Cleveland, OH (February 2008)
Everything from mambo to the waltz, this magnificent dance studio has it all. I had the wonderful opportunity to teach again at Viva Dance Studio in Cleveland (Strongsville), Ohio owned by former Eddie Torres Dancer Rebecca Sweet. My stay in Cleveland has been a very enjoyable one.
Although the salsa scene is fairly small and predominately “On 1” in Cleveland, their heart and love for salsa is large. One of the more popular salsa clubs in Cleveland which I have had the chance to experience is The View (Fridays). Although everyone has been extremely friendly, I was pretty disappointed to witness the lack of “On 2” dancing, low level of dancing, and very limited and commercial selection of salsa/mambo music. Another event which I have had the opportunity to be part of is the “Salsa Jam” social held monthly by Viva Dance Studio where I enjoyed great music, performances, and live bands. Although the level is not very advanced at this social, attendance was high, music selection was unique, and I was exposed to much more “On 2” dancing. There was surely a great ambiance at this social.
As for schools of salsa, one of the best places to study salsa/mambo is at Viva Dance Studio. This studio is one of the best learning environments I have ever seen. Its gorgeous dance floor and ambiance makes every class and social a delight. Although there is some resistance towards NY Style mambo in Cleveland and level of dance is not very high overall, I was able to thankfully conduct successful workshops and privates the last weekend in April consisting of Ladies’ Styling, Intermediate Level Turn Patterns, and Intermediate level Shines at Viva Dance Studio. I also had the opportunity to teach “On 1” salsa at the nightclub “The View,” which I found not to be the most conducive environment for learning. There are 3 levels of salsa being taught at the same time in addition to very low lighting, no mirror, and low fast background music shared by all. However, the students were very pleasant and appreciative and learned the material quickly.
Cleveland has so much to offer in regards to salsa. Taking advantage of studios like Viva Dance in addition to welcoming all styles of salsa/mambo are the first steps salseros/as should take in order to improve their level and see growth in their dance. I want to thank everyone in Cleveland for taking advantage of what I had to offer and supporting me and Viva Dance Studio. Thank you Rebecca and the staff at Viva Dance for bringing me out to Cleveland, Ohio and showing me a GREAT time!
Although the salsa scene is fairly small and predominately “On 1” in Cleveland, their heart and love for salsa is large. One of the more popular salsa clubs in Cleveland which I have had the chance to experience is The View (Fridays). Although everyone has been extremely friendly, I was pretty disappointed to witness the lack of “On 2” dancing, low level of dancing, and very limited and commercial selection of salsa/mambo music. Another event which I have had the opportunity to be part of is the “Salsa Jam” social held monthly by Viva Dance Studio where I enjoyed great music, performances, and live bands. Although the level is not very advanced at this social, attendance was high, music selection was unique, and I was exposed to much more “On 2” dancing. There was surely a great ambiance at this social.
As for schools of salsa, one of the best places to study salsa/mambo is at Viva Dance Studio. This studio is one of the best learning environments I have ever seen. Its gorgeous dance floor and ambiance makes every class and social a delight. Although there is some resistance towards NY Style mambo in Cleveland and level of dance is not very high overall, I was able to thankfully conduct successful workshops and privates the last weekend in April consisting of Ladies’ Styling, Intermediate Level Turn Patterns, and Intermediate level Shines at Viva Dance Studio. I also had the opportunity to teach “On 1” salsa at the nightclub “The View,” which I found not to be the most conducive environment for learning. There are 3 levels of salsa being taught at the same time in addition to very low lighting, no mirror, and low fast background music shared by all. However, the students were very pleasant and appreciative and learned the material quickly.
Cleveland has so much to offer in regards to salsa. Taking advantage of studios like Viva Dance in addition to welcoming all styles of salsa/mambo are the first steps salseros/as should take in order to improve their level and see growth in their dance. I want to thank everyone in Cleveland for taking advantage of what I had to offer and supporting me and Viva Dance Studio. Thank you Rebecca and the staff at Viva Dance for bringing me out to Cleveland, Ohio and showing me a GREAT time!
Miami Blitz 2008 (June 2008)
“Wet Willies anyone?” is what rolled off everyone’s tongue as the Miami Blitz crew relaxed on the sandy white beach and crystal blue waters of South Beach, Miami. Yes, this is how I spent my weekend at the 2008 Miami Blitz event.
A small but personal event, the 2008 Miami Blitz was a great success. We started the weekend off by hanging in the pool, barbequing and playing chicken fights and ended it by spending all day on South Beach drinking the world famous Wet Willies drinks “Call a Cab.” I did not get to experience much of Miami’s nightclub scene, however, we did check out one of Miami’s premiere Latin Club called Yuca (Fridays). Despite the very commercial salsa music played, I had a blast with the Blitz crew. The crowd was mainly “On 1,” but I did find quite a few “On 2” dancers at a good level. I did have the fortunate pleasure of bumping into Descarga Latina’s Sekou McMiller, one of my good friends, who was debuting the Celia Cruz play in Miami.
The main salsa event “Miami Blitz” hosted by BTS, imambo.tv, and Clavekazi yielded a great turnout. The music was great and I found myself surrounded by more “On 2” dancers. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere. In addition, my parents and some family members came down to support me which truly made the event and weekend extra special! Although a small line-up, the shows added a nice touch to the event. I had the great opportunity to debut for the first time with Darlin Garcia (Art In Motion) from Philadelphia as well as share the stage with 2 of the ClaveKazi members. Great friends and performers Al and Karla Espinoza came to show support for Darlin and I which was greatly appreciated.
One of the downfalls of the weekend was the limited attendance at the workshops. The workshops were held in one of Miami’s main salsa studios, Aventura dance, a small but elegant dance studio. The workshops consisted of intermediate turn patterns taught by Darlin Garcia, Bachata taught by Tato Paredes, Ladies styling taught by myself, shines and body movement taught by Shaka Brown, and Teacher Combo Pattern Class taught by all instructors. Since the class size was small, the atmosphere was more personal and intimate.
I want to express a great big thank you to shaka brown (clavekazi.com) and jareau almeyda (imambo.tv) for bringing me to Miami Blitz and showing me a great time in Miami! Can’t wait for the next trip.
A small but personal event, the 2008 Miami Blitz was a great success. We started the weekend off by hanging in the pool, barbequing and playing chicken fights and ended it by spending all day on South Beach drinking the world famous Wet Willies drinks “Call a Cab.” I did not get to experience much of Miami’s nightclub scene, however, we did check out one of Miami’s premiere Latin Club called Yuca (Fridays). Despite the very commercial salsa music played, I had a blast with the Blitz crew. The crowd was mainly “On 1,” but I did find quite a few “On 2” dancers at a good level. I did have the fortunate pleasure of bumping into Descarga Latina’s Sekou McMiller, one of my good friends, who was debuting the Celia Cruz play in Miami.
The main salsa event “Miami Blitz” hosted by BTS, imambo.tv, and Clavekazi yielded a great turnout. The music was great and I found myself surrounded by more “On 2” dancers. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere. In addition, my parents and some family members came down to support me which truly made the event and weekend extra special! Although a small line-up, the shows added a nice touch to the event. I had the great opportunity to debut for the first time with Darlin Garcia (Art In Motion) from Philadelphia as well as share the stage with 2 of the ClaveKazi members. Great friends and performers Al and Karla Espinoza came to show support for Darlin and I which was greatly appreciated.
One of the downfalls of the weekend was the limited attendance at the workshops. The workshops were held in one of Miami’s main salsa studios, Aventura dance, a small but elegant dance studio. The workshops consisted of intermediate turn patterns taught by Darlin Garcia, Bachata taught by Tato Paredes, Ladies styling taught by myself, shines and body movement taught by Shaka Brown, and Teacher Combo Pattern Class taught by all instructors. Since the class size was small, the atmosphere was more personal and intimate.
I want to express a great big thank you to shaka brown (clavekazi.com) and jareau almeyda (imambo.tv) for bringing me to Miami Blitz and showing me a great time in Miami! Can’t wait for the next trip.
Vienna, Austria (March-April 2008)
Schnitzels and Sachertorte! Mmm, Mmm good. These are 2 of the most popular dishes and desserts from Vienna, Austria which I absolutely fell in love with in addition to its amazing sights. The 2 1/2 weeks I stayed there was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on and one of the most memorable.
Everything from great food, luxurious sight-seeing, sassy shopping and of course salsa dancing , I had the opportunity to experience. Although Vienna’s salsa scene is small and predominately Cuban style and “On 1,” New York Style “On 2” is significantly growing and peoples’ interest are peaking. As a result, the level for dancing was not as high as some places I have been, however, the crave to learn and the talent are growing incrementally. Vienna has three main clubs which promote salsa-El Dorado Club (Mondays), Volksgarten (Thursdays) and the legendary Floridita (Wednesdays), which is a replica of the famous Latin Club and dance school in Cuba. Furthermore, Vienna’s salseros also share their love for mambo at different socials such as “The Strictly Salsa Social with A Little Bit of Cha Cha” held monthly by Yvonne Habek , Zoran Djurkin, and Thomas and others held by various promoters. Although attendance was not high at the weekly salsa nights because of the small scene, I had such a blast each and every time I went out socially. I felt so at home everywhere I went. All the salseros/as made me feel comfortable and definitely put me to work (lol), which was GREAT!
As for schools that teach salsa, the most well known is The Floridita school, however, there are many solo instructors which teach as well. I based my instruction in what I felt Vienna was lacking and the people’s suggestions. One area with needed improvement was the limited use of ladies’ styling. In addition, I found that men’s leading was lacking as well as the contrabody movement for both men and women. As a result of these observations and people’s suggestions, I taught a variety of workshops and privates consisting of Ladies Styling, Spinning for men and ladies, Body Movement, Lead and Follow, Cha Cha Cha, Intermediate Turn Patterns, Pachanga and lastly Styling in Partnering both On 1 and On 2. All the workshops and privates were thankfully a great success and I really enjoyed them very much.
Vienna has so much to offer from remarkable sights, delicious food, and most importantly great people and dancing. As long as they continue to expose themselves to all that salsa has to offer by attending many congresses and bringing in experienced and known artists to teach, Vienna will continue to grow. I want to thank everyone in Vienna for making me feel at home right from the start and taking advantage of what I had to offer. I hope that I was able to offer something new and different to the scene. Because of your support, this tour was successful. Thank you so much Yvonne and Zoran from dancingsalsa.at for bringing me to Vienna and showing me a GREAT time! Love ya much!
