8barsalsa is an alternative salsa dance / music system designed for Disco / Lovers Rock and Salsa - circa 70‘s 80’s & 90’s

            8barsalsa = System         Salsarock = style of dance

Salsa not Salsa = Description and name of dance

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frequently asked questions

What is 8barsalsa and how does it work

8barsalsa (aka Salsarock) is an alternative dance/ music system primarily designed for romantic Salsa, R&B, and Reggae. (each of which have different basic steps).

It is a system that will incorporate your existing salsa dance styles and moves.

There is  an 8 bar cycle as opposed to the familiar 2 bar ‘clave’ cycle and has a different counting system, hence the dance name ‘Salsa not Salsa’

What does Salsarock mean      (the most asked question)

Salsa -

       In Spanish salsa means sauce however when referring to music and dance

it’s arguably a feeling, flavor, euphoria, soul, heat.

That uncontrollable smile or contorted face  brought on from a soulful eruption from deep within, ooooohhh!

A feeling or expression, that can mean ‘that little bit extra’ that moves your inner being to shout things like yeahhh!, Bo!, Wicked! Aieeee, Ahhh! (with a growl)

“sugar and spice, very very nice, uh huh”

Rock -

        As in passionate - motion e.g. not as in Rock Music (literally).

Rock is a term that goes way back before Rock ‘n Roll, in fact, late 1800s - early 1900s.

Rock ‘n Roll was born out of Jump Blues in the 1950s (apparently)

What does it look like ?

Is it original

No, there are many dances all over the world, social, secular and spiritual that incorporate rocking and the Quick Quick Slow or 123/ rhythm of salsa. However, it is original in as much as it is a system (a discipline) that welcomes the integration of various styles of salsa

Who is it for and is it for me

It is for people who love the soul of RnB, Reggae, Salsa and related music(s)

and want to share ‘that’ in dance. If you like grooves, so much so you would dance on your own, or at least appreciate it’s not someone else's responsibility for you to have a good time.

Also for people who may find learning dance too acrobatic or too much of a chore just to be able to enjoy dancing. And of course, If you know sometimes less is more!

Where did it come from

The idea came some years ago (early 2000) from a six beat spin (not a triple spin) where at the end of the spin, beat 1 (on the left for the leader) is now beat 5

and so a transition occurs

for the dancer not the music.

However musical compositions also make this and other transitions.

A clear example of this type of transition is in the first half of  Bamboleo - Celia Cruz.

Click on Bamboleo and dance a basic step along to the example,

see what happens regarding where you dance your beat 1 in relation to the music!

(crucial when interpreting dance and/ or music)

Why do we need an alternative salsa dance

The truth, we don’t!

However, with the current influence from RnB and Reggae, it’s nice to be able to dance to these genres (the source of these influences) in a different way.

If you’ve been to caribbean blues party’s, birth night parties or house parties

in the 70’s & 80’s you’ll know what I mean

Do you have to dance close

Although salsarock is generally a close contact dance, especially while dancing to Lovers Rock (Reggae), slow jams (RnB) and slow - mid tempo Salsa Romantica, Salsarock, like many other social dances that involve contact, is consensual, and if either party are uncomfortable there are dance signals called ‘get out clauses’ which need to be respected particularly around ‘touch moves’. Some types of totally unacceptable behavior while dancing are - groping, kissing, any close contact with vulnerable or young people below 18yrs, blowing in your partners ear, embarrassing your partner etc. If in doubt what is and isn’t acceptable, release your partner and dance in to your own space. If you’re really not happy, stop dancing say ‘sorry’, why, and leave the dance space

Are there any advantages to dancing this way

1. 1.(I) Great exercise mentally and physically (as frequently written in Health reports)
   
   

2. 2.(II) easy on the body
   
   

3. 3.(III) basic steps work whether your 7 yrs old or 70 yrs young
   
   

4. 4.(IV) if you want you can talk whilst dancing (this is social dancing remember)
   
   

5. 5.(V) your significant other (S/O) might be more inclined to have a go
   
   

because of the various styles of music and ease of basic steps

Where can I learn it

Classes tba

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