At the last outing, I was asked by a reader of the blog to write about why people get into salsa. Hearing the dancer's interesting back-story (which shall stay in the vault), it inspired me to ask a ton of people for their own backstories. It wasn't too long before I started to see some common themes so I thought I'd list a few stories as well as some of the more common themes.

Sharon's Story:

"I got into salsa by accident.  I walked into Babaluu with some girlfriends one night and completely fell in love with the dancing and the salsa scene but I was too scared to dance :)  I watched 3 or 4 separate nights without dancing before I accepted a dance with someone, not even knowing my basic step.  It was awful (I was awful!).  I tried it a few more times and was going to give up, thinking I was a terrible dancer, when my friends encouraged me to dance with someone who was a good lead.  I danced with him and completely changed my mind about giving up.  I started going out every night of the week to Babaluu, El Rancho and other clubs that were popular at the time and within a year I started competing and teaching."

"I fell in love with the freedom, excitement and fun factor.  Nothing that I have ever tried has allowed me to meet so many people so quickly, gather a whole network of new friends, let me exercise my body and spirit until 2am every morning, keep me in shape, keep me de-stressed and so much more.  It was a real high!"

Sarah's Story:

"I got into salsa because I wanted to do something other than science (Which is what I did when I was doing my masters) while I was doing my PhD. I told myself, I need to be active and social, to complement the brain work and quiet time in the lab work during my PhD, to make the experience of graduate school more pleasant the second time around. The rest was history!"



Chris' Story:

"I signed up originally to learn some merengue then got hooked on salsa and realized most of the moves could be transferred over to merengue...so in a way it was a bonus i guess"

My Story:
I was really considering about getting into capoeira when I had a nasty, wrist-breaking fall. Unable to do capoeira, my friend Neel had suggested that I get into salsa as it would help my balance, flexibility and most of all, meet tons of new people. Since I've started, I've lost close to 30lbs, have met so many great people and have found myself hooked beyond belief.

Here are some quick quotes that represent a lot of people who get into salsa:

"I was getting over a bad breakup and didn't meet anyone worthwhile using i-dating"
"I really wanted to get fit without spending hours on a boring treadmill"

"I've always loved the music...it's so romantic"
"My friends dragged me to a salsa club and I've been hooked since!"
"Thanks to salsa I have one less, left-foot"

There are so many intriguing salsa origin stories out there. If you ever get tired at a club, just ask anyone about their reasons for learning how to dance and you've got yourself a great conversation!

So, why did you get into salsa? I'd love to hear about it...

Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

Labels: learning to salsa, salsa origins, why get into salsa

Just wanted to quickly post a few songs that have been repeating on my iphone lately...

Are you level 3 or higher? Have the 'Eye of the Tiger'? Want to shake what your Momma gave ya? Then enter the 4th Annual TDS Amateur Competition! With amazing prizes, tons of adoring salsa fans and an event that's so popular that it fills 6 Degrees, you'll have the time of your life!


Here's the details:


What: 4th Annual Amateur Salsa Competition
Where: 6 Degrees (Yonge & Eglinton)
When: April 25th (preliminary round), June 20th (Final Round)
Who: Any Level 3 or higher TDS student, helper and assistant who haven't been paid to teach or to perform


How It Works:


Preliminary Round: All couples will dance to the same song in a freestyle, non-choreographed dance, the top 5 couples will go on to the Final Round


Final Round: All couples will perform to a 2.5 min song of their choosing using their own choreography


Here's a small sampling of prizes that you could win...

Labels: 6 degrees, salsa competition

Are you signed up for what looks like one of the best season of class offerings of classes at Toronto Dance Salsa? If you've got  the Winter blues, or you just need an energetic pick-me-up, here's a sampler of the classes that are being offered:

Labels: bachata, cha cha, levels 1- 6, raggaeton, TDS performance team

Need a quick fix of salsa songs? The Salsa addiction centre will be posting a few tracks each week to keep your playlists fresh and spicy!

With the entire team working hard, we're slowly getting closer and closer to the official first performance! While an official date hasn't been set, we're aiming for the end of March or early April. While there's still much to be done, I'm getting so excited (especially after seeing such amazing performances at the Salsatine Outing last weekend at Acrobat). The Pro Team has set the bar extremely high, and I can only hope that can come close when we finally hit the stage!


Did you see that Toronto Dance Salsa is offering a 'Student Performance Class'? Trust me, if you'd like to amp up your dancing as well as have a pretty fun time doing so, then sign up. While I was nervous at first, I'm really enjoying the whole process of learning great choreography and am pretty pumped for our first show. If you're level 3 or higher, then sign up as I'm sure that you won't want to miss such a fun and great learning experience!


