Salsa Video Review

I am doing my senior project on Salsa Dancing, and I have to record a video of myself dancing a type of Salsa. The type I chose is the Cuban style. Here is some information I looked up about it:

It is characterized by Afro Cuban style body movement which includes body isolation and hip movement. Cuban style salsa does not have many fast spins. Instead the movement is very circular as opposed to linear and partners tend to travel around each other. The hip movement is more noticeable in this style and stems from the pumping of the knees. The footwork is quite simple – the complexity lies in the arm work which requires the follower to have limber, flexible arms.

I was just wondering if anyone knew of any songs that are good for dancing to, or are specifically for dancing to the Cuban Style of Salsa? Thank you so much!~!

The description of cuban style dancing is very good. There are tons of good songs for dancing. Normally cuban style dancers prefer dancing to Cuban music because it has lots of percussion effects and great piano rhythms that are well suited to the body movement in Cuban salsa.

The song that was voted "Best dance song" in an internet poll of Cuban salsa fans was was "Esto te pone la cabeza mala" by Los Van Van. Cubans call the dance Casino and they have been dancing its ince the 50s. The name salsa only satred being used in the 1970s. Rueda de casino is when a group of dancers dance casino in a circle and switch couples. In the United States poeple ahve often confused the name casino with rueda de casino. But Csino is couple dancing Rueda or Rueda casino is a group dance.

Here are a couple of videos of people dancing to Cabeza mala.
Note: In most of these videos you’ll see that casino dancers often switch to afro-cuban rumba during percussion breaks.

A cuban dance instructor who lives in London dancing for fun at a club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FOOhLi6iBI

This is a Chinese casino teacher who was visiting Cuba and dnaced on TV to Cabeza mala. They don’t actually start dancing Cuban style salsa (casino) until about 1:27.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Rm1suvaFc

Here is El Diablo Colorao by Manolito y Su Trabuco with Yanek Revilla and Diana dancing on Cuban TV. Here you cna really see the need for flexible arms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=850RmnQNC6s

This is a great, classic cuban salsa song called Nube pasajera by La Charanga Habanera. In this video you clearly see the rotation and also they dance rumba during the percussion breaks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-30RzT2wn64

Here is Chocolate again dancing this time to Orquesta Revé – Rumberos latinoamericanos. They dance a mix of rumba with cuban salsa (casino). You have probably noticed that cuban style salsa dancers are very playful and often do things in their dancing in response to what the lyrics are saying.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyIHOiaNsTA

Hrere is an example of Rueda de casino versus regular casino (couples dancing). the song is Que bien me siento by Azúcar Negra but it’s not available for purchase or download.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrl1uAGw8yw

More good dance songs:
La Habana Me llama by Manolito y su trabuco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r2SRLojlbE

Esto está by Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Nf7kpr9cI

Abreme la puerta by Calle Real
(cuban salsa by a Swedish salsa group)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMbLnsoyqvU

Just so you can see what Afro-Cuban rumba is, here is a rumba video. You can see the body motion, the shoulders and hips always in motion. Rumba is percussion with voice. there are no other instruments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48156Mf1KSU

These links will show other songs by the same artists so you cna losten to other songs as well if you don’t like any of these.

For me right now the hottest grouyps are
Los Van Van
Pupy y los que son son
Manolito y su trabuco
Maykel Blanco y salsa mayor
Orquesta Revé
Calle Real
La Charanga Habanera

Good luck. I love Cuban style salsa dance and music. It’s very modern, agressive and funky and also lots of fun. I’m glad you chose it for your project.