An Interview with Josie Neglia and Peta Sidall
By Edie Lewis

I've known Josie for quite a while now, and never saw her so happy, the day she told me Peta Sidall asked her to be his partner.  Aside from being known for her world-famous Salsa Instructional videos, Josie is an incredible dancer and a very thorough instructor.  She was my personal coach for many months, and showed me how to be "sexy" on the dance floor.  Her grace, moves, rhythm and style leave people in awe just watching her. She's a dazzling performer, and leaves audiences breathless.   Professionally, I respect her to no end.  I'm very proud to know her, and especially, to be her friend. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Introducing the Princess of Salsa, Ms. Josie Neglia...

Edie:  How did the both of you meet?

Josie:   I had just moved to California (4 years ago) and was having dance a try-out with a prospective competition partner named Curt (a friend of Peta's) and Peta came along to supervise the try-out. Curt later became my dance partner for International Latin competitions. Six months later, Peta & I were working, side by side, at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Irvine, CA. Peta was dancing with his former partner Marilynn Benitez, and I was dancing with Curt.

We have always been good friends and we had many laughs in the year we worked at Fred's. Being that we worked in the same studio and competed in the same competitions with our other dance partners, the four of us traveled to many competitions in various cities together. We would also go out some nights to relax after a hard days work, to places like.. Hollywood Sky Bar and Mark's Restaurant in Leguna Beach.

Josie: I have been dancing since the age of 7. I started in jazz, ballet and tap, doing yearly recitals at Maxine's School of Dance in Toronto. At the age of 18, I got accepted into York University's Dance Program where I studied ballet and modern dance on a daily basis, and graduated 4 years later with a bachelor's degree. I started ballroom/Latin dancing in my third year of College when I was hired at Four Leaf Clover Dance studio as a teacher trainee.

Edie:  What style of dance will you be dancing together competitively and for shows? (ie, Latin American Standard, International Standard, Cabaret, Tin (sp?) Dancing etc)

Josie: Our dancing together will not be limited to any particular style, however, we will compete in International Latin but we are open to doing American Rhythm as well. At this point, we will be putting many routines and show pieces together including: Rumba, Cha cha, Samba, Paso Doble, Jive, for our International Latin competitions, and show pieces which include Bolero, Theatre Arts, Mambo, Salsa (being one of our specialties), and new wave and modern music shows.

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Edie: Just because you meet someone who dances well, does it mean they should be your partner. What was it exactly that made you realize you wanted to become partners?

Josie:  A professional dance partnership is more than just dancing & performing and competing. That is just 10% of the relationship. Some often compare a dance partnership to a marriage. It is a business partnership, where we invest time, energy and lots of money in building our winning combination together. We are also spending a great deal of time together planning, practicing, traveling, teaching, socializing, and supporting each other emotionally- through stresses, anxieties, nervousness, life situations and joys.

It is important that we have the same goals and ideas about success as well as like each other personality.

Edie: What does it take to be a good competitive Latin ballroom partner?

Peta: Commitment & Longevity.

Josie: A good partner for me, is one whom I respect in both their physical ability (talents, knowledge) and their personality. I know that Peta is very knowledgeable and experienced and is loved and respected by the Latin/ballroom world and for his dance abilities and his hard working wonderful electric personality. He has always been a friend and has made me laugh to tears so many times that I really love him as a person..

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Edie:  Do you think there are the same requirements for Salsa? If so, how is it different, or how is it similar?

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Josie: Salsa is a street dance rather than a notated specific technique, as is International Latin, however, good dancing is good dancing and partnerships are a relationship. The two dancers must respect and be able to relate on many levels in order for it to be a successful and stress free team. When it isn't, the "fun" is taken away, and without that, the true spirit of dancing and performing are gone.

Edie:  Describe a typical practice session. The training hours, days per week, etc, that you're investing.

Josie: There really is no typical practice session. When we first started dancing together, we met 2 hours a day for 4 days that week, to get a feeling for eachother's dancing, just leading & following Rumba, Cha Cha and Samba. We video taped ourselves, and loved the look of our bodies together as well as some of the movements/choreography that developed spontaneously.

Once we have our routines together, we would normally practice 2
hours/day (4 to 6 days per week) unless we have a show or competition
deadline which involves more time.

We would meet at a Studio (sometimes his, sometimes mine) morning or evening, stretch and warm up our joints, free style a little leading & following to a Cha cha or Rumba to get the blood going, then turn off the music to start running through and working out our routines. However, once our 5 competition routines are complete, our practice session change. We would do a full run of all 5 dances with 30 seconds between each one to build stamina (no stopping), then we would go through each routine to figure out rough spots.

Peta: No week is the same. Some weeks more, some weeks less, depending on how well things are going. A philosophy I live by in dance is: Rome was not built in one day.

Edie:  You're planning an "assault" on the dance world, tell us about it. In other words, what are your plans?

Peta: We are going to take both our backgrounds and come out as a very unique couple. Performing and fulfilling our desires on the floor and through the people that we teach.

