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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I thought you would all be very interested to know you can have free tickets to see So You Think You Can Dance Canada live!

The online form is located at dance.ctv.ca. Just go to this link and request up to 4 tickets per person. Tickets are granted on a first come first serve basis, and successful parties will receive a phone call of confirmation. Taping takes place Mondays (from Oct. 6-Dec.1) at 6:00pm, Wednesdays (from Oct.8-Dec. 3) at 6pm, and Thursdays are live (from Oct. 9-Dec.4) at 6:30pm. The ticket desk is open for approximately 2 hours before the show.

The audience is set up as a “mosh pit” area and requires that the audience members stand for the duration of the taping. All audience members must be at least 14 years of age. Full details are available at the website along with the request form.

This is a great experience and we are lucky the taping is in Toronto. Hopefully you all take advantage and attend a taping. Please share you experience if you do!

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****************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(New York, NY- October 6th, 2008)

Press Contact:
Kazuko Nagao
Notions United LLC
646-472-5204
kazuko@notionsunited.com

Hot!Hot!Hot! Yoko, “La Japonesa Salsera”!
Japanese female singer singing Hardcore Salsa! YOKO LA JAPONESA SALSERA CD RELEASE!
Performing LIVE at S.O.B’S Friday October 24th and CD on Sale on October 25th.

Salsa’s fiery heat has grown worldwide since the sixties. South America, Europe, MiddleEast and Asia all share the passion of Latin music. Today, Japan introduces their newest pride and joy in Latin music, Yoko, “La Japonesa Salsera”!

In 1997, Yoko’s career took an interesting turn when she moved to New York and began working at a Japanese financial firm. Though satisfied with her stable new career, she never lost interest in pursuing a singing career. Yoko continued playing gigs and performing whenever she had a chance. In 2004 she was invited to perform in Japan with Herman Olivera, a prestigious figure within the New York salsa scene who is currently the lead singer of the Eddie Palmieri Orchestra. Despite all this, it has not been easy competing with the thousands of other musicians striving for success in the Big Apple. For some time now, Yoko has wanted to record her own album in order to showcase her talent and have her voice reach people from all over the world.

Yoko could not have released this album without a production team strongly believed in her talent and potential. Willie Ruiz a 35 year salsa veteran coached and fine tuned Yoko’s vocal talent. Yoko’s training and unique sound coveted her a position as lead singer for the critically acclaimed Latin music group “Chino Nunez and friends.” Yoko’s debut on Chino Nunez’s album lead to a duet with famed Salsa singer Ray Sepulveda on “Hoy Ces cantamos” on Chino Nunez’s “Dr.Salsa”, album.

Yoko’s album is a combination of hardcore salsa, dance classics and a tribute to salsa of the past. Swinging arrangements by Willie Ruiz, Pablo “Chino”, Nunez and other talented arrangers and musical collaborations with the greatest talents including piano players Edwin Sanchez and Chiemi Nakai, base player Jose Tabares, trumpet players Raul Agraz,Richie Viruet and Manuel (Maneco) Ruiz , Trombone players Joe Fiedler ,Luis Bonilla and Jose Davila, Baritone Sax players Carmen Lavoy and Carl Corwin, Conga players Pablo ”Chino” Nunez and George Delgado, Timbales player Pablo “Chino”Nunez and Bongo & Bell player Pablo “Chino” Nunez and Jorge Gonzalez sets this album apart as not only musically sound but modern and innovative.

Yoko’s album release is to be held at the prestigious S.O.B.’s in New York City. S.O.B., Sounds of Brasil is considered a landmark venue for world music. 25 years ago Larry Gold opened S.O.B.’s doors exposing the mainstream to the heritage and culture of the Afro-Latino diaspora. Please join us in welcoming newest and hottest salsera, Yoko! “La Japonesa Salsera”.

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We met at World of Circus which is a Circus School in Richmond Hill for a lesson in all things circus related. In 5 groups we were able to rotate to several different areas learning such fun activities as Trampoline, Aerials, Juggling, Hula Hoops, Balancing and more. We also got to watch some of the pros in action and let me tell you it is a lot more difficult then it looks!

