Over the years, I have noticed that some students excel very quickly, while others take time to improve. Initially, I assumed it was just differences in ability, I didn’t think about it. But after befriending these students and learning about their history, a common theme emerged: martial arts. Almost all of the best dancers at one time or another had taken Martial Arts classes. Coming from a martial arts background, I see the inherent similarities in both Kung Fu and Salsa. So I’ve explored this a bit more.

What is dance? Dance is an art form that refers to the movement of the body in a rhythmic manner with music. Dance can be social, ritualistic, spiritual, and expressive in nature.

What are Martial Arts? Martial arts are art forms that focus on movement of the body and conditioning to maximize capacity and are often linked with spiritual and ritual devotion.

The dance has thousands of variations and subcategories within a specific dance form. Just examining Salsa reveals many styles like: New York Style, LA Salsa, Puerto Rican Salsa, Cali Style, Cuban, Cumbia, Palladium, etc. Martial arts also have numerous subcategories within the form. Focusing on Kung Fu, there is Tiger, Crane, Snake, Monkey, Praying Mantis, Panther, and many others. Furthermore, both dance and martial arts are open styles. By that I mean that over the years the styles adapt, change and are modified by those who are more skilled in them. Many Kung Fu styles have been lost over the years as masters have passed away or techniques have evolved and changed. Similarly, in Salsa, changes from the adoption of new techniques and the refinement of old techniques have created newly evolved styles.

A comparison

Both styles of art have a presentation aspect. In dance it is called choreography. An instructor builds a routine that is effective in presenting a specific style by embodying the moves. In martial arts, they are called shapes. Often handed down by previous instructors over the centuries (Kung Fu has been around for 1,500 years), the forms are routines practiced by students to develop an understanding of the moves. They also perform at performances, exhibitions, and tournaments.

Both styles of art have a social aspect. In dance it is called social dance. Often two people are involved in a dance with a leader and a follower; executing movements that they have been practicing. However, it is not an agreed routine but more of a conversation. The leader offers the follower a move and if the follower accepts, it is executed. Leading and following requires spatial awareness, restraint, flawless execution, and most importantly, a strong connection. In martial arts, it is called sparring. In combat, the leader and follower change frequently. More appropriately we can call it aggressor and defender. The aggressor leads the fight by advancing attacks that the defender must thwart. When the defender finds a window of opportunity to present himself, the defender takes advantage and now becomes the aggressor; the roles are reversed. In the meantime, fighters need to focus on being aware of space, having restraint, honing their execution, and making good hard contact. Martial Arts and Dance in this way observes a Yin Yang relationship. The Leader introduces the change while the Follower appeases him. The Follower defends by countering the Leader with a move to relieve the pressure change.

How we learn to dance and fight

Martial arts and dance focus on teaching a student visually, presenting the movement and working on it. Most of the time, the movements are taught with a partial progressive methodology, which means that the teacher starts with one movement, then moves on to the next, and so on. The movements are then linked together to complete a complete sequence. When teaching a student, the technique presented can have three possible variations in anatomy.

First, a continuous action is something that is repeated over and over again. In sauce it would be the usual basic. In martial arts, it is often said that to become a master, you must master your breath. This is where your power comes from and it must be continuous in nature.

Second, a sequential action involves one step, followed by another, followed by another, etc. In Salsa, this is best related to the movement of the hands when leading a movement. Each move, eg Lead Turn Right, involves a certain number of steps to complete. In martial arts, any movement requires a series of steps; a spinning back kick requires a shift in weight, a pivot movement, leg extension, then leg compression, returning to a stance, and redistributing weight.

Third, a sporadic action implies a recurring event separated by an indeterminate period of time. Cross Body Lead would be a good example of a sporadic occurrence where the action can reoccur throughout the dance with no specific period or rate of recurrence. In martial arts, movements are executed at irregular intervals to keep the opponent on guard.

The Pop Culture Connection

Do you know how break dancing evolved? Have you ever seen those old Kung Fu movies from the 70’s and even earlier? Look at those moves; they are one Break dancers saw these amazing moves artfully performed by Kung Fu practitioners and translated them into dance. The windmill serves a significantly different purpose in Kung Fu than it does in Break Dance. Even today, with shows like “Dancing With The Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance?”, many of the moves aren’t traditional in their styles, but they do bring some spice and sparkle to the dance. LA Style salsa is known for having high energy and acrobatic moves in their performances.

A more intimate connection

We have examined both dance and martial arts as two separate things that have similarities. However, there are even more intimate relationships between the two that show a fusion of art forms. Warring nations like the Zulus often incorporated dance as a tool to strengthen their tribal pride. The dances were used as stories that related the power of the warriors and the desolation suffered by their enemies. In Kung Fu, while the forms themselves could be considered a dance, the Lion Dance was used to entertain but also to train students. Often seen at festivals and celebrations, the Lion Dance required a well-versed practitioner to perform artfully advanced techniques. In the New World, before the arrival of the B-Boys, there was Capoeira. Attributed to the arrival of slaves in South America (namely Brazil), capoeira is a dancing martial art. The slaves were not allowed to practice martial arts at all, but they cleverly hid their training in a dance. Unique to Capoeira is the inclusion of musicians with his formation, further demonstrating the connection between dance and martial practices.

Crossovers and Converts

Numerous martial artists have become dancers or vice versa. The most famous dancer/martial artist of all, the penultimate figure of the Kung Fu Sploitation era, Bruce Lee became the Hong Kong Cha Cha Champion in 1958. Jeanne Claude Van Damme was not a trained fighter, but actually studied ballet; which is a testament to her artistry because her kicks are very graceful yet threatening.

Dance and martial arts have a rich history with a very close connection. For Martial Artists, Salsa movements exist in a world that is very familiar to them; elbows, twists, turns, kicks and throws (sometimes). For a Salsero, the power and potential damage inherent in moves becomes clearer as their grip gets stronger. As we have shown, the fact is that both embody similar characteristics, which allows for ease of absorption by the student. So if you’re a dancer, take some martial arts classes. If you’re a martial artist, take some dance classes, study the similarities, and cultivate your own style. But remember to keep the fighting in the ring and the dancing on the floor.