Musical Interpretation (aka Musicality) in Salsa– by Edie, The Salsa FREAK.
_ Click here for Edie’s Private Musicality Hits Music List
Musicality (Musical Interpretation) is the Father of Men’s Styling.
Musicalists (people who interpret the song’s hits and breaks of the music on the dance floor, while partner dancing and CONNECTED TO their partners) are now getting SO used to women saying “… oh my god” after virtually every song, that naturally they tend to start believing they are Salsa gods, and this CAN get to their HEADs.
Guys, hold the reigns… take my word of advice. Just because women STAND IN LINE all night to get a dance with you and call you “god” afterward doesn’t mean you’re really GOD….OK?
___________________________________________________________________
What do all of these men have in common?
Alex Lima-France, Mimo–Germany, Tamambo-UK, Al Espinoza – USA, Peter Fige-Hungary Ismael Otero & Juan Calderon-New Jersey – Tudor-Romania – Fabrizio, Italy – Milton Cobo, USA
… and yes, women say “Oh my god” after dancing with them.
They’re all Musicalists
The Explosion of Musicality in Romania
Romanians Taking Salsa to THE HIGHEST LEVEL
Partner dancing Musically – Hitting the Breaks Within the Music!
“You guys don’t realize how good you are …”
– Edie, The Salsa FREAK
“It’s the type of MUSIC they’re playing!! They have no clue how incredible their DJs are”
– Musicalist Peter Fige, Germany
~ Musicality ~
Musicality (myeee-yoo-zi-kal-itee) n.
Musicalist (myeee-yoo-zi-kalist) n.
HOW IT STARTED.
In December of 2006, I was invited by Dragos and Raluca, owners of the largest dance school in Romania (www.SalsaGalaxy.com) They asked for a full weekend Bootcamp for all the Romanian Salseros.
Dragos is an AMAZING lead. He’s one of the best in Romania, if not the world (he just doesn’t realize it). In fact, his lead is so good, I’ve included him as one of the instructors in my new World‘s Best Leads DVD series. Dragos is a humble man, but has the lead of fine wine. His partner Raluca, is one of the most beautiful and hardest working people I know. With his personality and her organizational skills, they have managed to create the largest dance school in Romania. Their vision is to teach the best they know how, to ALL Romanians – not just those at their school.
Dragos never calls the people attending his school “his students”.
He always simply says, “I am their Teacher“. How true and profound that is.
One of my favorite quotes Dragos told me was regarding my getting any sleep over there.
“Actually, Edie, you see… sleep here in Romania is…. complicated.”
He was right! They have such a great Salsa scene, such great dancers, and play such GREAT music that I never wanted to leave the clubs!!
I was there till 4am every night!! …uh… “morning!”
“Edie, you see – there is no such thing as ‘Tomorrow…’ for a Salsero…
it’s always just ‘”Later on Today…”
– Dragos
Romania is a growing nation budding away from the grip of Communism. They were actually liberated in 1989, but the ways of old are still seen everywhere. The amount of traffic, buildings, and industry has literally doubled in the past year. Better make a trip over their before Romania gets so industrialized, you will no longer recognize it.
During email exchanges, I asked Dragos what he specifically wanted me to teach an already advanced nation. “Edie, just teach us … whatever you think we need”. Oh, and include Musicality.
OK. (pause…)
So. (longer pause…)
I had to think fast – my normal Bootcamps are Beginners on Saturday and Styling on Sundays.
That’s my system. They wanted something else even more complex – something that would challenge them, but NOT RUIN THEM.
We were in a delicate situation here.
Let me explain:
Musicality was THE ANSWER, and it was absolutely perfect for this.
After listening to their music and DJ for several nights, I took advantage of what they are sitting on: a GOLD MINE. I decided to experiment with this group of people. I taught “whatever I wanted” all weekend, including spins, style, story-building, and focusing a few hours of one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE subject:~ Musicality ~
The ability to play with the hits and breaks within the music is where Salsa is now heading.
Getting back to the Music is the hottest trend to hit Salsa.
Musicality during PARTNERWORK (two people, connected – not just solo shines) is on fire and one of the most difficult of courses to teach, and take, at congresses and festivals throughout the world.
While it’s relatively easy to interpret Salsa musically and lyrically dancing solo (Floor Shines), it is EXTREMELY difficult while still holding your partner during social dancing. Eighty percent of the time, knowing the music is the easiest way, however there’s that magical 20% of the time that takes more extensive training.
