Welcome to Salsa and the City! This is a new monthly column by Erin about Salsa in the Circle City. Salsa has become a lifestyle for some of us: music, dance, parties, fashion, travel, friends, relationships, and, did I say dance? For those who are addicted to Salsa, this is a place where you can read about what's going on in the city, and share your ideas, comments, and gossip. Erin has been a regular of Indy's Salsa scene since 1998.

Do you Dance my Language?
by Erin Lamb
posted November 14, 2007

A question was posed on the website lavozmagazine.com about one year ago that I think would be interesting to discuss with the Indianapolis salsa crowd: Does one have to understand Spanish when dancing salsa? 

My answer to that is: it depends.  What I like about salsa music is the lyrics are very fun.  They are not always about love like one might think.  Often times they discuss cultural aspects of Latin America like the food or religion.  Other times, like in the song, "Rebelión" by Joe Arroyo, it discusses slavery.  This song is so upbeat and well-loved by dancers that a non-Spanish speaker would never guess the song was telling a serious story.  Other songs are about running out of money or getting put in prison.(Sounds like country music or the blues - eh?)

However, for purposes of dancing socially - no - you need not understand Spanish.  Even though "Rebelión" is about a sad subject, you are not going to dance to it in a depressed fashion even if you understand the lyrics.  The beats are too fast!  The music is too fantastic! It is more important that you recognize the beats and other instrumental elements of the song.  Musicality is the key when you are a dancer.  If the song has a pause, or a sudden change in the music, you should try to interpret that with your body.  Otherwise, you may as well be dancing to the same song again, and again, and again.  Plus, as a woman, when I really know a song, and I know when a good part is coming up, I hate it when the man just ignores it and keeps doing pattern after pattern.  Cross-body lead, turn, turn, cross-body lead turn turn turn, cross-body lead blah . . . blah . . . blah.

I do, however, think it is very important that if you are a choreographer that you should understand Spanish.  Dancing choreography is the art of taking a song - a story - and physically interpreting it for your audience.  In order to do great choreography, you have to figure out what that song is trying to say.  If you don't understand the lyrics, then you can forget it.  For example, a choreographer who doesn't speak Spanish decides to choreograph, "Todopoderoso," by Hector Lavoe, (meaning Almighty or All-powerful in English) because he/she likes the energy of the song.  He/She decides that they want this to be a very sexy piece and the women are going to do provocative moves with the men and wear little to nothing.  Later, after performing the piece a number of times, the choreographer finds out from friend that the song is about Christ, his sacrifices, and his love for humankind.  Who feels like a big dummy now?  My point is, if you are going to do a choreography, you had better at least have someone interpret the lyrics for you before you put yourself out there.

So that is my opinion on the subject.  I am interested in hearing what the rest of Indianapolis has to say.

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