View Poll Results: Is MJ better than Salsa

Voters
32. You may not vote on this poll
  • Mj is better

    24 75.00%
  • Salsa is better

    8 25.00%
Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 54

Thread: Is MJ better than Salsa

  1. #21
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Swindon Wilts
    Posts
    264
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by Wes View Post
    Generally, Salsa Dancing is great but music is cr@p (or at least a whole night of it is).
    I think there is as much poor dancing in Salsa as MJ just because they wiggle more and do a little footwork doesn't qualifiy as better in my book.

    What amazes me is how a dance style can evolve with such boring uninspiring music. The acid test is always does the music make you want to dance.
    There is so much superb latin music why play such a narrow range?
    (my guess is the purists demand it Ha )
    Salsa would be so much more fun widen its appeal and develop as a dance style with a wider. music base.

    AT. has adapted very successfully using a wide range of music.
    Come on Salsa dancers demand music that makes you want to dance.


  2. #22
    Senior Member rubyred's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    3,588
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    What amazes me is how a dance style can evolve with such boring uninspiring music. The acid test is always does the music make you want to dance.
    There is so much superb latin music why play such a narrow range?
    (my guess is the purists demand it Ha )
    Salsa would be so much more fun widen its appeal and develop as a dance style with a wider. music base.

    AT. has adapted very successfully using a wide range of music.
    Come on Salsa dancers demand music that makes you want to dance.

    I think you have a point about the music and yes it could be adapted to play more commercialised latin tracks. For example I ask people at my MJ whom I know can dance salse to dance with me when a salsa beat comes on and we do it successfully. BUT that is within an MJ environment.

    I think though that the people who are really into their salsa and salsa is GOD to them prefer the pure cuban sounds. It may be an elitist thing, I don't know . At Copa's in Manchester there are as I am sure in all Salsa venues, many people who originally come from Spain, Portugal, and South America so perhaps for them hearing their music from home is what they want to dance their dance to.

    I would imagine to ask for something more commercial in a pure salsa enviroment may be considered sacriledge by the purists. I certainly would have to bottle to go and ask.
    Last edited by Tiggerbabe; 8th-July-2007 at 12:19 PM. Reason: fixing quotes

  3. #23
    Senior Member rubyred's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    3,588
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    oops that last bit should read I would not have the bottle to go and ask

  4. #24
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Norf Lundin
    Posts
    17,001
    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    18

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Cool View Post
    I think there is as much poor dancing in Salsa as MJ just because they wiggle more and do a little footwork doesn't qualifiy as better in my book.
    I disagree, I think the general standard of salsa dancing is better, overall - and possibly the strict musical structure helps here, in that it's painfully obvious when you're off-beat.

    Of course, you have to learn and practice dancing to the musical structure in the first place, which is the painful part - but once you've got that bit, everything else is downhill from there.

    Having said that, the standard of musicality and "messing it up" at most salsa venues is pretty poor - even the teachers start to panic if you improvise, as I found out on Friday

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Cool View Post
    What amazes me is how a dance style can evolve with such boring uninspiring music.
    It's true. I reckon there are about 10-20 really good salsa tracks - and they're the same ones I was dancing to 10 years ago. Again, the strictness of the clave probably doesn't help here.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Cool View Post
    The acid test is always does the music make you want to dance.
    In salsa, it's more like "does that hot girl over there make you want to dance with her"... so I've heard

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Cool View Post
    There is so much superb latin music why play such a narrow range?
    (my guess is the purists demand it Ha )
    Salsa would be so much more fun widen its appeal and develop as a dance style with a wider. music base.
    I'd love to see someone put the Latin "Clocks" Coldplay remix on at a salsa venue - now there's a track that demands interpretation.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Cool View Post
    AT. has adapted very successfully using a wide range of music.
    Mmmm.... it's more like there are distinct flavours of AT, which are nearly separate dance forms, to distinct types of music. For example, I can't do Vals to save my life, and I'm still stuggling with Milonga (although Jango works OK as a substitute as I found out on Friday), so I can really only dance to traditional and nuevo styles.

    IMO, the AT styles are more equivalent to the "Rumba family" (Rumba, Chacha, Bachata, Cumbia, Salsa, etc.), than to the different salsa styles, in that salsa styles can all be done to the same music and tempo.

    Quote Originally Posted by rubyred View Post
    I would imagine to ask for something more commercial in a pure salsa enviroment may be considered sacriledge by the purists.
    Which is ironic considering how artificial "salsa" dancing is in the first place, it was basically a marketing exercise that got out of hand

  5. #25
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Swindon Wilts
    Posts
    264
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    I disagree, I think the general standard of salsa dancing is better, overall - and possibly the strict musical structure helps here, in that it's painfully obvious when you're off-beat
    .

