Ritmo de Havana

There is something about Cuban dance that caused me to spend most of my research time trying to find an explanation for. And I remember the deeper I got into it, the more difficult it became to explain, until I realized that this type of magic is too beautiful to explain in words, pages or even books.

I like referring to Cuban dance as “Her” - because for me this amazing dance is full of life and in so many cases bigger than life itself… and if you keep reading this article you will find out why…

We usually choose what type of dance we like to do in life, but with “Her” it’s not that easy! I swear to God, I think “She” chooses us… yes, chooses if "She" would like you to experience her magic or not. "Her" choice is usually dependant on your personality, which type of heart you have and which type of attitude you’ve chosen to live with. Have you ever wondered why only few people can do Cuban dance?

I remember the first time I’ve seen salsa on TV and in local clubs, with people spinning and executing fancy moves with what I call the performing way. By that time I didn’t know that what I saw was not Cuban Salsa. I didn’t know that there were many styles or types of Salsa outside of Cuba. I was impressed with all the shiny patterns I saw every time I went out. I started learning as much as I could in classes, from DVDs, TV shows, Internet downloads or any tools I could put my hand on. But I still remember how no matter how hard I tried learning all these moves, spins and techniques, there was a
voice inside me that kept saying “something doesn’t feel right”, but I thought that maybe it was because I still didn’t master all these advanced dips and spins…but the strange thing was that the more I tried to master them, the voice become louder saying “something is not right, this isn’t who you are!”.

After not long I started researching the history of the Salsa dance and by that time I heard that it was originally from Cuba but I haven’t seen Cuban dancing at that time due to the low media power in Cuba. We don’t really have the chance to watch Cuban channels on TV. So I started reading books and watching documentary movies, which by the way most of were made in the US and were giving the wrong impression about Cuba, tinted by the bad relations between the countries due to the embargo. I found that non US movies gave a more real and true view of Cuba.

I remember very well when I saw the first Cuban couple dancing, the look on their faces, and how I directly compared them with the look of most dancers’ faces who dance other styles. I asked myself then why there was such a difference? The Cuban couple didn’t dance even 2 or 3 moves the whole dance and the joy I saw lived so powerfully for me, much more than I have seen in any TV shows…hmmmmm..

I went back to my research and this time I dived into their culture and I came to know a very important fact…, the answer is very simple! In Cuba they live, understand, feel and appreciate the music. They know how to listen to it, worship the culture roots behind it… and outside of Cuba they just execute fancy moves they saw with no soul or meaning!

An interesting thing happened also when I studied the history of the dance; I become aware of the concepts behind the moves! Its not the usual “put your hand up, your foot back, etc..” it’s that when you reach a good level of understating of the roots and history, you don’t need to focus so much on the physical moves! Because it becomes naturally part of you and you feel it! It become a way to say what you can’t say with words and you express what you feel on a deeper level...

Every time I learn more about the culture I feel I need to re-design the courses I teach and implement the new appreciation into it.

Studying the Cuban dance takes you very deep and allows you to reveal the hidden treasures that only few people know about “Her”. You start by thinking that you want to learn more about Salsa only but somehow it makes you dive in the ocean of Rumba, testing the magic of Son, living the love story of Danzon, until you reach the divine touch of the Orishas… and without noticing they all enter your Salsa in away even you can not explain sometimes…and the more you grow with “her”, the more “she” takes you into life, feeling the love, passion, pain of the slavery time and the revolution legends of Cuba, the
people who paid their lives to free this musical magical island.., El Comandante Che Guevara and all his companeros , may all their souls rest in peace, who for some reason I strongly believe they still live between us but not the way we think…

I have seen people lives change after dancing the Cuban way. I feel sometimes that an Orisha is present when I dance so I have to show my respect to the rhythm…and all of this changes the way I dance..

Some times, people ask me “why you take it too serious”? Well I am not! Simply I just respect, appreciate and worship “Her”!

Does it sound too good to be true? Or is it just a romantic way to describe “Her”?

Well believe it or not everything I wrote is less than 1% of “Her” story with me…and this is the magic that “She” gave me…and only few dancers who are patient enough, and want to learn, and like to dig deep and discover what’s behind the techniques moves can experience this wonderful feeling…and trust me…when you test it.., its an ultimate joy that makes you give up anything else in life..

Written by: very lucky person, some people call him " Del Piero".., others call him "Man of the night", is that alright ? ;)