In my opinion, tango particularly the Argentinean tango as opposed to ballroom tango and International tango, is in a league of it’s own. It includes a wider spectrum of emotions, movements, and variations. It's can be refined, restrained, full of tension, playful, saucy, flirtatious, seductive, insolent, menacing, violent, pensive, sad, remorseful, submissive, reconciling, transcendent and more. I can't say that about bachata, although I love bachata. There are some fine dancers who take it to a whole new level, but I’ve met many men who just don’t like bachata music or dance and they vacate the dance floor and make room for the few people who dance it really well and the majority who just dance the more mundane version of it while they chat up their partner. I've taken Argentine tango lessons and I find it very challenging (no hips!? what’s up with that?!). I’m hopeless at it, unless the guy really constrains me. I don’t follow tango very well. But it’s still on my To-do list, as I really admire it. I never had the opportunity to dance with any extraordinary bachata dancers when I was in the Dominican Republic, where I imagine bachata takes on a whole new form of expression. So for that reason, I’ll keep my mouth shut (...for a change
and listen to your thinking MAR.) I was imprisoned in Bahia Principe Rio San Juan. Although I did dance with one chubby bus driver in the 6:30 AM breakfast buffet just before leaving. Thanks to Johnnie, I look fat guys who drive buses in a whole new way.
Here in Toronto, my best bachatas were with one Peruvian guy, a huge Maltese guy, a short little Mexicano, a very handsome Polish guy who is elegant but takes up too much room on the dance floor and an Italian who exaggerates that little hip thing (“down, up-down”). All the salsa dance studios offer bachata and other dances in 2-day workshops at various levels, so there are many non-Latin salsa dancers who are discovering it. But most of my Latino dance partners, don’t really like bachata, although most Latin I know do. I was going to say that if Latin people don’t love it, it will never catch on like tango. But then I thought of the Argentineans that I know who don’t dance tango and that blew my whole argument. I think I need more research.
Yes, gringos/gringas dance a more choregraphed salsa IMO. We didn't grow up with it and you have to remember that most of us don't even understand the lyrics, so that has to influence our dancing. But there are some amazing ones out there, who can follow anyone Cuban, Colombians, Puerto Ricans, Venezuleans and they add tango, flamenco, afro-cuban styling and belly dance to the salsa. But really for the musicality, ritmo and playfulness, we gringas all love dancing with good Latino dancers. But there are a lot of Latin salsa dancers who are pretty boring, doing the same moves over and over again. But it's a social dance after all, and sometimes people take it too seriously. Toronto is mainly On1 with On2 growing in popularity among more advanced dancers.
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Entiendo.....
