STREET VS STAGE

Surprise, surprise - despite the recession, the SF yearly salsa congress was fairly well attended. This year it started early on Wed night at Roccapulco with Pepe y su Orchesta, but the word did not spread out and it was light. However, the official opening night at Cafe Cocomo on Thursday was packed as usual with many regulars and visitors alike. This club - the dancers' favorite - has a world-wide reputation and is considered one of the best in the country.

Last year, it rocked with the best music of the congress and this year it did not disappoint either with Tabaco y Ron from LA. NG2 from Puerto Rico sounded great - very professional and polished, but it fell into the frequent caveat of Latin bands: songs that are too long and/or too fast for dancing. Ditto for Andy Montanez. Montuno Swing sounded better than in clubs with varied tempos and even added one of my Tito Puente faves. Between the famed concert bands and good dance groups who respect their audience and their needs, which ones would you choose? Would you pick any live band over good DJ music?

DJ Fred did not repeat his all-time best night from last year, but he "reserved" a few great tunes for the late night "dancers" crowd. (During the congress isn't it all dancers' crowd?) Each DJ has his own idea about what works and when. Some think the general club patrons don't appreciate the same music as the dancers do and stick to monotonous string of songs repeated week after week. The enormous popularity of Fania All-Stars all over the world with all kinds of audiences do not seem to convince them that good music is enjoyed by all. Others, unaware of numerous complaints, think congresses require "speedy Gonzalez" music to maintain energy. Some DJ's don't seem to realize they "create" audiences by attracting the crowd that enjoys their selections and chasing away those who don't. DJ Lobo (who would not crack a smile even when complimented) came up with a compromise when he had his chance at the end of the congress Sun night. His medium tempo selections were "popular" enough yet had the appealing mambo beat for those of us who prefer it.

Congresses are best for meeting out-of-towners, watch and experience new styles, patterns etc. However, this year I was just as happy to see local dancers who are so busy rehearsing in their respective groups they are too tired for social dancing. If in previous years one could detect a gap in the skill level between locals and visitors, now it's only a rare star whose repertoire of patterns is so rich you can't help noticing. This year it was Sam Mr.Sleek from London who caught my attention. Despite his misleading nickname (given to him for his smooth style) he did not strive to showcase himself with top-notch pretty ladies, he stood quietly in the corner waiting for the never-ending stream of girls asking him, and he danced with everyone (unlike many salsa "luminaries" who suddenly need to go to the bathroom, lose contact lenses, get broken legs etc. to dance with you, but get instantly cured by a pretty and well-known face.) Sam will be teaching in California until March and might be able to come back to SF in Feb. if anyone is willing to invite him for workshops. http://mrsleekdance.com/index.php?page=about

There will be no show and competition reviews this year, instead, let's talk about a few key issues and determine the ingredients needed for a great performance. In this country, if you got money, you should be able to get anything your heart desires including a stage performance whether you're ready for it or not. Who cares? The audience forced to sit through amateurish efforts of aspiring dancers who lack technique, inspiration and creativity. Yes, they work hard and we all appreciate it, but dancing takes years of rigorous bone-breaking training that's evident in truly professional performers. You would not trust your surgery to a resident doctor, why art should be any different? Ok, ok, nobody died from a bad performance - not yet anyway. :-)

However, there are solutions. So You Think You Can Dance producer repeatedly states they're not looking for the best dancer, they're looking for the most popular one. A few years ago the swing dancer Benji Schwimmer won even though he lacked the technique his competitors had. What's his secret? Creative choreography, choice of music, humor and performance skills.

There are plenty of examples in salsa as well: Los Callejeros from Utah pick an interesting song, create original choreography to the music, add humor and costumes to illustrate it and voila - a memorable routine even without head-turning tricks and polished technique. Newly created Montuno chose a 50's song in salsa (Mr.Sandman) in 50's school theme and costumes in its presentation. Canadian trio Salsa Rica established themselves as a unique group with non-conforming salsa dancing and nobody is telling them "it ain't salsa". (The efforts of an LA group trying to copy that formula was pitifully inadequate) Seaon always comes up with unique ways to entertain not to mention Al and Edie who perfected salsa showmanship to the incomparable level.

What makes all of them memorable? Already mentioned creative choreography, choice of music and performance. When we watch a stream of presentations with similar patterns, similar moves, similar tricks and similar costumes year after year, technique alone - no matter how good it is - becomes boring. Why Junior and Emily and Dave and Zoe did not proceed to finals in America Got Talent? Because no matter how incredible they are at what they do, they're still a "one trick pony" and will benefit from creative approach to their skills that can be utilized in a variety of ways. It's great to watch them once, but more is needed to sustain interest in a multi-level competition. After proving themselves in spinning and arm pretzel patterns, J&E can slow down and showcase their dancing.

It seems that most salsa performers create their choreography then choose the song that fits or simply pile up pieces of different songs without any regard as to how they fit together. Al and Edie paid professionals to do their mixing so the music score was flawless.

At the congress, there were a few incredible, grabbing your attention intros into the routines that were abruptly cut and followed by a mediocre song, you wonder why they would not just follow though. It shows lack of patience or low importance value given to the music which, together with creative choreography, can make or break the performance. It is doubly important for dancers whose technique is not perfect.

Ideally, the process should be reversed: one would spend time and effort choosing an interesting song with intricate arrangement that allows for play and interpretation and never a standard played in clubs to death. (Maybe a new specialty in music selection should be created). Why not search beyond established collections - so much mainstream music was arranged in salsa it will be an enriching experience. Seaon and his Latinization of M.Jackson should be an inspiration.
Secou chose a vocalized jazzy samba by Brazilian singer Tania-Maria - not a mainstream fave, but still very danceable as his group proved it to be.

If your choreography skills are limited, there are professionals to consult or other dances to watch: after all "salsa" means just that - a collection of various styles that were created by somebody at some point and that can be enriched by mixing in new and exciting moves. (Claims "it ain't salsa" come only from those who are limited in their creativity.) Then you choreograph the song you selected respecting its flow and reflecting its breaks. The styling should be adapted to the music as well: if your style is smooth, don't pick a song with many breaks that demand knife-sharp accents. Most importantly, experience shows that in fast complicated routines many tricky moves often go unnoticed, but creative choreography with a few well executed accents - even pauses - will go a long way.

It boils down to how serious you are about your performance. If you just want to get on stage to catch your 5 minutes of fame and lukewarm applause does not bother you, fine. But if you are determined to get to the top, you should be willing to spend the time and effort required, admit you cannot do it all and hire professionals if necessary. Besides getting classes and privates in dancing, salseros would benefit from expanding their horizons by taking lessons in other dances, music and choreography.

Media moguls are finally waking up to the dance craze following the trends rather than setting and predicting them as they should. The inexcusable misrepresentation of salsa in Dancing with the Stars and in general ballroom community must stop misleading the public. It's time salseros break that glass ceiling, rise to the occasion and represent what real salsa is all about.

DIP (dance in peace)