendo hemos sido hace poco incluidos en un artículo de una Revista. Cada dia la familia crece un poquito mas y nosotros somos mas conocidos fuera del Campo de Gibraltar. Os dejo con el artículo aunque está en inglés. Un saludo desde mi eucaliptus.
It's amazing how many different activities are available in Gibraltar during these hot summer months, and one of those which caught our eye was the
Salsa Club, which meets every Tuesday evening in the Laguna Social Club.
Salsa dancing immediately conjures up images of swish foot movements, flinging your partner round the room, ball gowns and a sexy South American swings performed to perfection. Mike Da Silva soon put the record straight for me though.
'Tve been dancing for the last fifteen years and at one point to a professional level while 1 was a student, but my whole experience of dancing has been to have fun. The classes l went to in the UK before moving here ten years ago were very much a social event rather than strict classes, and that is what we are trying to achieve here in Gibraltar," he commented.
The club currentIy has a core of around 18 regular members, but anyone is free to drop in to give it a go or just to come along on an ad-hoc basis. This is definitely an informal occasion, although the classes are as professional as you could expect under the watchful eye of Jose Luis Benitez who is well known across the border for organising dance shows to a professional leve!.
The local club, set up just over six
"If, like me, you' re a bit of a show-off, it's a great experience to dance for a public," Mike told us, "although not everyone feels confident or even wants to dance in public and that's something we respect in the club. Dancing, like any hobby is something you should enjoy so we're happy for any member to be involved to whatever level they wish."
Salsa is massive in the UK according to Mike, and his enthusiasm stems from the great experience he had over the years in England, although he's quick to admit that most men are a little reserved with the idea of learning to dance.
"It is a bit of a social stigma, although personal!y 1 don't see why it should be. The club is a great way to socialise and meet people. At the moment, the ratio is about four to one so there are many m6re
women than men. Most new clubs start out this way though, and it usual!y takes a couple of years for the numbers to balance out."
Mike told us that salsa is actual!y quite easy to pick up. The club teaches Cuban Salsa which has a lot of expression without the more showy and exhibitionist styles you'l! find in LA Salsa for example. You can go along with your partner, or on your own and you'l! be soon paired up with someone at your standard to dance with, and even if you are with your partner, you'l! find that styles such as "La Rueda" will have you switching during the music and back again.
. The whole dance style is set around three steps in every four beats which can then be improvised on, so even beginners can pick it up without too much problem in their first evening, and don't worry: this is salsa with two feet on the ground, so you won't have the opportunity to drop your partner .•
months ago and chaired by Anne Marie Struggles, is working towards a demonstration at Summer Nights in Casemates on 11th August, organised by Events Unlimited, to help raise funds for the local charity "Help Us To Help Them". This will include Salsa, Bachita and Hip Hop styles, although members are under no pressure at al! to perform on stage.
salsa: a brief history
Historians are a little at odds about whether Salsa originated in Cuba or Puerto Rico, although the music and dance forms quite definitely originated from Cuban Son, a style of music which became popular in the 1930s. The style combines Spanish songs and guitar with african rhythm and percussion of Bantu and Arara origino It then moved on to New York where other styles of music were mixed in too, resulting in the creation of salsa music.
The mambo of the 1950s was also influential in shaping salsa, and after the trade embargos following Castro's revolution
in Cuba, the international style was shaped by the Puerto Rican community in New York - hence the debate on the real origins of the dance and music.
Salsa is similar to mambo in many ways, a six step routine over eight beats, and the dances share many of the same moves, although in Salsa the turns are
more emphasised, giving a very different feel. Whereas the mambo is very much a forward and backward movement, salsa moves are usually from si de to side.
But salsa is not easily defined.
Because its development has moved through and contains so many different types of music and dance, it is more a distillation of other dances of Latin and Afr Caribbean origino
Within salsa, different styles have developed from the various geographic regions where the dance is popular. New York salsa is strict and technical, with dancing being a much more serious and professional occasion. Cuban
salsa is the most popular in Europe being a less formal dance style
and easier to pick up and enjoy. Other styles include Salsa Filipina - a group dance, Cumbia. Cali, and Los Angeles. The latter was pioneered by some of the most famous and successful people in dance with its sensuous, theatrical and aerobic content.
The Salsa Club meets every Tuesday evening at the Laguna Social Club from 8.30pm where you can learn Bachata and other dance styles. The cast is E5 with proceeds to "Help
Us To Help Them". For more information call Mike on 54472000 email info@ salsagibraltar.com.
