Is MJ better than Salsa

[Lee Bartholomew]

Inspired by this thread http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/l...tml#post390527

and having heard a few people diss salsa at Mj events, whats your opinion of it.

[straycat]

Mods: any chance of some middle ground option here?
To me, each dance has pros and cons, but I can't see a clear winner.

[Lee Bartholomew]

Mods: any chance of some middle ground option here?
To me, each dance has pros and cons, but I can't see a clear winner.

I delib left it out otherwise everyone will just vote on that. It's like voting to say you dont have an opinion

[straycat]

I delib left it out otherwise everyone will just vote on that. It's like voting to say you dont have an opinion

MJ (taught well) is better for: Accessibility / ease of learning. Wider selection of suitable music. Variety of styles.

Salsa (taught well) is better for: Dance technique. Footwork. General styling. Solo dancing.

For example (there's loads more advantages and disadvantages to each). It's what you want out of a dance.

If the poll was 'Which do you prefer', that would be one thing, and my answer would be MJ. I don't believe either is a fundamentally better partner dance though.

[sway]

i dont know which i like better i did salsa for about 4-5 years but i love ceroc its more mixed you still get to do your salsa moves and other latin moves so i can not say i like one better because that are both good

[happygoldfish]

It's like voting to say you dont have an opinion

What if you're not sure whether you don't have an opinion?

Some people think they don't have an opinion, and then they remember the last time they thought that, and realised they did have an opinion after all.

So they'd feel really silly if they committed themselves to saying they didn't have an opinion, and then lots of other people posted in who really didn't have an opinion, and they found that they disagreed with them!

Should anyone be expected to vote in a poll where the only options are yes no and I don't have an opinion? I think not! At least, I think I think not. Do other people think they think not?

On the other hand, while I may disagree with people who are sure that they're not sure that they don't have an opinion, I think I would defend to the hilt their right not to say so.

Having thought hard about it, I'm undecided on whether we should have such a poll at all, or whether we should have a poll on whether we should have such a poll.

At least, I think I'm undecided – I know I definitely used to be undecided.

But now I'm not so sure.

I think I think – therefore I think I think I am!

[Keefy]

I delib left it out otherwise everyone will just vote on that. It's like voting to say you dont have an opinion

If you already know what the real answer is then why the fake poll with only slanted options?

[David Bailey]

Well, I'm not voting, coz I don't understand the question.
What do you mean by "better"?

Even on "preference" I couldn't vote in fact, as I don't have one - they both have good and bad points, and my preference usually depends on my mood. I'm at a reasonably comfortable level of dancing in both forms, so it doesn't matter to me much.

So to me, it's like asking "What's better, a Chinese or Italian restaurant?"

Unless you define the question much more carefully, it's kind of pointless.

I'd be interested to hear what the "salsa-dissers" were saying, however.

[Lee Bartholomew]

If you already know what the real answer is then why the fake poll with only slanted options?

It's not slanted, I just think it's pointless having polls where people put 'I don't know' as an answer unless it's needed. Like those TV polls. Who the hell phones in just to say they don't know!!!!

[Nick M]

They are both better. In their own way.

[straycat]

It's not slanted, I just think it's pointless having polls where people put 'I don't know' as an answer unless it's needed. Like those TV polls. Who the hell phones in just to say they don't know!!!!

I don't want an 'I don't know' answer. I want a 'They're both equally good' answer, or something similar.

At the moment, one can only vote for 'They're both equally good' by not voting - exactly the same as 'I don't know', but two completely different answers.

[Wes]

Generally, Salsa Dancing is great but music is cr@p (or at least a whole night of it is).
Generally, MJ dancing is cr@p (but fun), but music is good.

[David Bailey]

Generally, Salsa Dancing is great but music is cr@p (or at least a whole night of it is).
Generally, MJ dancing is cr@p (but fun), but music is good.

That's pretty much my attitude too.

[sidney]

Generally, Salsa Dancing is great but music is cr@p (or at least a whole night of it is).
Generally, MJ dancing is cr@p (but fun), but music is good.

[Lynn]

Too many variables. I started learning both at the same time (I started salsa a few weeks ahead of MJ). And enjoyed both equally. I was over time put off salsa by a variety of factors - having to go to a seperate 'club' night to do any social dancing (usually in a different venue), the venues being too smoky (not a problem now), music too loud and floors too dirty to even think of wearing dance shoes.

The music being too samey, the excess women, the number of people dancing while drunk and some of the vibes from the men didn't help.

If I could do salsa in the same sort of setting as MJ, I would probably have a different attitude to it. So I can't make a direct comparison.

[johnah]

It's not as simple as that.

I know dancers who enjoy both, but tend to appreciate the usual MJ surroundings and freestyles more. I know people who once only danced salsa, then tried MJ and became addicted to it, and I'm sure to some it's the reverse.

One thing's for sure, MJ is much more fun and as for the music, there's really no comparison, the variety in MJ is by far superior. Likewise, for West Coast Swing.

The beauty about MJ, I guess, is that you can incorporate a variety of dance styles in your dancing. The same can't be said about salsa.

[Freudian Hips]

I went to a few salsa evenings at the same time I started MJ just over a year ago. I found that whilst I enjoyed the dancing, a whole night of latin style music was a bit much for my tastes. Also at parties I found that people came in couples or as women in groups and I would only get two or three dances in a night. Those two or three dances would be with the drunker, sweaty men . Really not worth my while to continue so I didn't.

I know many people enjoy salsa and it is clearly a fun dance. However, the social aspects were distinctly unappealing in my limited experience.

[Astro]

The Salsa music is sung in Spanish, in the main.

I suppose one could learn Spanish, but I like to have an idea of the lyrics.

[Rhythm King]

I enjoy the dance, but I find a whole night of salsa music starts to do my head in. I enjoy the variety of MJ music, the opportunity to play around with different styles and MJ venues just seem more sociable.

[rubyred]

I find the two have very different cultures,and a whole night of cuban music does my head in after a while and the clubs can be very clicky. When I go to a club I am lucky to have a couple of friends who teach salsa and that helps to smooth the way for me a bit. They can be really intimidating places because the dancers tend to be fabulously good and I am not at their standard. However I am really pleased I can dance salsa, and I want to concentrate on learning cuban now,because having another option to MJ can refresh you when you are losing the passion for MJ.

I am going to Copa Cabana's on friday night in Manchester so if any formurites out there are planning on going let me know.

MJ is definetly more socialable and friendly, and having a good mix of different of genre's of music is why I choose to dance MJ more than Salsa, but I do like to dip my toe in Salsa every now and again.