Everything from great food, luxurious sight-seeing, sassy shopping and of course salsa dancing , I had the opportunity to experience. Although Vienna’s salsa scene is small and predominately Cuban style and “On 1,” New York Style “On 2” is significantly growing and peoples’ interest are peaking. As a result, the level for dancing was not as high as some places I have been, however, the crave to learn and the talent are growing incrementally. Vienna has three main clubs which promote salsa-El Dorado Club (Mondays), Volksgarten (Thursdays) and the legendary Floridita (Wednesdays), which is a replica of the famous Latin Club and dance school in Cuba. Furthermore, Vienna’s salseros also share their love for mambo at different socials such as “The Strictly Salsa Social with A Little Bit of Cha Cha” held monthly by Yvonne Habek , Zoran Djurkin, and Thomas and others held by various promoters. Although attendance was not high at the weekly salsa nights because of the small scene, I had such a blast each and every time I went out socially. I felt so at home everywhere I went. All the salseros/as made me feel comfortable and definitely put me to work (lol), which was GREAT!
As for schools that teach salsa, the most well known is The Floridita school, however, there are many solo instructors which teach as well. I based my instruction in what I felt Vienna was lacking and the people’s suggestions. One area with needed improvement was the limited use of ladies’ styling. In addition, I found that men’s leading was lacking as well as the contrabody movement for both men and women. As a result of these observations and people’s suggestions, I taught a variety of workshops and privates consisting of Ladies Styling, Spinning for men and ladies, Body Movement, Lead and Follow, Cha Cha Cha, Intermediate Turn Patterns, Pachanga and lastly Styling in Partnering both On 1 and On 2. All the workshops and privates were thankfully a great success and I really enjoyed them very much.
Vienna has so much to offer from remarkable sights, delicious food, and most importantly great people and dancing. As long as they continue to expose themselves to all that salsa has to offer by attending many congresses and bringing in experienced and known artists to teach, Vienna will continue to grow. I want to thank everyone in Vienna for making me feel at home right from the start and taking advantage of what I had to offer. I hope that I was able to offer something new and different to the scene. Because of your support, this tour was successful. Thank you so much Yvonne and Zoran from dancingsalsa.at for bringing me to Vienna and showing me a GREAT time! Love ya much!
Washington D.C. (August 2008)
The White House, The Capitol, The Washington Monument-None of these great landmarks can compare to the Washington DC Salsa Congress at the Crystal City Hilton in Arlington, VA (lol). Although this congress was a smaller event, the atmosphere was pleasant and intimate which made it easier for everyone to mingle and enjoy the event. This congress was particularly special to me because my kids company "Fuerza Positiva" debuted for the first time.
The DC Congress was filled with 3 days and nights of mambo/salsa performances and social dancing and 2 days of fun-filled workshops. Shaka Brown did a great job putting together a great line-up for this congress which included Junior and Emily from CA, Caribbean Soul Dancers from NJ, Al and Karla Espinoza from CA/FL, Art in Motion from PA, ClaveKazi from DC, Mouaze from France, Leon Rose from UK, Team Carnaval from Japan, and many other great teams and couples. I had the pleasure to perform a new mambo routine yet again with Darlin Garcia from "Art in Motion" dance team which received a great response from the audience. Surprisingly so, the shows started on time each night. I found that most of the performances were performed "On 2" at a pretty good level. I found the stage and sound to be perfect for performing, however, I was disappointed by the lighting from both the point of view of a dancer and spectator. Also, the original MC of ceremonies was not too my liking either. He used inappropriate humor and he did not provide a proper intro for all the dancers prior to their performance because he was unfamiliar with their history and background. Once Shaka Brown took over as MC, I found the crowd to be more at ease and genuinely humored as well as myself. I was very proud to watch my kids group Fuerza Postiva perform. Although they were very nervous and slightly overwhelmed, they handled everything like pros and enjoyed themselves totally.
This congress had a variety of workshops consisting of ladies and men's styling, shines, turn patterns, lifts and tricks, body movement, hip hop, bachata and finally belly salsa. I found the turnout for most workshops to be pretty successful. I had a great time teaching my 2 workshops-Shines "On 2" and Ladies' Styling. On top of having the support of my kids group at each workshop, the turnout for my workshops was great. On Saturday in the Shines workshop, I taught a more rhythmical combination using mainly chordbeats and then picking up the pace to more syncopated movements. For Sunday's ladies' styling workshop, I started off with a quick body movement warm-up and then took suggestions of the class as to what they wanted to learn. I was able to incorporate everyone's suggestions and hopefully was able to address everyone's needs. I had a blast in my workshops, thanks to the students.
Socially, everything was great. The music was great and I was surrounded by more "On 2" dancers than any other style. The social dance floor was perfect for dancing and the atmosphere was very friendly. I was happy to spend time with some of my favorite salsa performers and friends whom I have not seen in a long time-Junior and Emily, Al and Karla, Ismael and Shani, Mouaze, Johnathan and Hana, Leon Rose and Danielle and Pamela. My kids group found themselves amazed by all the dancers they were surrounded by social dancing. They appreciated watching myself and many other good dancers and they became really inspired after this congress which makes me proud. There was also a second room where they played bachata, some salsa and reggaeton which was a nice place to getaway from the madness and chill out for a second.
Overall, I found the congress to be successful. Everything worked out great for my kids group and their parents as well as myself. First, I want to thank everyone who supported me this weekend and who attended my workshops. Also, I want to thank Darlin Garcia for giving me the opportunity to work with him again and Shaka Brown and Jareau Almeyda for bringing me and my kids group down to share our talent at your congress. Hope to see you next year!
The DC Congress was filled with 3 days and nights of mambo/salsa performances and social dancing and 2 days of fun-filled workshops. Shaka Brown did a great job putting together a great line-up for this congress which included Junior and Emily from CA, Caribbean Soul Dancers from NJ, Al and Karla Espinoza from CA/FL, Art in Motion from PA, ClaveKazi from DC, Mouaze from France, Leon Rose from UK, Team Carnaval from Japan, and many other great teams and couples. I had the pleasure to perform a new mambo routine yet again with Darlin Garcia from "Art in Motion" dance team which received a great response from the audience. Surprisingly so, the shows started on time each night. I found that most of the performances were performed "On 2" at a pretty good level. I found the stage and sound to be perfect for performing, however, I was disappointed by the lighting from both the point of view of a dancer and spectator. Also, the original MC of ceremonies was not too my liking either. He used inappropriate humor and he did not provide a proper intro for all the dancers prior to their performance because he was unfamiliar with their history and background. Once Shaka Brown took over as MC, I found the crowd to be more at ease and genuinely humored as well as myself. I was very proud to watch my kids group Fuerza Postiva perform. Although they were very nervous and slightly overwhelmed, they handled everything like pros and enjoyed themselves totally.
This congress had a variety of workshops consisting of ladies and men's styling, shines, turn patterns, lifts and tricks, body movement, hip hop, bachata and finally belly salsa. I found the turnout for most workshops to be pretty successful. I had a great time teaching my 2 workshops-Shines "On 2" and Ladies' Styling. On top of having the support of my kids group at each workshop, the turnout for my workshops was great. On Saturday in the Shines workshop, I taught a more rhythmical combination using mainly chordbeats and then picking up the pace to more syncopated movements. For Sunday's ladies' styling workshop, I started off with a quick body movement warm-up and then took suggestions of the class as to what they wanted to learn. I was able to incorporate everyone's suggestions and hopefully was able to address everyone's needs. I had a blast in my workshops, thanks to the students.
Socially, everything was great. The music was great and I was surrounded by more "On 2" dancers than any other style. The social dance floor was perfect for dancing and the atmosphere was very friendly. I was happy to spend time with some of my favorite salsa performers and friends whom I have not seen in a long time-Junior and Emily, Al and Karla, Ismael and Shani, Mouaze, Johnathan and Hana, Leon Rose and Danielle and Pamela. My kids group found themselves amazed by all the dancers they were surrounded by social dancing. They appreciated watching myself and many other good dancers and they became really inspired after this congress which makes me proud. There was also a second room where they played bachata, some salsa and reggaeton which was a nice place to getaway from the madness and chill out for a second.
Overall, I found the congress to be successful. Everything worked out great for my kids group and their parents as well as myself. First, I want to thank everyone who supported me this weekend and who attended my workshops. Also, I want to thank Darlin Garcia for giving me the opportunity to work with him again and Shaka Brown and Jareau Almeyda for bringing me and my kids group down to share our talent at your congress. Hope to see you next year!
New York, NY (August 2008)
The Hilton on 53rd and 6th Avenue was rockin' this Labor Day Weekend in every way! What a congress the NY Salsa Congress was this year, probably one of the best I have been to in a long time. NY was put back on the map as the mecca of Mambo after this highly praised event!
The congress consisted of 4 days and nights of performances, workshops, and social dancing with a week of Pre NY Congress events in some of NY's premiere salsa night clubs and socials. Unfortunately, I was only able to start partying with the NY salsa congress crowd on the Monday before the actual start of the congress, but the reviews from the weekend prior were nothing far from short. Mambofateegz started the week off with their "All White" social and the partying continued until the following Monday at the Yamulee social and then the weekly Taj nightclub. I attended Session 73 on Monday, Sidebar (formerly known as Link) on Tuesday, and then Club Cache's opening party for the NY congress on Wednesday. Each and every night was filled with people, with not much room to dance anywhere. But that didn't stop anyone, not even me, from having a great time and dancing our butts off,lol.
Unfortunately, I didn't attend Thursday night at the congress with the purpose of preparing for the hectic and fast-paced weekend that lied ahead of me (hee, hee). Bust the rest of the nights were great, with Sunday being the strongest night of them all I believe. The shocker to us all is that all the afternoon and night shows started promptly which kind of threw us regularly late New Yorkers off a bit at the beginning (lol). Because the shows started on time, the length of the shows were just perfect, not too long and not too short, which allowed for more social dancing afterwards. The NY Congress had one of the most premiere line-ups such as Maykel Fonts, Juan Matos, Candy Mena, Hache y Machete, Al and Karla Espinoza, Karisma Dancers, Santo Rico, Yamulee, Caribbean Soul Dancers, Adolfo and Sheila, Davis Paris and Zoe, Victor and Gaby, Young Bloodz, Carmen Lorente, and many more spectacular acts. There were so many wonderful acts that it is hard to mention them all. Of course, the majority of the acts were performed "On 2" given the fact that NY is the hometown for "On 2" dancing. All the acts were amazing and such a pleasure to watch, particularly Maykel Fonts. This Cuban born performer was one of the main headliners of the weekend because of his exceptional talent and the fact that this was his first trip ever to NY and to the US. I had the pleasure of lighting up the stage Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night with the one and only "Mambo King" Eddie Torres. On Friday, we performed a charanga routine; Saturday, a typical mambo which was a debut for us; and Sunday a Cha Cha Cha. We were received very well by the audience after each performance which was such a pleasure to hear. The experience of sharing a stage with Eddie Torres is an indescribable feeling, one that I appreciate very much.
