HOT Salsa Dancing for Fitness

Has your fitness routine become boring and predictable? How about trying something different than the conventional aerobic exercises such as running or step classes and taking up something fun and social like salsa dancing.  The cool thing is you sweat as much doing salsa as you would climbing a stair climber, but you get to wear something sexier than sneakers to participate in it.

As a woman, I get excited about getting all dolled up and wearing high heels to go salsa dancing. It’s part of the art, part of the ambience, part of the excitement.  Men generally take a bit more effort to look debonair as well.  Who doesn’t want to go out and look and feel sexy? Most of us do and who knew that it also counts as a great workout even if it involves a possible mojito and rhythmic, sensual, upbeat music with lots of friends.

Salsa music first appeared in New York City in the 60’s  as a rhythmic fusion of Cuban Son with Guaracha, Montuno and Guaguanc.  It also has a strong American jazz influence and Plena and Bomba from Puerto Rico creating a unique urban sound that just penetrates through your veins and makes you want to move and shake it. Oh yeah! I always look forward to my salsa workouts.

Salsa's popularity began to heat up in the early 70’s in Latin neighborhoods and soon spread into New York's ballrooms and dance halls. Although it’s become standardized for dancers who wish to enter professional competitions, most people dance to it in a spontaneous and highly energetic way true to its original form.  The lively and variant musical style allows for alternating very slow and very furious dance movements.

The sudden bursts of frenzied dancing can help to improve the anaerobic fitness essential to other sports such as basketball, sprinting and swimming. I find that I’m able to engage in other activities with ease due to the aerobic and agility gains that I’ve made from salsa dancing, stretching and some light strength training. Elasticity from dancing will help your overall range of motion, power and coordination.

 Salsa dancing merges aerobic and anaerobic training, working your leg strength and endurance. Dancing in general is a great way to build the perfect body shape- well; I can aspire to it, right? The continual movements and use of your whole body build up aerobic endurance while steadily burning calories over the course of the evening. This helps to strengthen and tone your legs at the same time you are shedding pounds—salsa is fantastic for this. And although I may not have the perfect body, my legs often receive great compliments.

According to experts,  dancing salsa can burn up to 10 calories a minute, without the potential cause of injury and jarring of the knees that high impact exercises such as running can cause. You can learn salsa with or without a partner, at home or in a dance studio or club and integrate it into your fitness program. As you learn and engage in more salsa activity to get fit, you’ll not only look and feel great, you’ll end up having a blast and forming a whole new facet to your social life.   Life is too short to waste on boring, traditional aerobics and group classes. Ladies, put some sexy heels on and learn how to dance HOT salsa to look and feel great!

Marcella Castellanos teaches salsa at Yoga Vallarta. And also teaches bachata. 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/.

Where can I go Latin dancing?

Sometimes local venues will give salsa socials a try at least one night a week, but unfortunately if they don’t see profits or a big draw of people in about a 4-6 week time-frame the effort will come to a halt. As a result, it’s a bit difficult to know where to go, because at times, just as you’re beginning to find out about a new place, the social night disappears. However, there are a few venues that are dedicated to this genre of music. Included is  the always lively Cuban hang-out La Bodeguita del Medio located on the Malecon.  The live music begins at 10 p.m Tuesday through Sunday with a Cuban band playing on a yearly contract. The atmosphere is cheery and reminiscent of being in a smoky dive bar in Havana. The only drawback is that the dance floor is tiny and lends itself to lots of bumping bodies or tight squeezes when bachata or salsa dancing. Besides that, it’s a great place and the staff is always friendly, and there is no cover.

Candela Pura is one of the newer places in PV located at the turn-off to the libramiento and across the street from Mega. On Thursdays and Fridays they’ll have a salsa band or a DJ play Latin tunes from 10 p.m.  into the wee hours of the night.  The dance floor is expansive, the place has a dark, nightclub atmosphere and the loungy sofas and tables are comfortable for long hours of socializing with a cocktail. I like this place mainly because they seem to like and support salseros although I generally prefer tropical-like or beachfront atmospheres when wanting to Latin dance- it’s just more inspiring. Here the sultry Dulce Mireya Palacios Prado teaches salsa in Spanish Thurs. and Sat. from 8:30- 10:00 p.m. and the cost per class is 50 pesos. No cover here.

Then there is J&B Nightclub, one of the oldest dance venues in PV.  This place looks like a 70’s disco and plays different Latin tunes almost every night.  The biggest advantage here is the hardwood dance floor, perfect for dancing and there almost always seems to be enough room for freedom of movement.  The last Friday of every month, they present what’s called Fiesta Latina when different dance schools –instructors and students alike perform on stage. This place stays open until the early morning and is located at Francisco Medina Ascencio. It’s not one of my favorite places, simply because I would prefer to hear more salsa, bachata and cha cha cha music than cumbia which is what they love to play, but many seem to really enjoy it. The Latin Brothers teach salsa class in Spanish on Tues., Thur. and Fridays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Each hour class costs 50 pesos. They are a talented, well-liked brother and sister team. Sometimes there is a cover of up to 100 pesos.

