Salsa

Rating:
Summary: waste of money
Review: When I ordered this video I didn't care too much if the acting or storyline was good(which they are not), I only wanted to see good salsa dancing. Salsa instruction videos cost around $30, this video was $10, some reviewers said there was some good salsa moves, so I figured I could save money and just learn the moves on the tape... boy I was wrong, the salsa dancing on this tape is not interesting, I don't even think they're dancing salsa, it's like some alternative. They just named the movie Salsa in order to sell it. This video might appeal to you if you're a Robby Rosa fan, who is kind of cool, yet still cheesy. Anyone looking for good dancing, this video is not for you.

Rating:
Summary: Dont buy this movie for the acting; buy it for the dancing!
Review: With a title like "Salsa," you can know what to expect from this movie, and this movie does not disappoint. A young love story, a love quadrangle, and a salsa contest are all plot points to get us to the next dance scene. Fortunately we don't have to wait long between drama interludes to get to all the fun and what this movie is all about! Don't buy this movie for the acting; buy it for the dancing!
Of course, this movie was made in the 80's so you'll see all the trappings of this decade woven through the movie. One could watch this movie as an 80's study. This isn't a detractor, however, from this great dance flick. You'll see bits of 80's specific dancing, 80's style salsa, salsa that transcends decades, "New York" style Salsa, "street" salsa, solo dance numbers, group "line" salsa, and multiple partner switching. Lots of the dancing is timeless and stuff you can incorporate today!
One of the features of this movie is the music performances done by multiple artists of the period. The most notable of them being one each from the amazing, late Celia Cruz and the amazing, late Tito Puente. They music performances are the backdrop for much of the dancing.
As with all forms of dance, there is snobbery as to how to dance "real" salsa. This is even addressed at one point in the movie when Rico, with his more "street" style and the club owner La Luna, with her more polished "New York" style tell each other that they're not sure if what the other is dancing is "real" salsa. Ha ha! The snobbery in dance is ever living!
You will recognise the club owner in the movie as the same actress in the movie Dirty Dancing who tried to steal patrick Swayzee's character from Jennifer Gray's. She is reprising a similar role here. Once again, though, don't get this movie for the acting/plot/drama; buy it for the dancing!
[Note One] the acting here isn't terrible and is certainly bearable, it's just not as high quality as that in Dirty Dancing which has a better plot and acting but is not as good in the dance scenes.
[Note Two] this movie has minimal Spanish; it is 95% in English. Most of the Spanish words are the basic ones we all learned from Sesame Street when we were kids.