The group worked up an appetite and then met at Korean Grill House in Markham. This is a really fun place for a group because you can cook your own food on personal grills at your table. It is very interactive, fun and delicious!

Over 40 helpers came out to bond and have fun. Thanks to everyone for their participation and enthusiasm. Photos are now up on the events page so check them out!

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“Salsa dancing can be a fun and effective exercise but if a U.K. study holds true, salsa dancing benefits may extend far beyond simple calorie burning. A recent study conducted in the United Kingdom showed that salsa dancing may be beneficial in lifting the mood of those who suffer from symptoms of depression.

In order to look more closely at salsa dancing benefits, a group of researchers in the U.K. recruited twenty-four volunteers previously diagnosed with depression to participate in a study to determine if salsa dancing could help relieve the symptoms of depression. The volunteers were given a standardized written depression evaluation before the salsa dancing classes began. The volunteers then participated in eight one hour salsa dancing classes over a nine week period. The depression evaluation was repeated after the nine week period to assess improvements in overall mood. The researchers were surprised to find that volunteers who had remained in the salsa dancing classes showed significant improvement in their depressive symptoms as well as on their scores on the depression evaluation. The researchers noted that the volunteers who dropped out of the study may have altered the results somewhat.

Although further studies would be necessary to make firm conclusions as to whether the benefits of salsa dancing extend to helping with depression, if effective it certainly provides a safe and effective all natural option for giving depressed patients a sense of accomplishment which may translate into improved mood and greater sense of well being.

It shouldn’t be surprising that salsa dancing might benefit depression. Exercise has long been known to improve moods in patients with depressive symptoms and salsa dancing is an energetic form of dancing that raises the heart rate and could potentially increase production of endorphins, the “feel good” hormones responsible for exercise related mood elevations. Plus, salsa dancing provides depressed patients with increased social interaction which reduces their sense of isolation which may have positive benefits. Salsa dancing also provides the depressed patient with a new skill which can help to raise levels of self esteem.

Hopefully, more studies on salsa dancing benefits will show whether or not the improvements in mood were real and sustainable. Many people suffering from depression are looking for alternatives to prescription antidepressants with their undesirable side effects. Salsa dancing could be an activity that would provide multiple benefits to their health and sense of well being. Could salsa dancing be a viable alternative to prescription antidepressants? Only time and further study will tell.”

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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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The evening began with a beginner lesson downstairs with Sara Sharifpoor and Velina Sotirova and an intermediate lesson with Evan and myself upstairs. We had a great turnout for the lessons and I was happy to see that the students picked up the combination with greater ease than last week at Plaza Flamingo.

DJ Evan then got the night started with lots of great salsa, merengue and bachata. I saw plenty of faces of new students and past students so it was great to see everyone enjoying themselves. I had some fun dances myself – thanks to Frank, John, Vince, Mark, Rob and anyone else I danced with for the fun times!

Our next outing is on Friday October 17th at 9:30pm at Plaza Flamingo. Also keep Saturday November 1st open as that is our traditional Halloween Dress Up Salsa Party, this year at Peridot!

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“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Isaac Altman, President

LEGENDARY AFRO-CUBAN MUSICIAN LARRY HARLOW TO APPEAR IN CONCERT AT THE 7th ANNUAL WSF WORLD SALSA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MIAMI

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the World Salsa Federation, Inc., we would like to welcome everyone to the 7th Annual WSF World Professional Salsa Championships and the All-Star Dancesport Championships to be held in Miami at the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming, November 7th and 8th, 2008.

Over 2 days, competitors from around the World will have an opportunity to be World Champions in their Salsa style and category, and then go head to head for the title of Undisputed World Professional Salsa Champions. The Undisputed World Professional Salsa Champions will represent the best of Salsa competitive dancing, and will represent the WSF world-wide. Also included this year will be the World Junior and Youth Salsa Championships. The youth come to this event with unsurpassed energy and enthusiasm. Come watch them compete as these young people will be our future Salsa Stars!! Also that weekend the WSF will hold its All-Star DanceSport Championships bringing the ever popular Ballroom Dancing to Miami in its most competitive form. Competition ranges from ages 4 through adults and beginners through advanced levels.

