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BY BETH FOCHT
The Battalion
9 t the Grammy awards, critics and viewers de
clared one singer to have stolen the show.
From that performance until today, the world
has seemed to be enraptured by Ricky Mar-
n. However, it is not just the man who is grabbing
tenlion, it is also the music, sensuality and attitude
J beings with him.
Namely it is salsa music, which Martin has
dped to expose to the public, that is making peo-
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(he year,- fajdr. teaches a beginner the salsa, Wednesday night at the Epicenter.
intents 1 f-o,, -u -v .
ime dance instructor, Anna Britain, a senior international studies
pie get up and shake their hips.
Salsa dancing is not easily defined nor is it easy
to determine who invented this form of partner
dancing.
Salsa has a large number of influences, includ
ing the main Cuban and Puerto Rican influences,
which played a part in the evolution of the dance.
Salsa originally came into the limelight and was
popular in clubs in New York during the 1960s. The
recent popularity is due to the increase of main
stream Latin music, the revival of dances that use a
partner, and the increased integration of Latin in
fluences into the American cul
ture.
Cuba and Puerto Rico’s di
verse histories and cultures are
meshed into salsa. The Latin
dancing was first brought to the
United States through migration.
Integration of cultures in Amer
ica produced the salsa dancing
seen today.
Louis Martinez, a member of
Omega Delta Phi, a Latino fra
ternity, and a senior political sci
ence major, said salsa dancing
and music involves an interest
ing mesh of cultures.
“This dance comes from the
Caribbean, mainly Cuban and
Puerto Rico, and it is very popu
lar in Mexico and it is becoming
more popular as these cultures
are integrated more into main
stream America,” Martinez said.
“The salsa music is a cultural
mesh of the people of Puerto
Rico and Cuba with a lot of
African rhythm drums and Latin
beats.” v, t, >‘j!v
MIKE FUENTES/The Battalion
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Manage
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Sports #
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flight K
Special $5 Menu and $1 Margaritas Everyday!
O
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Salsa dancing is composed as a variety of move
ment beginning with a basic rocking step and a
transfer of weight between these rocking move
ments. From this rudimentary step, the dancer’s
own style and emphasis is added.
Salsa music has an even tempo that is not too fast
to dance to. The phrases of the music repeat, mak
ing it easy to count and easy to keep the pace and
rhythm.
Melissa Hinojosa, a member of the Dance Arts So
ciety and a freshman math major, said salsa and
Latin-based dancing are really about moving your
body.
“When you salsa dance you want to move your
ribs, hips and feet a lot,” Hinojosa said. “You can
dance with or without a partner because there is
generally not aerial work when you salsa, but it is
more fun to dance with someone so you can move
more and turn.”
Hinojosa said she believes one reason salsa danc
ing has become popular is because the music is so
easy to dance to.
“The music is fast-paced and upbeat, it is not mo
notonous like techno or real hard-core music, and
really has a fun beat to dance to,” she said.
“I also think with more Latin beats and rhythms
coming into mainstream with Ricky Martin, Gloria
Estefan and club songs that feature Latin beats, peo
ple are more familiar and interested in learning
about this style.
“I also think it was an easy transition with the
popularity of swing dancing and partner dancing to
this Latin-based dance,” Hinojosa said.
Martinez said he believes salsa dancing is com
ing into the mainstream because of the Hispanic
population growth in the United States.
“If you look the Hispanic population is rapidly
growing and the culture is integrating into the main
stream culture,” he said. “Commercials are using
music with Latin rhythms and the culture is now
MIKE FUENTES/The Battalion
Luis Cisneros, professor of horticulture at A&M,
dances the salsa with Cynthia Campos, a junior in
ternational studies and Spanish major. Cisneros
learned the salsa in his native Peru, while Campos
has been dancing the salsa for two years,
catching up with this growth.”
Salsa is a basic dance and is not hard for begin
ners to learn.
Martinez said he recommends that people who
have never tried to salsa before and want to learn
should use the resources that are provided within
the community.
“There are a lot of Latin student associations on
campus and they all have parties that play all of
these kinds of music,” he said. “If you show up to
one of these parities, someone will teach you how
to salsa. It is a great way to learn.”
Hinojosa said that for people trying this type of
dancing for the first time, there are a few things you
should remember.
“It is important to let your hair down and get
loose when you salsa,” she said. “Do not worry what
other people think, you should feel the music and
go with what your body wants to do and most im
portantly, have a good time. ”
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