I read this article about artists who use and dance to music such as salsa while they are painting their canvases for inspiration and creativity. Check out the article here.

I think this is interesting because after I started salsa dancing I became more creative in other parts of my life. I was an extremely practical person and could not really do anything artistic or creative, as much as I wanted to. It is almost as if salsa makes you more creative which puts you in a confident state about your creative self and you can do more with the artistic part of your life that is not even dance related.

I now have the knowledge that being artistic doesn't always have to be a natural talent. With hard work and interest, you can turn a new hobby into something wonderful in your life. With that in mind, I am taking an introductory painting course and woodworking course in the new year to dabble in other artistic areas of my life. I hope everyone nourishes their artistic side with lessons in dance, art, music and more in 2008! Share your stories with us!

Dancing and practicing is not the only way to improve your salsa. Watching others dance is also an excellent way to improve, motivate and encourage creativity and stretch in your dancing.

When you go out to a salsa club, dedicate a couple of songs to finding your favourite couple in the room and watch them dance. It will assist you with ideas about new turn patterns, body movement, musicality and partner dynamics. You may think it doesn't affect you but watch often enough and you will see your own moves start to sharpen, your body movement and styling start to come out and your range of musicality will increase.

I prefer watching at congresses because you are looking at some phenomenal dancers and it is really inspiring. You may have to get over your "inadequate" feelings watching such good dancers. I remember the first congress I went to I couldn't dance for the first night. I saw Milton Cobo dancing with Grizelle Ponce, who are still two of my favourite dancers, and that was traumatic! I couldn't bring myself to dance after that experience. But I had to re-shift my thinking so that their dancing would inspire me to improve instead of shake my confidence. And I went out and danced all night the next day, trying a few styling moves I had seen.

You can also watch videos on the web. YouTube and MamboTV are two great websites for this but there are also thousands of clips online that will inspire and motivate you.

Happy watching!

Last night I taught my last classes until January. It is always a strange feeling to not teach...you feel like you are supposed to be somewhere with people waiting for you. Have to get used to relaxing for a while!

It was a great semester - it flew by faster then any other. I found the students to be really enjoyable - fun and dedicated and ready to learn. I also find that every year the students get better and I have to add just a little bit more to the syllabus to keep them challenged and progressing. Maybe it is that their practicing has increased or maybe I just keep honing my method of teaching and it is easier to get through the material. Whatever the case it is nice to see the students mastering difficult combinations.

Many people are worried about taking a month off of salsa...they may start to forget the moves. To combat this, make sure you practice. Purchase the DVD and work along it. Go to salsa clubs - there is a least one club open every night of the week. Go to the Monday Toronto Dance Salsa practice at Adelaide Club - there are still two weeks to go. Go to the Toronto Salsa Practice sessions on Saturday at Trinity Church downtown.

We also have one more outing on Friday Dec 28th at 9:15pm at Plaza Flamingo. Come out and support our team of helpers who have been practicing their performance routine for months and are ready to show you their stuff!

I want to thank all my students for a great semester - it was a blast and I can't wait to do it again in January!

Wow I read a wonderful salsa blog post from The Unlikely Salsero, who I have commented about in a past blog. I love his blog and he recently wrote a Thanksgiving post that was very touching and inspiring. For every person right now who needs a little encouragement, motivation and drive to move past your current plateau or stage, read the blog post "Dancing: My Personal Thanksgiving"

Just like many of you, Don, The Unlikely Salsero, did not look or feel the part of a salsa dancer. He started dancing later then most and felt very awkward throughout the first few months of dancing. It is funny because everyone who comments about themselves to me in level 1 states that they have "two left feet" with such shame. It is almost like most of us think we are the worst dancers and there is no one else in our situation. This is not true. Most people don't have a natural musical dance talent. It is something that is earned through practice and patience. And the reward is well worth the effort.

