Sabor

One of the highest compliments you can pay a Latin dancer is telling them they dance with sabor (suhBOR). Yet there’s no official definition of sabor, and people have many different ideas about its meaning, some of them deeply philosophical or spiritual.

In fact, sabor is a common Spanish word that translates “flavor.” So, in simplest terms, a person who dances with sabor is simply a classy dancer - one who dances with style or passion.

End of story - unless you want to explore the finer nuances, philosophical ramifications and cultural differences.

What is sabor - really? Can it be taught? Is it a Latin thing or a dancer thing? In other words, can a non-Latino who takes his first salsa class at age fifty ever experience sabor?

From Attitude to Zen

All these questions and more are explored on a SalsaForums thread titled What is Sabor? - all twelve pages of it (as of December 1, 2011). In fact, you can probably find just about all you need to know about sabor there...though it may not really click until after you’ve spent thousands of hours on the dance floor.

Some describe sabor as an almost Zen-like state; “It’s one of those crazy moments,” comments one salsero. Another says, “Sabor is what makes us individuals, it is when your unique persona comes out in the dance or when your soul is shown in the dance.” Still another says Latinos say sabor in reference to a native style - “a cultural fusion of feeling, attitude and movement.”

I noted the similarity between sabor and duende, a term for the passion flamenco dancers strive to feel and project. Similarly, another poster compared sabor with the Indian word rasa - “the distinct flavour or spice of the moment. . . almost always related to music and dance in India.”

Of course, Flamenco was created by the Gypsies who originated in India, so maybe there’s some sort of cosmic connection between rasa and sabor, not to mention the spicy foods that characterize both Indian and Latin cuisine. In fact, the music and dance we call salsa derives its name from the spicy sauce of the same name.

Mi Sabor, Tu Sabor

The general consensus appears to be that sabor is subjective; don’t bother posting links to videos of people you think are dancing with sabor, because others might not find their dancing as inspirational. Ballroom dancers who perform technically perfect routines and salsa stars competing for international titles may be utterly devoid of sabor.

So I suppose we could distinguish between the sabor we see in others and the sabor we feel inside.

One of my favorite quotes in the thread comes from DJ Ara, who says,