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Dancing On Clave

By Barbara Craddock

Latin music is a mixture of two distinctly different musical genres -- the hypnotic repetitive syncopation found in African music, and the European or western “square” rhythm. Clave is a syncopated rhythm covering two bars in 4/4 time. It seeded in Cuba in the very early 1800’s. The slaves were fascinated by the chamber orchestras entertaining the plantation owners at their soirees, and the plantation owners were mesmerized by the rhythmic sounds emanating from the slave quarters. Each tinkered with the other’s sound, until in 1803, the first “hint” of clave was heard in a 1-1/2 minute composition, combining chamber instruments in their classic patterns and the African clave sticks, distinctly tapping out da da da, da da. All Latin music is written in clave. All of the instruments in the orchestra play in clave; therefore, dancers in order to be “in rhythm”
must learn to step on the clave.

The syncopated rhythm of the clave governs all Latin music. It is its metronome. It is what gives Latin music its swing. A full clave has two halves, a front half, and a back half. For the dancer, the two side of the clave is its strong side, (musically it is the weak side), which is marked on the forward step by the male, and the back step by the female. . If one counts the eight beats in two bars of music the forward clave, called a 3/2 clave, is counted 1, 2-1/2, 4, 6, 7, with the two side side being the 6, 7. In a reverse clave called a
2/3 clave, it is counted 2, 3, 5, 6-1/2, 8, with the two side being the 2, 3. Most of today’s music is written as a forward clave or a 3/2 clave. As a dancer, you train your ear to hear the two-side first, and step accordingly, no matter which way it runs. Once you do, you no longer have to count. Clave in Spanish, translated means “key” in English, supporting the fact, that clave is the “key” to the music. Claves are a musical instrument, two wooden sticks, that when tapped together mark the distinct rhythmic clicking sound of the clave. The larger one, held in the left hand, is the female or the hembra, and the smaller one, the striker, is the male, or the macho, in the right hand.


X --- X -------X -----X---X
1--2 --- -3 - --4 --5 --6 --7---8

 

---X - X - -- X - - -X -- X
1 -2 - 3 - -4 -5 --6 ---7--8

 

Depending upon how the music is written, these measures may start on either side. Thus, playing the 2-side first results in 2-3 clave, and beginning on the 3-side produces a 3-2 clave. From there, the clave remains consistent through every measure of the song; you just continue alternating measures. (Infrequently, the orchestra might reverse the clave in the middle of a number. Only the most experienced dancers will change with it.)


Much controversy exists regarding how to dance Salsa. On-1 dancers and On-2 dancers continually bicker about which way is better, each group insisting that their way is correct. However, to achieve greatness, one must dance without counting, not On-1 or On-2, but on the clave, by learning to hear, identify and use it in the dance.

On-1 dancers dance outside the music. On-2 dancers dance on top of the music. Clave dancers dance inside the music, which gives the dance a completely different flavor. I was an On-2 dancer for years, having graduated from On-1 many years ago. I was hooked On-2, and knew no other way. When I met my partner, the great Cuban Pete, his comment was that I was a very good dancer but I was “off rhythm.” I was shocked. He taught me to pay attention to the clave and use it in my dancing without counting. In turn, it liberated me,and took me to a higher plateau.

Cuban Pete & Barbara Craddock

Dancing On-2 is a misnomer, and if one looks at the diagram above, you will see that the second beat of the clave is 2-1/2 not 2. Dancing On-2 originally meant stepping out on the second beat of the clave. Over time, the concept became bleached to make it easier for the masses to adapt, and the studios began to teach the two as the second beat in the measure not the second beat of the clave, thus westernizing or Americanizing the Latin timing. What happens is that the step-out is too quick, and the dancer is not able to use the ½ beat hesitation to “slide in”. That movement separates ordinary from extraordinary.
1-2-3-5-6-7, and/or 2-3-4-6-7-8, is not clave.

Rock musicians keep time or tap on the 1st and 3rd beats of the 4 beat bar, jazz musicians the 2nd and 4th beat, and Latin musicians the clave; hence, to dance Latin on rhythm, one must dance on the clave.


