Semana de la Fiesta Salsera

By Notorious MLE -

Hi everybody. This is Emily from Notorious MLE. I’ll be guest-posting for the week and before I start I’d like to wish a very Happy Birthday to the lovely author of this blog, the very kind and generous “Colombian Mommy”.

Many of you might not know that in addition to authoring this amazing resource she also has helped many families along the journey to bring their children home. She was my anchor in the storm during our adoption process and so this week I am throwing a SALSA party in her honor. Won’t you all join me?

Salsa is a really important part of Colombian culture. If you go to a family party, you salsa. If you go to a high school dance, you salsa. All Colombians know how to salsa at least a little bit and some are truly amazing dancers.

I used to be a Salsa Dance Instructor and this week I’m going to teach you all you need to know to have a dance party with your Colombianitos at home or a fun night out!

I’ll be back tomorrow with an overview of the different types of dances you might encounter at a salsa club but until then feel free to leave a comment with any questions you might want me to answer.

Comments

Test.Martz said…
Emily, glad to see you guest posting this week. So, I have a question about salsa for you...I have taken salsa lessons here in the states on numerous occasions. I have even taught my husband so when we visit my family in Cali he would be familiar with it since in Cali - that is all they do! However, I have noticed that what they teach here is nothing like the salsa do they in Cali. I'm baffled. How can we learn "colombian" salsa so when we go, we will transition right in with everyone? Do you how the steps are different? I noticed we learn front to back steps. In Colombian no one dances front to back - it is all side to side. Help! ;-)
December 6, 2010 at 9:33 AM
Notorious MLE said…
Hi Nat, That's a great question! In the states people tend to dance Cuban/Puerto Rican style which is front to back. In Colombia people dance Cumbia style which is the same basic step except done side to side/in a circle. Cali especially has an even more distinct style with such beuatiful and intricate footwork.

If you want to help your husband learn Salsa I think it's okay for him to take lessons in the states where he will learn on the slot because it's essentially the same step and the hardest part to learn is rythmn of the step. not actually where to put your feet. The basic step used in Colombia is usually taught as a variation move and the best way to describe it if you were asking a teacher would be "cumbia style" Does that make sense?

Probably not! It's hard to explain dance in words. Perhaps in the future I can make a video for dancing Colombian style salsa!
December 7, 2010 at 9:08 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Popular Colombian Names

By -
Recently, I was asked to write a post on Colombian names, and popular Colombian names. I had a hard time finding a list, but eventually I did find one. According to I.N.E. - Instituto Nacional de Estadística, -- unfortunately, when I found this it doesn't say the year -- the most common Colombian boys names across all ages are: 1 JUAN CARLOS 2 CARLOS ALBERTO 3 ALEXANDER 4 ANDRES FELIPE 5 LUIS FERNANDO 6 DIEGO FERNANDO 7 JHON JAIRO 8 CARLOS ANDRES 9 ALEJANDRO 10 JUAN DAVID The girls are: 1 SANDRA MILENA 2 LUZ MARINA 3 CAROLINA 4 PAULA ANDREA 5 CLAUDIA PATRICIA 6 MARIA EUGENIA 7 PAOLA ANDREA 8 DANIELA 9 LILIANA 10 MARTHA CECILIA Just as here, names go through ebb and flow. Fourteen years ago when we were married, I attended several baby baptisms and met numerous friends of my husband. At the time, it seemed like everyone was naming their kid Juan CAMILO (boy) or Maria CAMILA (girl). I met dozens of them. Then, about 7 years later, I heard tons of SANTIAGO, JULIAN, SEBASTIAN and FE
Read more

Muisca Indigenous Names, from Hunza (Tunja)

By -
In response to this week’s posts on names, I have received several e-mails asking about the names of famous Colombians and their stories and about Indigenous names. I plan to spend the next three days sharing some of them. Also, I will continue to post more in the future and you will be able to find them all by clicking on the NAMES link the LABELS section to the right of the blog. Name: AQUIMÍN ( pronounced: ah key MEAN) or AQUIMINZAQUE (pronounced: ah key mean ZAH kay) When the Spanish arrived on the plains of Bogotá, 1536, they found a great nation. In fact, it was the third largest group of indigenous inhabitants in America. They called themselves the Muiscas , which meant ‘the people’. Their language was called Chibcha . The Muiscas were not a united group, but rather a collection of city states. The majority of the power was held by two main cities – what today are called Bogotá and Tunja (in Boyacá). These two cities were mortal enemies and each enlisted the loy
Read more

La Madremonte

By -
Image
The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad
Read more