Physics of Salsa Dancing

905 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: History of salsa and rumba

Salsa has become an ever more popular dance in the United States, especially with the emergence of Latin artists including Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Shakira. Go to any club or ballroom dance and you will hear a pulsating beat moving you out of your chair and onto the floor. Even Broadway has been affected by Latin music. For instance, Cell Block Tango in the smash hit Chicago has a driving Latin beat. It doesn't matter if you are partying in Miami or sipping martinis in Massachusetts, Salsa has invaded America and taken a grip on the culture. Some even consider Salsa an addiction. "Perhaps it's because of the addictive quality inherent in this rhythm which fuels the desire to become part of it and express it physically..." (Tripp).

The Danzon from Haiti, Rhumbas from Africa, and the Son from Cuba mix together to create what we know as Salsa (Pretell). Because of its diverse background it is hard to know exactly how it originated. The most widely believed origin is Cuba where everything is hot, from the weather down to the cuisine. What else can you expect from that environment but music that will have you dancing in the streets?

Key Words

Leader- does just that, gives the leads, usually a man

Follower- takes the leads, usually a woman

*Both can be either gender, the pictures used in this site show the leader as the man and the follower as the woman.

Open Position- follower's hands are palms down on top of the leader's hands

Closed Position- follower's left hand grips the leader's right arm and right hand is held by the leader's left, the leader's right hand presses against the follower's shoulder blade.

Basic Step

This is fundamental, starting off the dance and used between more com...

... middle of paper ...

...t's say we want the follower to have an acceleration of A. Now the equation says: Ftotal =mA, so normal force- normal force+x=mA where x is the force needed to make the equation equal, so if you have the mass of the follower and the acceleration you want you can find the force needed.

Bibliography

Adrienne Tripp. Truth in Salsa!. Planet Salsa. 23 November 2004 .

Antonio Gambadoro. Instruments. Salsa Tropical. 23 November 2004 .

Chicago. Dir. Rob Marshall. Perf. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere. Miramax, 2002.

Jaime Andres Pretell. Salsa. Central Home. 23 November 2004 .

Rose Hillbrand. StepOneDanceShoes.com. Step One Dance Shoes. 23 November 2004 .

Show More
Related

  • Salsa Case Study

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the world of party chips and zesty dips, the Sensational Salsa company has created a new brand of salsa flavor. Having believe that they have created a culinary masterpiece, the company has already produced a mountains worth of their new salsa flavor. However, when they begin selling the salsa, they were shocked when the statistic showed that many children and adults did not enjoy the taste of their new flavor. Devastated by the news, the Sensational Salsa company deployed a questionable tactic to persuade more people into buying their salsa and change their attitude towards their product: they plan to pay off parents to lie on Facebook about how much they enjoyed the salsa. By employing this method of persuasive communication, the Sensational Salsa company will try to change the attitude the public has of their product both cognitively and affectively.

    Read More

  • Information on Caribbean Bachata

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ross, Karl. "Bachata: The Other Dance Music - Once Confined to Girlie Bars and Brothels, the Dominican Republic's Bachata Is Making Inroads in the Latin Music Mainstream." Billboard - The International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment Apr 28 2001: Sec Latin Music 6,Pack: LM-36. ProQuest. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of From Mambo To Hip Hop

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    The movie ‘From Mambo to Hip-Hop’ is a great documentary about a revolution in the entertainment industry. It talks of evolution on Salsa music and Hip-Hop culture in suburbs of New York. South Bronx is a ghetto neighbourhood. The people living in the area are challenged economically. There is a record of high cases of violence that exist in the streets due to high crime rate and drugs being traded as a means of survival (Gordon, 2005). Most of the people living in the area are descendants of African immigrants who could trace their origin in the Caribbean islands with a large number Latin American population too.

    Read More

  • History Of Making Salsa

    2116 Words  | 5 Pages

    Salsa comes from the South American region, mainly from the Spanish  speaking countries(“History of Salsa Sauce”).  Salsa is a well known dish that is made in many ways. In the original times, it was made with a coalescence of chilies, tomatoes, and other spices.  The original way of making salsa has been altered since the beginning.  It originated back in the times of the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca civilizations(“History Of Salsa Food”).  According to “History of Salsa Sauce”, The origin of salsa came from the South American region, mainly from the Spanish  speaking countries (Lifestylelounge,lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/history-of-salsa-food).  The Spanish  people found tomatoes and they added the ingredient into the recipe.

