Latin Music Loving...

Two consecutive nights to the salsa club left me with aching soles, but what the heck, I had so much fun!

It's been 4 months since I first picked this form of dance up, and nope, no regrets so far. Started off with the fairly basic steps, and then we moved on to more simple turns, and then onto the more complex turns. I started visiting the salsa club more regularly only two weeks back, and this 'extra practice' I get at the club is so helpful. There's been much more exposure to the different kinds of latin music, and I'm really into some of them.

that's my left heel

I guess I'd like to share some of the different (but more common) types of latin dances with you guys here, hope it'll spark off some salsa interest, enough to make you sign up for classes... and we can dance together after!

First up, the most common and popular Salsa! The beat goes like 123 (pause at 4), 567 (pause at 8), and it's mainly just about weight-shifting between your two legs. Once the coordination is right, it's pretty difficult to be stepping on your partner's toes. Heh. The male half will need to lead the female into her turns and steps, and the female, basically, she just has to follow through. I guess it's pretty important that the guys learn to lead proper. It's all about making the lady look good, so you will look good in turn.

Salsa

Next up, there's Bachata. This is a really sexy and sensual-looking dance, when done in the close-hold (hip-to-hip) position correctly. I don't know much about it yet, apart from the basic steps that are supposed to be taken in a sidewards motion, in a beat that goes like 123(hip), 567(hip). I like Bachata music a lot, maybe because it's much easier to follow the beat. Listen to it below, see if you like it too! I guess after Salsa, Bachata is what I want to learn next.

Bachata

And lastly, there's Zouk. Not talking about that popular mambo club here (speaking of which, mambo in Singapore isn't really the latin mambo), it's another genre of music. This is a category that I'm mainly clueless about, but I think one of my salsa mates summed it up in a relatively easy to understand manner: pop songs + latin beats. 

Zouk

I think it's amazing how the people that you meet at the salsa club come from different woks of life, in all shapes and sizes. You have the steady-and-sway-like-crazy Uncles, smoking hot mamas (ladies in their 40s onwards), pretty young things, handsome studs... etc. Before you know it, that uncle with the big beer belly standing in the corner is going to show you all his 'pro' moves. I like seeing how two people are able to move together with so much chemistry, it's just nice to watch lo.

salsa, anyone?

And now, I suppose I'll need to give my sore feet a break. Happy weekends to ya all!