I will visit the Countries, the ones with ? means I have not yet have contact. Puerto Rico (1 month) Mexico City, Mexico (4 month, including more Spanish training) (Nov 29-Dec 2, Acapuco World Salsa Congress) http://www.mexicosalsacongress.com/ Quito, Ecuador Santa Cruz, Bolivia (not sure) Panama Singapore Dec 22-31, Singapore Salsa Congress ? Dec 22-31st (1 month) Taiwan? Congreso Murcia Baila (Spain) March 2009 ? (2 month) Istanbul, Turkey: annual SalsaTurkey Festival. June 2009 (4 month) Cairo, Egypt (1 month) Study 4 exciting aspects of an international dance called salsa: Artistic form: Why salsa has stylistically mutated in some countries, how dancers from different regions have innovated. I will talk to local dancers, enroll in workshops and attend local performances. Colombian salsa dancers are known for their unique, fast footwork, which is influenced by the Charleston, a popular dance from the Roaring 20’s. Bolivia has a lot indigenous population and a vast array of indigenous dances. From what I read, dancers from Turkey have also incorporated movements from their own culture. Salsa is considered a street dance and has not been standardized by International DanceSport; in fact, salsa instructors often encourage development of personal styles. One article I read outlined 7 major styles in the world. Historical context: Historically, salsa’s creation is accredited to Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants in NY. However it would be useful to see how the dance has migrated to various Latin American communities through migration of dancers. Sometimes the owners of discoteca and local salsa instructors are either Cuban or Puerto Rican in origin. It would be interesting to talk to the older owners to hear their narratives about their experiences with the dance and the migration. For countries such as Turkey and Egypt, the migration would be fairly recent. Socio-Cultural Context: People from different countries view salsa differently. Most Latinos and Latinas view salsa as their cultural heritage. Salsa was derived from a Cuban dance called Mambo, which means “conversation with the Gods” in the local language. It would be interesting to see if there are dancers in the Caribbean who still believes in this spiritual connection. In countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Bolivia, there are often local dances before the advent of salsa. The cumbia, mariachi, what is the social context of salsa in those countries? For people in Egypt and Turkey, it gets even more interesting, I would be very much interested to see how they have come embrace this new exciting culture that is so different from their own, as I have done. Inter-Cultural exchange:
Salsa Congresses/Festivals is where amateur, professional from around the world come together. The atmosphere is amazingly open, anyone can attend. The professionals will hold workshops at all levels, and perform. There are almost always friendly open competitions divided into amateur and professional levels where advancing to finals is often determined by the intensity of applause. I am as much interested in the social aspect as well as the stylistic variety, people who attend the congresses don’t always speak the same language, but they come together through the love of this dance. I have been told by older dancers that “salsa do not discriminate”, and this has been verified from my experiences.
Concerns: *The Salsa Congresses/Festivals are subject to change since those annual festivals sometimes change dates. So I will lay out my plans by country and the order of countries might change, I will try my best to cut travel costs down. About me: I have been dancing salsa for almost a year now and have recently joined Ritmo Latino. I had 4 yrs of Spanish in high school, and I get to practice mostly through Hispanic friends. I absolutely love both the dance and the music, will most likely teach a freeU course on it. In fact, on my life’s checklist, right below getting from grad school, and become a professor, is to teach salsa.