This type of training involves meticulous ear training in Timing, finding musical patterns within the song, counting measures, typically knowing the artist, their characteristics, and ultimately tuning in subconsciously with your partner and reaching that trance-like state of Salsa Euphoria that only comes once in a Blue Moon. With proper Musicality Training, you CAN actually hit this trance at will, rather than by accident.
Musicality is a dance form in Salsa that is still at its budding stages. It is only just beginning to emerge worldwide. It is extremely difficult to master. There are only a handful of Salseros throughout the world whom I know who are true Musicalists, and practice it often, but none who have truly mastered it and even fewer who can actually teach it CORRECTLY. It is an extremely difficult art form. Musical interpretation is an on-going process of learning and growing. The sky is the limit with Musicality. That is what makes it so important in the world of Salsa. There are now no limits to growing your dancing! Musicality is BETTER than a bunch of new moves. It’s the ULTIMATE.
There are no limits to this!!
I’ve seen it and experienced it – but with only the top Leads / Musicalists in the world.
That is why I am now teaching Musicality classes to students and instructors using my Black Belt Dance Training system. I want to be able to dance musically with more Salseros – not just the few.
One of the most exciting aspects of dancing musically to Salsa music is that the hits and stops can be so unpredictable. The artist of the song has free reign to create whatever he/she chooses. We need to respect and follow THAT.
The most important aspect of pulling off perfect Musicality with Salsa is that both you and your partner must be completely attuned and have respect for each other. The woman MUST respect the man’s lead every second, and the man must respect the woman’s body that is connected to him, and already in motion.
Dancing Musically is hitting the breaks, pausing at the stops, and sweeping during the crescendos are an amazing challenge because not only do you have to control your self, but you must be able to control your partner without interrupting her body already-in-motion.
I train my students to remember the following:
– Edie, The Salsa FREAK
Musicality in Salsa during partner work SOCIALLY – is virtually impossible and very uncomfortable if you are not taught its tricks and techniques.
Based on my own experience, this is aggravating and sometimes painful. A body in motion tends to stay in motion – let her be. Musicality involves changing your self guys. The trick to performing perfect Musicality dancing is not interrupting your partner’s motion – she must feel the anticipated hit or break coming with your subtle and refined lead.
Only then can she willingly submit to your hold or change on her own. THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF THIS. If she is acutely aware of your lead, and a great follower, she will sense your changes and IMMEDIATELY respect and respond to your every command.
TEACHING MUSICALITY
Teaching musicality is an art in itself. Executing it beautifully without pain or aggravation is virtually impossible if you are not taught the proper methods and techniques.
Musicality in Salsa is still in its infancy. Tone-deaf (or “Rhythmically Challenged”) Salseros who are consistently and always off-beat learn Musicality faster – why? Because they have memorized all the songs, and know every hit and break in the music. In 1994, my first dance partner was tone deaf. Although this drove me nuts, we won many competitions because we knew the music perfectly – every social dance looked like a show. He was actually light years ahead of his time.
Tone deaf (or “Rhythmically Challenged”) Salseros love Salsa just as much as the next guy, but were born tone-deaf and cannot hear the basic beats. It‘s not their fault they were born that way. Their rhythmic motor skill-to-brain connection is simply not there. They may, one day be able to correlate their legs to the beat of the music – however you cannot help them or force them, so don’t even try. Just smile and love them for who they are. But you know what? They may have a passion for Salsa more than the rest of us – at times even more so, than those of us who are fixated and addicted to staying On Beat 100% of the time, which is impossibility if the musician switched the beats of the song within the music. Do you know why musicians do that? BECAUSE THEY CAN. They created the song!! They can do whatever they want with it! It’s their music!
It gets our minds to re-focus on why we started dancing to begin with ‘ to have fun and forget about life for a while. Salsa is like a hospital ‘ a retreat of recovery from the tragedies of life and recuperation from our hardships and trials. It is a form of relaxation and exercise. It is bliss taken to a higher level. It’s just too bad the Mambo Police busted in on our drug-like cloud and lined up along the dance floor watching and criticizing our timing. God help us if we accidentally step forward on the Two rather than the Six, or the Five, rather than the One for a measure or two…
“Oh my god… he’s so off beat … €!@$#!â€!!!
SO WHAT. HE is not YOUR problem! Work on your SELF girlfriend!
….but most of all, work on your fake smile!!! Who knows, you may both just end up busting out laughing and actually HAVING FUN getting off-time for a change!