Many people ask how to achieve this goal. Listen to music in which the orchestra uses claves (sticks) predominately. Train your ear to hear it, and then try stepping on the clave beats. You will feel yourself blending into the music and you will begin to dance on another level. Enjoy it!

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be published, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author, Barbara Craddock - bmc3336@aol.com.



Barbara Craddock

Choreographer, producer, and director, Barbara Craddock is an accomplished dancer, who has collaborated with renowned dancers internationally and nationally, in both nightclub and revues of varied dance styles.

Schooled in ballroom dance, she specializes in Latin dance. Certified by the National Dance Teachers of America and the National Dance Council of America, Barbara also holds an international license from the International Dance Organization.

She served as one of the Latin dance instructors and consultants for Miami City Ballet’s innovative “clave-based” ballet, “Mambo 2 a.m.,” and co-choreographed “Latin Magic” for the University of the Arts School of Dance.

She and her dance partner host capacity-filled “En Clave” workshops and lectures based on the history of Latin dance and music. She produces, choreographs, directs and performs in Latin ance revues for public and private events, and has adjudicated at many d prestigious dance competitions.
Cuban Pete & Barbara Craddock

The recipient of numerous awards and citations, she has appeared on local, national and international television and radio programs, and is part of the International Latin Music Hall of Fame’s “Dance on Canvas” series.

Barbara continues to share her mastery and love of authentic Latin dance and music, especially Mambo, with eager pupils, while infusing her own sizzling passion and style on the dance floor.

 

 

Palladium Days
1948-1966

By Barbara Craddock


 

Wednesday night at the Palladium, “Home of the Mambo”, was legendary. People from all walks of life crowded into its revered expanse on 53rd street and Broadway to see the “greatest Latin dancers in the world,” and dance to the live music of the big three, Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodriguez. (There weren’t any DJs back then.) The ballroom rocked with their “en clave” footfalls, so much so that the ceiling shook in the drug store below.

 

It was It was the first integrated ballroom; color, race, religion, or creed did not matter,highly unusual for the times. You were judged only by how well you could dance.The New York Puerto Ricans, with their fast feet and crazy rhythm, dominated the Palladium, liberally sprinkled with the Jews and Italians from the Bronx and Brooklyn, and the blacks from Harlem, all similarly fascinated with the Latin beat.Equally mesmerized were the famous celebrity patrons, the movie stars, athletic champions, and entertainers of the day, such as Ava Gardner, Kim Novak, Marlon Brando, Sugar Ray Robinson, Kid Gavalan, Denise Darcel, Diosa Costello, etc. Mambo was the magnet, the temptress, the sorcerer, and the seducer. With swaying bodies, slithering hips, and intricate footwork, it was hypnotic. The music with its irresistible, driving percussion, and incessant rhythmic energy, prodded the dancers to a frenzied peak.

My first time at the Palladium Ballroom was in the winter of 1955. It was on aWednesday evening the night of the dance contest, and the celebrated professional show.I was a wide-eyed teenager, young, impressionable, fascinated with Mambo,the dance, and Mambo, the music. There was a young Puerto Rican from the barrio, called Cuban Pete, whose dancing was legendary. Called by Tito Puente and George Goldner of Tico Records, “ the greatestmambo dancer ever,” he was the big attraction. Everyone waited with anticipation to see him perform with his

beautiful Italian wife and dancing partner, Millie Donay. (Note: They were the first racially mixed couple in the United States to perform on a public stage.)

After the dance contest, the audience moved toward the dance floor, squatting around its perimeter for a better view, awaiting Cuban Pete and Mille. I was at a table with my parents, equally eager to witness the upcoming performance. After the opening acts, the emcee announced “and here they are again, the ones you have been waiting for, Cuban Pete and Millie.” To thunderous applause, and vociferous cheers, they hit the stage. I will never forget their performance, or the exuberant audience reaction. Cuban Pete was wearing a blue brocade jacket and black tuxedo pants that emphasized his lithe slim body, his hair slicked back. Millie was wearing a matching blue brocade dress with a trumpet flare that hugged her curves, and her trademark high-heeled pumps.