    Read More

  • History Of Salsa

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    The history and development of salsa “cannot be separated from the history of migration”, meaning that the music developed and changed as it traveled the globe (Román-Velasquez: 211). Due to its global influences and popularity, salsa represents many cultures: “Initially associated with the Spanish Caribbean populations of Cuba and Puerto Rico, salsa was soon claimed as the voice of the New York City barrio and as representative of the experiences of the Latino community in the United States” (Román-Velasquez: 211). The term salsa describes more than just the music, but also “ a 'manner of making music' which is a flexible blend of many genres and which is continually reblended and given slightly different 'flavours' in different locations” (Román-Velasquez: 211). As salsa globalized, so did salsa dancing, adding another performance factor to the genre. Salsa clubs and fans in

    Read More

  • Hispanic American Culture Dance

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hispanic American community are rooted from their origins in Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Spanish speaking countries that have come together and form a culture in the United State of America. The culture is built in different categories; for instance, religion, social custom, health practices their privacy, and birth. They come from a comprehensive familiar culture that has been called the second in America. Because of their pride and affection they feel unsafe to give up their past. Their notoriety in the United State has been their resistance to assimilate; their guarded image of Hispanic-American culture has been the tongue of flame. However, their remarkable legacy, Hispanics carry from Latin America is not their language, an inflatable skin, but breathe itself, capacity of soul, an inclination to live. The genius of Latin America is the habit synthesis. Their dance is colorful and beautiful. The dance is to keep in touch with their culture, pass down their culture heritage, and to unite people from different ethnicity who share their passion for dance. Through dancing, help in meditation, to promote health, and spiritual well being.

    Read More

  • Salsa Dancing

    1401 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the inside of the club door a large notice is pinned up. The notice

    Read More

  • La Dannza Del Venado: The Traditional Dances Of The Deer Dance From Northern Mexico

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    All around the world, there are thousands of cultures. Although they are different, every culture partakes in dance. Dancing is something known worldwide. Every culture has traditional cultural dancing they partake in. Mexico has many cultural dances. La danza del venado is one traditional dance from Northern Mexico. La danza del venado, is known as the deer dance.

    Read More

  • Physics of Gymnastics

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    The acceleration of a body or object is directly proportional to the net force acting on the body or object and is inversely

    Read More

  • Native American Healing And Dance

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    This dance they get into nature by way of rhythm and it can make your body

    Read More

  • Cumbia in Mexican Culture

    1959 Words  | 4 Pages

    Morales, Ed. The Latin Beat: The Rhythms and Roots of Latin Music from Bossa Nova to Salsa and Beyond. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo, 2003. Print.

    Read More

  • Effects of Hip-Hop Culture on the Youth

    1789 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since the beginning of hip hop culture, its music, its style of art, and style of dance has had a major effect on the world and it has increased. ...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of From Mambo To Hip-Hop

    735 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Latin Americans never wanted to be left in this music development. The Latin Americans had their own music, Jazz (Gordon, 2005). They wanted to influence in the development of the music. Soon, Salsa was born out if mixture from the Jazz music and Mambo. Salsa took the bodily movements and the Cuban beats as a contribution from the Caribbean culture. The Latin America contributed the wording of Salsa music. Diversity necessitated the growth of Salsa as Mambo had been viewed with suspicion as it was linked to ghetto status hence it was

    Read More

  • A culture of my own

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    Growing up, there was never a day that I did not wake up to the sound of loud salsa music blaring. Or to the loud voices of my mother or grandmother talking. To anyone else this “talking” would surely be mistaken for an argument or fight. Cuba is where salsa music and the conga drum originated, so we tend to be very proud of this. One of the greatest salsa singer/writers was the late Celia Cruz.

    Read More

  • Flamenco

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    Flamenco is an individualistic folk art, a genuine Southern art form, which was mainly originated by Andalusian gypsies. It exists in 3 forms: El cante, song, el baile, dance and guitarrra, guitar playing. Its roots also are with Arabs, Spanish Jews and socially outcasted Christians. The flamenco essence is song, which is usually accompanied by guitar and improvised dance. Complex rhythmic patterns and sophisticated footwork differs from other European dance forms.

    Read More

More about Physics of Salsa Dancing

Open Document