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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It was great to get back into the swing of things. I taught 3 sold out classes (level 1, 2 and 3). Everyone was super excited to salsa after a long hiatus and, as usual, we were a little rusty. So I wanted to remind everyone not to worry or stress too much about your first class. It usually takes a week or two to get back into the salsa swing if you have taken some time off so give yourself a break.

Remember that every class begins with a review of last semester so make sure you are on time and ready to review the most important moves of the past level. Keep in mind that even if you can’t remember all the moves, as long as you can execute the main moves, you will be fine and throughout the semester as you learn new moves we will bring back older moves and add to combinations so that you will continuously practice them.

Our Sunday social is more popular then ever. It is so nice to see students coming out weekly and really improving with every practice session. It is such a cozy, comfortable environment and it is very easy to make friends and meet new dance partners. Hope to see you all out practicing this semester and don’t forget that our first outing of 2010 is this Saturday, January 16th at 8:45pm at Acrobat Lounge. See you all there!

The post Welcome back! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

Date: Sundays 2:00 – 3:00pm starting Oct 18th
Instructor: Tracie Yee
Type: 9 classes x 1 hr per class
Cost: $126/$117 per person

Sexy Bachata Moves
Kick your Bachata dancing into high gear with some new sexy turn patterns that will add flair and sensuality to your dancing. Join Elton and Velina as they cover body movement, rhythm and musicality, as well as explore new dance patterns in this 1.5 hr workshop at Empress Studio. For those who have completed a minimum of Level 2 and up or passed an assessment.

Date: Saturday November 7th from 5:30 – 7:00pm
Instructors: Velina Sotirova and Elton Martins
Type: 1.5hr workshop
Cost: $35/pp or $30/helpers

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Here is the first excerpt from the article:

Salsa Dancing Etiquette – A Guide for Salsa Students and Dancers

Salsa clubs have their very own code of ethics and conduct that may sometimes not be apparent for new dancers. To make your dance experience as well as your partners’ and the dancers around you more enjoyable, please take note of the following salsa club guidelines and tips.

• Positioning yourself on the dance floor
You have just arrived at the salsa club and are anxious to begin dancing. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the surroundings and the dance scene. Every club is different in terms of where it is appropriate to socialize, stand and dance. The edge of the dance floor is a great place to position yourself when you are ready to begin dancing. Try to refrain from bringing glasses or bottles close to the dance floor as it can be dangerous. Be aware of the dancers and give them enough space to maneuver. Do your best to always navigate yourself around the edge of the dance floor (not through the centre) and take your time to ensure you do not bump into a dancer. There are many instances when a female is being spun and is bumped into by a passing patron/worker/dancer. This can be very dangerous and frustrating. Try not to congregate or socialize in groups around the dance floor. Most clubs have an area around the bar or to the sides for this and it will be less obstructive to the dancers.

• How to ask someone to dance – the male and female perspective
Gentleman, there is a right and a wrong way to ask for a dance. Please be polite. A smile and a general inquiry of “Would you like to dance?” is usually the best method but if you are not comfortable it is also appropriate to offer your hand (with a smile of course) to the lady. Once she accepts, an introduction of yourself will put her more at ease and create a connection.

Ladies, don’t feel that you have to wait for the men to ask you to dance. It is quite appropriate for you to do the asking. Remember that most men are very open to dancing. They may just be uncomfortable with doing the asking or afraid of being rejected. They will be relieved to have this task out of the way. If you have a good connection on the dance floor, the chances are great that the man will take over the asking task in the future.

More from the salsa etiquette guide in my next blog post!

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So You Think You Can Dance Canada Reveals First-Ever Top 20

TORONTO, Oct. 2, 2008 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX)

After an exhilarating cross-country audition tour and intensive finals in Toronto, CTV announced during tonight’s broadcast the 10 men and 10 women who have danced their way to the top of the inaugural So You Think You Can Dance Canada Top 20. The dancers, who specialize in everything from Ballet, Hip-Hop, Salsa and everything in between, compete for Canada’s votes with the series first-ever Top 20 two-hour performance episode next Wednesday, October 8 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV (visit ctv.ca to confirm local broadcast times). Following the performance episode, viewers will have two hours to vote for their favourite couple. Learn more about the Top 20 in the So You Think You Can Dance Canada Top 20 guide to be published in Metro newspapers across the country on October 8.

