Thursday, May 6, 2010

"Traditional" Salsa Attire

I can recall several times where at various gigs, the people I end up working for ask me and whomever I dance with to dress in "traditional" salsa attire, or in something "salsa-ish". When I hear those terms, I really can't help but scoff at it in my mind because I get the feeling that these people don't really know what they're asking for. I figure their conception of "salsa attire" is similar to what is seen on DWTS, which is SO not what we salseros wear. They don't realize that what we wear on any given night can range anywhere from jeans and a t-shirt to dress pants and a blazer, and everything in between (similar counterparts for women). Honestly, though, I wonder myself if I even know what "traditional" salsa garb is supposed to be. Am I, being of the salsero (not necessarily latino) culture, so detached from the latino aspect of it all that I don't know what is considered "salsa-wear"?

Any thoughts on this? What exactly falls under the umbrella of "traditional salsa attire"? Or is this term really just a myth as I suspect, and the people on the outside who ask for such a thing really just don't have a clue?