World Salsa Competition

“We aim to showcase and provide a virtual stage for
Salsa Competitions
anywhere Salseros breathe and dance”

Got a Salsa Competition? Let us know so that we may promote it and/or post it online.

We want WorldSalsaCompetitions.com to be a website that will be fun, useful, entertaining, and educational.
First of all, we will first aim at organizing Salsa Competitions in order to showcase the finalists on the website. Second, we will partner up with Clubs who want to promote a Salsa Competitions at their place. Third, we will post any competitions held anywhere on the planet. Fourth, it is my dream that in the near future, WorldSalsaCompetitions.com will showcase truly international Salsa Competitions. These Salsa Competitions will be judges by at least three judges.
For those living in close to LA, I will be able to film the dance on location.

One observation which is important to point out is that Salsa has different interpretations within local cultures in Latin America. So with this in mind, we will organize our official Salsa Competitions with a style in mind that will have preference within that particular event. The most common and obvious Salsa styles are: Cuban Salsa, Puerto Rican or New York Salsa, LA Salsa, and regular Salsa which is sometimes called Street Salsa.

There have been enough arguments, opinions, and suppositions as to where Salsa comes from. I do not wish to join the ranks of theorists and experts but I will say that Salsa might never have come around if African slavery had not come to this continent. So the natural place for Salsa to trace its roots would be the port of entry for most of the early slaves who were brought to this continent, namely Cuba. It is in Cuba that you find the sounds of Son, Timba, Rumba, Charanga, Cha Cha Cha, Guaganco, Mambo, and the Afro-Cuban sounds which can not be mistaken for commercial Salsa. The next natural place to look for the Salsa roots would be Puerto Rico and of course New York. Salsa to those on the mainland has various and different interpretations of sounds and dance. Colombian interpretation of Salsa might scare people who are not used to dancing close and personal. Cubans mix their dance with all the richness that can be found in the various dance forms on the island. New York and Los Angeles have produced their own versions of Salsa dancing. I have been told that NY owes it influence to Mambo and here in L.A. I have observed that L.A. Style sprung straight from Ballroom dancing.

It has been my observation that there are many natural dancers who are not inclined to participate in Salsa Competitions. When you think of all that there is to lose in competing and performing for recognition or for a living, I would understand anyone who feels that competitions are a distraction from the real dancing. My intention is to provide a stage for people who have fun dancing and for people who want to experience dancing under the spot light.

We are open to positive and constructive criticism connected to WorldSalsaCompetitions.com

For more info contact Yossi:
info@SalsaCompetitions.com

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WSC | Rules, Regulations, and Definitions

The following is only an idea for when I will have some free time to organize a Salsa Competition. B"H
In order to avoid the prearranged deals which are common at some Salsa Competitions and evident in some Ballroom dancing events. I want to try to give out prized in cash only. This should be done in front of at least three witesses, preferably before an audience. There are inconsistencies which we want to avoid. First of all, house instructors will not be allowed to participate in a Salsa Competition unless it is specifically a Salsa Instructors Competition. Competitions should NOT last more then a month. This means that an Salsa Competition will have to go through all its preliminaries, quarter-finals, and finals in four meetings. (An exception to the rule should apply only when the number of participants is overwhelming).
It may be that choreographed routines are advantageous to those who have a set song in mind. This does not in my opinion reflect the level of a good dancer. I am convinced that an excellent dancer can adapt to any song played in a competition and respond to it accordingly. This does not mean that improvisation will automatically carry more weight.
Normally, there are prizes given to the best couples but we want to recognize the individual male and female dancers who thanks to or in spite of their partner, stood out as the best Salseros. In addition to that, we want to recognize specific areas that the participants were able to excell. Such areas may include : most fun to watch, most improved, most original, Salsa Competition director's favorite, and peer favorite.

