The evening began with 3 different lessons.  Lisa and Eunjoo provided the absolute beginner dancers with a fun intro to salsa class.  Sara and Roger taught the beginner/intermediates a sexy combination.  By the way, this was Sara’s last time teaching a club class.  Sara has completed her PhD and will be moving into a full time role in her field.  We will sorely miss her and I know she had a great time teaching the class.  May and I taught the intermediate class up on stage with a huge crowd and that was fun (almost lost my voice!).

Social dancing began at 8pm while the competitors, judges and performers prepared.  Winnie Fung was our Stage Manager and did a fantastic job organizing the evening.  The judges arrived and were briefed, we drew numbers to see the order of the competitors and everyone was getting their makeup done professionally by the fabulous ladies from Mary Kay.

At 9pm sharp, the awesome Tracie Yee in her gorgeous orange dress started the night.  She was truly an amazing emcee – engaging, entertaining and natural.  She kept the evening flowing beautifully and allowed enough time for the judges to tally up their scores.

Our judges for this round were Teddy and Rene from United Salseros, Angus from iFreestyle, Jennifer from Steps and Oscar from Latin Groove Productions.  Thank you so much judges for your input and support!

We had 8 couples compete:  Nina and Branco, Ileana and Martin, Monique and Joseph, Alexandra and Yuri, Anny and Tony, Sandra and Vig, Stephanie and John and Sanaz and Khemara.  Each couple was fantastic – you could really see the effort that was put in for the freestyle round which is difficult to do without knowing the song that is coming up.

While I tabulated the judges’ scores we had six amazing performance by the TDS Cabaret Team, Latin Grove Productions, TDS Reggaeton Team, Sumeet and Crystal from United Salseros, Daniel and Sandra’s Argentine Tango performance for TDS and the amazing TDS Pro Team debut performance with Jessica and Olivier.  A huge thank you to everyone who performed – you should all be so proud!

It was finally time for Tracie to announce the 5 couples who will be moving on to the finals and in no particular order they are:  Nina and Branco, Ileana and Martin, Anny and Tony, Sandra and Vig and Sanaz and Khemara.

Thanks to DJ Suave for the great tunes, Evan for keeping the evening running so smoothly and everyone else who made the night so memorable for almost 400 participants.  I can’t wait for the finals on Sunday June 26th at 6:45pm at Six Degrees Nightclub!!

The post TDS Amateur Competition Preliminary Round! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

Don’t hesitate to be specific.  Telling your partner you love a specific move or styling that they use is great feedback as well as a positive lift to the dance.  I always try to tell my dance partners that I enjoy dancing with what I enjoyed about the dance.  Whether it is the smoothness of the lead, the lightness of their follow, the energy they demonstrate or the shines they use, compliment, compliment, compliment.  It will brighten up someone’s day.

This is especially great when you see improvements in your partner.  You see the hard work that they have been putting towards developing the dance technique with additional salsa classes or salsa practices.  When you point out their improvements all that hard work will have been worth it for them and you will inspire them to continue to develop.

You never know when someone is feeling down about their salsa progress and these compliments are a great boost.  Whenever a student tells me about a compliment they received they are so affected by it that it makes me realize how important a little positive reinforcement can be on the dance floor.  So go out dancing and let the compliments begin!

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“Casino Rueda: My Latin dance journey started with Casino Rueda.  During my college days in India, we performed a Casino Rueda choreography for our college cultural function, it was an epic success and we got a lot of appreciation. Later we were even invited as guest performers in other colleges. That is how I fell in love with Casino Rueda and this was long before my girlfriend introduced me to the world of Salsa.

Later in Toronto, in the midst of my Salsa journey, I happened to see “Casino Rueda lessons by Tracie and Daniel” posted on the TDS website and thought I would give it a shot. I am so glad I took that course. It was totally different from a choreography class because we had to remember the Spanish names of the moves and we had to execute it when the circle leader calls for it. Some of my favorite moves were; Enchufla El Pulpo, Festival de Pelota, Setenta complicado, Toma Electrica, Sombrero (hat), La Flor (the flower).