(Millie never wore dancing shoes; ditto Pete). They performed a sizzling Mambo, marking
the music with the clave, utilizing several of the steps conceived by Cuban Pete, still the
standard of today, i.e., the cross body lead, the Susie Q, the kick tap tap, etc. They received a standing ovation. The emcee then announced that Cuban Pete and Millie would
conclude with a Guajira, a dance conceptualized by Pete. The audience cheered, aware
of the unique experience that would ensue.

The music was a special arrangement by Joe Loco of “Love for Sale”. The tempo was slower than Mambo, danced belly-to-belly, showcasing voluptuous bends, dips, and undulating hips. It was fabulously creative, and suggestive, but in good taste. It was the sexiest performance I had ever witnessed. The audience went wild.

After numerous bows, applause, and whistles, general dancing resumed, to the incredible
live music of the big three and other guest orchestras.

No one ever missed a Wednesday night at the Palladium; it had become a New York institution.

More than 40 years after its closing, people still idolize the Palladium, either from direct personal experience or by stories passed down to younger generations. It was a mythical time.

What made it so extraordinary, so memorable? The music for one was staggering in its scope, written and played in layers, with broad areas of improvisation. The orchestras utilized the traditional Latin instruments, bongo, claves, guido, maracas, etc., clearly marking the clave for the dancers to follow. Tito Puente brought the timbales to the front of the band; percussionists originated the use of 3 and sometimes 4 congas. The montuno sections of the music were fiery and prolific, providing vast harmonious improvisations, for themselves and for the dancers.

The dancers did not count; they listened for the clave and stepped out. They danced inside the music, synchronizing their steps with it, frolicking, teasing, and tantalizing it, utilizing its intrinsic rhythm. It was electrifying to “see” the music.

Various Latin tempos and “en clave” dance styles blossomed at the Palladium, the Bolero, Guaracha, Guaganco, Montuno, Son Montuno, Rumba, etc., being the most popular. Several were crafted, most notably the Mambo, Double Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Pachanga and of course Cuban Pete’s Guajira.

If I close my eyes I can still envision it, feel its pulses, and the subliminal heat generated by the music and the dancers. What a grand and glorious era.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be published, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author, Barbara Craddock. bmc3336@aol.com

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CUBAN PETE & BARBARA CRADDOCK RECEIVING 2007 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS AT MS. LATINA INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT

November 17, 2007 at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, FL

MIAMI…Cuban Pete and Barbara Craddock, two names synonymous with authentic Palladium style Mambo and Latin dance, will receive prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 2007/08 Ms. Latina International Pageant, Saturday, November 17, 2007, at Gulfstream Park and Casino, 901 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Pageant organizers, Angela & Al Posillico, will make the presentation, honoring the duo’s outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry in the Latin community. Cuban Pete and Barbara will also serve on the judging panel for this year’s event. TVA Productions, in conjunction with Craddock Management LLC, will film the gala.

TVA Productions and Craddock Management LLC are bringing to the screen the life story of Cuban Pete, “A Dancer’s Life en Clave.” Excerpts from the Pageant will be included, as will historic Latin greats of New York’s world famous Palladium Ballroom era.

Now in its fifth year, the Ms. Latina International pageant will have lovely Latina women from around the world vying for the coveted title, and will feature many Latin celebrities. The Ms. Latina International Organization is more than just a pageant; it is a “Way of Life” for young Latina women. Empowered through education, each year winning contestants have received four-year scholarships toward their education from many of the leading colleges in the community. In addition to the scholarship fund, the pageant is a fundraiser for their charity of choice, “Hope Hunger Crusade for Children.”

Mayela Rosales, the talented and beautiful Executive Vice President of Azteca America, will host this year’s pageant. Scott Grossman, official choreographer for the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, will head the choreography. Azteca America will televise this year’s event.

For further information on pre-pageant events, the final show, and tickets, please contact the Pageant headquarters at 954-227-6915, or visit our website at www.mslatinainternational.com.

For information on Cuban Pete and Barbara Craddock, call Craddock Management LLC at 305-931-3336 or visit their website at www.salsapower.com/cubanpete.

For driving directions to Gulfstream Park and Casino, visit www.mapquest.com.


