The Movement of Spanish Dance

This is more of a play on words if you will.  Yes, dancing, Spanish or otherwise, is movement, but I also mean the spread of its visibility across the world.  I've already talked to you a little about flamenco and the Spanish gypsy, but now I want to show you more.  More dancing!  More Spanish! ... olé!!!


I should probably thank DWTS (that's dancing with the stars for any non-viewer) for making ballroom dancing alone so popular, but for also shedding some light on some really great Spanish dances.  "Caribbean secrets" if you will, as many of the dances originated from that area.  Some of the ones I include in that statement are:  salsa, merengue, bachata, rumba, and cha-cha.  While each have slightly different backgrounds and have different varieties and "flavors" based on the actual country being discussed, the basic gist of their history is about the same.  Most of these originated from the Caribe" (Caribbean) as a mixture of Spanish, native, and African dances, which itself was a result of hundreds of years of slave trade, immigration, and colonization.  If that doesn't make sense to you, take a moment to watch the dances or listen to the music.  Most of them have similar sounds and beats, are happy and upbeat (rumba might be the exception as it's the 'slower' of the ones listed).  


However, do not make the mistake of thinking these dances are reserved for the ballroom!  If you haven't visited a latina-club before, and you like this kind of dancing, take yourself on an adventure!  They're fun, and way more casual / street dancing than what you'd find in your standard ballroom class, although basics are still basic, steps wise.  A good example?  The dance movie Dance with Me with Vanessa Williams and Chayanne.  The Club Azucar scene is great!  

But let's switch gears.  I have a new favorite dance to watch and try to learn.  TANGO.  That's right.  Tango!  Say it with me "T-A-NGO" (at least, that's what you have to keep saying to yourself as you learn the basic step...according to Antonio Banderas in Take the Lead.  In this movie, he shapes up a group of detention-hall banned kids via ballroom dance.  One dance, the dance he uses to capture their attention (*quick eyebrow raise*), is of course TANGO.  HOTT.  


I love tango.  I love it because you put up one of these pictures like the one here by Fabian Perez, and by the position of the subjects alone people already know it's a tango. They look at it and, taking a quick gasp, go "ah! Tango!"  It originates in Argentina and is such a unique dance because there is so much involved.  It's not just a dance of love, but a dance of passion, lust, sex, jealousy, flirtation, and desire all wrapped up in one.  The movie, Moulin Rouge, did an awesome scene with it to the song "Roxanne".  I'm in love, but it kind of captivates that intense emotion and eerie air all at once.  The music is equally unique, often with violins, guitar, and sometimes piano, flute, etc, and it is popping up in all kinds of movies, besides just the ones listed above.  It's also been in: Scent of a Woman, Evita (as one would absolutely assume), Another Cinderella Story (with Selena Gomez), Shall We Dance, Out to Sea, Frida, and even True Lies.  


I think it's fair to say, dances certainly "get around".