    What percentage of salsa dancers would you say dance to the music.


    Having said that, the standard of musicality and "messing it up" at most salsa venues is pretty poor - even the teachers start to panic if you improvise, as I found out on Friday
    Does this mean Salsa is a Moves based Squence dance.

    In salsa, it's more like "does that hot girl over there make you want to dance with her"... so I've heard :innocent
    :

    Exactly.


    Mmmm.... it's more like there are distinct flavours of AT, which are nearly separate dance forms, to distinct types of music. For example, I can't do Vals to save my life, and I'm still stuggling with Milonga (although Jango works OK as a substitute as I found out on Friday), so I can really only dance to traditional and nuevo styles
    .

    It depends what Tango is for you I love to dance Tango to Many Types of music. (I love traditional tango music)
    It always amazes me how people try to over complicate dance I just love to dance feeing it as i go.

    Milonga is a simple fun dance normally danced a step on each beat (No bounce please) so if you can feel the beat you can dance Milonga

    Vals music (Waltz) is also music designed for dancing. I love to dance Tango to this too it just fits.

    Dance is simple and should be fun there is FAR to much teaching of over complicated moves in all forms of dance and not enough dancing to and feeling the music.


  6. #26
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Norf Lundin
    Posts
    17,001
    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    18

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Cool View Post
    What percentage of salsa dancers would you say dance to the music.
    If you mean "dance to the beat", then most of them, in my experience.
    If you mean "interprest the music", then not many - probably less than MJ in fact.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Cool View Post
    Does this mean Salsa is a Moves based Squence dance.
    Yes, it sometimes seems a bit like it. All those shines...
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Cool View Post
    Dance is simple and should be fun there is FAR to much teaching of over complicated moves in all forms of dance and not enough dancing to and feeling the music.
    I agree with this - unfortunately, moves sell. Most people don't want technique, musicality or interpretation, they want the triple-somersault-into-drop-kicktwist-First-Move, or whatever.

  7. #27
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    heaven, I'm in heaven...
    Posts
    225
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    I agree with this - unfortunately, moves sell. Most people don't want technique, musicality or interpretation, they want the triple-somersault-into-drop-kicktwist-First-Move, or whatever.

    In my experience (and it is a personal opinion before people start complaining) Salsa clubs that teach advanced Salsa tend to teach a wide range of moves within the lesson.
    Not so with MJ. I am sick to death of attending 'advanced' lessons that are just drop after drop after drop with nothing about musicality or interpretation. In fact it's getting so bad in my area that even intermediate lessons from some teachers contain drops in each lesson, to the point that I know there's no point going to some lessons because of the teacher taking it.

  8. #28
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Northeastern Parts
    Posts
    5,221
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    It's true. I reckon there are about 10-20 really good salsa tracks - and they're the same ones I was dancing to 10 years ago. Again, the strictness of the clave probably doesn't help here.
    Utterly disagree. I do agree that most salsa DJs who I've encountered tend to play a lot of stuff I find samey and dull. Not all though, and I've come across at least two whos selection is varied, loads of fun, and to which I can happily dance all night. There is an enormous amount of fantastic salsa music out there - it's just that not nearly enough people seem to know about it (including far too many UK Salsa DJs )

  9. #29
    Registered User Keefy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Over Hill and Dale
    Posts
    426
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhythm King View Post
    I enjoy the dance, but I find a whole night of salsa music starts to do my head in...
    There seems to be a theme developing here I did three or four months of Salsa before I found and switched to MJ. I enjoyed the dance, I liked the way it was taught - but in the end I just couldn't stand the music!

    I still think it's a damn good form of dance. I certainly would never rate any form of dance "better" or "worse" than MJ, each to their own as they say

  10. #30
    Registered User Graham W's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Cardiff
    Posts
    542
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Only done limited salsa, but as an observer I'd say jive again cos of the variety of music u can dance too..IMHO,

    G

  11. #31
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Chobham
    Posts
    33
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Well, i never thought id say this but ive voted mj and im normally a sit on the fence kinda gal!

    Ive done both styles and love both for different reasons, however there are so many factors to consider.

    Ive just come home from an awful salsa night; the dance floor was tiny, no-one had any floorcraft, the lesson was long and the teacher had no idea how to break it down into moves (he just went on and on whilst everyone tried to follow!) He had no female demo so he picked out ladies from the class who really were not very good which made it hard to understand what he was trying to teach us! Oh and when my partner and i got up to dance in the freestyle, we were the only ones dancing in time to the music!