One of the highlights of the weekend was Saturday's "New York's Got Salsa Youth" afternoon performances. My kids dance team "Fuerza Positiva" performed once again at this venue and performed very well. They found themselves feeling more comfortable with the stage and felt at home with all the other youth dance teams. All the kids that performed were absolutely amazing, especially the kids' groups from Puerto Rico. The audience, which was just as packed as one of the evening shows, fell in love with the kids and responded so well to them all. All the kids' teams brought such a unique energy to the congress, one that people were talking about all weekend long. Another component of the congress was the 2nd Annual NYSC Championships which unfortunately I did not have the pleasure to watch due to the my hectic schedule for the weekend. I believe a total of 8 couple competed, with Kelvin and Licelott from Puerto Rico taking home 1st place and the chance to compete in the ESPN World Salsa Championships in December.
From beginner to intermediate levels, Shines to Partner work, Styling to Afrocuban, the NY Salsa Congress had a great array of workshops for all levels and styles. Some of the instructors included Hache Y Machete, Dicky Colon, Amanda Estilo, Duplessey Walker, Thomas Guerrero, Jayson Molina, Sekou McMiller, Maykel Fonts, Adolfo and Sheila, Yesenia Peralta, and many more top notch instructors. Maria Torres and myself assisted Eddie in his 3 workshops on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday-all shines and partnering classes. We had a blast in all the classes and I believed so did the students. After Eddie taught the shine combo for each class, he would then go into a shines demo and Maria and I would try to follow him as he went off to another "world" per say, lol. We received great feedback about the workshops which is always appreciated. Eddie then taught his regular world renowned Sunday 3 hour advanced class at Dance Manhattan Studios which was also packed. In addition to his regular regime of shines and partnering, he gave the class a "treat" by demonstrating some of his more popular shines to slow tempo music as everyone sat and watched or recorded.
The social dancing was probably the highlight of the entire weekend. The music, which consisted of live music and DJ Music (national and international DJ's), was real good. Many of the top performers were out social dancing in and outside of the main ballroom. Right outside the main ballroom was the "V" lounge, a place for people to social dance to music and practice what they have learned throughout the weekend. The music at times was so good that it prompted some of us performers to social dance right on the rug. On Saturday, the "V" lounge had a band titled "Orquesta Dicupe" that was swinging. In addition, some of the other "swinging" bands that performed throughout the weekend were Ocho Y Mas and La Excelencia on Friday, Ray Rodriguez Y Sabroso Swing on Saturday, and the great sounds of Adalberto Santiago and Tito Allen on Sunday. A nice touch to the weekend was the Salsa Red Friday "Dance for Your Heart" Night, where some of the guests wore a red outfit or accessory to support the American Heart Association. The great music was such a great treat to hear as I either danced or socialized with performers, students, my kids from the group, or my good friends from Vienna and all around the world each night. As I looked around, everyone seemed to be in Salsa bliss as they danced each night away.
Overall, the congress was a huge success. The amount of feedback that I received from New Yorkers as well as the many international people who attended the congress was all positive. The event was well-organized, the staff was very pleasurable, and it was so easy to find out what was going on and where. I want to thank Choco and Edwin from Mambofateegz for allowing me to perform this weekend. If you missed this year's congress, make sure to make it to next year's. Hope to see you next year!
The congress consisted of 4 days and nights of performances, workshops, and social dancing with a week of Pre NY Congress events in some of NY's premiere salsa night clubs and socials. Unfortunately, I was only able to start partying with the NY salsa congress crowd on the Monday before the actual start of the congress, but the reviews from the weekend prior were nothing far from short. Mambofateegz started the week off with their "All White" social and the partying continued until the following Monday at the Yamulee social and then the weekly Taj nightclub. I attended Session 73 on Monday, Sidebar (formerly known as Link) on Tuesday, and then Club Cache's opening party for the NY congress on Wednesday. Each and every night was filled with people, with not much room to dance anywhere. But that didn't stop anyone, not even me, from having a great time and dancing our butts off,lol.
Unfortunately, I didn't attend Thursday night at the congress with the purpose of preparing for the hectic and fast-paced weekend that lied ahead of me (hee, hee). Bust the rest of the nights were great, with Sunday being the strongest night of them all I believe. The shocker to us all is that all the afternoon and night shows started promptly which kind of threw us regularly late New Yorkers off a bit at the beginning (lol). Because the shows started on time, the length of the shows were just perfect, not too long and not too short, which allowed for more social dancing afterwards. The NY Congress had one of the most premiere line-ups such as Maykel Fonts, Juan Matos, Candy Mena, Hache y Machete, Al and Karla Espinoza, Karisma Dancers, Santo Rico, Yamulee, Caribbean Soul Dancers, Adolfo and Sheila, Davis Paris and Zoe, Victor and Gaby, Young Bloodz, Carmen Lorente, and many more spectacular acts. There were so many wonderful acts that it is hard to mention them all. Of course, the majority of the acts were performed "On 2" given the fact that NY is the hometown for "On 2" dancing. All the acts were amazing and such a pleasure to watch, particularly Maykel Fonts. This Cuban born performer was one of the main headliners of the weekend because of his exceptional talent and the fact that this was his first trip ever to NY and to the US. I had the pleasure of lighting up the stage Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night with the one and only "Mambo King" Eddie Torres. On Friday, we performed a charanga routine; Saturday, a typical mambo which was a debut for us; and Sunday a Cha Cha Cha. We were received very well by the audience after each performance which was such a pleasure to hear. The experience of sharing a stage with Eddie Torres is an indescribable feeling, one that I appreciate very much.
One of the highlights of the weekend was Saturday's "New York's Got Salsa Youth" afternoon performances. My kids dance team "Fuerza Positiva" performed once again at this venue and performed very well. They found themselves feeling more comfortable with the stage and felt at home with all the other youth dance teams. All the kids that performed were absolutely amazing, especially the kids' groups from Puerto Rico. The audience, which was just as packed as one of the evening shows, fell in love with the kids and responded so well to them all. All the kids' teams brought such a unique energy to the congress, one that people were talking about all weekend long. Another component of the congress was the 2nd Annual NYSC Championships which unfortunately I did not have the pleasure to watch due to the my hectic schedule for the weekend. I believe a total of 8 couple competed, with Kelvin and Licelott from Puerto Rico taking home 1st place and the chance to compete in the ESPN World Salsa Championships in December.
From beginner to intermediate levels, Shines to Partner work, Styling to Afrocuban, the NY Salsa Congress had a great array of workshops for all levels and styles. Some of the instructors included Hache Y Machete, Dicky Colon, Amanda Estilo, Duplessey Walker, Thomas Guerrero, Jayson Molina, Sekou McMiller, Maykel Fonts, Adolfo and Sheila, Yesenia Peralta, and many more top notch instructors. Maria Torres and myself assisted Eddie in his 3 workshops on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday-all shines and partnering classes. We had a blast in all the classes and I believed so did the students. After Eddie taught the shine combo for each class, he would then go into a shines demo and Maria and I would try to follow him as he went off to another "world" per say, lol. We received great feedback about the workshops which is always appreciated. Eddie then taught his regular world renowned Sunday 3 hour advanced class at Dance Manhattan Studios which was also packed. In addition to his regular regime of shines and partnering, he gave the class a "treat" by demonstrating some of his more popular shines to slow tempo music as everyone sat and watched or recorded.
The social dancing was probably the highlight of the entire weekend. The music, which consisted of live music and DJ Music (national and international DJ's), was real good. Many of the top performers were out social dancing in and outside of the main ballroom. Right outside the main ballroom was the "V" lounge, a place for people to social dance to music and practice what they have learned throughout the weekend. The music at times was so good that it prompted some of us performers to social dance right on the rug. On Saturday, the "V" lounge had a band titled "Orquesta Dicupe" that was swinging. In addition, some of the other "swinging" bands that performed throughout the weekend were Ocho Y Mas and La Excelencia on Friday, Ray Rodriguez Y Sabroso Swing on Saturday, and the great sounds of Adalberto Santiago and Tito Allen on Sunday. A nice touch to the weekend was the Salsa Red Friday "Dance for Your Heart" Night, where some of the guests wore a red outfit or accessory to support the American Heart Association. The great music was such a great treat to hear as I either danced or socialized with performers, students, my kids from the group, or my good friends from Vienna and all around the world each night. As I looked around, everyone seemed to be in Salsa bliss as they danced each night away.
Overall, the congress was a huge success. The amount of feedback that I received from New Yorkers as well as the many international people who attended the congress was all positive. The event was well-organized, the staff was very pleasurable, and it was so easy to find out what was going on and where. I want to thank Choco and Edwin from Mambofateegz for allowing me to perform this weekend. If you missed this year's congress, make sure to make it to next year's. Hope to see you next year!
Hamburg, Germany (July 2008)
My trip To Hamburg, Germany was sincerely a memorable one. Eddie Torres and I debut again for the first time since 2006 and I couldn't have asked for a better debut with the "Mambo King."
The event took place at the Congress Center at the Radisson Hotel in Hamburg, Germany, a venue that was of a good size and location. The weekend consisted of 3 days of shows, workshops and social dancing as well as a performance by the world renowned Salsa artist and band Andy Montanez and Mercado Negro on Saturday night. In addition to Eddie Torres and myself, some of the top international artists included Yamulee, Luis Vazquez and Melissa Fernandez, Fernando Vazquez and Charlene Rose, Ramon Morales and Vanessa, Adolfo and Sheila, Anne and Anichi, Anke and Gil, and many more. I also got to see some exciting brand new talents on stage, such as Manuel Dos Santos, which added a nice spice to the performance line-up. The congress also held a variety of workshops taught by the international artists spanned across 4 different rooms at the same time.
My first night (Thursday) in Hamburg began with a visit to one of its premiere salsa clubs "El Makumbe." I found myself surrounded by pretty good music and great company. However, I found it difficult to social dance because it was pretty packed, which I guess is a good thing. I really liked the ambiance of the club and the location was very close to the Radisson where I stayed. Although I found there to be more an "On 1" crowd , I enjoyed myself very much.
Thankfully, Eddie and I recieved a huge turnout for all our workshops. On Friday, Eddie and I were the only artists sheduled to instruct 3 special workshops increasing in difficulty from beginner to advanced levels. Eddie decided to focus the first two workshops on more rhythmical steps and movements and later titled the sessions "Sabor." The people were enjoying themselves greatly and were trying to get into the soul of the music. He later changed the mood of the workshops and progressed to more intricate syncopated steps and movements. In addition to mambo shines and turns, Eddie's repetoire of workshops included Cha Cha Cha and pachanga (as requested by one of the students). Eddie and I left each workshop drenched in sweat (probably more than the students, lol) and lovin' it. The level of the students was pretty high as many were picking up much of the material being taught failry easy. The amount of feedback we received about the workshops was great!
