Who or What is Jack and Jill in Salsa?

Have you ever gone into a dance club or social and sat in awe watching different couples dancing like professionals moving so fluidly to the rhythm and timing of the music as they  demonstrate a close connection with one another. You’re mesmerized and pretty certain they have been dancing together for years and that’s why they look so good. Oftentimes, this is not the case. Sometimes it is, but more often it’s not. Salsa dancing by nature is a social dance which means that you are constantly switching partners to interpret music differently, dance to a different salsa beat-On 1 or On2,  and just plain vary your dancing.  Sometimes a dancer connects better with a certain dancer more than another and has almost nothing to do with how well they know each other or how long they have danced together.

 Because salsa dancing has such an international following, there are times that people, strangers, just show up at any given salsa venue and dance with willing partners with what has been determined to be  more or less their level of dance ability.  When this pairing happens, the result can be an incredibly spontaneous, improvised, awe-inspiring dance that looks like it had been practiced for weeks or months.

This is what Jack and Jill contests are all about.

Jack and Jill is the term used for a popular salsa contest in which dancers –leaders and followers, are randomly matched. Unlike most conventional, professional competitions in which the dancers are judged on choreography, costumes, technique, timing, and a string of many other qualifying criteria, this type of dance is judged based on how well you improvise-social dance. It is a lot more light-hearted by nature and is spontaneous and fun to participate in as much as it is fun to watch.

Basically, salsa dancers are randomly paired with each other and the new paired couples are asked to do an improvised salsa dance to the DJ's selection of the music right on the spot. No preparation can be had and no choreography allowed. Costumes are often not judged and usually anything goes in your dancing.

The term Jack and Jill commonly used in the U.S or Dance with a Stranger as it’s called in the UK comes from the popular nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill and also from Jack Carey the format innovator who is also a Swing Dance Hall of Fame dancer, choreographer and judge. 

Jack and Jill will be appearing in Puerto Vallarta soon and you won’t want to miss this exciting event of spontaneity and sensuality. The new contest name is " A Ver Quien Te Toca?" and will be held at La Bodeguita Del Medio this Sunday the 8th, 9th and then the 11th. 

Marcella Castellanos teaches salsa and soon bachata at Yoga Vallarta. You can contact her via Facebook or Twitter at Latin Motion PV or at www.latinmotionpv.com or visit her blog at http://latinmotionpv.blogspot.com/.