Josie: we are no longer going to follow what others think or feel. We know our capabilities and strengths and we are going to do what we are best at. We will use coaches as our 3rd eye to complete our goals. Peta: Ballroom dancing is more about politics than most are aware of, and Josie & I used to be swayed very much by this in the past. However, Josie & I are committed, first & foremost, to quality performances in our individual expression of each dance, and the results are a bonus. We cannot control the judges marks in competitions, we can only control our own dancing.

Edie:  What were some of the problems in the past with previous
partners that you don't think you'll run into with each other?

Josie: I don't think I will run into disrespect, dishonesty and disloyalty with Peta. Also, because we know each other first as friends, we won't be surprised with the weird personality traits that partners run into when they don't know each other well.

I respect Peta's experience, knowledge and his opinion, so I will always listen to what he feels and sees in our dancing. He is also very careful in how he speaks to anyone, which is so important in avoiding hurt feelings or defensive actions.

We have also verbally committed to each other. Other female dancers have already approached Peta to dance, but Peta has told them and me numerous times that he is committed to me. I have told him that I am committed to him as well and that makes both of us "at ease".

Edie: Who have been your past teachers/instructors, who do you respect in the industry, and who do you wish to emulate or aspire to be like?

Josie: I have worked with many coaches and instructors. Some of the most influential have been Jeff Henssen, Brian Torner, Ron Montez, Melissa Dexter, Ray Rivers & Rick Valenzuela. Some of the most amazing female Latin dancers in my eyes are Melissa Dexter, Shirley Ballas, & Vibeka Toft. They are all feminine and sexy as
well as extremely fast and technical.

Peta: For me, a gentleman by the name of Peter Townshend- he now resides in Amsterdam, and although he never achieved a major title, he was, in my eyes, considered one of the best.

Edie:  Have you done a performance or show since teaming up? Josie: only in the studio that we practice in. We did our Rumba routine to a gorgeous song, and the others in the studio watched and applauded afterward.

Peta: Josie & I free styled at the Mayan Night Club and had a great response from the crowd who gathered around and watched our Cha cha. Edie:    Peta, you will soon be going to Japan to teach & perform. We'd like some details on that.

Peta: I will be doing many Latin & Salsa dance seminars and private coaching lessons for the 2 weeks that I will be there. Also, I have put together a flamenco and Paso Doble solo number to Madonna song "Don't Cry For me Argentina". I will be visiting Tokyo, Narita, Osaka and Hiroshima.

Edie:  What other countries have the both of you performed in? Where do you plan on competing?

Peta: I have performed in: France, Italy, Germany, China, Spain, Slovenia, Belgium, & England (my home town). We would like to dance in Australia and another tour of China- it was a wonderful experience for me, and Europe would be great as well as Israel.

Josie: Besides many of the U.S. states, I have performed in Canada, Costa Rica, Cancun, and Japan. I would love to perform & compete with Peta all over the world.

Edie:  Do you plan to compete internationally? We have not planned our competition schedule yet but we are going to
England in October to train with great coaches and possibly compete in the British Open.

Edie: I understand you're making a video. Can you elaborate on it?

Josie: We decided that we want to make a cha cha instructional video for social dancers. This video will teach the basics and then we will show variations to "spice them up". It will consist of variations like: adding rotation, level changes and variations of timing. We are excited about doing this video and believe that it will be a great tool for dancers who love Latin dance.

Edie: When will it be released?

Josie:  Our goal is to have it released by the end of July.

Edie:  And now for the ultimate question. Why do you dance? Why is it such a passion in your lives.

Peta: Without dancing in my life, would be the same as taking a fish out of water. I couldn't imagine life without expression through movement. I think through movement. God blessed me with dancing and I want to honor the talents he gave me. To be paid to do something that's fun is cool too.

Josie: At some point in my life, probably in my mid teens, I realized that I was put on this earth to dance and to give to others through dance - either through inspiration or training. I get the most incredible feeling of inspiration or kinesthetic appreciation when I watch gifted dancers & performers. I hope that some of my performances can evoke those feelings in others.

I read about the "runners' high" years ago, however, many may not be aware of the "dancers' high". The "dancers' high", to me, is the amazing feeling of fulfillment when I dance with a wonderful partner and my enjoyment goes beyond just the physical movement or the physical moment- it becomes something else- something much deeper, much more spiritual, much more sensational; a feeling of "WOW".

I'm not sure everyone will understand this, but when I take a deep breathe and feel the top of my lungs, I get a great tingle and feeling of satisfaction - that is the similar sensation of fulfillment that I get with my "dancers' high" (only 100 times more). This is what has kept me "hooked" all these years.

I truly believe that I have the best profession in the world - DANCE AS A PROFESSION, allows me to stay physically fit, perform on a daily basis, socialize and constantly meet new people, have a challenge to constantly excel at a physical skill, it allows me to give to others, have the respect and gratitude of those that I give dance to, make good money, interesting business to develop & increase, it allows me travel and gain world recognition, and it gives me the freedom to make my own decisions. I am offering teaching courses this fall, in both Salsa and Latin/Ballroom dance. Please visit my Teaching Courses Page on my website www.dancexcitement.com .

Edie:  Best of luck to the both of you.  I just loved meeting Peta last night.  You two will be absolutely phenomenal together. You certainly deserve it Josie!!!!