Each night had 2 sets of shows and the line-up consisted of both "On 1" and "On 2" performers which I thought catered to crowd. Although the calibur of the performances was pretty high, I did find last year's congress to have more international artists in the line-up. I found most of the event to be fairly organized. However, one of the setbacks of the weekends was the slippery stage that many dancers struggled with the entire weekend. In addition to "fast" floor, the lighting was not the best and many people complained about the lack of seating to watch the shows. Furthermore, the latter half of the stage had the band equipment the 1st two nights of the shows which did not present as a good back drop for the performances. Eddie and I started off the weekend with a classic charanga routine on Friday night which was received very well by the crowd. We followed the second night with another charanga routine, but with a more primitive and soulful attitude and look. The last night we finished with a brand new Cha Cha Cha routine which we performed just about flawlessly. Overall, Eddie and I received an unbelievable amount of compliments and positive feedback by the students, performers, and organizers which made us feel very proud and accomplished.
As for the nightly socials, I believed that the turnout was pretty large. Although on my previous trips to Germany I have encountered a lot more "On 1" dancers, I found myself surrounded by more "On 2" dancers at this congress and at a good level. I found the music to be overall pretty good thanks to DJ Dave and some of the other DJ's that played. Although I found the dance floor to be a little slippery, I still enjoyed dancing with both the artists and students from all over the world. The treat of the weekend was being able to watch and listen to Andy Montanez and Mercado Negro on Saturday night. It was such a pleasure being able to dance to such great live music, and what a swing this band had! The audience also reacted well to the band I thought as evidenced by the crowd yelling "Otra, Otra" as the band tried to finish their last set. The band played the "extra" song by request which was phenomenal.
I found the weekend to be a great success thanks to many. I received so much love from the people of Germany and from many who came from abroad and I want to extend a great big "Thank You" to those who did. I am also very greatful for those who have showed so me so much support and have expressed such good fortune for me and Eddie Torres. I also want to say thanks to my mentor and partner Eddie Torres for giving me the opportunity to work with you once again. It's is truly an opportunity of a lifetime and I am thankful for this opportunity. Lastly, I want to thank Imad and the staff at Imad Productions for bringing myself and Eddie Torres out to the congress. I hope to return to the congress next year!!
The event took place at the Congress Center at the Radisson Hotel in Hamburg, Germany, a venue that was of a good size and location. The weekend consisted of 3 days of shows, workshops and social dancing as well as a performance by the world renowned Salsa artist and band Andy Montanez and Mercado Negro on Saturday night. In addition to Eddie Torres and myself, some of the top international artists included Yamulee, Luis Vazquez and Melissa Fernandez, Fernando Vazquez and Charlene Rose, Ramon Morales and Vanessa, Adolfo and Sheila, Anne and Anichi, Anke and Gil, and many more. I also got to see some exciting brand new talents on stage, such as Manuel Dos Santos, which added a nice spice to the performance line-up. The congress also held a variety of workshops taught by the international artists spanned across 4 different rooms at the same time.
My first night (Thursday) in Hamburg began with a visit to one of its premiere salsa clubs "El Makumbe." I found myself surrounded by pretty good music and great company. However, I found it difficult to social dance because it was pretty packed, which I guess is a good thing. I really liked the ambiance of the club and the location was very close to the Radisson where I stayed. Although I found there to be more an "On 1" crowd , I enjoyed myself very much.
Thankfully, Eddie and I recieved a huge turnout for all our workshops. On Friday, Eddie and I were the only artists sheduled to instruct 3 special workshops increasing in difficulty from beginner to advanced levels. Eddie decided to focus the first two workshops on more rhythmical steps and movements and later titled the sessions "Sabor." The people were enjoying themselves greatly and were trying to get into the soul of the music. He later changed the mood of the workshops and progressed to more intricate syncopated steps and movements. In addition to mambo shines and turns, Eddie's repetoire of workshops included Cha Cha Cha and pachanga (as requested by one of the students). Eddie and I left each workshop drenched in sweat (probably more than the students, lol) and lovin' it. The level of the students was pretty high as many were picking up much of the material being taught failry easy. The amount of feedback we received about the workshops was great!
Each night had 2 sets of shows and the line-up consisted of both "On 1" and "On 2" performers which I thought catered to crowd. Although the calibur of the performances was pretty high, I did find last year's congress to have more international artists in the line-up. I found most of the event to be fairly organized. However, one of the setbacks of the weekends was the slippery stage that many dancers struggled with the entire weekend. In addition to "fast" floor, the lighting was not the best and many people complained about the lack of seating to watch the shows. Furthermore, the latter half of the stage had the band equipment the 1st two nights of the shows which did not present as a good back drop for the performances. Eddie and I started off the weekend with a classic charanga routine on Friday night which was received very well by the crowd. We followed the second night with another charanga routine, but with a more primitive and soulful attitude and look. The last night we finished with a brand new Cha Cha Cha routine which we performed just about flawlessly. Overall, Eddie and I received an unbelievable amount of compliments and positive feedback by the students, performers, and organizers which made us feel very proud and accomplished.
As for the nightly socials, I believed that the turnout was pretty large. Although on my previous trips to Germany I have encountered a lot more "On 1" dancers, I found myself surrounded by more "On 2" dancers at this congress and at a good level. I found the music to be overall pretty good thanks to DJ Dave and some of the other DJ's that played. Although I found the dance floor to be a little slippery, I still enjoyed dancing with both the artists and students from all over the world. The treat of the weekend was being able to watch and listen to Andy Montanez and Mercado Negro on Saturday night. It was such a pleasure being able to dance to such great live music, and what a swing this band had! The audience also reacted well to the band I thought as evidenced by the crowd yelling "Otra, Otra" as the band tried to finish their last set. The band played the "extra" song by request which was phenomenal.
I found the weekend to be a great success thanks to many. I received so much love from the people of Germany and from many who came from abroad and I want to extend a great big "Thank You" to those who did. I am also very greatful for those who have showed so me so much support and have expressed such good fortune for me and Eddie Torres. I also want to say thanks to my mentor and partner Eddie Torres for giving me the opportunity to work with you once again. It's is truly an opportunity of a lifetime and I am thankful for this opportunity. Lastly, I want to thank Imad and the staff at Imad Productions for bringing myself and Eddie Torres out to the congress. I hope to return to the congress next year!!
San Francisco, CA (September 2008)
The Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and of course, the all popular antiquated trolleys that run downtown are some of the most popular sights of the
happening and hip city of San Francisco. My first impression of downtown San Fran was that of a miniature Manhattan but with a more relaxed attitude
and feel. This was my first time in San Francisco and I must say, I was in awe by the city, the sights, and most importantly the people. Eddie Torres and I had a
blast and we could not have asked for a better stay in San Francisco.
The weekend started off with a day off, believe it or not-time to get acquainted and adjusted to the city and of course the time difference (lol).
On Thursday, I had the pleasure of going to San Fran's premiere salsa nightclub "Cafe Cocomo" where all the weekend socials were taking place. It was a great time to get
to know who will be around for the workshops and shows this weekend and get a good feel of the salsa scene. I was immediately impressed with the level
and quality of dancers in the club as well as the amount of people that were dancing "On 2." My first impression was "Yes!" In addition, the size and look
of the club was perfect-great wood floor (not too fast, no too slow); 2 levels; and a Caribbean feel and decor. The music consisted of a DJ (DJ Freddy)
who was the main DJ for the weekend events, and a band titled "Orquesta Borinquen." For the first night, I would say that music was slightly below average
only because most of the music played was very commercial and played at a low volume (I love my music pumpin' lol). Besides that, the night was great and I
really enjoyed myself. It was a great start to the weekend.
Eddie and I taught a total of 6 workshops throughout the weekend consisting of shines, partnering, pachanga, and cha cha cha in 2 different very slick and unique studios in downtown San Fran. Each workshop had a huge turnout which brought up our energy levels even more. I was so impressed at how the students were absorbing the material so quickly and so proudly. Eddie and I felt like we were in one of his regular Sunday class (lol). The students really showed their appreciation and gratitude all weekend and appeared
to have really enjoyed the workshops.
Saturday night was the main event night at Cafe Cocomo and believe me when I say, It was packed beyond belief! I had such a blast that night.
Eddie and I performed 2 routines-Ritmo Changui (Charanga) and Nuevo Barretto (cha cha)- and they were a hit! The crowd set off such an energy that Eddie
and I got even more fired up while performing. In between our acts, the promoter who brought Eddie and I to San Fran, Gabriel Romero, performed with his dance
partner Victoria which added a nice touch to the evening. The feedback that I received about the shows was amazing. Afterwards, I partyed the night away with everyone and left with not one inch of my clothing dry (hee, hee). The guys kept me busy dancing all night and I really enjoyed myself. Everyone was so nice and accommodating. In addition to DJ Freddy, a local band (whose name I cannot recall-so sorry) played pretty good music and everyone was dancing the night away including me.
The weekend ended with Eddie and I as well as some local San Fran groups performing at Cafe Cocomo. Although the club was not as packed as the previous night, the energy level and support from the crowd was just as strong. Eddie and I closed the show with our new routine "Ahora Si," a typical mambo with a lot of flava'. The show was a hit and I was so happy yet again to be on stage with Eddie Torres. Shortly after the show, Eddie did what Eddie does best- a "jam session" with the members of the club for a good half hour to 45 min and it was great!. The people did not want to stop dancing as Eddie kept throwing out more and more steps. The music that DJ Freddy was playing this night was the best out all the nights which added to the hype. The people were jammin' and having a blast and it was great to see the smiles and content on their faces as each song finished and they asked for more. It was definitely the best way to end a fabulous weekend.
I want to thank Gabriel Romero (www.mamboromero.com) for bringing Eddie and I out for a wonderful fun-filled weekend in San Francisco. I also want to thank all the students who came to the workshops and shows and showed us support. I really hope you guys had as much fun as Eddie and I did. Hope to see you guys soon!
The Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and of course, the all popular antiquated trolleys that run downtown are some of the most popular sights of the
happening and hip city of San Francisco. My first impression of downtown San Fran was that of a miniature Manhattan but with a more relaxed attitude
and feel. This was my first time in San Francisco and I must say, I was in awe by the city, the sights, and most importantly the people. Eddie Torres and I had a
blast and we could not have asked for a better stay in San Francisco.
The weekend started off with a day off, believe it or not-time to get acquainted and adjusted to the city and of course the time difference (lol).
On Thursday, I had the pleasure of going to San Fran's premiere salsa nightclub "Cafe Cocomo" where all the weekend socials were taking place. It was a great time to get
to know who will be around for the workshops and shows this weekend and get a good feel of the salsa scene. I was immediately impressed with the level
and quality of dancers in the club as well as the amount of people that were dancing "On 2." My first impression was "Yes!" In addition, the size and look
of the club was perfect-great wood floor (not too fast, no too slow); 2 levels; and a Caribbean feel and decor. The music consisted of a DJ (DJ Freddy)
who was the main DJ for the weekend events, and a band titled "Orquesta Borinquen." For the first night, I would say that music was slightly below average
only because most of the music played was very commercial and played at a low volume (I love my music pumpin' lol). Besides that, the night was great and I
really enjoyed myself. It was a great start to the weekend.