    Sorry, now i will get off my soap box!

    I like salsa but the music is more annoying and i tire of it easily where as mj is more varied.
    The teaching is better in mj as they teach moves rather than routines. If you can't do a move in mj you just don't freestyle it where as in salsa you need all the moves to complete the routine.
    Salsa can be more technically challenging mainly because of the footwork but that can be seen as good or bad it depends on the individual.

    One thing i do like is that the moves you learn in mj can be used in salsa and vice versa. We have had some lovely comments about our salsa moves when in fact we were taught them in mj!

    S. xx

    P.S Thank you to the dj's at Hipsters on Friday night for playing a salsa track!

  12. #32
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Brum - occasionally
    Posts
    149
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    I have been dancin Ceroc for nearly 6 months. It is fab. I love the warm friendly atmosphere, everyone gets on well etc etc. The freedom of music is great - nearly every tune is a gooden. I recently thought it would be good to diversify and went to my first Salsa class tonight. My overidding thought is that whilst salsa is more challenging in a footwork/technique perspective - it doesnt beat the acceesibility of MJ and the freedom of music.I look fwd to learning more or as much salsa as MJ.

    I didnt think that the teaching was as clear in salsa as MJ - and many of the principles in MJ were initially lacking from the class. The atmosphere was definately less welcoming (though this may vary) and the beginners were less interested in my lead (it was as though the teacher was leading everyone in the class to some extent???)
    I am sure I will persevere with it - as both styles will improve I hope??

  13. #33
    Senior Member rubyred's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    3,588
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Well just got in from my every once in a while, salsa night. Went to CopaCabana's in Manchester,which is essentially a night club and not a dance venue. Got there at 11pm, no point in getting any earlier it had just started to get going when I arrived. Had some terrible dances, but also had quite a few good ones. Definitely a mixed bag, and not having been in a night club for a long while, I had to readjust to the culture, for example just because someone asks you to dance their first motive isn't about wanting to dancing with you. They have other things on their mind. However a proper salsa venue would be more like the culture that goes on in MJ. The floor was terrible ,got chewing gum on the sole of my shoe, loads of drinks spilled, no space to dance properly.......
    Really I am not comparing like with like here and only found out after I had arranged to go to Copas that there was a big Salsology night in Prestwich which would have been a far better night.
    However I danced cuban salsa and by the end of the night I could follow it, got a bit stuck what to do with my feet when I did the figures, but managed to get the beat back afterwards. Also got introduced to Bachata tonight, not done that before but then I hadn't got the hang of cuban before. Wont rush back to Copas but will dance salsa again soon and at a proper venue.
    And the music.......my friend is from Venesula and could distinguish all the beats, sounds, knew what was Columbian, bachata, cuban, merengue, to me it sounded similar until I started to dance and especially with the better dancers. Then the whole thing came together, footwork, rhythm, hips, body .......I was dancing. It can be painful to listen to too much though Another thing I noticed was people were singing along to the words and my friend knew all about the bands/singers and where they came from in South America so the music is followed similar to chart music.
    Still wouldn't prefer Salsa above MJ but it's always good to try something different.
    Last edited by rubyred; 14th-July-2007 at 04:07 AM.

  14. #34
    Cheeky by nature Little Monkey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Still in Dundee....
    Posts
    4,053
    Rep Power
    12

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Bartholomew View Post
    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.
    Well, this is an MJ forum, so therefore the poll will automatically be a bit pointless.....

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Well, I'm not voting, coz I don't understand the question.
    What do you mean by "better"?

    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.
    Exactly!

    It's all about preference, really. I prefer the variety of music you can MJ to, to the more limited music you can salsa to. Equally, I prefer the emphasis on technique and the structured form of WCS to the more unstructured (but fun!) MJ. But I can't say that salsa is better or worse than MJ.

  15. #35
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    bedford
    Posts
    4,899
    Rep Power
    13

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    I have been looking into internet advertising, specifically Google adwords.

    It seems to me that Salsa has a far more extensive market image than MJ. So when people are looking for dance lessons for the first time they may well search on Salsa.

    The next question is what marketing pitch would I use.

    "Better than Salsa"? I decided that I could not defend that headline.

    "Friendlier than Salsa"? That case I could make. For the nervous looking for their first dance class experience that might be the magic click on line.

    Anyone interested in more info please PM me.

  16. #36
    Registered User emmylou25's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Banbury
    Posts
    554
    Rep Power
    8

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by Freudian Hips View Post
    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.
    Similar to my views & experience.

