Latin Motion

Who or What is Jack and Jill in Salsa?

Have you ever gone into a dance club
or social and sat in awe watching
different couples dancing like
professionals moving so fluidly to the
rhythm and timing of the music as they
demonstrate a close connection with
one another. You’re mesmerized and
pretty certain they have been dancing
together for years and that’s why they
look so good. Oftentimes, this is not
the case. Sometimes it is, but more
often it’s not. Salsa dancing by nature
is a social dance which means that
you are constantly switching partners
to interpret music differently, dance
to a different salsa beat-On 1 or On2,
and just plain vary your dancing.
Sometimes a dancer connects better
with a certain dancer more than another
and has almost nothing to do with how
well they know each other or how long
they have danced together.
Because salsa dancing has such an
international following, there are
times that people, strangers, just show
up at any given salsa venue and dance
with willing partners with what has
been determined to be more or less
their level of dance ability. When this
pairing happens, the result can be an
incredibly spontaneous, improvised,
awe-inspiring dance that looks like
it had been practiced for weeks or
months.
This is what Jack and Jill contests are
all about.
Jack and Jill is the term used for a
popular salsa contest in which dancers
–leaders and followers, are randomly
matched. Unlike most conventional,
professional competitions in which the
dancers are judged on choreography,
costumes, technique, timing, and
a string of many other qualifying
criteria, this type of dance is judged
based on how well you improvisesocial
dance. It is a lot more lighthearted
by nature and is spontaneous
and fun to participate in as much as it
is fun to watch.
Basically, salsa dancers are randomly
paired with each other and the new
paired couples are asked to do an
improvised salsa dance to the DJ’s
selection of the music right on the
spot. No preparation can be had and no
choreography allowed. Costumes are
often not judged and usually anything
goes in your dancing.
The term Jack and Jill commonly used
in the U.S or Dance with a Stranger as
it’s called in the UK comes from the
popular nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill
and also from Jack Carey the format
innovator who is also a Swing Dance
Hall of Fame dancer, choreographer
and judge.
Stay tuned for details. Jack and Jill just
might be appearing in Puerto Vallarta
soon and you won’t want to miss this
exciting event of spontaneity and
sensuality. They might have to change
the contest name to Jose y Juana.
Marcella Castellanos teaches Salsa
and soon Bachata 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/.