As a Greek folk dance teacher, I often find that my students are interested in many different cultural styles of dance. For most of my students, I recommend that they consider Salsa dancing, a wonderful form of exercise and a great way to improve their coordination. Dancing salsa is very different from performing tango or flamenco. It is also much easier to find a Salsa class than one in the other dance styles. If you have ever been interested in the similarities and differences between these three dance styles, read this article before embarking on your first salsa class.
Flemish
Since flamenco dancing is a bit less popular in the US, I’ll write a bit about it. Flamenco is native to Andalusia, an autonomous community of Spain. The entire country of Spain is often credited with creating flamenco. Andalusia, however, is located in the extreme south of Spain and shares a border with Portugal. Flamenco dance originated in the 18th century. Throughout the years, the countries of Central America and Cuba have contributed to the evolution of flamenco dance.
The music used in flamenco dance is attributed to the fusion of Mediterranean, Spanish, Islamic, and Romani cultures along the trade routes of Spain. While the major and minor scales are used in Western music, flamenco dance also incorporates the Doric and Phrygian modes developed by the Byzantine church. The easiest way to explain these modes is to imagine a simple major scale, C major. If played on a piano, this scale plays only white keys and moves from C to C (CDEFGABC). The C Dorian mode begins on the second note of the scale, D, and uses all the notes of the original major scale. In this case, that means DEFGABCD. The Phrygian mode begins on the third note of the C major scale (if the Phrygian mode is played in C). This means that you start on E and play EFGABCDE. If you have a piano, play these notes to see how these modes sound. Also, flamenco music uses microtones (smaller units of vibratory change than those of Western music).
Flamenco is often seen and performed with a single dancer responding to a live accompaniment. The dancer skillfully uses her feet to create sound and move her body in unique ways. Flamenco is considered a very moving and emotional dance.
Dip
Salsa dancing originated in Cuba. Ballroom dancing has significantly influenced salsa dancing. This is one of the reasons why it is easy to take a salsa class – many places that teach ballroom dancing can also easily teach salsa dancing.
In salsa dancing, the weight is shifted between the feet. However, your upper body is supposed to stay still, so this creates a lot of movement in your hips.
Tango
Tango dance, unlike salsa and flamenco, originated in South America. Specifically, it was developed in the Río de la Plata region, halfway between Uruguay and Argentina. There are two main styles of tango: open embrace and closed embrace. The open hug, as it sounds, is about a couple having space between their bodies. In a close embrace, the dancers are essentially chest to chest.
Tango, more than salsa dancing, is a very emotional dance and has many romantic and seductive cultural associations.
If you are considering a new cultural style of dance that is likely to be offered in your area, but are more concerned with the sporting benefits, I highly recommend Salsa dancing. Taking a Salsa class will improve your strength and stamina by making full use of your leg muscles.