BACK TO ROMANIA
The Romanians wanted SOMETHING MORE than just a full weekend Bootcamp. They wanted to know the secrets and techniques of MUSICALITY within their dancing more than anything else. For some reason they knew deep in their hearts that MUSICALITY was the ultimate something that only the BEST of the BEST dancers in the world understand and can actually pull off during a social dance.
“Edie, we know all the moves, we need something else… we need to add MORE to our dancing. We need Musicality and Style.” – Romanian Salsero
The beauty of practicing Musicality is that if taught correctly you cannot have Musicality without Style. They both fit each other like a hand-in-glove. One is the shadow of the other.
Musicality is the Father of Style.
SIX MONTHS LATER …
After the weekend Salsa FREAK Bootcamp in Romania, I was invited back in six months to basically continue where I left off. During that six month period, I was determined to perfect the way I teach Musicality classes, so I started experimenting with it, teaching Musicality and Men’s Styling classes at various congresses and festivals throughout the world.
At the same time, little did I realize that during the same six-month period, the Romanian Salseros took everything I said to heart, studied more and more, analyzed some of the top dancers in the world, invited even more instructors to teach them, and increased their dance level by AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE. By the time I got back to Romania six months later, dancing with them was like dancing with completely different Salseros. I couldn’t believe it. Their patterns, combinations, style and body movements were amazing! Their Musicality was just starting to emerge. Now they were ready for more complex Musicality courses – this time, at a deeper level.
By now I knew that Romanian Salseros typically soak up everything I teach them like sponges, so what I decided to do was invite one the Top Musicalists in the world, Mr. Peter Fige. Peter is originally from Hungary. He currently teaches Salsa in Germany in the evenings and some weekends. Interestingly enough, he is a mathematician during the day and works for a major engineering firm in Munich.
There are other instructors who are musical, but none like Peter Fige, who can be musical WITH his partner while still in his arms, and never pull or yank her into musical submission (I’ve experienced THAT nightmare with other guys and hated every minute of it).
I’ve witnessed Peter’s growth in Musicality become more and more refined and sophisticated over the years. We met in Berlin in 2002. He was dancing Cuban style at the time, but then progressed to LA and NY Style later on. More recently, I found myself standing in line to get a dance with him. Not only are his moves easy to follow, but his exact synchronicity and playfulness with the Music is what has always kept my attention. Peter is so good at dancing musically, that I’ve included him in my new World’s Best Leads DVD download series teaching none other than: Musicality.
Peter has the capability of playing with the hits and breaks of the music without EVER interrupting the follower. He has an uncanny ability of preparing me for a pause even if I don’ know it’s coming. When we dance together, we are literally One with the Music. You can feel his passion for the music with every note – to the dying end of the song, Peter takes you inside the music with him. It is an experience difficult to describe in words. When I am dancing with Peter, or any other musicalist, the rest of the world disappears. It’s just simply all about the music, and how the artist is telling the story. Peter becomes the artist’s brush, palette, and frame, painting the beautiful picture (his dance partner) with his movements and direction. His leading technique and style is astounding. Dancing with Peter is an absolutely unbelievable experience. I know most women feel the same.
Ladies, before you die, you need to experience Peter’s gentle, yet powerful lead. He leads by signaling within his subtle motions, rarely puts his thumbs on your hands, and never forces a thing. I’ll never forget what Peter told our class in a virtual whisper,
“Leading Musically is like speaking.
If you speak softly, you can always GET LOUDER.” – Peter Fige
Click image for larger version Name: musicality.jpg Views: 1 Size: 4.2 KB ID: 5104
Salsa Dance “Musicality” – Better than SEX
Romanians Taking Salsa to the Highest Level…
Musicality – ON THE RISE
Musicality –
How the Story of the Music is Interpreted by Bodies in Motion
“Becoming a Musicalist is one of the highest levels you can reach in Salsa social dancing. One of the most fantastic things about this new level of dancing is the ability to create beautiful choreography on the spot… with someone you don’t even know.”
– Edie, The Salsa FREAK
A Salsa Musicalist has the capability of playing with the hits and breaks of the music without EVER interrupting their partner. Their spontaneous choreography during partner work is literally “One with the Musicâ€. A Salsa Musicalist becomes the artist’s brush, palette, and (more…)
| Discount on all DVDs and Dance Products at Workshop! | 8 Hours of … (more…) | |
Recent Comments