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Welcome to Episode 199 of the Salsa Kings LIVE podcast
We have been featured as #1 in “Top 10 Salsa Podcasts” on FeedSpot.
Hey familia, welcome back! This is Andres, and in this episode I sat down with my good friend Miguel. Miguel has been dancing for 20 years and also comes from a psychology background. We talked about what really happens inside social dancing, not just the steps, but the feelings and the meaning behind it. We called it the Psychology of Social Dance.
Key Points
What People Are Really Looking For
Many who walk into a studio or a social think they are looking for something outside. But really, they are looking for something they already have inside. Dance helps them discover it.
Dance Is Social
Dance is more than moves. It’s a conversation. When I step on the floor, I’m talking to my partner without words. I’m also learning about myself.
Finding Yourself in the Dance
At first, we all focus on steps: right turn, left turn, cross body lead. But the next level is bigger. The next level is when you find yourself. You connect to the music, you put your heart and soul into the dance, and people can see it.
Wrong Lens vs. Right Lens
Many people go into dancing with the wrong lens. For example, someone may want to make an ex jealous. That is power too—but it’s a negative power. What if we flip it? What if instead, we dance to share joy, peace, or love?
Negative vs. Positive Emotions
Miguel explained that negative feelings can take over easily. They are heavy. A lot of us bring our problems to class without knowing it. Our steps can show if we are scared, insecure, or unhappy. But dance can also be a tool to heal.
Empty Vessel vs. True Self
Some dancers have great technique but no feeling. They look perfect but empty. Others may dance simple but full of soul, and that touches people more. The real question is: Where are you in your dance?
Raw Emotion + Technique
Miguel used the example of a Bunsen burner. Raw fire is wild, but focused fire can cut through steel. In the same way, emotion plus technique can touch hearts.
Old Couples and Children
Sometimes the most moving dances are not the hardest ones. Two old people in love, dancing slow, can make the whole room stop. Or a child dancing with pure joy can remind us what dancing really is—fun and free.
Peeling the Onion
Life makes us put on layers, like an onion. We protect ourselves with fears and walls. Dance helps us peel those layers off. It can hurt, but it’s the only way to find who we really are inside.
Being Friends With Yourself
If I don’t like myself, how can I expect others to? Dance gives me a chance to accept myself and share my true self with the world. People want to see that. That’s when cameras drop, people stop recording, and everyone just feels the moment.
Tune into this awesome interview! Never miss a beat and SUBSCRIBE to receive Salsa Kings LIVE notifications on right here on YouTube or via Text Message: Text the word JOIN to 69922 #SalsaKings#SalsaKingsLIVE