Next up, the Twisted Rose in Bucerias. Now this is a tropical gem tucked about two or three blocks from the beach, it’s easy to miss if it weren’t for the vibrant sounds of the live Cuban band emanating from the inside. The dance floor is great and the eats and drinks are inexpensive. There is usually a cover charge of about 50 pesos and the band plays Saturdays from 9ish until midnight.  This is one of my favorite places due to the outdoor, tropical atmosphere.  More specifically, it’s located about two or three blocks from the central plaza.

Last, but definitely not least, is Don Pedro’s in Sayulita. Beachfront and fabulous! Many PV peeps drive an hour there and an hour back every Monday just to get there dancing fix and hear the fantastic Cuban band. It’s a great mix of foreigners out to have a good time with salsa obsessed locals.  The oceanfront vibe here is always worth the drive and I hear the food is really good. Sayulita is so small that you can just arrive and ask where it is so that someone will point you in the right direction. The band starts playing at 8 p.m. until eleven. About 30 pesos gets you through the door.

Marcella Castellanos teaches salsa 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/.

Salsa Dancing – A Sensuous Addiction.

Last week we discussed the various influences that created salsa music. Naturally, with the evolution and melding of different countries and rhythms has come a variation of different styles of salsa dancing. Again, the style of salsa that you dance will depend on where you live and what is most commonly danced in the area where you reside as well as what your personal preference of style is. Additionally, your heritage may come into play. Are you Colombian, Puerto Rican, Italian, Cuban, Mexican, from New York, Miami… In San Francisco or New York you might hear someone ask you, “On1 or On 2”. This does not mean what is your drug of choice. Unless, of course, you’re addicted to salsa.

In Puerto Vallarta what has been most commonly danced is ‘On1’ or LA style, but you will also see quite a bit of Cuban salsa, and Colombian salsa which is also called Cumbia especially on most nights at J&B Nightclub. Colombian style salsa consists of moving your feet back or to the side. There aren’t too many fancy tricks, turns, or spins in Colombian style – except if you are competing or are a professional dancer.  It’s a more casual, calmer but lively style of social dancing. Personally, I think the music is redundant and the moves are boring, but if there is no other option, I gotta keep moving my feet. So let’s talk a little a bit about the Cuban style you might see in “La Bode.” There is often a great band from Cuba on a yearly contract playing at that fun little place on the malecon.

Cuban style salsa is a more male-dominated ‘macho’ dance. All salsa is really, but Cuban style is more than the Los Angeles or New York style. This is because this style of dance is restrictive to the woman. Cuban Salseros grip the women’s wrists in a way that restricts her from extending her arms, fingers or doing any sexy styling. After a while, the woman gets bored because her freedom of movement and creativity becomes limited.  There are some popular contemporary bands, however, that play faster rhythms and allow for the woman to dance solo and display her beautiful, rhythmic body movements. I’m all for that! Dancing should always allow for creativity and freedom of movement. This leads me to the more popular Casino Rueda..

Casino Rueda, also known as Salsa Casino or Salsa Rueda, is Cuban style salsa danced in a circle. It incorporates Afro-Cuban elements such as Son and Rumba and combines turns patterns and intricate combinations that are inspired from the 1950’s Rock n’ Roll craze. In this exciting dance, couples form a circle in which one person calls or signals the different moves. It’s a fast paced, beautifully synchronized, exciting dance. You can learn Casino Rueda at Shanti Studio here in Puerto Vallarta.

Many salseros who have mastered On1 salsa are beginning to take up On2 rhythms. Both salsa styles are linear.  The main difference between the two styles is the approach to styling, and the ebb and flow of movement which begins on different breaks in the measure of the song. On1 is very flashy incorporating many flips and dips as you advance in the dance. It uses the contemporary mambo basic but executes the step by breaking forward on count ‘1’.  

New York style or On2  is more like Mambo. This style incorporates body waves, free style footwork, shines, rib cage movements and shimmying displaying smooth, rhythmic body movements. The counts are on ‘4’ and ‘8’ and is also known as Eddie Torres style. 

You’ll see more On1 and On2 dancers usually at Candela Pura here in PV or as far as Bucerias at the Twisted Rose or Don Pedro’s in Sayulita.

No style is any better than the other. In fact, many dancers take the time to learn different styles because soon you find that certain songs are complimented better by certain styles. The more important thing is to develop your own sense of style by taking classes, workshops, listening to music, discussing concepts with your salsa dancing friends and just having FUN!! After all, salsa dancing to many is the drug of choice.

Marcella Castellanos teaches salsa 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/.

How I got started with Salsa and Latin Motion PV

Hola, my name is Marcella Castellanos and I am a self-proclaimed Latin Dance FREAK. My boyfriend often says, “Honey, if I don’t learn how to dance, you and I won’t last long.” Correctomundo.  Salsa dancing is a part of my Latin blood now.  If I don’t get my fix of dancing at least twice a week, I feel like someone is cutting off my daily morning coffee consumption (don’t think so!) or my weekly tacos from Chilam Bilam. Again, I don’t encourage testing my limitations.