Eddie and I taught a total of 6 workshops throughout the weekend consisting of shines, partnering, pachanga, and cha cha cha in 2 different very slick and unique studios in downtown San Fran. Each workshop had a huge turnout which brought up our energy levels even more. I was so impressed at how the students were absorbing the material so quickly and so proudly. Eddie and I felt like we were in one of his regular Sunday class (lol). The students really showed their appreciation and gratitude all weekend and appeared
to have really enjoyed the workshops.
Saturday night was the main event night at Cafe Cocomo and believe me when I say, It was packed beyond belief! I had such a blast that night.
Eddie and I performed 2 routines-Ritmo Changui (Charanga) and Nuevo Barretto (cha cha)- and they were a hit! The crowd set off such an energy that Eddie
and I got even more fired up while performing. In between our acts, the promoter who brought Eddie and I to San Fran, Gabriel Romero, performed with his dance
partner Victoria which added a nice touch to the evening. The feedback that I received about the shows was amazing. Afterwards, I partyed the night away with everyone and left with not one inch of my clothing dry (hee, hee). The guys kept me busy dancing all night and I really enjoyed myself. Everyone was so nice and accommodating. In addition to DJ Freddy, a local band (whose name I cannot recall-so sorry) played pretty good music and everyone was dancing the night away including me.
The weekend ended with Eddie and I as well as some local San Fran groups performing at Cafe Cocomo. Although the club was not as packed as the previous night, the energy level and support from the crowd was just as strong. Eddie and I closed the show with our new routine "Ahora Si," a typical mambo with a lot of flava'. The show was a hit and I was so happy yet again to be on stage with Eddie Torres. Shortly after the show, Eddie did what Eddie does best- a "jam session" with the members of the club for a good half hour to 45 min and it was great!. The people did not want to stop dancing as Eddie kept throwing out more and more steps. The music that DJ Freddy was playing this night was the best out all the nights which added to the hype. The people were jammin' and having a blast and it was great to see the smiles and content on their faces as each song finished and they asked for more. It was definitely the best way to end a fabulous weekend.
I want to thank Gabriel Romero (www.mamboromero.com) for bringing Eddie and I out for a wonderful fun-filled weekend in San Francisco. I also want to thank all the students who came to the workshops and shows and showed us support. I really hope you guys had as much fun as Eddie and I did. Hope to see you guys soon!
Vienna, Austria (September-October 2008)
Vienna, Austria
"I was living in a muffin and cake world!" was all that I can say during my stay in Vienna (lol). I was constantly surrounded by delicious cakes all week long which was heaven for me. Although I only stayed 10 days this time unlike the 2 1/2 weeks I stayed on my first visit to Vienna, I had a great time and was able to make the most out of my stay in Vienna, Austria.
The week started off with an unexpected but truly awesome experience. Since my friend Yvonne is a flight attendant for Austrian Airlines, she was able to get me permission to watch the plane land FROM THE COCKPIT. AMAZING! I couldn't believe what I was looking at and I never would have thought that I would ever have an opportunity to experience something like this. It was nature at its best, that's for sure. So after this unique and special opening to the week, I was hyped and ready for everything. The evening that I arrived was the "Strictly Salsa and a Little Bit of Cha Cha" social held by Yvonne Habek, Zoran Djurkin and Thomas Kloifer (www.salsaon1on2.com). This was the first social of the season for Yvonne, Zoran, Thomas and I must say, it was pretty successful. Prior to the social, I taught a Cha Cha Cha shines and Patterns class which was great. Afterwards, we just partied the night away and I was able to get reacquainted with Vienna's salsa scene and do some catching up with the people :)
The social was the official kick off to the weekend and the quick visit from my good friend from London, Alessia Sciarra, was the ideal wrap-up to the weekend. I was so excited that she came to see me and Yvonne to hang and boy we had a blast! We started the weekend by taking a walk around the city center-passing by the Stephansdom, The Opera House, and 2 of the famous cake places Demel and Hotel Sacher. On Sunday night, we went dancing at Vienna's premiere salsa nightclub "El Floridita", however we were disappointed to find that it was Rueda night. We made the best of it and enjoyed ourselves anyway. Thank you Alessia for taking the time out to visit. I really appreciate it mama!
In addition to teaching Cha Cha Cha, some of the classes I taught over the week were Ladies Styling, Body Movement, Leading and Following, Pachanga, Mambo Turns and Styling and Spin Technique. Although the numbers were low in the first couple of class, this quickly changed as the week progressed. Fortunately for me, my schedule filled up with individual and group privates as well. Since the salsa scene is small in Vienna and also predominately Cuban style, I met some resistance being an "On 2" instructor from NY. Furthermore, the level of the dancers is lower than most places I have been but is quickly growing. However, some people did take advantage of the opportunity and enrolled in workshops and/or privates and really expressed some new interest for "On 2" dancing, probably more that when I came the first time. I really enjoyed all my workshops and I hope the students did as well.
What was unfortunate to see was how the Vienna salsa club scene has lessened. Three of the clubs that I attended and taught at when I first came to Vienna were closed down now. Also the amount of teachers have lessened as well. El Floridita remains the salsa superpower in Vienna, with a strong emphasis on Cuban/Rueda Style. So this is where I did all my social dancing at. The music overall that was played was just "ok" to poor, some nights better than others. But I still was able to enjoy myself with the people which is what counts in the end.
My last weekend was spent having a great, quiet dinner with Yvonne and Zoran at a very typical Austrian restaurant. The food was great as well as the company. It was a great closing to a busy and fun-filled week. And the last and final touch to the week was being able to watch the plane take-off and land yet again from the cockpit thanks to Yvonne. So cool! There is no other way to best describe the experience.
I want to thank the people of Vienna who attended the classes and supported me throughout my stay there. I especially want to thank Yvonne and Zoran from www.dancingsalsa.at for bringing me out once again to Vienna and showing me a great time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! You guys are truly great friends. Looking forward to the next time!
"I was living in a muffin and cake world!" was all that I can say during my stay in Vienna (lol). I was constantly surrounded by delicious cakes all week long which was heaven for me. Although I only stayed 10 days this time unlike the 2 1/2 weeks I stayed on my first visit to Vienna, I had a great time and was able to make the most out of my stay in Vienna, Austria.
The week started off with an unexpected but truly awesome experience. Since my friend Yvonne is a flight attendant for Austrian Airlines, she was able to get me permission to watch the plane land FROM THE COCKPIT. AMAZING! I couldn't believe what I was looking at and I never would have thought that I would ever have an opportunity to experience something like this. It was nature at its best, that's for sure. So after this unique and special opening to the week, I was hyped and ready for everything. The evening that I arrived was the "Strictly Salsa and a Little Bit of Cha Cha" social held by Yvonne Habek, Zoran Djurkin and Thomas Kloifer (www.salsaon1on2.com). This was the first social of the season for Yvonne, Zoran, Thomas and I must say, it was pretty successful. Prior to the social, I taught a Cha Cha Cha shines and Patterns class which was great. Afterwards, we just partied the night away and I was able to get reacquainted with Vienna's salsa scene and do some catching up with the people :)
The social was the official kick off to the weekend and the quick visit from my good friend from London, Alessia Sciarra, was the ideal wrap-up to the weekend. I was so excited that she came to see me and Yvonne to hang and boy we had a blast! We started the weekend by taking a walk around the city center-passing by the Stephansdom, The Opera House, and 2 of the famous cake places Demel and Hotel Sacher. On Sunday night, we went dancing at Vienna's premiere salsa nightclub "El Floridita", however we were disappointed to find that it was Rueda night. We made the best of it and enjoyed ourselves anyway. Thank you Alessia for taking the time out to visit. I really appreciate it mama!
In addition to teaching Cha Cha Cha, some of the classes I taught over the week were Ladies Styling, Body Movement, Leading and Following, Pachanga, Mambo Turns and Styling and Spin Technique. Although the numbers were low in the first couple of class, this quickly changed as the week progressed. Fortunately for me, my schedule filled up with individual and group privates as well. Since the salsa scene is small in Vienna and also predominately Cuban style, I met some resistance being an "On 2" instructor from NY. Furthermore, the level of the dancers is lower than most places I have been but is quickly growing. However, some people did take advantage of the opportunity and enrolled in workshops and/or privates and really expressed some new interest for "On 2" dancing, probably more that when I came the first time. I really enjoyed all my workshops and I hope the students did as well.
What was unfortunate to see was how the Vienna salsa club scene has lessened. Three of the clubs that I attended and taught at when I first came to Vienna were closed down now. Also the amount of teachers have lessened as well. El Floridita remains the salsa superpower in Vienna, with a strong emphasis on Cuban/Rueda Style. So this is where I did all my social dancing at. The music overall that was played was just "ok" to poor, some nights better than others. But I still was able to enjoy myself with the people which is what counts in the end.
My last weekend was spent having a great, quiet dinner with Yvonne and Zoran at a very typical Austrian restaurant. The food was great as well as the company. It was a great closing to a busy and fun-filled week. And the last and final touch to the week was being able to watch the plane take-off and land yet again from the cockpit thanks to Yvonne. So cool! There is no other way to best describe the experience.
I want to thank the people of Vienna who attended the classes and supported me throughout my stay there. I especially want to thank Yvonne and Zoran from www.dancingsalsa.at for bringing me out once again to Vienna and showing me a great time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! You guys are truly great friends. Looking forward to the next time!
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (October 2008)
Punta Cana Salsa Congress
What a BLAST I had at the Punta Cana Salsa Congress! Being surrounded by beaches, pools, and beautiful weather was a dream for me. The event was held at one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever been to, The Edenh Real Arena Resort. It was so hard for me to leave this gorgeous land.
First of all, the resort was ALL INCLUSIVE-free food, free drinks, 24 hour room service all weekend long. How great is that! And believe me when I tell you that everyone took advantage of this service. This huge resort was lined with beautiful palms from front to back, several different pools with tanning beds and bars inside, clear blue water and soft sand on the beach with some many different options for water sports and activities. All the workshops and shows took place in this quaint theater that was right on the premises of the resort. In addition to the theater, the resort had a large casino, series of restaurants, and a nice bar where the socials took place.
The weekend started off with, believe it or not, Jose Alberto "El Canario" greeting Eddie and I at the airport coincidentally. I was taken aback for a second and also played the shy fan role as he spoke with Eddie. I was so happy that he remembered me as one of Eddie's dancers :) Shortly after, we took the long dreaded 3.5 drive from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana. Although it was a long drive and I was eager to get to the resort, I was able to see the real people and land of the Dominican Republic and see how Dominicans really live. Sometimes on these trips, I only get to see the tourist areas of the country and this time I was able to see the "real" country which I thought was really cool.