Looking forward to this Saturday's practice.


Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

While some would say that 'love' is the 'international language' but I would disagree. When you have an amazing beat and great melody, our bodies naturally match it with movement. Timing are our words and Musicality is our punctuation. Last week the Helpers were treated by Emely to an amazing workshop to enhance our dance vocabulary.


Teaching Timing in music is tough. While one can't learn to be perfectly on time in an hour, last weekend's workshop helped us all get that much closer to metronome-like precision. Using time-tested methods and some pretty creative techniques, the Helpers were not only improving their timing but expressing salsa better than they had ever before!


Having been formally educated in music theory and timing, it was impressive to see Emely's understand of musicality, from physical expression right down to time signatures. This was shown by a fun 'jam session' where everyone played instruments to mimic the salsa rhythm. While you can get away with being a bit off when dancing, instruments are not forgiving.


From the jam session we all played with timing, dancing on1, on2 and even on3! I have to admit, that even with pretty solid timing, it took me some time to adjust. I have to say that it felt really cool to be able to dance on3... it's a completely different feeling.


Speaking of feeling, our next session was all about how to feel the music better. By learning how to make our dancing match the music better (dancing softly or hard), one felt the music channelling through them. To be honest, this is my biggest beef with most dancers is that they just do the moves with the same feeling they do for every song. I've seen certain dancers look truly sad when they dance to songs about lost love and others who drip with sex appeal as they dance to the more racy songs.


I mean, if we are not truly expressing how music makes us feel, why are we dancing?


Thankfully for Emely's workshop, we all learned how to better express ourselves on the dance floor with better timing, rhythm and musicality. Enjoy the workshop? Feel free to comment on your experience or if you'd like to see more of these kinds of workshops!


Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

Labels: dancing expression, musicality, on1, on2, on3, rhythm, salsa instruments, salsa timing

Last weekend TDS put on a second Dips & Tricks Workshop as the first was so popular! In true Tracie and Daniel fashion, this second workshop featured moves that were both impressive and exciting to execute! From the Tower to Repetitive Dips, everyone left feeling like a pro and had a pretty intense core workout.

Once again the main focus of the class was how to safely preform show-stopping tricks in social settings. Learning how to utilize our core muscles and proper technique, we learned a series of slick moves that not only round out the ones learned in the first session, but stand on their own. It was great to see people trying out their moves at the Sunday Social.

One of my favourite moves was to learn Daniel's signature move. While I can't give away the secret, I can say that it's a very cool move that involves the leader getting down on one knee!

If you weren't able to attend these workshops you may want to attend any future ones as eventually you'll find yourself wanting to know how to safely dip yourself and/or your dance partner. If you want to check out the workshop again, be sure to email T.D.S. and request another one... you won't be disappointed.

Did you take the workshop? Let me know in the comments about how you liked it.

Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

Labels: drops, salsa dips tricks, specialty salsa workshop

Well the moment that I've been told would happen has finally come... I'm absolutely loving this whole performance experience. I must admit that throughout this whole process that I've been quite anxious... what if I'm not good enough... what if I can't lead my partner... what if I forget the routine? It's taken a while, but I'm finally over the hump and now am really enjoying the whole process.

Today was also a cool day because there was a level 1 condensed class waiting outside the door and it kind of felt like we had an audience. Being that much closer to the reality of being in front of people makes it that much sweeter. Speaking of sweet, we went over the costume situation and I'm so relieved to know that we're not wearing any skin-tight, glittery outfits... I always think classy trump glitz.

If you are thinking about joining a performance team I highly recommend it. Maybe you'll love it from the get-go or maybe it'll take a little longer? Once thing is for sure, give it about 4-5 weeks and I'm sure the performance bug will hit you just like it has with me!

Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

When asked, almost 99.9% of you would say that you love to dance Salsa because it's so much fun...but what do you do when it no longer feels as fun? You, my friend are in a Salsa Slump.


What hurts about a slump the most is that it feels like when you get your heart broken by something you truly love. I've just been getting out from my first real salsa slump and I did a lot of soul searching and reading. I discovered an excellent blog based in Toronto detailing a Salsa Gigolo's life, most importantly, his beliefs on why he was in a slump. [ Read it here ] It's a very interesting blog that combines a Sex and the City vibe with philosophy, personal reflection as well as great humor!