“This first-ever group of Top 20 dancers are about to write a new chapter in Canadian television history,” said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. “Their unbelievable natural talent and pure charisma will captivate the country.”

“The men and women in our Top 20 are some of the best dancers I have ever seen,” said Executive Producer Sandra Faire. “This group are not only some of the best dancers Canada has to offer, they are world class. Canada has some of the best choreographers in the world, and when they get their hands on the Top 20, we know viewers will be blown away by their performances.”

The Top 20 will be divided into 10 couples, who will work with top choreographers to learn a new dance routine each week from a wide variety of genres, including Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Broadway, Ballroom, Bollywood and more. The fate of these 20 finalists – one of whom will be named Canada’s Favourite Dancer – will be left up to viewer votes.

On the first live results show, debuting Thursday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET on CTV, the three couples with the fewest number of votes will be announced. Each dancer in those three couples will have one last chance to impress the judges and “dance for their life” with a solo routine of his or her choosing. After all six dancers have performed, the judges will weigh in on the performances before sending one male and one female dancer home.

Starting next Wednesday (Oct. 8) and continuing for the next nine weeks, voting begins as Canadians make their voices heard for their choice of Canada’s Favourite Dancer. Voting will occur following the conclusion of Wednesday’s “performance shows” and is restricted to one, two-hour voting window in each region of broadcast (detailed voting information can be found at dance.ctv.ca).

Already the country’s newest homegrown hit, averaging 1.1 million total viewers to date, So You Think You Can Dance Canada is also ranking No. 1 online. As announced earlier this week by Yahoo! Canada, So You Think You Can Dance Canada is the top-searched new show for the week ending September 26, 2008 and is the seventh top-searched television show overall.

The Top 20 were selected after So You Think You Can Dance Canada’s exhaustive, cross-country search in five cities and the gruelling “Finals” cutdown in Toronto. Ranging in age from 18 to 29, The Top 20 dancers chosen from over 2,500 auditions are students, dance teachers and choreographers, all vying for the coveted title of Canada’s Favourite Dancer.

The Top 20 finalists (in alphabetical order) breaking it down for the first ever So You Think You Can Dance Canada performance episode on Wednesday, October 8 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV are:

ALLIE Bertram (18) is a Ballet dancer from Calgary, AB. She is a graduate of the International School of Ballet, and is excited to represent her style on the show. Allie has just returned from the Boston Ballet and is thrilled to showcase for Canada how much she loves to dance.

ARASSAY Reyes (21) is a Contemporary/Latin dancer from South Surrey, B.C. Born in Havana, Cuba, Reyes has been dancing since she was young and frequently incorporates her Latin flair into her routines. Arassay attended the Cuban National School of the Arts, later earning a spot in the National Contemporary Dance Company of Cuba (Danza Contemporanea de Cuba). Arassay is currently dancing with the Vancouver dance company Grupo America.

BREANNE Wong (25) is a Contemporary dancer from Whitby, ON who began dancing competitively at age 12. Now a dance teacher in Ajax, Breanne is also the co-owner of a dance studio, which she cites as one of her biggest accomplishments.

CAROLINE Torti (23) is a Contemporary dancer born in Kamloops, B.C., who now lives in Oakville, ON. Caroline, who started dancing at age three, has trained in jazz, tap, ballet, modern, lyrical, acrobatics, and hip-hop, but says that contemporary wins out as her favourite style of dance.

DANNY Arbour (26) is a Latin and Ballroom dancer from Montréal, QC. He knows that with his status as a professional ballroom dancer, he needs to impress the judges in all styles of dance that come his way.

DARIO Milard (19) is a Contemporary dancer born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in St. Hubert, QC. He is a self-taught dancer who believes that his creativity and hard work have gotten him this far. Since taking an interest in dance five years ago, Dario has taken ballet and contemporary lessons at various Montréal-area schools, including Dawson College.

FRANCIS Lafrenière (28) is a Ballroom dancer from St. Bruno, QC. Francis owns his own dance studio and credits his students as his biggest supporters. He competed in the Blackpool Dance Festival in Blackpool, England, and looks forward to showcasing his infamous hip moves in the upcoming season.

IZAAK Smith (19) is a Hip-Hop and Ballet dancer from Prince George, BC. Dancing since the age of seven, Izaak attended North Shore Academy of Dancing and has studied at Judy Russell’s Enchaînement Dance Centre. He is also trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern and musical theatre.