Don lists some of the benefits he has been privileged to be rewarded with throughout his salsa journey. Here is my favourite paragraph of the blog although I encourage you to read it in full. Here he states:

"He’s simply one example of someone who made a positive impact on me and I could fill twenty pages with more examples. I’ve become friends with CEOs, manual laborers, construction workers, teachers, bus boys, accountants, models, waitresses and waiters. You name a profession and I probably have danced with them or next to them. Nobody cares about my being an older white guy or having gray hair, as long as I continue to grow as a dancer and treat others well. I dance with women young enough to be my daughter and old enough to be my mom, and it’s all good. It’s amazing, and I don’t think it ends. Social dancing keeps me thinking about how I can be a better friend, connect with more people, and grow my circles of contacts. The diversity is a big win for me. Although I have to admit I’ve always loved people, social dancing opens a new, wide world of interesting relationships."

Feel free to share some of your salsa experiences. Communication is a great way to move past the physical and mental blocks or hurdles and move to a new place where the rewards far outweigh the risks.

I love girls night and Saturday evening was no exception. I set up a small casual girls night (the last one probably before I leave to get married in 2 weeks) and it turned out to be a surprise bachelorette party. It was so much fun and so thoughtful of these wonderful friends. Of course an evening can't be complete without salsa talk as these are all Toronto Dance Salsa instructors/assistants.

One of the conversations we had is how drama-free the TDS team is in comparison to many salsa groups. From past experience I know that just like work or school, salsa groups have lots of drama, competition, romances and friendships gone wrong. But with our TDS core team of instructors and helpers which has more than 60 people in the group, it is very rare to hear of any incidents. Everyone is really there to be social and enjoy the fun, stress-free environment. This is what I love most about what I do. Seeing students catch the salsa bug and grow and develop into helpers and really come out of their shell and become different people. They may move on to other groups in the future but I can be proud that their initial first years of salsa experience were positive, passionate and gave them a really good base of friendships, dance partners and dance experience.

Thanks for the great conversation and evening ladies - you all rock!

I went to Babaluu's last night again. Last week was so much fun and Evan and I are trying to become more consistent with our dancing so Wednesday nights are dedicated dance evenings.

They have added cover for men on Wednesdays now. It is $5 and includes coat check which is still a great price but it is good for everyone to know. We didn't have cash on us and had to go back to the car in the sleet to grab some. Not sure if this is a permanent change but bring extra cash on Wednesdays gentlemen!

I danced for about 1 and a half hours. I am usually busy dancing with friends and very rarely now get asked to dance by people I don't know but last night I had two new dances as well as a dance with one of my level 4 students and helper, Ozzy. I was just passing by when I heard him say to Sara, one of my instructors, that he was definitely not going to dance with me - one instructor was enough for the evening. So of course we had to dance after that comment ;) Great job, Ozzy!

I also danced with Evan, Rob, Tawfiq and Angus...all great dancers. I can't believe how good everyone is getting. Evan has a great trick he does before he goes out on Wednesdays. He looks through our videos of salsa moves or even YouTube for new moves and memorizes one new move and tries to practice it that night so it will be incorporated into his regular repertoire. Works very well!

We saw tons of Toronto Dance Salsa students around so come out on Wednesdays and practice your salsa!

I have been receiving questions about the new specialty class we have posted for January. It is the Advanced Body Movement and Styling Class on Wednesdays from 9:15-10:15pm at Adelaide Club with Caryl.

This advanced class is intended for those who have completed level 5 or by permission. This 9 week course will cover the fundamentals of body movement, individual styling as well as styling during partner work for both males and females, and timing, rhythm and musicality individually and with a partner. The goal of the class is to transform the student into a "dancer".

Every semester we focus on a different specialized salsa class so that students can being to advance to the next level. Styling is one of the hardest but most rewarding parts of the dance because when you start to look like an advanced dancer you begin to feel like an advanced dancer and that is when you let go and really feel comfortable on the dance floor.

If you are in level 4 and feel confident about your dancing, please send me an email and I will assess whether you are ready to go into this class.

So Evan and I finally moved into our new townhouse last month and decided to hold a big Open House for our friends, co-workers and all the salsa helpers.

We were a little worried because 60 people responded that they were coming and while our new home is quite spacious, 60 people may be cutting it close.

