Not too many people associate the word salsa with disco.  However, what we now know as the modern day salsa was a result of Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants combining their latin roots with the disco craze of the 1970s.  In fact, the word “salsa” refers to the multitude of influences that different cultures have on this style of dance, similar to the various ingredients that salsa requires in order to be made to perfection.  

As these immigrants began to spread out across the country, different forms of salsa began to evolve.  For example, styles such as LA style, Cuban style, and Cali style take their own unique spin on salsa. The LA style emphasizes rigid movements and partnerwork.  Cuban style utilizes more circular movements and can be performed by soloists are pairs. Cali style salsa requires a lot of balance and closely resembles moves inspired by the jive era.  

While salsa dancing is generally seen as a casual form of entertainment amongst people of all ages at dance clubs, weddings, and parties across the globe, it has evolved into a competitive sport.   What was once simply an artistic expression of cultural movements has now morphed into an industry that many performers rely on as their primary source of income.  The World Latin Dance Cup, which originated in 2002, is now the world’s largest latin dance competition. Over thirty five countries are represented, and there are 170 different divisions of Latin dance, including Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Mambo, and Samba.  

The most recent junior winners in the salsa division were Marie-Josephine Leporati and Jaen Sanchez.  The road to becoming champions was not easy. After making it to the world finals in Monaco, this couple struggled to find the funds to support their trip to Orlando for the world championship.  Crowd funding and furious fundraising efforts allowed the couple to safely travel to the United States.  Although there was a happy ending for Marie-Josephine and Jaen, the inability to compete at the highest levels of this sport due to a lack of funding is all too common.  The unfortunate reality is that socioeconomic factors continue to shape who is and who is not nationally recognized in this sport, especially in the World Cup.

After their latest title win as junior salsa world champions, Marie-Josephine Leporati and Jaen Sanchez have chosen to part ways.  The couple is choosing to focus more on their individual choreography efforts in hopes to one day attain jobs as choreographers for other future junior salsa world champions.  Leporati most recently noted that her true love will always be to perform, but it is her hope to pass on her love for salsa for future salsa dancers to come. The reality is that dancers are only in their “prime” for the first 20 years of their life.  Occasionally dancers will continue at the highest level into their 20’s, but once they hit the age of 30, they are considered “over the hill”. By becoming choreographers, dancers are able to preserve their legacies for a much broader span of time in hopes that they can still stay immersed in the dancing community, even if they are not performing.  Once a dancer puts their performing days behind them, they are often still able to make a substantial living off of being a choreographer.

This choice is common amongst people at all levels of the dance community.  While dance, especially salsa, is continually evolving to incorporate different cultures and body movements, it is important to remind ourselves that dancing is meant for enjoyment.  In a culture that stresses the need for competition, it is crucial to remember that the arts are meant to be a form of artistic expression of emotion and to be enjoyed by performers and audience members alike.