JESSE Catibog (29) is a B-Boy from Toronto, ON. Inspired by his hometown’s multiculturalism and versatility, Jesse honed his skills on the streets of Toronto. Known for his signature dance move, the coffee grinder-torpedo-coin drop-jump-jazz split-chair freeze, Jesse is excited to show Canada his moves.

JOEY Matt (19) is a Contemporary dancer from Calgary, AB. Joey believes that making the Top 20 is one of his greatest accomplishments. The support from his friends and family is what drives Joey to dance like there is no tomorrow and try out new styles of dance.

KAITLYN Fitzgerald (18) is a Contemporary dancer from Loretto, ON. She has been dancing since the age of two, starting out in tap, jazz, lyrical and ballet. Kaitlyn has studied at various schools, including the National Ballet of Canada, and her proudest dance moment came when she participated in the Solo Seal for the Royal Academy of Dance.

KEVIN Mylrea (22) is a Contemporary dancer born in Saskatoon, SK and raised in Westbank, BC. He attended DANZMODE Productions and KC Dance Connection, and says he is proud to see other dancers perform his own choreography. One of Kevin’s biggest accomplishments is working on The Lizzie McGuire Movie with Hilary Duff.

LARA Smythe (25) is a Contemporary/Acro dancer from Toronto, ON who started out as a competitive gymnast and grew up attending Earl Haig’s performing arts program. For the last five years, Lara has been working mainly as a choreographer for acrobatic routines.

LISA Auguste (27) is a Contemporary/Hip-Hop dancer from Rexdale, ON. She is a graduate of Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, and the Canadian Aesthetics Academy. While in New York attending a class at the Broadway Dance Centre, Lisa had the opportunity to work with contemporary choreographer Mia Michaels – an idol of many other contestants in the competition.

MILES Faber (21) is a Popper and Boogaloo dancer from Calgary, AB. With no formal training, Miles was first introduced to hip-hop by choreographer Tara Wilson. Miles looks forward to testing himself as he takes on new dance styles and competes to become Canada’s favourite dancer.

NATALLI Reznik (28) is a Hip-Hop/Latin dancer born in Israel and now living in Toronto, ON. Natalli, who began dancing later in life, started with ballet at age 17 and moved into the modern, Latin, and hip-hop styles of dance. Currently studying fashion and visual merchandising at Seneca College, Natalli believes it will be her unique personality that will entice judges and viewers alike.

NICO Archambault (23) is a Contemporary/Hip-Hop dancer from Montréal, QC. He has been studying dance at Cégep du Vieux Montréal (http://www.cvm.qc.ca/), and enjoys rock ‘n’ roll as much as dance. Nico is looking forward to dancing with the rest of the Top 20 competitors and mastering new styles.

ROMINA D’Ugo (22) is a Jazz dancer born and raised in Toronto, ON. She started dancing as a child, taking jazz, tap and ballet. Romina attended the Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, majoring in dance, before pursuing a career as an actor, graduating from Sheridan Institute’s Musical Theatre-Performance program. Her true passion, however, lies in salsa dancing.

TAMINA Pollack-Paris (19) is a Hip-Hop dancer born in Toronto, ON. With some training in jazz, ballet, and Irish dance, Tamina attended the Interplay School of Dance. She is currently busy taking classes at Toronto’s OIP Dance Centre and Street Dance Academy.

VINCENT Noiseux (22) is a Contemporary/Hip-Hop dancer from Saint- Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC. He has been dancing since the age of 13, and aspires to dance on tour with Janet Jackson. Vincent is overwhelmed with the amount of talent he has seen thus far in the competition, and looks forward to the weeks ahead.

Learn more about the Top 20 in the Wednesday, October 8 special So You Think You Can Dance Canada Top 20 guide in Metro newspapers across the country, or at dance.CTV.ca, the official online portal for the series and the source for everything SYTYCDC. The site is jam packed with exclusive footage and clips, fans can get up close and personal with their favourite dancers, judges and choreographers by browsing the image galleries, videos, forums, blogs from judges and more.

For those who missed tonight’s episodes and in advance of next week’s first ever So You Think You Can Dance Canada Top 20 performance episode, an encore of this week’s Top 200/The Finals episode will air on MuchMusic Sunday, October 5 from 9-11 p.m. ET. An encore of both performance and results episodes will air Sundays at 9 p.m. back-to-back on MuchMusic beginning October 12 (go to ctv.ca and muchmusic.com to confirm local broadcast times).