Well all 60 people did end up coming and within a couple of hours the tables and sofas were moved and the salsa addicts had turned our home into a salsa club! The non-salsa friends watched in wonder as the salsa helpers danced their way through song after song. Evan and I through in the towel and started dancing too although socks and hardwood floor makes for one slippery dance. The good news is that our floors have never been so shiny!

It is funny to watch salsa dancers. We have a hard time sitting still when salsa music is on. I put on salsa music throughout dinner and everyone couldn't wait to push the tables aside to bust out the moves.

Hope everyone had a great time. We'll be sure to do it again!

What is the difference between the Salsa for Singles Class versus our regular Salsa Nightclub 1 class versus our 7 week salsa only class? I have gotten this question a few times so here is the difference:

The Salsa for Singles class is geared towards single people between the ages of 20-35yrs who want to meet other singles in their age range. It is not just for the point of meeting a potential romance. It is also to make new friends and enlarge your social network. The syllabus (what you learn) is exactly the same as our level 1 class. However, with this class everyone rotates so you get to dance with everyone in the class and it is a more social setting. Many students will form groups after class and go dancing on their own.

The 7 week salsa class that we have available occasionally is just salsa so it doesn't have the Merengue and Bachata classes that the 9 week class has. The salsa syllabus is exactly the same but it is missing the other two dances.

Hope that helps clarify your questions!

Well I am afraid to say that it has been a while since I visited Babaluu's for my salsa fix. Babs has been my favourite salsa club for 8 years straight. Still not sure why as it is always packed, way too small, and hot. Still, the vibe is right, the people are great and I can usually leave with a big smile on my face.

Last night was no exception. Evan and I arrived at about 10:30pm and the place was hopping. I immediately danced with Tawfiq, Evan, Rob, Ya Ya and a few other fun dancers. It was really great to be dancing again.

I did worry throughout the evening that I would be elbowed in the face by other dancers. It wasn't that it was packed, but people were dancing big with elbows everywhere. That is one thing I would recommend people be conscious of - their elbows. They do way more damage then feet or bodies. No major incidents last night which is good news!

The music was ridiculously fast. I actually love fast salsa music - it is so energetic and makes you really want to shake it. However, it was so fast everyone was getting winded. It would be great if the fast songs were surrounded by slower songs so we can last longer. Wow, never thought I would be complaining about fast music...maybe I am getting older????

Thanks to everyone for the fun dances. If you haven't been to Babaluu's Wednesday is my favourite day...easy going, fun and friendly.

There is a great ON 2 salsa website called Salsa New York. I found an article called: Overcoming Some Fears Of Social Dancing - How To Get More Partners - Tough Talk For A Tough World". It is a long title and a long article but very interesting and informative, written by Steve Shaw.

Below is an excerpt that is useful on any dance floor that may help you get more dances!

"THE GEOGRAPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF THE DANCE FLOOR

Let's face it, all people are not the same. Different people are different. And different people dance differently. Furthermore, these different dancers often dance in different areas of the dance floor. It's just human nature. Generally, there are areas with beginners, other areas with intermediate dancers, and still other areas with the hot shots. There are even little sub-areas within these main areas. It's not a rule, but it just sort of happens that way, naturally. It's like a cafeteria: you eat what you want, when you want, and you sit where you want, with who you want. On the dance floor, everyone can make their own choice of how good they want to get, who they want to dance with, and where they want to dance on the dance floor, and often it breaks down according to ability level and friends.

Now, sometimes I've noticed beginner and intermediate dancers spending hours standing or sitting in the area where all the top dancers are dancing, and they're complaining that no one will dance with them, and that the good dancers are stuck-up. This is not a constructive or helpful approach. Here's a better strategy: As I mentioned above, most people usually want to dance at their own level. While it's great, as we're working up, to spend a little time watching excellent dancers in order to admire them, or be inspired, or to learn new moves and style, it's not realistic to be expecting more than a very occasional dance over in that section of the dance floor, until you dance very well.