It inspired me to go out and try different methods to get over this slump...
Here are some of the things that I did to get out of the slump:


Get Your Grind On:
Showing my true geeky colors, 'Grinding' is a term used in gaming to engage in repetitive and/or non-entertaining gameplay in order to advance your character. I started forcing myself to go out to salsa clubs and socials and dance. While I felt very disconnected and couldn't produce very many good combos, at least I was getting exercise and at least 'faking it till I make it'. I find that sometimes when you force yourself through it, you re-discover what you love about salsa.


Get Away:
I know that I just recommended to 'grind' your way through it, but perhaps you're suffering from too much salsa... some would cry blasphemy but I say that burnout can happen so quickly with something as addictive as salsa. I was speaking to a renown salsa leader last night at a social and he said that to get over his slump he goes out and does anything but salsa, whether its see a few movies, go bowling or maybe a good road trip!


Get Inspired:
I think this may have been the most effective tip for me as I spent a lot of time trying to get inspired. I think I must have watched 'This Is It' about ten times as my main inspiration for dancing has always been Michael Jackson. His effortless movements, precision and showmanship are all it took for me to get my practicing my shines again. Other sources of inspiration? Check out Youtube for 'Dancing With the Stars',  'So You Think You Can Dance' and other great dance films!


Want to see my favourite inspirational speech of all time?
If you haven't seen 'Any Given Sunday', go rent it, even if you dislike sports films.
The speech Pacino gives is unreal and easily transferred to salsa (talks about steps and inches)
[ watch it here ]


Here's another great speech which I watch when I feel like blaming others for my woes...
[ watch it here ]


Go Early to Plaza Flamingo or Babalúu's on a Saturday Night:
I picked these two clubs because this is where people who are new to salsa go to learn and attempt to dance. Why go? Because you get to see how much fun they are having trying to figure out their basics, right turns and just dancing. Fun is contagious and you may see in these people what you once felt. Not based in Toronto? Every major city has at least one salsa club that touristas and neewbs go. 


Have Fun:
This goes along with the previous tip. Salsa is all about having fun. It's just dancing after all. The moment you start thinking of it as a job then you're going to start losing that loving feeling. To me it's not the ones who are doing the biggest turn patterns, drip or tricks, but the couples who smile and laugh the most. It sounds cheesy, but honestly, it's why we're all here.


Retail Therapy:
The best part of being a dancer is that we can always justify buying a new pair of shoes. Sometimes all it takes is going out and getting some new duds to inspire you back into your usual styling self. Don't want to spend a bundle? Go out to Puma or American Apparel and get some wicked looking wristbands.


Privates:
We all plateau from time to time so maybe it's the right time for you to finally go get a few private lessons? I used to do this when my guitar playing would stagnate and you wouldn't believe how much I would learn doing a quick session with a teacher who's been in your shoes! Not sure where to start? Check out TDS's Private Lesson info.


Happy Salsa Songs:
Here are a few songs that I'm really into right now that keep me smiling during these cold months:
Marc Anthony: Tu Amor Me Hace Bien 
Celia Cruz: La Vida Es Un Carnaval 
Junior Gonzalez: Lady in Red

Sometimes when you're sad, you're sad. Sometimes a tan helps, sometimes it's Ben & Jerry's but whatever it is, make sure that you've got someone there for you for support. I've found the Salsa Community to be made up of caring people who will be there for you when you need help. 


Winter can be really hard on all of us so make sure that you're doing what it takes to get you back to good. Hugs are awesome and I'm always down for giving them ( depending on how long I've been dancing/sweating, lol ).


I hope these tips help, there are probably many other great tips so feel free to comment about how you've dealt with your own Salsa Slumps. While I may feel like the end of the world, trust me, it will end and you'll fall back into your salsa groove in no time. I can't wait to see you back on the dance floor once you're ready!


Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

Labels: check out beginner salsa lessons, fun songs, get inspired, privates, salsa slump, tips for getting out of a slump

Receiving many compliments on the previous post ( A Leader's Take on Following ) and with the many compliments came many tips for Leaders. With help from Nadini and Jane, the salsa addiction centre has put together a mighty list of Tips for Leaders. Without further adieu, here are:

The Follower's Take on Leading:

A Great Leader Guides, Not Forces:

Labels: feel the music, followers tips, guide moves not force them, keeping frame, take small steps

For today's topic I had to go all out and call in an expert as the subject is one of the most difficult for followers to grasp: How to survive following new moves. So without further delays, the salsa addiction centre 
proudly presents :

Labels: breathe, dance conversation, foundation technique, frame, proper tension, react, survival tips for followers

Want to help Haiti using the power of dance? There are two events coming up that look absolutely amazing!

