Salsa City Forum » Salsa Music and Dance » Victor Meldrew speaks

Top five things I'd like to ban from salsa:
1 Drunk muggles with pints in hand marching across the dancefloor
2 Cheesy salsa versions of Satisfaction, No Woman No Cry etc
3 Flashing disco lights
4 Sober salsa dancers who should know better marching across the dancefloor
5 People who do the same complicated, space-grabbing moves no matter how crowded it is (or how inexperienced their partners are)

I agree with most of this.

People, don't walk across the dancefloor, skirt around the edges. You will actually get to where you want to go much more quickly and safely.

Flashing disco lights are completely unsuitable for a salsa club and so is the near-darkness we sometimes find. We need to see and be seen. We need to be able to see our partners so we can find their hands easily, we need to be able to see other couples dancing to pick up tips and, sometimes, to see what we shouldn't do. And we need to be seen, after all those hours of classes and practice we deserve a little appreciation.

Dangerous, inconsiderate dancing in a matter of culture, training and ignorance. I remember reading a comment someone posted on another message board about Los Angeles dancers taking up too much space, he said, "If you tried that in New York you'd soon find yourself dancing alone in the parking lot."

I don't mind cover-versions so much, whilst some are execrable (L**y, for instance) some are not so bad.

The walking across the dancefloor thing seems particularly common in the Toad. I had to hastily revise a move once when somebody walked into the space I was just about to CBL my partner into. When I said 'I was just going to go there' the offender said 'I didn't know that'. It's not rocket science - if you have to get past a couple dancing, watch what they're doing, work out where they're likely to go next, and nip past while they're moving away from you!

'Lady' was memorably described on another salsa list as 'the song that gives all the ladies a lump in their throat and all the men a lump in their trousers'...