Cuban Pete & Barbara Craddock
www.salsapower.com/cubanpete

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Cuban Pete & Barbara Craddock Performing In NYC on October 13, 2007

To Honor Millie Donay

Denise Gerard, Cuban Pete and Millie Donay’s daughter, and Abbey Plotkin, the premiere Mambo Mama diva, are hosting a dance social, honoring Millie Donay, on October 13, 2007, at St. Jean Le Baptiste Community Center. DJ Ray Colony and/or Rene Santiago will spin classic and updated mambo/salsa rhythms for general dancing commencing at 7:00 PM.

An All-Star Palladium Style Mambo Show will begin at 10:00 PM, featuring The Side Street Kids, former Palladium dancers Carmen Cruz, Freddie Rios, and others. Mambo legend Cuban Pete, who electrified the Latin dance world with Millie at the Palladium Ballroom 50+ years ago, will perform a sizzling classic Mambo en clave with current dance partner, Barbara Craddock. Event organizer and host, Denise Gerard, a respected professional dancer in her own right, will perform a solo in her mother’s memory. TVA Productions and Craddock Management LLC will film the event with esteemed videographer, Miguel Bernard, commanding the camera lens.

Latin dance legend Millie Donay passed away July 16, 2007, after a long bout with colon cancer. Millie made her mark in the Latin dance world, c.1950, at the famous Palladium Ballroom in New York City, dancing with Cuban Pete. They energized the world with their daring, innovative rhythmic moves, catapulting the Mambo to an international dance craze. Every Wednesday night, hordes of people (standing room only) gathered at the Palladium Ballroom on 54th Street and Broadway to watch them dance their scintillating Mambo, and sexy, steamy Guajira, amongst others.

Join us as we pay tribute to Millie, a true Latin dance pioneer. St. Jean Le Baptiste Community Center, with its beautiful wooden dance floor, is located at 184 E. 76th Street, between 3rd and Lexington. Hours are 7 PM – Midnight. Cost is $12.00 per person at the door, no advance tickets. Cash beverage bar and snacks available.

Memoriam donations are being accepted at:

Side Street Kids, 1310 Unionport Road, Bronx, New York 10462, Attn: Toni & Carlos Mendoza, Tel: 718-595-1000 or Email: sidestreetkids@hotmail.com.

Harbor Conservatory Dance Program, One East 104th Street, New York, New York 10029, Attn: Nina Olsen, Tel: 212-427-2244, ext. 577 or Email: nolson@boysharbor.org.

For additional event information, call Abbey at 718-381-9731 or visit www.MamboMamas.com or www.SalsaNewYork.com.

Contact Craddock Management LLC at 305-931-3336 for information on Cuban Pete & Barbara Craddock, or visit www.salsapower.com/cubanpete.

Cuban Pete & Barbara Craddock
www.salsapower.com/cubanpete
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Choreographer, producer, and director, Barbara Craddock is an award-winning, accomplished dancer, who has collaborated with renowned dancers internationally and nationally, in both nightclub and revues of varied dance styles. Schooled in ballroom dance, she specializes in Latin dance, particularly the Mambo. Credited as a true Palladium Mambo icon, Cuban Pete, “Mr. Mambo,” has invented scores of dance movements and hand embellishments viewed as the standards of Latin dance today. In his multi-decade career, he has performed in movies, television, stage, and has danced for American Presidents, heads of state and dignitaries, as well as serve as choreographer and consultant for the film, “Mambo Kings.” The recipient of numerous awards for his contributions to Latin dance, he is archived in the Smithsonian Institute. They were choreographic consultants for Miami City Ballet’s “Mambo No. 2 a.m.” and choreographers for “Latin Magic,” an original ballet at the University of the Arts School of Dance. Well known for their outstanding lectures and workshops, for anyone interested in Latin dance, they offer a wealth of information about Salsa/Mambo, the dance, the music, and the essential clave beat. For additional information on Barbara and Pete, please contact www.salsapower.com/cubanpete or call 305-931-3336.

For additional information on the library series, please contact Gina Moon, Teen Services Coordinator, 100 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, email: gmoon@browardlibrary.org, 954.357.7470 Voice, 954.357.7392 Fax.

Cuban Pete & Barbara Craddock
www.salsapower.com/cubanpete

Barbara Craddock & Cuban Pete