    I enjoyed my 2 1/2 years of salsa for the technical side we learnt in classes, the body movement and learning how to improve as a dancer, plus introducing me to dancing with a partner (after years of solo dancing). But get into the club nights and even with good solid dance experience and ability behind me, it was just too hard to get dances with anyone resembling a good dancer who wasn't from my class. Too many people looking down at anyone asking them for a dance who they didn't know was a good dancer (even though they may have been). I would also never have dreamed of going on a salsa congress, but MJ weekenders are much more accessible to everyone.

    Compared to MJ - where after 3 months I was better than I'd been after 2 years of salsa, the music was better & recognisable, plus people were a lot more friendly towards new faces.

    So for me the MJ experience is so much better.

  17. #37
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    St Neots, Cambs
    Posts
    699
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    I like latin music in general. And while a night of 'bad' salsa music gives me a headache let's not lose sight of the fact that some Ceroc/MJ venues simply seem to pump out 2-3 hours of thumping mindless MJ music which is just as big a turn-off for me. I've got several tracks in my salsa playlist on iTunes that are fun and give the scope for playing and musicality so I'm with Stray that not all salsa music is mindless.

    I only did salsa for 6 months before stopping last year due to family circumstances - I will go back eventually when I can find the time. I loved the dance itself (women wiggling in close proximity - you just can't beat it ) but seriously, where I went the teachers were very good and the class was friendly. I liked the focus on technique and the teachers (male and female - both able to demo either the lead or the follow part of the pattern with ease) showing the difference in lessons of how good and bad technique affected your ability to lead the patterns. Mind you the beginner/improver lessons were 60 minutes long so they had time to do this.

    I'd been MJ'ing for 18 months before salsa so I found the focus on technique easy to accommodate and salsa definitely improved my MJ (including getting me to wiggle again). I prefer MJ, but this might have been down to my low level of expertise in salsa preventing me from putting much musicality into it so with time that might have changed. I also didn't go to any freestyles so didn't experience what others have told me is difficulty in getting dances.

    I'd never have gone to a salsa congress after only 6 months salsa, but happily went to my first JA Southport after 6 months MJ, so I think that MJ is definitely more accessible. That doesn't mean that it is better for those people that are beyond the stage where ease of access is a driver in their dance.

    Agent 000
    Licensed to Dance

  18. #38
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Surrey
    Posts
    79
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    I think they are both equally as good.

    I think technically salsa is a little bit more difficult but doesnt make it better! BUT

    I think a better standard of dancer is involved in MJ to make it look good. its easy to dance MJ but its difficult to make it look great.

    I agree salsa generally sounds teh same but if you consider Bachatta and all the other types of similar dances as 'Salsa' then you have a reasonable range of styles. Saying that though. You might think that ceroc to blues is the same as Salsa to Bachatta.

    I think that MJ attitude is better than the Salsa attitude. Some Salsa goers can be snobs (forgive me for saying) like SOME WCS dancers.

    SOOOOO. I think MJ is better because it promotes a good socialising aspect, friendliness and lurve!

    BUT I do like Salsa too!

    rushed the response, sorry for any gramma mistakes.

  19. #39
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Surrey
    Posts
    79
    Rep Power
    9

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Has anyone noticed anything!!

    I

    I

    I

    I

    I

    I apologise for too many Is and forgive my spamming. No annoyance intended

  20. #40
    Registered User emmylou25's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Banbury
    Posts
    554
    Rep Power
    8

    Re: Is MJ better than Salsa

    Quote Originally Posted by Wobbly Dave View Post
    I didnt think that the teaching was as clear in salsa as MJ - and many of the principles in MJ were initially lacking from the class.
    I reckon this'll depend on the teacher, the same as in MJ. The salsa classes I went to was all about ramming technique in from improver level and making everyone a good technical dancer - lots about tension (handy as could transfer that when I started MJ), cuban motion, body isolation, listening to the instruments in the music (I'm really bad at that as I automatically want to listen to the beat rather than the clave). Probably only half the class was moves.

    Yes, some people didn't get it, but generally it meant the technical standard was very good.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Dancing Abroad - How Is MJ Received?
    By Terpsichorea in forum Intermediate Corner
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 4th-June-2007, 11:42 AM
  2. The differences between MJ and Salsa
    By David Bailey in forum The Land of a 1000 dances
    Replies: 25
    Last Post: 20th-March-2007, 03:41 AM
  3. teaching of lead/follow in Salsa vs. MJ
    By El Salsero Gringo in forum Let's talk about dance
    Replies: 57
    Last Post: 23rd-October-2005, 12:28 AM
  4. Salsa & MJ
    By Zuhal in forum The Land of a 1000 dances
    Replies: 55
    Last Post: 20th-October-2004, 09:24 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •