5 Things I wish I would have known when I started salsa dancing.

1.  Its OK to go alone.
90% (completely unscientific stat) of the people who go to salsa nights are there to just dance.  Many of us go alone and leave alone.  Heading to the club was something I kept putting off because I had no one to go with, but after my first time I saw how may people come alone and it was out almost every night afterward.  Always try to do the club lesson to meet all the other people who are new to dancing and start building your “salsa friend” base.

2.  Latin Nights and Salsa Nights are different.
While both are lots of fun I made the mistake of going to Latino Nights expecting to salsa dance and barely hearing salsa.  Latino nights are more like club nights with not just salsa but also reggaton, merengue, reggaton, bachata, reggaton and other varieties of latin music like…reggaton.  These nights are great fun, but are different from salsa nights in both the crowds that come out and the vibe you will feel.  If you are not sure what kind of a night it is ask your teacher, call the promoter and ask what kind of music they will play.  If they say reggaton its probably a latin night, but this can vary depending on your location.

3  Its OK to say No.
This applies a lot to ladies, but once in a while to guys too.  If you don’t want to dance with someone its OK to say no, my feet are tired, sorry I am a bit dizzy or anything like that as long as its done nicely.  I have had it happen to me and its hard to not take it personally.  There are a lot of reasons why, but as a beginner its can be deflating.  Try to keep this in mind.  Salsa is a scene and the ‘dancers’ tend to recognize one another and while new faces are welcome people might need to see you dancing a few times before they realize that you are a ‘dancer’ as well and not just trying to pick up.  Ladies if you do say yes and half way through the song you feel uncomfortable (your are dancing with the 10% see point one) don’t be afraid to use one of the above excuses to detach from the dance.

4.  Be prepared,
Salsa is high energy, you almost have to think of it as a workout.  In all my time of dancing I have consistently heard complaints about breath, sweating and odor.  Make some rules for yourself.  Here are mine.  I always add extra deodorant under the arms (double up), bring deodorant with you and keep it in your bag or the car, every two songs new gum or mint, hydrate – most bad breath comes from dehydration and no amount of breath stuff can help if you have mouth pasties.  Lastly if you are a sweater like me bring some extra shirts or take a break every 3rd song.

5.  Be the fun one
I must admit to always feeling a bit of jealousy when I talk to girls who rave about how fun someone was even though they didn’t have a lot of moves.  If you are dancing, try to add some funny little bits to your repertoire of styling. Personally I love adding a little shimmy, butt shake or cheeky grin at the end of moves, but that is my style.  Observe yourself in other situations when you are being funny and see if you can put that on the dance floor.  Be the fun one to dance with.

Article by Ivan (Salsero)  Ruiz
Ivan is a local dancer and instructor in Vancouver.  He is one of the organizers of the Vancouver International Salsafestival and has a blog called SalsaMe.  You can contact him or find out more about him at his blog:  http://salsame.tumblr.com/

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Thanks to over 200 people who came out to enjoy the evening.  Olivier and Elise taught the beginner salsa class and Evan and I taught the intermediate salsa lesson.  Ladies, we needed you!  There were at least 5 men who could have used a partner so ladies, come early to the outings so you can enjoy the workshop and get to meet some great dance partners.

There were tons of new faces and dancers of all levels.  As well, it was great to see some old friends and those who have been out of the salsa scene for a while.   Thanks to all my great dances including Rob, Teddy, Bryan and of course Evan and all the new dance partners I met.

Our next outing is the last one of 2010 and it is our TDS Christmas Party at Acrobat on Dec 18th, 2010 at 8:45pm.  There will be performances by the TDS Pro Team, the TDS Students Team and the TDS Reggaeton Team.  Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

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“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 can’t wait to welcome you to our big family, have you coming in week to week, having fun, connecting with new friends and letting lose to amazing Latin songs. Click here to check our current schedule.

If you have any questions you would like me to answer here are some ways you can contact me: message me on Instagram (torontodanceSalsa), on Twitter (#torontodanceSalsa), on Facebook (Toronto Dance Salsa) or email me at info@torontodanceSalsa.ca.

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Our classes are adult salsa classes. It doesn’t mean we haven’t had older children or teens in the class but it is focused on adult learning. There are a few dance schools that offer salsa for children specifically so children dance with children which works well.

We have on occasion had a parent come with their child and they didn’t rotate. This is fine. We have also had parents enroll their teenage child (14 was the youngest) with the understanding that the teen would rotate with adult students. We have also had two teenagers sign up together as partners and they didn’t rotate. All of these scenarios can work and did work very well for these families.

Salsa is a sensual dance. If it is a children’s only class that element can be take out. In an adult class there would be some focus on this. As long as parents are aware of this, it can be a great learning experience for kids and teens!

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We had almost 250 people in attendance and when I left people were still unstoppable, dancing the night away.

The evening started off with 3 separate lessons. Kimberly and Velina taught the absolute beginners the salsa basics with turns. Rob and Sara taught the level 1s a sexy routine and Evan and I challenged the level 2s and up.

Our former student, helper and club instructor Kerem made his DJing debut last night as DJ K and he rocked the house with my favourite salsa songs. The feedback was excellent and we will be sure to have DJ K come back and DJ for us in the future.