Traditional Salsa is danced by a male and a female partner.
Salsa Competitions are open to all Salseros within their own style and levels.
WorldSalsaCompetitions.com will award the prizes based on a consensus drawn by the official judges. Competitions may be influenced by popular response. Because the various Salsa styles draw their influence from within its local culture, WorldSalsaCompetitions.com recognizes the merit of judging Salsa styles within their own cultural attitudes and with their own particular Salsa music. The following will be listed as general Salsa styles and interpretations:

Definitions
Salsa is every man’s own unique steps and style, it is also known as Street Salsa.
Cuban Salsa is unmistakable from its use of Son, Afro-Cuban, Guaguanco,
Danson, Cuban Mambo, and Rumba roots.
Puerto Rican and New York Salsa has its own style based in part on Mambo and
Clave.
LA Salsa has emerged from ballroom dance influence and the various performance
driven competitive dances.
Rueda de Casino is danced mostly in two styles, Cuban and Miami.

**South American Salsa is recognized to be within regular Salsa. It has a lot of influence from Cumbia and and regional dances.

Salsa or Street Salsa will be open to any interpretation but it will lean towards the traditional way of dancing on the one.
Cuban Salsa is danced mostly on one but it may be danced in contra tiempo.
Puerto and New Yorican Salsa will be danced on the two.
LA Salsa is danced on the one.
Rueda de Casino can be either on the one or contra tiempo beat.

A Salsero or Salsera is a Salsa dancer.

Los Salseros means the Salsa dancers.

Judges are comprised based upon a combination of the following: sponsors, club owners, DJ’s, choreographers, dance instructors, former dance participants, and qualified individuals who appreciate dance.

Amateur Salseros are those who have never participated in a Salsa Dance Competition or who have never taught Salsa Dancing.

Semi-Professional Salseros are those who have entered Salsa Competitions but have never won first place. Instructors who teach occasionally and do not make a living as dance instructors will be considered Semi-Professional Salseros.

Professional Salseros are those who have proven themselves with time. Paid dance performers and instructors will be considered professionals based on their level and not their popular exposure. Salsa champions will also be considered professional based on
their level.

Maestro Salseros are those who are the source of Salsa dance traditions and the up and coming original dancers who add to the wealth of Latin Salsa Dancing. These are people who can distinguish between Salsa and Ballroom Salsa and between dancing Cuban contra tiempo and Dancing on the 2. They know the difference between Salsa, Rumba, Guaguanco, Son, Mambo, Cumbia, Cha Cha Cha, Samba, Bachata, Merengue. Meniadito, Quebradita, Lambada, Souka, and the Afro-Cuban sounds from Cuba.

It is my opinion that a dance level is not based on the amount of steps one can execute or their degree of difficulty but rather on the impression Salseros make on the average audience. We hope that the fun of dancing is the primary reason to dancing Salsa rather then seeking to be seen.
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WSC | Credits

Noa Cassuto - Graphic Art
Juan Gonsalez - Webmaster/designer
My family - for investing in the process
Alut Young Artists in Israel - Autistic artists that designed the banners' bg
Salseros who have been supportive:
David, Jen, Isaac, Mary, Theresa, ANGEL, Jessica, Maria, Quanita, Isela, Toni, Larry, Fernando, Fabio, Hiroki, and Kumar.
Michael : Monument-Co.com and Meganet.com
Since video production and documentary film are my latest passions, I am specially thankful to those people who have let me practice filming at their venues.
Monica @ Zabumba (Culver City)
Jimmy @ Stevens Stake House (City of Commerce)
The management @ Rio (Encino)
Shai @ Glasnost (Israel)
Hillel @ Candela (Israel)
Andres @ Bonita (Israel)
Sugar @ Cafe Buna (Marina Del Rey)
Jennifer @ Montecristo (Salvadorean Heights) :-)
Efrat @ her bellydancing performances (Israel)
Last but not least : All you Salseros who have let me filmed you while dancing. Thank you.

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