If we really want to get lots of dancing practice, our best strategy is to spend most of our time in the areas where dancers at our own level are dancing. Complaining doesn't help; taking action does help. Eddie Torres used to tell us: "When you go to a club or social, don't dance right away. First, walk around and see who can dance ON 2, and who dances at your level, or maybe a little bit above your level, and where they're hanging out. Then spend most of your time dancing mostly with them. That way, you get the most dancing practice, meet new partners, and have the most fun." It's the geography and psychology of the dance floor, and the sooner you learn it the sooner you'll have great evenings dancing."

If you are a beginner dancer taking your first level class, you may be confused as to what is the biggest focus when you learn a new move. Is it the footwork, is it the arms, the music, the lead/follow??

This is my suggestion to pick up a new move at a beginner level:

1) Focus on the basic footstep first. Make sure you are stepping with the right feet in the right direction. If it is not perfect that is fine to begin with but just get it approximately right
2) Next focus on the arms (especially for leaders as you have to signal the move to your partner). Make sure your arms and hands are moving when and where they are supposed to go and ensure that these movements work for your partner
3) Next focus on the lead or follow. If you are the male ensure resistance is created and the push and pull, which will make the move successful, is being implemented. If you are the follower make sure you are creating resistance and "shadowing" the leader's fingers so you can follow the move properly
4) Now put it together with the timing. It doesn't have to be with the music yet but ensure that you are moving your feet, body and arms on the correct count.
5) Now that all the major components are in place it is time to perfect the move. Re-evaluate your foot work to ensure it is fully correct. Same thing with your arms, the lead and follow and the count. Finally, put it together with the music and pick up the pace so you are on time.
6) When the move is working well you can add other elements like body movement and styling

Hope that helps!

I found this info on the Salsa Forums. Check out some of my favourite Azzey congress tips...

"AZZEY'S TOP CONGRESS TIPS:

- Print the workshop schedule before you leave and hilight possible workshops to take. On the day you'll be tired and running around so I just put a * on any workshop I would like to do and an X on any I definitely don't. Saves thinking time on the day and I can still change my mind at the last moment.

- Choose a hotel in hobbling distance. You'll thank me when you come out at 8am to get changed for workshops at 10am.

- Arrive early in the afternoon so you can get unpacked, iron a couple of shirts (in case you decide to come back and change during the night) and get some sleep/relax before the dancing.

- Go to the pre-congress party as the big names are often more approachable there. I danced with Maya Torres several times at the UK party without even knowing who she was until the congress! Also Edie TSF was leaning against the bar in a small club when I first asked her to dance. After that it was easy!

- Bring several different types of shoes to dance in as the floors can vary from congress to congress. Usually expect a much more slippy floor than you're used to. Great for spinning!


- The carpet or off-floor area: there will be a circle where the performers mainly dance (off the floor). Great viewing action between midnight-4am!

- When it's busy. Carpe Diem! Ask dancers who are coming off the floor to dance first as they are most likely to accept.

- When you're tired sit down at a big table next to the dance floor (groups of people from a particular school often book a whole table) and chat to people about their evening. Now you have a connection to that table and can go and ask people now or later to dance.

- After-parties are where you will find the hard-core salsero and a good opportunity to dance with the remaining teachers or someone you had your eye on earlier!

- Sleep: as much as possible! I've noticed that during 10 straight hours of dancing per night my leading ability can vary considerably due to tiredness. At my first congress I was going to the after parties and only got 2 hours at the most sleep before the workshops the next day.

- 4 hour power nap in the afternoon between the last workshop and the evening party.

- Workshop Bag contents: Spare t-shirt, Towel, dance shoes, water, energy snacks, chewing gum/breath mints, paracetamol, vitamin C tablets, a tube of deep heat rub (for muscular aches and pains), nothing steal-able!"

With all the ballroom shows on TV, I know some students are wondering what is the difference between Mambo and Salsa. I found a good description on a website called The Dance Store Online. Here it is...

"What’s the difference between mambo and salsa? This depends completely on how each is defined. If we are talking about club style salsa and club style mambo, the only difference is that salsa can be danced on any beat whereas in mambo, the break step is taken on the second beat of the measure. Thus salsa encompasses mambo. In other words, mambo can be thought of as the special case of salsa where the break step is taken on count 2.

If we are talking about salsa and ballroom mambo, the differences are larger. Ballroom training encourages precise and sharp movement with sudden stops and fast changes of direction. In addition, big arm lines are used in ballroom figures. Ballroom figures normally have precise geometries and usually move in linear or lateral directions. In contrast, salsa is more relaxed, more flowing, and the patterns are more circular. Big arm lines are not used in club style salsa dancing."

This is a good definition because New York Mambo is very different from Ballroom Mambo. So what you see on shows like Dancing with the Stars is definitely not what you will see when you go to New York to a salsa event. So New York Mambo is a very smooth On 2 salsa and Ballroom Mambo is more formal, bigger and stiffer. Hope that answers the questions!

I know I already wrote a blog about Dancing with the Stars a few days ago but I have to voice my frustration again. I just don't remember it being so frustrating and overdone in the last few seasons but maybe it has been a lot longer than I remember.

What is the deal with the music choices? On Monday, out of 10 or 12 performances, there was only one choreography to a Latin song. The rest were to country songs (seriously???) and other genres of music that just don't suit sexy Latin dances such as the Samba and Cha Cha.

The other frustration was the inconsistency of the judges. I haven't watched many episodes but I have seen enough to see that they definitely have their favourites regardless of how well or badly they performed. They will tell one person that they didn't dance enough, that there was no substance to the performance and yet another couple will completely get away with a performance that is full of walking, stopping and posing. I really think the judges need to get some consistency in their feedback and scoring.

When I compare this show to a solid show like So You Think You Can Dance, there is just no comparison. Dancing with the Stars is very superficial and has less to do with actual dancing and more to do with stars trying to regain their stardom. So You Think You Can Dance is amazing to watch with real people who have an extreme passion and love of dancing develop and grow in a professional environment.

Just my opinion...would love to hear some other opinions!

I am always curious to know why some people catch the salsa bug so much more seriously then others. I have been doing this for many years now and I can see it right away when the salsa bug hits a student. Most students love to come to classes and really enjoy the outings but it is only about 5% of the students that really catch the obsessive salsa bug which I suffered from for many years!

I think it mainly comes down to a few factors. Salsa fills something in your life that was missing. For me, I had never been musically or artistically talented and always wished I had been so when salsa came into my life, I was so excited that I found a way to express my love of music in an artistic and creative fashion. For some people, it is the social aspect - so many new and interesting people to meet in such a simple way, what could be better? For others, it is the physical challenge and the adrenaline rush of the exercise. It really is a high that is hard to beat.

To describe the salsa bug really is to describe an addiction. I would dance 6-7 nights a week for the maximum amount of time possible. I would close the club every night. I would get upset if a work or family obligation forced me to miss an evening of dancing. I couldn't imagine not dancing.

I see this "bug" in some of my students and many of my helpers. It is fun to watch because you know they are in for an amazing ride filled with great exercise and challenge and new social relationships and friendships. There isn't much you can take for this bug - just have to let it ride out!

There is a salsa online magazine out there that has interesting articles and videos called LaVos Magazine. The article below is about Salsa Cliques and I think it is an interesting topic because many people have complained to me about how cliquey the salsa scene can be.

I agree with what the author, Jason Pacheco, writes below. I think that it is an unnecessary worry many people have because you will find groups in every situation. High school, the local baseball club, work. You hang out with your friends and the people that you like and are comfortable with and if a new person comes into the group it is great. When you are in a new environment you see groups all around you and feel isolated but you probably are a party of many groups yourself and if asked I bet you would be happy to have new people in the group.

So next time you want to dance with someone in a "clique" just ask and you'll probably be surprised!

Sharon

"Salsa Cliques By Jason Pacheco

I was having a late snack after dancing and I was trash talking with some people about life. Picking up the info on who was dating who and who left which dance company. We had a few veteran dancers but there was a new child on the scene. She made a comment that a lot of young dancers make. “The salsa scene has too many cliques.” I had to laugh because it was such naïve statement.

