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Courtesy ludimationWhat do Latin music and dance mean to you? To many people, Latin dance is nothing more than a casual hobby or form of recreation. To others, it’s a form of community expression, even an almost religious experience. Slavery, the Cuban embaro and the turbulent 1960’s are part of la musica’s powerful political legacy.
Most would agree that Latin dance is sensuous, sexy and exciting. However, some disparage it as shallow and superficial, commercialized - shall we say corporatized? - and incredibly hard to learn, inspiring the term “Beginners’ Hell.”
In fact, Latin music and dance are all the above. For me, Latin music is in part a window to other cultures - and part of a global revolution that’s bypassing the U.S.
My experiences in the classroom also inspired me to try to offer some helpful advice for beginners, who are often drowning in a sea of confusion and hype. Even the pros have problems; why are so many salsa stars chronically single? No wonder even veterans often have little helpful advice to offer other than “Shut up and dance.” (In fairness, that’s actually a very useful tip in many cases.)
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - 