The class was so lively with non stop dancing and it was a faster pace than a regular salsa class, at least for a non Spanish speaker like me!  Every class was so much fun and so full of laughter that it made my day brighter and I would always long for the next week’s class.  It  became very addictive on me.

If you would ask me to chose either Salsa Dancing with a partner or Casino Rueda in a circle, I’d opt for Casino and I wish it was just as popular. But even now, I would add my Casino moves like Enchufla, Sombrero(hat), etc into my Salsa social dancing which will always impress my partners. I feel that the Cuban body movement is very stylish, and I always tend to adapt them into my Salsa dancing. Guys you have my word, no one will ever regret taking a Casino class, especially with Tracie and Daniel, as they are the best… :)”

For more information on the Casino Rueda Class we are offering please see the Student Performance Team class on our Spring 2011 semester schedule.

The post Vignesh’s Casino Testimonial appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

Dips and Tricks Workshop:
Want to kick your dancing up a notch by adding a few fancy dips and tricks? This workshop will teach you how to use your core to execute and balance dips and tricks effortlessly on the dance floor. For dancers who have completed Level 3 or higher. Sat Feb 26th 12:30 – 200pm. $35 for one workshop, $60 for both. $25 for helpers.

Shines & Styling for Men and Women Workshop
Learn new ways to get your feet moving to the salsa beat as well as how to use your body to interpret the music through styling. You will learn a fun and challenging shine routine (suitable for both men and women) and how to style the routine in different ways so that it sensual and feminine for women and strong and masculine for men. For dancers who have completed Salsa Level 2 and up or have passed an assessment. Sat Mar 5 12:30 – 200pm. $35 for one workshop, $60 for both. $25 for helpers.

The post New Workshops Just Posted! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

1) When and how did Cache form?

After playing with Vibrason, led by me, for about 4 years. A replica of the Joe Cuba Sextet which was a format that did not include horn but had an exceptional chemistry with a lot of soul. These ingredients were key player for us to be able to write our own music and so, Caché was formed in 2001. Our Debut performance was at the legendary Bamboo Club on Queen And Spadina.

2) How long have you been playing together?

With Caché, with have been playing together for 10 years. As musicians some of us have been playing with various bands for 20 years.

3) What are your thoughts about the Toronto salsa scene?

I believe we have come a long way musically and now that salsa is more recognized and accepted we still lack a larger market and venues for live performances, if we were to compare it with New York with a population over18 million and a good percentage of that being Spanish speaking where the roots and percussion rhythms are instilled from an early age.

4) Can you describe your style of music?

Our style of music is a blend between vintage and new. It is not new and it is not old. We are not trying to be salsa from New York, salsa from Puerto Rico, salsa from Colombia or Cuban. We are inspired and we have been brought up listening to the old school salsa and Caribbean rhythms. Bands nowadays have become too technical. We do not want to copy or duplicate, we want to bring back what has been lost from vintage salsa and at the same time update it with our own heart and soul. This is why we like to call it Canadian Salsa.

5) What musicians have inspired you?

Musicians that have inspired me are, Papo Luca, Tito Puente, Noro Morales, and Willie Rosario just to name a few.

6) We are excited to hear about your new CD. Can you tell us a bit about the new CD and how it differs from your past two CDs?

We are very happy with the new release, “Looking from the Top” which will soon become available on iTunes just like are 2 previous CDs. You will be able to see how we have grown not only as musicians but as writers. There is not much difference as we like to maintain our trademark, so when a Caché fan hears our music they will be able to identify the sound or rhythm as a ‘Caché’ song.

7) Where can we purchase your CDs and songs?

Our CDs and songs are available in iTunes. Or you can always place an order by sending an email to wmacevedo@sympatico.ca and pay by paypal.

8) Do you have any upcoming performances that we can check out?

We will be at Lula Lounge on February 25

9) What are the band’s plans for the next year or two?

Our plans for the next year is to hopefully tour across Canada and the States as well as to get more involved with Salsa Congresses.

***********

For more information on Caché’s new CD please email Wilson at wmacevedo@sympatico.ca.  Their new songs should be available on iTunes shortly so enjoy!