I grew up in a very strict evangelical home in the inner city of Chicago. Every social event from childhood through high school was surrounded by church. I went church, bible study and bible camp during the summer. Then I went to college and was exposed to many different social circles. I wasn’t sheltered to the point that I never had exposure to other social circles, but I never really saw them in depth like I did in college. It was a fun experience because I enjoy watching people interact. When I started dancing I realized that the salsa scene was by far the most entertaining social circle that I have ever witnessed.

“People are people” I say this all the time. Sometimes we become so involved in our social world we think it’s the exception. Really people tend to behave the same regardless of the scene. Growing up in church you meet good people and you meet not so good people. There is a church jargon and yes they have cliques. This goes for every social group where people gather together. The word clique has a lot of the negative connotations. (Except for the Hip- hop scene) If you were to look it up in the thesaurus it’s synonyms are faction, gang and elite. Ouch… Who wants to be described as elite faction or gang? There isn’t anything wrong with cliques. Yes I agree that the dancing scene has many cliques. No one should apologize about wanting to hang out with his or her friends. That’s what humans do. People who complain about cliques are usually jealous that they are not part of a clique. Their complaints subside once they have their own niche. Newbie’s will always make this complaint until they gather the skills to hang with advance dancers. Everyone goes through it and no one likes being humbled.

I use to play basketball in high school religiously. I would play for to 4 to 5 hrs straight everyday during the summer. Even within athletic circles groups would form. These revolved around your skill level. There are three outdoor basketball courts in the park. On the south end all the kids and busters would run their games. In the middle was the High school and mid level players ran their games. On the north end was where the giants roamed. These were grown men and a few large teenagers. No one complained about cliques on the basketball court. You played at your level until it wasn’t challenging and then you attempted to make the jump. If you weren’t good enough you wouldn’t get picked to play. How much fun would a grown man have going over to the south end of the courts and totally dominating a bunch of kids? Not only wouldn’t it be fun it’s dangerous.

It’s the same thing with dancing. You want to dance with people who are going to challenge you. Of course you should dance with beginners and make an effort to welcome new people. No one should expect that if they are just learning the fundamentals that they are going to be dancing every song. If you are not dancing it’s not because these cliques want to deny you a good time. Truth is no one gives it that much thought. (Expect for over analytical people like myself). So just keep dancing and practicing soon enough people will complain about how left out you make them feel."

Anyone watching Dancing with the Stars these days? I wish I could say I have been able to catch the show but I teach in the evenings and very rarely get to catch a rerun. I do sometimes get curious about the Mambo performances that are taking place on the show and YouTube is a great place to see the reruns!

I wish the Mambo routines were more authentic but they usually don't even use Latin music. Below are two routines.

The first is Marie Osmond dancing Mambo. Obviously the technique is not there and her dancing is not as strong as some of the others but I preferred this routine simply because they used a Latin song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x40J5KqY8w

Now check out Mark Cuban who had a stronger routine but they did it to Nelly's Rap Song...the feeling is completely changed and it doesn't even look like Mambo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT99I6pufe8

I wish the music was more authentic because there is so much more energy to it. Anyone have any opinions about this or has any opinions as to who will win??

Well I found this blog about a person who loves salsa but could not understand the salsa beats. Click here to read Doug's story. Doug has been struggling, as many others including new students, with finding the beat and being able to lead musically.

Well it turns out someone read his blog and has offered to convert Doug into a musical marvel - all over the medium of email/internet. Check out The Unlikely Salsero. Don learned to dance salsa at age 40 but has been a musician since childhood and teaches instructors about musicality. He took on the challenge of teaching Doug about salsa music.

I think this is wonderful. I am curious to see how Doug progresses in his learning. If any of my students want to follow Don's exercises, it would be great - we can keep track on this blog and follow your progression too !

Let me know how it goes and I will keep you posted on Doug's progress.

Good luck Doug and Don!!