Should we include Zouk and Kizomba under Salsa Dances Styles?

Dance forms such as Brazilian Zouk, Kizomba and Reggaeton are rapidly growing in popularity in many countries and are being taught at an increasing number of international Salsa festivals worldwide. There are many dancers questioning whether these dance styles should be included under the definition of Salsa or not.   

Which are the official dance forms under the “umbrella name” Salsa? This question has been a reason for many heated debates in the past. The question of which Salsa Dance style is the best has even resulted in a Salsa Dance War between Salsa on1 and Mambo on2 dancers, which culminated in a fist fight at the Puerto Rico Salsa Congress. Eventually, the major protagonists of these two dance styles made a truce by accepting each others Salsa flavors as being equally viable. Many Cuban dancers still do not accept “Salsa dancing in lines” as a 'real' manner in which dancers are supposed to dance Salsa. However, a new movement has developed in the last few years in which dancers from all Salsa styles are copying each others dance techniques and integrating them into their own brand of sauce. 

Traditionally, Salsa dance instructors have been teaching two major dance forms in their Salsa courses: Salsa and Merengue. Many argued that Merengue should not be included under the Salsa Dance umbrella because of this dance originating in the Dominican Republic and not having the “quick-quick-slow” basic. The “country issue” soon disappeared after Bachata became popular: both Bachata music and dance also have their roots  in the Dominican Republic. Some Salsa dance instructors extended their own definition of Salsa dance forms by including all traditional dances originating in the Spanish speaking countries of the America's and the Caribbean. So, the Puerto Rican Bomba & Plena, the Cuban Rumba, the Colombian Cumbia and the Dominican Reggaeton are by their own definition all Salsa Dance forms.

The official language in Brazil is Portuguese, and not Spanish. Many Brazilian Zouk dance instructors and performers are not very eager to call their favorite dance “Salsa”. But, LambaZouk, ZoukLove and NeoZouk have used Salsa parties and festivals as platforms to grow and flourish. And, the basic of Zouk dancing is also “quick-quick-slow”. Kizomba, with it's origins in Angola and a direct derivative of Zouk, is  danced on Portuguese music and – like Zouk – is also growing in popularity at Salsa festivals.

Maybe it is time to break the language barrier to include these two dances under the Salsa umbrella. Ray Barretto and Jerry Masucci of Fania Records already gave an example of how things can be done when they defined Salsa music in 1964. Should we not do the same with Salsa Dance in 2010?

Any comments?    

Video clip of Kizomba Dance by Iris de Brito & Sa'id at the 4th Warsaw Salsa Festival held in 2008.