Salsa music legend and renowned Latin-style pianist Larry Harlow comes to the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Grand Ballroom for a special performance on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 . Playing with Larry Harlow will be his Latin Legends Band offering a night of hot salsa rhythms to dance to. Larry Harlow, one of the original members of the most famous Salsa band ever, the Fania All-Stars, will be in concert for one night only. This will be his only Florida appearance before receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award one week later at the 2008 Latin Grammy Awards. General admission tickets for Saturday Night are $20 and reserve tables of 10 are $250. Ticket purchases can be made by calling 786-566-2604 or online at www.wsf.cc/saturday_evening_ticket.html

Larry Harlow is recognized by many as a revolutionary of the Latin music known today as “Salsa.” His influence in the early 70s developed the explosive trumpet and trombone sounds now familiar in contemporary salsa bands. Harlow is a graduate of the prestigious New York High School of Music and Art and holds a BA in Music from Brooklyn College and a Masters in Philosophy from the New School of Social Research in New York City . He is a gifted player of the oboe, flute, violin, bass, and, most notably, the piano. He is a three-time Grammy nominee and was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame on April 5, 2000 .

Latin musicians around the world enjoy greater recognition and rewards due to Mr. Harlow’s pioneering efforts as a Governor of the New York chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. There, Harlow helped to establish the first Latin Grammy Award. There are now 12 different Latin categories in the Grammy’s, as well as the exclusive Latin Grammy Awards.

WWW.WORLDSALSAFEDERATION.COM

WSFSALSA@YAHOO.COM “

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We started the evening with a beginner and intermediate workshop. Kimberly and Nina taught the beginner class and along with the salsa basics covered Cuban inside turns and sexy styling. Evan and I did the intermediate class and really challenged the group. Just remember when you are doing a club class that the quality of the class will not be at the level of a group class. It is harder to hear, there are more students of all types of skill levels and the combination is longer. So just keep in mind that it is not necessary to get the whole combination. Whatever you can remember and feel comfortable executing is fine. And don’t leave the club without reviewing the combo at least ten if not twenty times so you commit it to memory.

After the lesson the lights went down and the social dancing began. The DJ played non stop salsa for 1.5hrs which was a great opportunity to really practice and get into the swing of things. I loved seeing beginners dancing with intermediate students and vice versa. It was also great seeing old students I haven’t seen in a while and I encourage everyone to get back into the salsa groove even if you have taken the summer off as this fall and winter will have plenty of dancing opportunities and a chance to meet great new friends.

Our next outing is this Saturday Sept 27th at 9pm at Peridot…see you all there!

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“Free Dance Lessons at Paris Airports

Roughly 17 million air passengers travel through Paris during the summer, presenting the city’s airports with a significant logistical challenge. To keep tempers cool and spirits high this year, the Aeroports de Paris implemented an unconventional plan: free dance lessons for passengers.

Much like the free light therapy the airports offered over the winter holidays—which we covered back in January—summertime passengers can use their wait time at the airport to learn any one of 15 dances offered by the airport’s resident trainers from “L’Ecole des Vacances,” including Afro Jazz, Disco, Hip Hop, Mambo, Modern Jazz, Rock & Roll, Salsa, Samba, Tango, Cha-Cha and more. Music and trainer instructions are broadcast through cordless headsets so as to minimize the disturbance to other passengers, and lessons last 10 to 15 minutes each. At Paris-Orly, they take place on a dance floor in terminal South at boarding gate 17, with roving workshops also available in the boarding area at Paris-Orly West. At Paris-Charles de Gaulle, the dance floor is located in terminal 2E, gate E51, with itinerant workshops in Terminals 3 and 2F. Dance floors were designed by the Aeroports de Paris boutiques. Classes are available each summer weekend between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. through August 17th.

There’s nothing quite like free love to elevate consumers’ moods, particularly when it includes a dash of sympvertising to relieve the stress of travelling and provides some status skills to boot. No doubt the airport boutiques will benefit, but another possible scenario could involve the sponsorship of such an effort by a local dance studio chain. Either way, one to emulate in any travel or hotel context!”

Thanks to springwise.com for this great article!

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