The post My Interview with Wilson Acevedo from Caché appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

Hopefully you all had a great holiday and are ready to get back into the swing of things. If you haven’t registered for a TDS class yet here are some great classes for our winter 2011 semester:

Salsa Nightclub Level 1 to Level 6
Argentine Tango Level 1 and 2
Zumba for Fitness
Cabaret Salsa Performance Class – Sold out
Helper Only Performance Class
Ladies Styling
Latin Belly Dance Fusion
Reggaeton Funk – Sold out
Bachata
Belly Dance Bootcamp

Please note due to the popularity of Belly Dancing we just opened an all new class with Christina on Saturdays at 4pm at Empress called Latin Belly Fusion which takes the fun hip shaking steps of Latin Dancing with the sensual moves of belly dancing and fuses them together in fun mini choreographies.

If you are looking to get out and practice we have our regular Sunday Social every Sunday from 6-9pm at Empress Studio. As long as you have had your first salsa class you are welcome to attend and practice your moves in a comfortable, friendly setting.

We also have another outing to Acrobat Lounge scheduled for Saturday January 29th at 8:45pm. Beginner and intermediate salsa lessons will be taught from 9-10pm. Come out and meet new people.

Hope to see you salsa dancing this semester!

The post Welcome 2011! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

1) Outings and Socials – we still have a few events in the next week for you to go and practice your moves and learn some new moves.  Our big TDS Holiday Party takes place this Saturday Dec 18th at 8:45pm at Acrobat Lounge.  A beginner and intermediate lessons are available from 9-10pm where you will learn fun new combinations and meet new people. There will be performances by the TDS Pro Team, the TDS Student Team and the TDS Reggaeton Student Team to get you motivated and inspire you.  We also have our last social of the year on Sunday Dec 19th at Empress from 6-9pm.  We will then be off for 2 weeks and resume socials on Jan 9th.

2) Salsa clubs and practices – there is a salsa club open every night of the week.  Some of them even offer free lessons at around 9pm before the crowds get there so take advantage.  My favourite clubs are Babaluus in Yorkville, Lula Lounge for live music, Acrobat and Alley Katz.  There is also a Toronto Salsa Practice every Saturday at a downtown church so take advantage of these great events and dance, dance, dance.

3) Record yourself – before you forget all the moves you learn take a camera and record yourself doing these moves.  That way you can play it back and remember how to execute the moves.

4) Watch youtube videos – youtube salsa videos are super inspiring and, while it is difficult to learn from a small clip, it will still get you listening to music, watching dance moves and thinking about salsa

5) Practice on your own or with a friend/partner – practice at home if you are not yet comfortable going out.  You can practice your basics, turns, cross body leads, shines, body movement, styling and musicality.  You can also purchase our beginner DVD and work on your moves with the DVD.

Hope you keep dancing during the holidays!

The post How to stay dancing after classes end. appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

If you are interested in competing on a larger scale you may be interested in the US Salsa Open Championships taking place July 22-25 in Oakland, CA. Don’t worry if you are still at an amateur level as they have 4 divisions just for the amateur category and lots of other categories for all types of competitors.

Ricardo, one of the organizers, has also been kind enough to provide our two final winners of the 2010 TDS Amateur Competition two full passes to the Championships.

For more info, please visit their website at: http://ussalsaopen.com/

The post US Salsa Open Championships appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

We have just posted a new Helper Only Performance Choreography class! This is your chance to take your dancing to another level by learning a professional choreography and performing it as a team in full costume at the completion of the course.

The course is 10 weeks long at 1.5 hrs per class. In addition to the class will be 5 hours of rehearsals before performance night. It begins Jan 9th to Mar 13th on Saturdays from 12:30pm – 2:00pm at Empress. The class is led by Tracie Yee.

Registration is open and we hope you take advantage of this fun opportunity to grow as a salsero!
_________________
Sharon
Toronto Dance Salsa
http://torontodancesalsa.ca
Toronto Salsa Lessons / Toronto Salsa Classes

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Here is the info for the Canada Salsa Congress this fall in Toronto.

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