I would say 80% of those who came last night had a costume and it was amazing to see. Over 30 people entered the best costume competition and with 7 finalists it was a very tough call. However Roger Chandhok won the competition as a remarkable twin copy of Michael Jackson, moon walk and all! Roger won two tickets to see the Willie Colon concert next Saturday at the Docks.

It was also the birthday of Sara, one of our instructors, and we all celebrated salsa style with a 2 part salsa dance – Happy Birthday Sara!

Photos will hopefully be up by tomorrow so check the events section of the website to see the awesome costumes!

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Here is the hygiene excerpt from that article:

“You do not want to be the male or female who others do not want to dance with because of hygiene. Knowing that salsa is a close body contact type of sport where you touch others in a hot, sweaty environment, please be considerate and adhere to the following guidelines. Fresh breath is a must. Bring breath mints or gum to any dancing event. Antiperspirants and/or deodorants are also a must. For excessive sweating, try Drysol. It can be bought at any Shopper’s Drug Mart and really works in controlling sweat. Some people bring a change of shirts if they know they are going to perspire a lot. Others use talc powder for damp palms. Some bring small towels or handkerchiefs/bandanas. Take breaks often and keep yourself hydrated. Avoid heavy cologne, perfumes or oils as they can get musty in that environment and others may be allergic.

Following these tips will allow the salsa experience to remain a positive one for everyone involved. Remember that good manners, respect for others and awareness of the environment you are in will go a long way.”

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If all you do is take a one hour salsa lesson once a week, you will likely not learn too quickly and it will be a little difficult for you to go salsa dancing and feel comfortable and smooth.

The general rule of the thumb is 3-4hrs of practice for every 1 hour of class time. That may seem like a lot of time but an evening of salsa dancing at one of our outings or a local club will fly by and before you know it you have put in the required pratice time without it feeling like homework! That is the beauty of salsa dancing – it is so much fun and once you go out a couple of times and get used to the salsa scene you will find it fun, social, energetic and it will enhance your life.

Other ways of practicing include dancing at home with a partner or on your own. You can use a DVD or just a mirror and some music. You have YouTube to assist you visually and you should try to listen to salsa music wherever you go. Try a Saturday practice session at Trinity Church or our own Monday practice session. Go on the forums and see where the students are heading to and post questions for your knowledge. Really get involved and you will find an amazing new world that is social, musical, fun and exciting!

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Below is their bio for anyone interested in learning about this new band…

“Those who witnessed up close and personal the “Salsa Explosion of the 1970’s” in New York City and Puerto Rico remember and agree that the majority of the musicians and bandleaders were mostly youngsters.

Now, inspired by the masters of salsa is the new group from New York City that goes by the name of “La Excelencia.” Percussionists Jose Vazquez-Cofresi and Julian Silva formed the band, featuring a young ensemble that would appeal to their generation, while performing and creating “salsa dura” (hardcore salsa) with a positive social message.

This debut CD “Salsa Con Conciencia” (salsa with a conscience) delivers 10 original scores, showcasing the versatility and depth of the band. The tracks swing with beautiful harmonies and powerful arrangements of free-flowing horns and lively percussions.

Lead vocalists Rene Leslie and Edwin Perez command the spotlight with arresting readings full of social messages that enlighten the listeners to everyday situations in peoples’ lives.

Tasty choruses complete each track, delivering high-octane rhythms, without losing essence and true roots of salsa. These young-bloods are the real thing. -Rudolph Mangual (Latin Beat Magazine)”

Let us know if you have discovered any new salsa bands and we will be sure to check them out!

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The session came about due to the students’ requests for a private place to casually practice moves, ask questions and learn comfortably. So we have scheduled Kimberly Robinson, one of our instructors and 6 helpers and they are available to answer questions, catch up on a move and dance with attendees.

Here are the details of our fall semester salsa practice session:

When: Mondays from Oct 29th to Dec 10th – 7 weeks
Time: 9:00 – 10:00 pm
Location: Original Studio at the Adelaide Club – Bay & Adelaide on the concourse level of the First Canadian Place
Cost: $4 per session, or all 7 sessions for $20

You do not need to sign up in advance – it is a drop in structure.

Enjoy!

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When my students experience a new class, many times they will confide in me that it was hard to get used to. I say this now because many of you have either new instructors as you move up or take make up classes with other instructors. Try not to compare. You will always have your preferences. Instead try to see the strengths in each instructor, helper and environment. Each has unique strengths which will assist you on your salsa journey. One may be better at breaking the move down, but the other may be more musical and can open your mind to new ideas or another may be more fun and inject a differente feeling to the dance.

I always recommend experiencing multiple instructors. I myself have been lucky to experience instruction from many different types of instructors. Each is so different. I travelled to New York to do a private lesson with Frankie Martinez. We almost didn’t dance for the entire hour – we just talked. It was extremely helpful. I did a 1.5 hour Afro Cuban class with him later in which he didn’t say one word – I found it an amazing experience. I have had instructors who were opposite and spent the whole time with detailed explanations and those were great too.

Don’t get me wrong – I always have my preferences and my favourites. But I know that I can learn something from almost everyone so the next time you find yourself doing a make up class or learning from a new instructor keep an open mind!

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