Latin dancing is one of those art forms that is full of passion and sensuality and you just can’t keep your eyes off of a couple who are dancing it-especially if they dance it well. The voyeurism invites you to explore your own sensuality and then you discover that it was always within you, just dormant. I started dancing ballet and jazz as a child and about seven years ago I was first introduced to salsa dancing in the San Francisco Bay Area.  That’s when I first got bit by the Latin dance bug.  It was sensual, infectious, social, and FUN! Not to mention a really good sweat. There were so many people participating and it is encouraged to switch partners without anyone giving it a second thought! I also made an abundance of business contacts and oodles of friends. Wow, getting involved with salsa was the all-in-one solution.

I teach salsa dance basics and soon bachata- a Dominican Republic dance taking the world by storm at Yoga Vallarta. I feel priveleged to have learned by some of the best salsa teachers and dancers in the world and from a few very talented people here in Puerto Vallarta as well. I often have local talent assist with my classes and soon-to-be workshops to encourage people to develop their own sense of style and not be clones of someone else’s fancy moves.  

When I first arrived to Vallarta two years ago, I was really hungry for information on where to go for dance classes, or where I could pop in for social dancing. It took me a while to navigate around town and figure out who teaches where, was there an upbeat live Cuban band playing somewhere, and on and on—Vallarta was lacking information in this area. I found it to be strange because salsa and Latin dancing in general attract people from all over the world; I was baffled that more businesses didn’t realize this opportunity. Since then, I have created a facebook page called Latin Motion PV. This is where people in the mostly salsa dance community post events, pictures, video, upcoming classes, etc.  so that locals, newcomers or people visiting can be informed and also post a comment or a bulletin to share their own  information on that theme. Latin Motion PV also prides itself on helping to raise awareness for social causes in the PV area.

I’m honored to be writing about a topic that I greatly enjoy and that I believe so many are interested in but may be shy about putting one foot in front of the other(no pun intended) to get started. Each week  you can look forward to me highlighting either a different Latin dance form, report on an upcoming or current event,  interview different instructors or dancers in the Puerto Vallarta area or talk about the do’s and don’ts of salsa dancing, as well as other educational articles. I hope to inspire and educate you to learn a dance form because I believe people are happier when they dance.  So the more you dance, the less grumpy you will be-just ask your partner.:)  See you on the dance floor!

A recipe for salsa

A Recipe for Salsa ….

If you’ve been swept up in the vibrancy and passion that envelopes you on a good night at La Bodeguita Del Medio or Candela Pura by merely watching good dancing, you may have wondered, where can I learn this hot Mexican salsa dance? The funny thing is, contrary to popular belief, it’s not Mexican.  Latin, yes…well kind of, but it also has roots from so many other countries including England and France. The origins and history of salsa dancing are as rich and complex as your next plate of chicken mole.

Let’s start with the basic ingredients of where it all started….

Salsa’s origins are debatable depending on who you ask and where they came from, but most will agree that we must give credit Cuba for the ancestry and origins of its inception. This is where Contra-Danze (Country Dance) of England/France, later known as Danzón was brought by the French who fled from Haiti.  Danzón is still alive and kicking as evidenced particularly in the plaza  in front of  La Iglesia de Guadalupe here in PV on Sunday nights, but I digress. Now in Haiti, Danzón then  begins to mix itself with Rhumbas of African origin (Yambu, Colombia, Guaguanco).  Blend  in Són of the Cuban people, which was a combination of the Spanish troubadour (sonero) and the African drumbeats and a  unique partner dance was born.

The Dominican Republic, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and other countries also experienced this syncretism in smaller degrees. Soon bands of these countries such as the famous Perez Prado, the great Cuban influencer of mambo took their music to Mexico City in the era of the famous films of that country. Not too long  after, a similar movement to New York occurred and this is where the music was first coined, ‘Salsa.’ There was a great deal of investment into the music that went on in these two cities and as a result, more and more promotion and syncretism occurred which commercialized salsa music even further and increased its popularity.

New York created the term ‘Salsa, but it did not create the dance. The term became a nickname to refer to a variety of different popular dances from several countries of Hispanic influence such as Rhumba, Són Montuno, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha cha cha, Danzón, Són, Guguanc, Guajira, Charanga, Cumbia, Plena, Bomba, Festejo, Merengue, among others. Many of these styles  maintained their individuality, but at the same time many were mixed creating salsa dance.

If you are listening to modern-day salsa, you are going to find the base of són, and also hear Cumbia, Guaracha and maybe even some old Merengue, built-in the rhythm of different songs. Almost always, you’ll hear many of the old styles infused within the modern beats. Salsa music and dancing varies from place to place.

Much like the salsa we eat, salsa dancing has many ingredients and many flavors, but one passion that unites us all.  The important thing is that salsa continues to play throughout the world and has received influences from several continents. No one place can take the credit for salsa music or its dance and not one style is better than the other. In fact, the more you individualize your own sense of dance style, the better. Variety is the spice of life. Viva la Salsa!

Marcella Castellanos has been dancing salsa for over seven years and teaches 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/.