This book chronicles histories of salsa dance in the United States, starting from its incarnation as mambo in the late 1940s, through the creation of salsa as a musical genre in the 1970s, into the formation of a global salsa dance industry in the 1990s and 2000s. Equally informative for those interested in the dance’s changing aesthetics and its relationship to evolving music styles and those concerned with how sociopolitical issues related to race, class, ethnicity, nationality, and gender played into this history, the text considers dance as both an object and an agent of change. Each chapt ... More

This book chronicles histories of salsa dance in the United States, starting from its incarnation as mambo in the late 1940s, through the creation of salsa as a musical genre in the 1970s, into the formation of a global salsa dance industry in the 1990s and 2000s. Equally informative for those interested in the dance’s changing aesthetics and its relationship to evolving music styles and those concerned with how sociopolitical issues related to race, class, ethnicity, nationality, and gender played into this history, the text considers dance as both an object and an agent of change. Each chapter approaches salsa history with a different geographic or topical focus, weaving together stories told from multiple perspectives. Chapter topics include comparison of Palladium-era New York mambo of the 1950s with salsa promoted by dance studios in the 1990s; how developments in salsa music led to the birth of a salsa dance industry; tensions between studio salsa and salsa as cultural heritage; the debate over the preferred rhythm for salsa dancing; regional differences in Los Angeles, Miami, Cuba, New York, and Puerto Rico; hybridization of regional dance styles through Internet technologies and salsa dance congresses; and salsa as a theatrical stage genre. The text incorporates supporting evidence from oral histories, participant observation, and archival research. Although practical suggestions are offered to combat some negative effects of commercialization, the book’s central argument is that dancers informed with nuanced historical knowledge will make better decisions about the next chapter of their own dance history.