Watch Top 200/The Finals highlights, exclusive footage not seen on TV backstage footage, on demand on the CTV Video Player at dance.CTV.ca.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada is based on the Emmy Award-winning smash hit series created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe that premiered in 2005. Canada joins the United States, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Turkey, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa and Israel as markets with an original So You Think You Can Dance production.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada was created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, and is produced in association with CTV by Danse TV Productions. Sandra Faire and Trisa Dayot are Executive Producers. Ed Robinson is Executive Vice-President, Programming, CTV Inc. Susanne Boyce is President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc.

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Well I am so happy to announce that Bryant Lopez from Tango Soul will be teaching our first ever Argentine Tango class in our new studio at Empress Walk. I first met Bryant when Evan surprised me last Valentine’s Day 2007 with a private Argentine Tango class – it was so much fun. Very different from salsa but just as fun and exciting. I loved Bryants passionate and intense teaching style and hoped that one day he would be able to teach a class for us. So to make things short, beginning Thursday June 12th at 9pm, Bryant will be teaching a 9 week class that will focus on the dance basics including technique, leading, following and footwork.

Just like salsa there are some discrepancies and arguments as to the history of Argentine Tango but we do know the dance originated in Buenos Aires. Here is a short history lesson for those interested from a website I found online called argentinepolo.

“Although there are many legends and stories about the origins and development of tango, I will attempt to give an outline that is broadly accepted, and I have picked up from a variety of sources. Tango is a dance and music that originated in Buenos Aires at the turn of the century, developing in the melting pot of cultures that was Buenos Aires. Immigrants from Europe – Italy, Spain, Britain, Poland, Russia, Germany and every other European country mixed with earlier generation of settlers of all races from other South American countries. They brought their native music and dances with them, and continued to assimilate new innovations from abroad. Traditional polkas, waltzes and mazurkas were mixed with the popular Habanera from Cuba to form a new dance and music, the milonga, which was popular in the 1870s . This was known as the “poor man’s Habanera”. The word tango was used at the time to describe various music and dance, for example the “tango andaluza” from Spain in the 1880s. The black population had their dances, the candombe, a mix of many different african traditions, and the place they danced and the dance itself have also been referred to as tango.”

Can’t wait to get started! Registration is open for this class so register soon by clicking here to secure your spot!

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Part 1:

What will make you become a better salsa dancer faster – learning with a partner or learning on your own with a variety of rotating dancers and students? This is the question I get asked often and everyone has an opinion.

The truth is that it depends on the person, the effort and the situation. There are pros and cons in each scenario.

I was lucky to experience both scenarios. My first year of dancing was on my own. I went salsa dancing nightly and, while I had my favourite people to dance with which changed monthly, I didn’t have a main partner. This was an excellent experience in my opinion. I learned to follow every type of lead – whether the lead was gentle or firm, the timing on 1 or on another beat, the Cubans, the Columbians, those from Chile and Ecuador, those who danced LA Style, New York Style, it didn’t matter. When you dance with 20 partners a night 7 days a week you get to be very versatile. I got to know my preferences, get inspired constantly by new dancers and I was always left with the feeling that dancing was always fresh and new.

After the first year of salsa I wanted to complete and perform and obviously this can’t be done unless you get a dance partner. It worked out that I met a dance partner at one of the local clubs and he had the same goals as I did.

Although we both knew very little in the whole scope of things we were very eager and serious to learn. We practiced daily, took some group lessons, private lesson, workshops and attended congresses together and very shortly we looked sleeker and more professional. The partnership really assisted in having someone to practice with regularly, someone who would give you honest feedback and someone to challenge you to move to the next level. This experience was also excellent and really made a difference in my confidence, styling, body movement, show-ability and much more. Note however that my following skills were reduced considerably because you tend to compensate for your partner and memorize moves, back lead, etc.

To be continued on Monday!!!

The post To Partner or Not to Partner – Pt 1? appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

Instead of doing this myself I stumbled upon a great website that lists Latin dance movies by genre…it is an awesome list and spans from 1930 – 2005.

