November 16, 2006
After experiencing the most successful WSF World Championships, I have drawn a few conclusions about Salsa Competitions vs. performances. It is now clear that the best performers are those who are either former or current competitors. Having to compete on a regular basis brings ones level of dancing on a much higher level because you are always trying to beat someone and therfore your training schedule will almost always be more rigorous. Competition in Salsa is still in its infancy, although it has been around several years. Performances, as in Congresses, has been more developed and has a bigger circuit, but lacks a high standard of dancing in general. I would suggest to performers to try competition.The other area where I see could improve in Salsa Competitions is coaching. The majority of Salsa Competitors do not take regular coaching lessons to improve. This is unlike any sport in the World where coaching is the mainstream. Who I do see taking coaching more and more are the South American countries who are becoming a real force in the competitive Salsa World.
Isaac Altman
CEO of the WSF
WSF Blog 