As we arrived at the resort in Punta Cana, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was in awe at how huge and beautiful this resort was (keep in mind that it was night time when we arrived). I was thinking "I couldn't way to see how it looked during the day :)" All I kept doing was looking left, right, and all around as I was being driven to my room by the bell hop. Just when I thought it was over, I then entered my room and "Oh my gosh" I couldn't believe it. The room was so "HOT," I was beyond happy. The room had a jacuzzi, a stand up shower, king size bed and balcony-a dream. At this moment, all I was thinking was "What a weekend this is going to be" and it sure was. That night, I attended briefly the first social of the weekend at the funky bar that was located in the resort. It was a calm night for me, beginning to get acquainted with the members of the congress. I didn't dance much on purpose because I wanted to prepare for the weekend, both dancing and hanging out at the pool.
The weekend started off with a day off, which meant no workshops to teach the first day. Once I found that out, I woke up early and took advantage by tanning in one of the tanning beds located inside the pool. It felt so nice to lay in the sun and relax, something that I hardly get to do at any of the salsa events. The sun was strong that weekend, but there was always a breeze that would pass through and bring a sense of relief. Shortly after, I got ready for tech rehearsal and relaxed for the evening.
There were 3 days of shows with headliners including Eddie Torres and myself, Karisma Dancers and Koncepcion Karisma, Santo Rico and Xhibicion, Jayson Molina, Griselle Ponce and Andy Cruz, Victor and Gaby, Art in Motion, and many others. There were also very talented groups from Venezuela that performed each evening which really added a nice spice to the evening line-ups. Prior to the performances of Friday, I had the pleasure to judge the competition that took place. Although there were not many competitors, the competition was nice and not easy to determine a winner. The winners of all 3 categories won the opportunity to advance to ESPN World Championships in Orlando. Shortly after, the shows began and Eddie and I performed our charanga routine "Ritmo Changui." Although the routine went really well, it was little difficult to perform because the monitors were not working and it was difficult to really hear and feel the music. All the shows went well with a little struggle the performers had with a "fast" floor on stage. The shows for the other 2 nights all went well and started on time. However, one of the shortcomings of the congress was low attendance due to limited promotion. Because of this, the energy was on the lower end than usual.
Eddie and I taught 2 workshops this weekend and they were great. Although the numbers were low overall, the people as well as Eddie and I had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves. The first workshop Eddie and I taught consisted of a series of rhythmical mambo shines. The second workshop was 2.5 hours long and Eddie went crazy teaching just about everything-mambo shines, cha cha cha, pachanga, and a turn pattern. We left the class drenched with sweat but with a feeling of satisfaction and happiness. Overall, there were not a whole lot or workshops, only one per hour for a total of 4-5 hours per day with the intention to have everyone enjoy the other features of the resort.
Every night, I had such a great time social dancing and hanging out. The music each and every night was fabulous- so good and so authentic. Not only was the mambo was good, the merengue and bachata was "off the hook." There was no place better to dance merengue and bachata than the Dominican Republic. DJ Danny, DJ David Montreal, and DJ Eric were on it this weekend and I am so happy they were. At a certain time, they even played some hip-hip, R & B, and freestyle for a short bit which was pretty cool. Jose Alberto's performance on Saturday night was amazing. I was enjoying his music and performance so much. He played with so much soul, I was lovin' it. I was so happy that he gave me the honor to take a photo with him when I caught him by the pool on Sunday. Everyone else was also dancing the night away to his music and it was so good to see people doing what they love to do. The only unfortunate thing about the weekend were the dance floors. The staff members encountered some problems getting a dance floor. So all of us were dancing on either carpet or concrete all weekend long (yikes). Yeah so my knees and feet were pretty much feeling it by the end of the weekend.
In addition to performances and the socials, another highlight of the weekend was the afternoon pool parties by the bar. I missed the first day's but definitely not Saturday and Sunday's. Everyone was having such a blast, including me, that I almost forgot I had to get ready for the evening performances, lol. People were getting thrown around, playing chicken fights, even salsa dancing in and out of the pool. The music was also great! This is definitely a way to spend a weekend. Just to see everyone having a great time, getting along, and just being happy was so good to see. Unfortunately I didn't get to hang out at the after parties at the beach, but I heard they were great too!
Although the organization of the congress was not the greatest and the attendance overall was low, the ambiance and intimacy of the resort and the people was unbelievable. It really made the weekend what it was. I want to thank Karisma for bringing Eddie and myself down to Punta Cana and sharing this event with you guys. I REALLY had a great time and look forward to next year's event. Thank you to everyone who supported us this weekend. And to the Punta Cana crew of 2008, we gotta do this again! Thanks everyone.
What a BLAST I had at the Punta Cana Salsa Congress! Being surrounded by beaches, pools, and beautiful weather was a dream for me. The event was held at one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever been to, The Edenh Real Arena Resort. It was so hard for me to leave this gorgeous land.
First of all, the resort was ALL INCLUSIVE-free food, free drinks, 24 hour room service all weekend long. How great is that! And believe me when I tell you that everyone took advantage of this service. This huge resort was lined with beautiful palms from front to back, several different pools with tanning beds and bars inside, clear blue water and soft sand on the beach with some many different options for water sports and activities. All the workshops and shows took place in this quaint theater that was right on the premises of the resort. In addition to the theater, the resort had a large casino, series of restaurants, and a nice bar where the socials took place.
The weekend started off with, believe it or not, Jose Alberto "El Canario" greeting Eddie and I at the airport coincidentally. I was taken aback for a second and also played the shy fan role as he spoke with Eddie. I was so happy that he remembered me as one of Eddie's dancers :) Shortly after, we took the long dreaded 3.5 drive from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana. Although it was a long drive and I was eager to get to the resort, I was able to see the real people and land of the Dominican Republic and see how Dominicans really live. Sometimes on these trips, I only get to see the tourist areas of the country and this time I was able to see the "real" country which I thought was really cool.
As we arrived at the resort in Punta Cana, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was in awe at how huge and beautiful this resort was (keep in mind that it was night time when we arrived). I was thinking "I couldn't way to see how it looked during the day :)" All I kept doing was looking left, right, and all around as I was being driven to my room by the bell hop. Just when I thought it was over, I then entered my room and "Oh my gosh" I couldn't believe it. The room was so "HOT," I was beyond happy. The room had a jacuzzi, a stand up shower, king size bed and balcony-a dream. At this moment, all I was thinking was "What a weekend this is going to be" and it sure was. That night, I attended briefly the first social of the weekend at the funky bar that was located in the resort. It was a calm night for me, beginning to get acquainted with the members of the congress. I didn't dance much on purpose because I wanted to prepare for the weekend, both dancing and hanging out at the pool.
The weekend started off with a day off, which meant no workshops to teach the first day. Once I found that out, I woke up early and took advantage by tanning in one of the tanning beds located inside the pool. It felt so nice to lay in the sun and relax, something that I hardly get to do at any of the salsa events. The sun was strong that weekend, but there was always a breeze that would pass through and bring a sense of relief. Shortly after, I got ready for tech rehearsal and relaxed for the evening.
There were 3 days of shows with headliners including Eddie Torres and myself, Karisma Dancers and Koncepcion Karisma, Santo Rico and Xhibicion, Jayson Molina, Griselle Ponce and Andy Cruz, Victor and Gaby, Art in Motion, and many others. There were also very talented groups from Venezuela that performed each evening which really added a nice spice to the evening line-ups. Prior to the performances of Friday, I had the pleasure to judge the competition that took place. Although there were not many competitors, the competition was nice and not easy to determine a winner. The winners of all 3 categories won the opportunity to advance to ESPN World Championships in Orlando. Shortly after, the shows began and Eddie and I performed our charanga routine "Ritmo Changui." Although the routine went really well, it was little difficult to perform because the monitors were not working and it was difficult to really hear and feel the music. All the shows went well with a little struggle the performers had with a "fast" floor on stage. The shows for the other 2 nights all went well and started on time. However, one of the shortcomings of the congress was low attendance due to limited promotion. Because of this, the energy was on the lower end than usual.
Eddie and I taught 2 workshops this weekend and they were great. Although the numbers were low overall, the people as well as Eddie and I had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves. The first workshop Eddie and I taught consisted of a series of rhythmical mambo shines. The second workshop was 2.5 hours long and Eddie went crazy teaching just about everything-mambo shines, cha cha cha, pachanga, and a turn pattern. We left the class drenched with sweat but with a feeling of satisfaction and happiness. Overall, there were not a whole lot or workshops, only one per hour for a total of 4-5 hours per day with the intention to have everyone enjoy the other features of the resort.
Every night, I had such a great time social dancing and hanging out. The music each and every night was fabulous- so good and so authentic. Not only was the mambo was good, the merengue and bachata was "off the hook." There was no place better to dance merengue and bachata than the Dominican Republic. DJ Danny, DJ David Montreal, and DJ Eric were on it this weekend and I am so happy they were. At a certain time, they even played some hip-hip, R & B, and freestyle for a short bit which was pretty cool. Jose Alberto's performance on Saturday night was amazing. I was enjoying his music and performance so much. He played with so much soul, I was lovin' it. I was so happy that he gave me the honor to take a photo with him when I caught him by the pool on Sunday. Everyone else was also dancing the night away to his music and it was so good to see people doing what they love to do. The only unfortunate thing about the weekend were the dance floors. The staff members encountered some problems getting a dance floor. So all of us were dancing on either carpet or concrete all weekend long (yikes). Yeah so my knees and feet were pretty much feeling it by the end of the weekend.
In addition to performances and the socials, another highlight of the weekend was the afternoon pool parties by the bar. I missed the first day's but definitely not Saturday and Sunday's. Everyone was having such a blast, including me, that I almost forgot I had to get ready for the evening performances, lol. People were getting thrown around, playing chicken fights, even salsa dancing in and out of the pool. The music was also great! This is definitely a way to spend a weekend. Just to see everyone having a great time, getting along, and just being happy was so good to see. Unfortunately I didn't get to hang out at the after parties at the beach, but I heard they were great too!
Although the organization of the congress was not the greatest and the attendance overall was low, the ambiance and intimacy of the resort and the people was unbelievable. It really made the weekend what it was. I want to thank Karisma for bringing Eddie and myself down to Punta Cana and sharing this event with you guys. I REALLY had a great time and look forward to next year's event. Thank you to everyone who supported us this weekend. And to the Punta Cana crew of 2008, we gotta do this again! Thanks everyone.
Tokyo, Japan (Nov 1-2)
One of the most unique countries in the world, Japan stole my heart for the second time when I attended the Japan Salsa Congress. One of the most organized events I have ever been to, The Japan Salsa Congress was a total success and so much fun!. From the moment Eddie and I got there, the Japanese people took care of us every step of the way, literally. They were so on top of things that the moment I even thought about needing something, I turned around and it was already there :). Although the Japanese tend to be more reserved and timid, they showed such an appreciation for us artists and really were very catering that it was unbelievable. In addition to the unique and rich culture, the sights of Tokyo were amazing as well.