Labels: acrobat lounge, earthquake relief, haiti fundraising, jully black, salsaTO, sweat-a-thon

One of the most difficult things for leader is to master the whole idea of turn-patterns and combos. While it only gets more complex as you advance, it's advised to understand how to approach your move arsenal and execute them with as few errors as possible. While one could write a whole book on the subject, here are a few tips for turn-pattern mastery.



Rock, Paper, Scissors :
One of the most potent bits of advise given to me by my teacher was to approach executing moves by understanding which handhold you'll be in when you're at your transition points ( the end points of your previously executed move). Once you recognize the hand-hold you can randomly choose any move from your arsenal that begins with that hand-hold. Like 'Rock, Paper Scissors', if you see the hand-hold will be a 'left-to-left' hold, you can then play any move that lands in that position.

An example would be you could either do a 'Rainbow/Titanic', a funky 'In & Out' or possibly a 'Double Comb/Sombrero'

Here are the common holds:
Open, Closed, Left-to-Left, Right-to-Right,  Right Chain Hold, Left Chain Hold

How do you get started?
Make a list of all of the moves that you know (I do this in Excel, but any text editor is fine). Make a column for each type of hand-hold, so all Right-to-Right moves will be in column A, all left-to-left moves will be in column B, etc.

With the list complete, start dancing a move and randomly pick moves from one column. When you come to a move that ends in another hand-hold, randomly pick a move from the appropriate column. Keep doing this over and over again and keep in mind all of the random patterns you can make from your list. You'll be surprised at how many combinations you can make with even only a few moves!

Increase Your Arsenal
Here's one thing that all good dancers do: scour the interweb for interesting new moves. While the 'Palm Drop' was boss in level 2, everyone does it so why not check out cool variations that will set you apart from everyone else? There are literally hundreds of sources online which give free lessons for new moves. Trust me, it's awesome to hear a lady 'ooh' when you pull off a simple, yet unique move.

Outing / Club Lessons
Another great way to learn new moves is by checking out the TDS (and other) club outings. There's always a lesson at the beginning and they always try to throw in moves that aren't taught in your regular classes. A lot of my cool moves have come from hitting up the outing lessons and from teachers who have their own style.

Free Style...Your Style
Whether you're a rocker, r&b or even have ballet you can throw in moves from other dance styles to mix it up. You wouldn't believe how cool it is to see someone who throw in some pop'n'lock moves or even some rockNroll kicks in their shines. While your school teaches you certain fundamental rules, by all means throw in your personal style as a regular right turn can seem like an entirely new move when you put a different vibe on it. Don't have any previous dance moves? Check out your favourite music videos on YouTube, I'm sure you'll see something that you can transpose.

Make-Over Your Combos
Every time you learn a new combo from class, outings or online; revert back to your 'Salsa Matrix' document with the moves in different columns. Take some time to see how you can mix up your current combos by randomly throwing in new moves.

When In Doubt, Steal Moves!
Sometimes when I'm feeling like my moves are stale, I'll head down to a salsa club and watch all different kinds of leaders to see what they're doing right and wrong. If you're lucky, you'll catch a move that you can use (don't forget it in between those bottles of Coronas). Don't rip other leaders' styles completely, but a move here and there is quite cool.


While difficult, being a combo/turn-pattern master should be a fun and adventurous process!

Feel the Music
On a final note, one thing for sure is to realize that you don't have to do a million moves for every song!!! I can't stress enough that your dancing should reflect the song. There's no need for 5 whirlwind Coca Colas in a romantic-style song. Keep your moves subtle during the soft parts and amp it up a bit during the choruses. If you need any sort of validation if you're doing it right all you have to do is look at your dance partner. If she's smiling, you're doing it right!

Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

Labels: club lessons, combos, feel music, hand holds, outings, salsa, turn patterns, youtube

There is no question that being on a performance team makes you a better dancer. Not only do you have to remember an entire song's choreography, but you have to take in account that 2-5 other couples are doing the same moves and you must all be in synch. Mix the moves with being on time and being aware of the couples that you're dancing with and you've got one thing: a really fun experience that pushes you to your limits as a dancer.

While being apprehensive about joining the team at the beginning, I'm really starting to get into it all. From the intensity of our shines routine to the creative use of the TDS syllabus moves. This week I was really impressed with the new helpers who have just completed level 3 and are doing level 5 moves!

Trust me, doing lasso's aren't easy and having to learn them within a few minutes is very impressive! It's amazing to see the team's skills grow and to learn from Tracie and the more experienced dancers.

Must keep this one short, but week 3 was a great practice and I'm looking forward to nailing my coca cola's down for the next one!

Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

Labels: coca colas, lasso, salsa, TDS helper performance team