The website is LatinDancePro.com and here is their amazing list:

Tango Films

1972 – Last Tango in Paris
1983 – Tango
1987 – Tango: Our Dance
1988 – Tango Bar
1991 – Danzon
1991 – Naked Tango
1992 – Scent of a Woman
1992 – Tango Argentino
1997 – The Tango Lesson
1998 – Tango: The Obsession
1999 – Tango Passion
2002 – Assassination Tango
2002 – Tango Kabaree
2002 – Tangos Fly
2003 – Assassination Tango
2004 – Chicago
2005 – Shall We Dance

Cha cha cha Films
1934 – Caravan
1955 – Bailando Cha cha cha
1955 – Que lindo Cha cha cha
1956 – Cha-cha-cha-Boom
1957 – Bambalinas
1959 – Girls for the Mambo Bar
Lambada Films
1990 – Lambada
Pachanga Films
1981 – La Pachanga

Mambo/ Salsa Films
1941 – Al Son De La Macumba
1950 – Al Son Del Mambo
1950 – Mambo Madness
1951 – Una Gallega Baila Mambo
1951 – Que Rico El Mambo
1954 – Mambo (Robert Rossen)
1960 – La Dolce Vita
1987 – Dirty Dancing
1988 – Salsa
1992 – Mambo Kings
1998 – Dance With Me
1998 – Mad About Mambo
2000 – Mambo Cafe
2004 – Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

Paso Doble Films
1984 – Paso Doble
1993 – Strictly Ballroom

Merengue Films
1995 – Manhattan Merengue

Bolero Films
1934 – Bolero
1949 – La Faraona
1952 – Bolero
1958 – Bolero Immortal
1970 – Bolero de Amor
2002 – Bolero

Samba Films

1933 – Flying Down to Rio
1941 – That Night in Rio
1942 – Springtime in The Rockies
1948 – Samba Mania
1948 – Samba Rhythm
1950 – Nancy Goes to Rio
1960 – Black Orpheus
1965 – Samba
1977 – Beat of The Heart: Samba of Brazil
1979 – Bye Bye Brazil
1980 – Brazil
1982 – Spirit of Samba
1999 – Samba Master
2001 – Samba Riachao
2004 – Samba in Mettmann

Rumba/ Son Films

1931 – The Cuban Love Song
1933 – When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba
1939 – Rumba Land
1941 – Cuban Rhythm
1942 – Harlem Rhumba
1945 – Rhythm of the Rumba
1946 – Let’s Rhumba
1952 – Rumba Caliente
1982 – Rumba
1987 – La Rumba
1989 – Last Rumba in Paris
1990 – Rumba

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Lucky for me there is a new dance movie coming out this weekend called “Step Up 2 the Streets” which is the sequel to Step Up which came out about one year ago. I actually really enjoyed the original Step Up. The female lead was the same girl that was in the Tango Threesome in Take the Lead which was a great dance scene. The male lead is the same lead as in Step Up 2 so hopefully it will be filled with some great street dancing scenes!

Here is a blurb from Apple.com:

The follow-up to the smash hit “Step Up,” which ignited theaters in August 2006. When rebellious street dancer Andie (BRIANA EVIGAN) lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifnto her old life. When she joins forces with the school’s hottest dancer Chase (ROBERT HOFFMAN) to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore’s underground dance battle The Streets, she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds. Featuring the directorial debut of award-winning up-and-comer Jon M. Chu, STEP UP 2 THE STREETS reunites much of the production team behind the original film including “Step Up“‘s cutting-edge hip-hop choreographer Jamal Sims, who is joined this time by choreographers Hi-Hat (“hip-hop’s high diva of dance”) and Dave Scott (“Stomp the Yard”). Patrick Wachsberger and Erik Feig of Summit Entertainment produce with Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot of Offspring Entertainment.

Click here to see the trailer. I will write review as soon as I see it.

Happy watching!

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The group started when Juan Miguel Mas decided he was frustrated with the lack of opportunity overweight people experience when learning how to dance. What was so great to hear was that Danza Voluminosa has “become a cultural phenomenon in Cuba, performing to sell-out crowds at some of Havana’s top venues”.

I loved reading this article because dance is so universal and should be an enhancement to the lives of everyone regardless of race, size, gender, age, etc. I wish, however, that everyone would have the same opportunities when it comes to education. It would be great to see students of all types attend any class they choose, instead of feeling like they have to form separate groups to be comfortable and progress. That is why I love salsa! I have students from 14-80 years old attending the classes from all cultures, races, sizes,types. When I go to a salsa club in Toronto I am amazed at the variety of dancers and that is why I love living in Toronto!

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