On the first night we arrived, Mr. George Watabe, the organizer of the Japan Salsa Congress, treated all the dancers to a very typical Japanese tradition-Japanese hot springs. It was best thing we could have done, especially after the really long trip from the States. I got to wear one the typical Japanese Yucata which was so cool! I was feeling so Japanese wearing it (lol). Sitting in the hot springs definitely help me sleep really well that night. Believe it or not, the next day, Mr. Watabe treated all the dancers to a visit to one of the Tokyo's famous landmarks, a famous religious temple (so sorry I forgot the name of it :( ) It was really beautiful! There was a long path of booths leading to the temple which sold souvenirs and other trinkets. At the temple, I saw many Japanese people praying and paying their respects to their loved ones. It was really a beautiful sight.
Friday night was the opening social for the congress and boy did I dance my butt off :) The Japanese love to dance and they definitely cued up for the international artists to dance. Albert Torres did an introduction of the international performers and had all the artists do a short demo with one of the natives which was really exciting. In addition to Eddie Torres and myself, the artist line-up consisted of Magna Gopal, Palladium Mambo Legends, Charlene Rose, Rogelio Moreno, Jose Santoyo, James and Alex, plus many more. I have been to Japan before and just like before, I was totally impressed with the level and ability of the Japanese. Also, I see more and more Japanese dancing On2 as well which is also great to see. As for the other nights of socials, they were are pretty good. The DJ's that worked the socials were DJ Samurai and Dj Murakami from Japan and DJ Michelle from Hong Kong. Overall, the selection of music was really nice the whole weekend which made it easier for all of us to dance the weekend away.
The venue for the congress was really slick and neat. Although it was more on the darker side, the venue was still very comfortable and inviting. The stage was pretty big and had a great selection of lighting which made the event much more professional. Just about all the shows and workshops started on time which is very important for the Japanese. Eddie and I performed a few routines both nights of the congress-2 charangas and then a very classic mambo titled "Fiesta a La King." Because of a glitch on our CD, we wound up performing "Fiesta" 2x because Eddie and I did not want to put on a bad show for the Japanese :(. Both nights were filled to capacity which helped raised the energy level of the performers. A real treat to the weekend was being able to watch 25-28 Japanese groups perform prior to the international acts. Wow! The amount of talent that came across that stage was amazing, especially the little kids. It was really amazing to see the growth of salsa in Japan and how much the level has risen as well.
As for the workshops, the arrangement was a little odd since all the instructors taught at the same time at the same place where the performances took place. However, it all worked out pretty well and there was very little interference of music. I had the fortunate pleasure of teaching 2 workshops-Body Movement and Shines. Both classes were fabulous and the students did awesome. They picked up so fast that it was so easy to teach. However, they were pretty quiet and it was hard to judge whether they were enjoying themselves or not lol! But they were like that for everyone's workshops. For my body movement class, I focused on movement while partnering for both men and women. For the shine class, I put together a small shine routine combined with body movement and arm styling. In addition to my 2 classes, I also taught 2 classes with Eddie Torres where he taught some pachanga by request and a series of shines and partnering as well.
Overall, the weekend was a great success! Eddie and myself really enjoyed ourselves, especially how catering the Japanese were all weekend long. I would like to thank Albert Torres, Mr. George Watabe, and the Japan Salsa Congress staff for all their wonderful work and all the help they gave us over the weekend. I would also like to thank them for bringing me and Eddie to Japan. Furthermore, I would like to thank the people of Japan for welcoming us with open arms and supporting us. Thank you again and hope to see you all soon!!
On the first night we arrived, Mr. George Watabe, the organizer of the Japan Salsa Congress, treated all the dancers to a very typical Japanese tradition-Japanese hot springs. It was best thing we could have done, especially after the really long trip from the States. I got to wear one the typical Japanese Yucata which was so cool! I was feeling so Japanese wearing it (lol). Sitting in the hot springs definitely help me sleep really well that night. Believe it or not, the next day, Mr. Watabe treated all the dancers to a visit to one of the Tokyo's famous landmarks, a famous religious temple (so sorry I forgot the name of it :( ) It was really beautiful! There was a long path of booths leading to the temple which sold souvenirs and other trinkets. At the temple, I saw many Japanese people praying and paying their respects to their loved ones. It was really a beautiful sight.
Friday night was the opening social for the congress and boy did I dance my butt off :) The Japanese love to dance and they definitely cued up for the international artists to dance. Albert Torres did an introduction of the international performers and had all the artists do a short demo with one of the natives which was really exciting. In addition to Eddie Torres and myself, the artist line-up consisted of Magna Gopal, Palladium Mambo Legends, Charlene Rose, Rogelio Moreno, Jose Santoyo, James and Alex, plus many more. I have been to Japan before and just like before, I was totally impressed with the level and ability of the Japanese. Also, I see more and more Japanese dancing On2 as well which is also great to see. As for the other nights of socials, they were are pretty good. The DJ's that worked the socials were DJ Samurai and Dj Murakami from Japan and DJ Michelle from Hong Kong. Overall, the selection of music was really nice the whole weekend which made it easier for all of us to dance the weekend away.
The venue for the congress was really slick and neat. Although it was more on the darker side, the venue was still very comfortable and inviting. The stage was pretty big and had a great selection of lighting which made the event much more professional. Just about all the shows and workshops started on time which is very important for the Japanese. Eddie and I performed a few routines both nights of the congress-2 charangas and then a very classic mambo titled "Fiesta a La King." Because of a glitch on our CD, we wound up performing "Fiesta" 2x because Eddie and I did not want to put on a bad show for the Japanese :(. Both nights were filled to capacity which helped raised the energy level of the performers. A real treat to the weekend was being able to watch 25-28 Japanese groups perform prior to the international acts. Wow! The amount of talent that came across that stage was amazing, especially the little kids. It was really amazing to see the growth of salsa in Japan and how much the level has risen as well.
As for the workshops, the arrangement was a little odd since all the instructors taught at the same time at the same place where the performances took place. However, it all worked out pretty well and there was very little interference of music. I had the fortunate pleasure of teaching 2 workshops-Body Movement and Shines. Both classes were fabulous and the students did awesome. They picked up so fast that it was so easy to teach. However, they were pretty quiet and it was hard to judge whether they were enjoying themselves or not lol! But they were like that for everyone's workshops. For my body movement class, I focused on movement while partnering for both men and women. For the shine class, I put together a small shine routine combined with body movement and arm styling. In addition to my 2 classes, I also taught 2 classes with Eddie Torres where he taught some pachanga by request and a series of shines and partnering as well.
Overall, the weekend was a great success! Eddie and myself really enjoyed ourselves, especially how catering the Japanese were all weekend long. I would like to thank Albert Torres, Mr. George Watabe, and the Japan Salsa Congress staff for all their wonderful work and all the help they gave us over the weekend. I would also like to thank them for bringing me and Eddie to Japan. Furthermore, I would like to thank the people of Japan for welcoming us with open arms and supporting us. Thank you again and hope to see you all soon!!
NYC Mambo Cruise (Miami-Bahamas) (November 2008)
Carnival Cruise Lines held the first annual NYC Mambo Cruise which departed from Miami, Florida and stopped at Nassau, Bahamas. This 3 day cruise titled "Imagination" was definitely a very different salsa experience than what we were all used to. This was Eddie and my first time on a cruise and man we had such a blast! Although the salsa event itself was really not what it was supposed to be, the experience on the cruise was amazing.
Unfortunately the salsa cruise was not as successful as it could have been due to some misunderstandings and miscommunication. As a result, there were many cancellations of attendees and artists which resulted in low numbers for the salsa cruise. But those who attended had a great time, including Eddie and I. We made the most of the weekend the best way we knew how. The ship was huge and my goodness, AMAZING! When I first saw it, I couldn't believe it. There was so much to do on the ship-from karaoke to the casino. There were so many floors, cabins, events, dining halls, events, and amenities. And of course, so much FOOD which was heaven for me, lol! When I first got on the ship, I didn't know what to do first or where to go. There were all types of things to do on the cruise besides salsa-Karaoke, casino, club hopping, lounges, shows, and so much more. The cabins were pretty small but very quaint and comfortable. I had a great roommate from NJ named Sharon who made my stay so much easier and more comfortable (thanks Sharon!:)
There was no salsa event the first night so many of us chilled out at the Karaoke lounge. I was tempted to sing but I chickened out. I did enjoy some of the singers as the did the rest of us. Afterwards, many of us went to hang out at the hip hop club and danced the night away! Saturday, we arrived at Nassau, Bahamas where I spent most of the day. Although the day was cloudy :(, my good friends Donna, Rachelle, Sherry and I hung out at the beach at the Hilton Hotel and just RELAXED. That evening was the first salsa night at one of the clubs on the ship. Eddie and I performed our "Ritmo Changui" routine and a team from Philly performed beautifully as well. We were the only 2 acts on the cruise for the weekend due to the many cancellations. That night we spent the night hopping back and forth from the salsa club to the hip hop club that was next door and we had a blast. The DJ's for the weekend were David Montreal from NY and DJ Ray from Miami and they really played some great music over the weekend :).
Sunday morning were the workshops and man were they EARLY (especially since I am not a morning person, lol). There were only 3 in total-Marlon International taught beginners, I taught a ladies' styling class, and Eddie Torres taught a combo class. The turnout was low as was the whole weekend, however, everyone still enjoyed themselves. To see the smiles on people's face and enjoying themselves was enough for me. The level of dancers was pretty average which made teaching easier. Sunday afternoon was the main social for the day. There were not as many people there as the previous night, but those who came enjoyed themselves. Eddie and I performed our classic mambo routine "Fiesta" which was favored very much by the people. That night, there was an impromptu salsa social in one of the ship's conference rooms. The group from Philly decided to put on a show last minute for us which we enjoyed very much. Eddie did a 3-4 song jam session and got everyone up and dancing. It was so much fun. The people really enjoyed it. The night ended early since we all had to get up very early to disembark.
Overall, the salsa event might not have been as successful as it should have been but for me, the weekend was a success. I really had a great time with the salseros and salseras that attended. I want to thank Choco, Edwin, and Carlito from mambofateegz for bringing me and Eddie out and showing us a great time. I also want to extend thanks to everyone who came out to support the workshops and shows. I really hope to see you next year!
Unfortunately the salsa cruise was not as successful as it could have been due to some misunderstandings and miscommunication. As a result, there were many cancellations of attendees and artists which resulted in low numbers for the salsa cruise. But those who attended had a great time, including Eddie and I. We made the most of the weekend the best way we knew how. The ship was huge and my goodness, AMAZING! When I first saw it, I couldn't believe it. There was so much to do on the ship-from karaoke to the casino. There were so many floors, cabins, events, dining halls, events, and amenities. And of course, so much FOOD which was heaven for me, lol! When I first got on the ship, I didn't know what to do first or where to go. There were all types of things to do on the cruise besides salsa-Karaoke, casino, club hopping, lounges, shows, and so much more. The cabins were pretty small but very quaint and comfortable. I had a great roommate from NJ named Sharon who made my stay so much easier and more comfortable (thanks Sharon!:)
There was no salsa event the first night so many of us chilled out at the Karaoke lounge. I was tempted to sing but I chickened out. I did enjoy some of the singers as the did the rest of us. Afterwards, many of us went to hang out at the hip hop club and danced the night away! Saturday, we arrived at Nassau, Bahamas where I spent most of the day. Although the day was cloudy :(, my good friends Donna, Rachelle, Sherry and I hung out at the beach at the Hilton Hotel and just RELAXED. That evening was the first salsa night at one of the clubs on the ship. Eddie and I performed our "Ritmo Changui" routine and a team from Philly performed beautifully as well. We were the only 2 acts on the cruise for the weekend due to the many cancellations. That night we spent the night hopping back and forth from the salsa club to the hip hop club that was next door and we had a blast. The DJ's for the weekend were David Montreal from NY and DJ Ray from Miami and they really played some great music over the weekend :).
Sunday morning were the workshops and man were they EARLY (especially since I am not a morning person, lol). There were only 3 in total-Marlon International taught beginners, I taught a ladies' styling class, and Eddie Torres taught a combo class. The turnout was low as was the whole weekend, however, everyone still enjoyed themselves. To see the smiles on people's face and enjoying themselves was enough for me. The level of dancers was pretty average which made teaching easier. Sunday afternoon was the main social for the day. There were not as many people there as the previous night, but those who came enjoyed themselves. Eddie and I performed our classic mambo routine "Fiesta" which was favored very much by the people. That night, there was an impromptu salsa social in one of the ship's conference rooms. The group from Philly decided to put on a show last minute for us which we enjoyed very much. Eddie did a 3-4 song jam session and got everyone up and dancing. It was so much fun. The people really enjoyed it. The night ended early since we all had to get up very early to disembark.
Overall, the salsa event might not have been as successful as it should have been but for me, the weekend was a success. I really had a great time with the salseros and salseras that attended. I want to thank Choco, Edwin, and Carlito from mambofateegz for bringing me and Eddie out and showing us a great time. I also want to extend thanks to everyone who came out to support the workshops and shows. I really hope to see you next year!
Athens, Greece (November 2008)
Todo Latino Salsa Festival
The 1st annual Todo Latino Festival in Athens, Greece was one of the most amazing congresses I have been too. The venue, the country, the performer and band line-up, and workshops was one of the biggest and most prestigious I have seen, especially for a first time congress. In addition, the hotel, the beautiful Metropolitan Chandris 5 star hotel, was great and just a few minutes from the hotel.
As much as I would have loved to, I was unable to see some of the great sites and landmarks of Athens such as the Parthenon and the famous Acropolis. Sometimes there is just not enough time :( However, the congress was so jam-packed with artists and was located in one of the largest venues I have ever been to that it kind of made up for the lack of sight seeing. The venue was a huge Olympic Stadium that hosted the Tae Kwon Do games in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, so you can only imagine how huge the place was. Filled with expert and sophisticated lighting, an enormous stage, stadium seating that surrounded the stage, a huge dance floor, and places to eat most of the night, this venue had it all. Eddie and I had a field day setting up the lighting for our routines (it's pretty rare that we get professional lighting). The stadium inside and out was surrounded by colorful traveling spotlights as well-it almost looked like Hollywood (lol).
In addition to Eddie and myself, the performer line-up for the weekend included artist such as Tropical Gem, Yamulee, Hache y Machete, Tito N Tamara, Adrian and Anita, U Tribe, Leon Rose and Susanna Montero, Ye Mambo, Ramon Morales Y su Nuevo Imperio, Magna Gopal, Neeraj and Gosia, Swing Guys, and many more outstanding acts -both international and local. Each night the performers lit up the stage and put on a great show. The only negative aspect of the congress was that the seating was so far from the stage which made it hard for the performers to really interact with the audience and hear the reaction from the crowd. Initiated by Eddie of course, the audience little by little worked their way down to the dance floor and closer to the stage, which raised the energy of the dancers by the end of the weekend. On Sunday, there was a major competition which for the first time, I saw many professionals participating-for example, Adrian and Anita, Tropical Gem (2 separate couples), Gil and Anke, Anne and Anichi, Ramon Morales and Vanessa. It was a real treat to sit and watch the competition. A close competition, I was happy with the standings-Adrian and Anita took 1st place; Anne and Anichi took 2nd; and Gil and Anke took 3rd. In addition, the panel of judges were well selected among the professional international artists.
The variety of workshops was among the top I have ever seen-a good variety of On1, On 2, and styling classes. On Friday, I taught a ladies' styling which was fabulous. I had a huge turnout and I had so much fun with the ladies. I put together a short shine combination with lots of arm styling and then gave them a little extra on video to take home to practice. Shortly after, I ran over to Eddie's workshop (it ran at the same time as my workshop) where he had started teaching a series of rhythmical shines. He then gave the students a turn pattern to take home with them to practice. On the second day, Eddie taught a 1 hour pachanga lesson per request and then a short turn pattern for the second hour. It was really great to see that even some of the professionals joined Eddie's class. The last day, Eddie started off with simple shines and worked his way to syncopated shines. He also did a jam session with the students and gave them a pattern to take home plus a little extra :)!
The nightly socials were so amazing! The New Swing Sextet played on Friday night and what a show they put on. Even some of us dancers went up on stage for the last number and jammed with the band which was really cool. The real treat of the weekend was listening the world famous El Gran Combo from Puerto Rico on Saturday night. Their show began with a lights and fireworks display and ended with the the dancers jumping on stage and jamming with the band yet again-AWESOME! The band was phenomenal-not only was the music amazing, the singers put on a show with their flashy and smooth choreography. Everyone was loving the show. The DJ's that played the rest of the weekend were pretty good. I danced a whole lot this weekend and I must say, I found the level to be pretty average-good. Also, I danced a lot more On 2 than I expected because I know that the salsa scene is still very new and growing and mainly On 1 in Greece. I had a blasts hanging out with all the performers as well as seeing my great friends from Vienna- particularly Yvonne, Zoran, and Nina. They made my 30th birthday celebration weekend a memorable one with their presence and the beautiful gift they gave me (Thank you guys!). I also got to see my other good friends Diego, Carla, and baby Adrian from Spain-what a real treat!
I was really impressed by the way the congress was run and the amount of organization there was at this event. For a 1st time event, it was very successful and really amazing. Thanks again to Supermario, Todos and Maria, and the staff at the Athens Todo Latino Festival for making Eddie and I feel comfortable and bringing us to such a great event. Thanks to everyone who supported me and Eddie for the workshops and the shows. It is very much appreciated! Hope to see you all next year!
The 1st annual Todo Latino Festival in Athens, Greece was one of the most amazing congresses I have been too. The venue, the country, the performer and band line-up, and workshops was one of the biggest and most prestigious I have seen, especially for a first time congress. In addition, the hotel, the beautiful Metropolitan Chandris 5 star hotel, was great and just a few minutes from the hotel.
As much as I would have loved to, I was unable to see some of the great sites and landmarks of Athens such as the Parthenon and the famous Acropolis. Sometimes there is just not enough time :( However, the congress was so jam-packed with artists and was located in one of the largest venues I have ever been to that it kind of made up for the lack of sight seeing. The venue was a huge Olympic Stadium that hosted the Tae Kwon Do games in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, so you can only imagine how huge the place was. Filled with expert and sophisticated lighting, an enormous stage, stadium seating that surrounded the stage, a huge dance floor, and places to eat most of the night, this venue had it all. Eddie and I had a field day setting up the lighting for our routines (it's pretty rare that we get professional lighting). The stadium inside and out was surrounded by colorful traveling spotlights as well-it almost looked like Hollywood (lol).
In addition to Eddie and myself, the performer line-up for the weekend included artist such as Tropical Gem, Yamulee, Hache y Machete, Tito N Tamara, Adrian and Anita, U Tribe, Leon Rose and Susanna Montero, Ye Mambo, Ramon Morales Y su Nuevo Imperio, Magna Gopal, Neeraj and Gosia, Swing Guys, and many more outstanding acts -both international and local. Each night the performers lit up the stage and put on a great show. The only negative aspect of the congress was that the seating was so far from the stage which made it hard for the performers to really interact with the audience and hear the reaction from the crowd. Initiated by Eddie of course, the audience little by little worked their way down to the dance floor and closer to the stage, which raised the energy of the dancers by the end of the weekend. On Sunday, there was a major competition which for the first time, I saw many professionals participating-for example, Adrian and Anita, Tropical Gem (2 separate couples), Gil and Anke, Anne and Anichi, Ramon Morales and Vanessa. It was a real treat to sit and watch the competition. A close competition, I was happy with the standings-Adrian and Anita took 1st place; Anne and Anichi took 2nd; and Gil and Anke took 3rd. In addition, the panel of judges were well selected among the professional international artists.
The variety of workshops was among the top I have ever seen-a good variety of On1, On 2, and styling classes. On Friday, I taught a ladies' styling which was fabulous. I had a huge turnout and I had so much fun with the ladies. I put together a short shine combination with lots of arm styling and then gave them a little extra on video to take home to practice. Shortly after, I ran over to Eddie's workshop (it ran at the same time as my workshop) where he had started teaching a series of rhythmical shines. He then gave the students a turn pattern to take home with them to practice. On the second day, Eddie taught a 1 hour pachanga lesson per request and then a short turn pattern for the second hour. It was really great to see that even some of the professionals joined Eddie's class. The last day, Eddie started off with simple shines and worked his way to syncopated shines. He also did a jam session with the students and gave them a pattern to take home plus a little extra :)!
The nightly socials were so amazing! The New Swing Sextet played on Friday night and what a show they put on. Even some of us dancers went up on stage for the last number and jammed with the band which was really cool. The real treat of the weekend was listening the world famous El Gran Combo from Puerto Rico on Saturday night. Their show began with a lights and fireworks display and ended with the the dancers jumping on stage and jamming with the band yet again-AWESOME! The band was phenomenal-not only was the music amazing, the singers put on a show with their flashy and smooth choreography. Everyone was loving the show. The DJ's that played the rest of the weekend were pretty good. I danced a whole lot this weekend and I must say, I found the level to be pretty average-good. Also, I danced a lot more On 2 than I expected because I know that the salsa scene is still very new and growing and mainly On 1 in Greece. I had a blasts hanging out with all the performers as well as seeing my great friends from Vienna- particularly Yvonne, Zoran, and Nina. They made my 30th birthday celebration weekend a memorable one with their presence and the beautiful gift they gave me (Thank you guys!). I also got to see my other good friends Diego, Carla, and baby Adrian from Spain-what a real treat!
I was really impressed by the way the congress was run and the amount of organization there was at this event. For a 1st time event, it was very successful and really amazing. Thanks again to Supermario, Todos and Maria, and the staff at the Athens Todo Latino Festival for making Eddie and I feel comfortable and bringing us to such a great event. Thanks to everyone who supported me and Eddie for the workshops and the shows. It is very much appreciated! Hope to see you all next year!