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Puerto Rico salsa Congress 2002
(Josie's Experience)
This
year at the annual salsa congress was a very special one for me
personally. I saw friends from around the world who lovingly
greeted me as I returned to this year's congress 5 months pregnant!
This was a special year for
pregnancies. There were at least 5 of us this year. Vanessa (of
Vanessa & Tito) from Puerto Rico is 4 months pregnant and looked
beautifully peaceful. Two other girls were almost 6 months pregnant and
still performing on stage! It was quite a sight.
The thing that made
this year more special than the rest was the fact that I shared it with
my loving, supportive mom (Rose) whom has been the springboard of my
success in life. I wanted to take her on a vacation and show her thanks
for all that she has sacrificed and helped me with throughout my life.
Although my stomach has grown a little
(being 5 months pregnant), I still wore my sexy bikinis as we bathed in
the sun at the beautiful Caribe Hilton beach. We got dressed up every
evening to watch the magnificent shows, dined at wonderful restaurants
and did some social dancing with pros and students as the incredible
live bands jammed. My favorite band was Tommy Olivencia.
The shows this year were spectacular.
The technique of the professional dancers is becoming more evident that
formal training (ballet, jazz or ballroom dancing) is present.
The LA teams (Salsa Brava and Salsabor
Y Cache, Seaon Stylists and LA Salsa Kids) did magnificent performances.
In my opinion, the team from Italy
(Tropical Jam) which is made up of two girls from LA and two Hispanic
guys, stole the show. They had two amazing performances (one fast and
sharp and clean partner work breaking on "1" and one routine totally
African with skimpy loin-cloth type costumes and face make-up gyrating
and "jamming" to the African drum beats.
It was amazing, to my mother, who was
born in Sicily (Italy), to see a Sicilian dance team on stage. It was a group
of 7 men ranging in ages from 8 to 30 who performed shines on "2" in
sailor outfits. It was very well choreographed and fun.
The children inspired everyone. The
smallest ones ranged in age from 5 to 10 and their dance skills, mature
body movement, and leading and following skills had us all spellbound
with our jaws dropped.
A highlight of the trip was when team
Canada (44 dancers from Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa) invited us to a
celebration dinner at Elli Irizarry's gorgeous elegant restaurant in Old
San Juan. The concept of all the cities coming together to form a great
performance that represented Canada and received some government support
for all their efforts, was truly inspiring.
I taught a few private lessons to
wonderful warm students. One competitive couple from Italy were so
beautiful and talented that it was inspiring to give them tips. Another
amateur couple from Puerto Rico became friends instantly and took us out
for a very special dinner. We were picked up with a limo and taken
to a posh Spanish restaurant in Old San Juan where we dined liked
royalty.
I was flattered to be given the Andy Vasquez Award for my lifetime
achievement in salsa, and have a filmed documentary about my biography
shown (called the Princess of Salsa- director Emmy Lam). I was
invited to judge at the
first annual World Salsa Open Competition (an historical event) and also invited to teach a
partnering workshop with Louie Angon as my partner.
On the beach, everyday, we met handsome
Italian male students from Rome (and surrounding cities) with whom we
shared many laughs and good times. We also relaxed in the sun with other
pros from Montreal (Sonia and Morris), Holland (Leo and Monique), Ohio
(Barbie), and fun people from LA, Toronto and Italy. When it got too
hot under our sun umbrellas, we laid in the shallow waves of the cool
refreshing waves gently rolling onto the beach over our relaxed bodies.
We napped on the hammocks at dusk and strolled in and out of the
air-conditioned hotel as we pleased.
With over a week and a half to relax,
dine, take in the romantic sights of Puerto Rico, meeting special warm
people (from around the world), making new friendships, seeing
spectacular performances and hearing incredible live salsa bands, and sharing
this experience with my mom and my
unborn baby made this year, definitely, the most magical of all years at
the Bacardi Congress in Puerto Rico.
I highly recommend it for all of you
that are planning to go next year. It is well worth the
investment.
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Archived Newsletters:
June 2002
May 2002
August 2001
September 2001
October 2001 |
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Anonymous
quotes of the month... |
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"Age is no barrier to having dreams.
Fulfill your dreams at any age."
-
"Put your pride aside,
have humility and do the right thing."
-
"Dance is the direct
expression of God's love in the physical world"
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Josie's Salsa
Tips |
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Immerse yourself completely
for the fastest results. Take group classes, private lessons, purchase
instructional videos and frequent salsa clubs often. The faster
and more fully you get involved, the faster you will learn.
Just the basics! Buy a salsa CD and
practice 'just the basics' for the first month in salsa. Do it in
front of the mirror and try not to add too much styling until you
know the exact hip action. Just get used to the rhythm,
timing, and feel of the music in your body.
Give the lady room. Leaders must relax
and stretch their arms long while leading. The lady should
feel like she has plenty of room to dance without bumping into you
and without her elbowing you in the face or chest.
Keep your eye on the man. One of the
simplest following tips for ladies is to keep looking at your
partner, through every turn and combination. This will set you
up exactly where the man wants you to be for the next move. If
you are looking away, most likely the man will not be able to
execute the next step quickly enough. The head toward the man
will make the body in the correct position for proper lead and
follow. Wipe your
sweat! No one likes to touch or rub up against a
stranger's sweat. Have a fresh supply of napkins and use them
often. |
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Guide to the
World of Salsa
Article 1:
Men in
Salsa...
Women Beware! |
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This is the first of an
ongoing series of articles about our wonderful (or not so wonderful)
men in the salsa club.
When first entering the
salsa world, we think how romantic and gorgeous these great dancing,
sweet smelling, sexy, shy men are.
Soon we find that the
shyness is just a cover for poor English or a part of their act to
play on women.
All kidding aside, non
suspecting women can be and have been hurt.
These men enter the
salsa clubs looking for women who are innocently looking for great
dancing and hopeful to meet a romantic loving man for a meaningful
relationship.
Unfortunately,
many men are NOT looking for the same thing. Here is a typical
scenario some of you can relate to.
...You didn't even see him
coming... he sweetly lures you onto the dance floor to capture the
last part of the great salsa song. All the while as he is staring into
your eyes with his half smile, you think, "Oh my God, this
great dancer wants to dance with me!"
The song ends too quickly and he holds you to
dance the next one. You excitedly stay and dance another.
He brings you in a little closer and you feel him brush against your
face and body a few times. Innocently part of the dance, of
course... Or so you
think.
He asks who
accompanied you to the club. When he finds that you are not with a
man, he compliments your dancing and how beautiful you are. You are
flattered and say to yourself, "I think he likes me"
He either hands you a
business card at that point to offer you special private lessons
because you are so talented and/or gorgeous. Or, if he is not a
professional instructor, he will
tell you he is looking for a serious dance partner and would
like you to be his new practice partner.
Once you meet him
outside the club, the trouble begins. Most likely, if
he is not married or living with a girl, you maybe one of the many
girls he has stringing along as his supposed "practice partners".
If he is one of the
rare few that owns his own car, he
will meet you at a dance studio and greet you like you are the love
of his life. After a short while he is telling you that
you are so irresistibly sexy, that he cannot hold-out any
longer, he must kiss you.
He will treat you
like a queen until he gets you into bed. Then it all changes.
Sound familiar?
Women beware. The salsa world is a fun one if we are educated about
the happenings and all the games and scams going on.
Hopefully this series
will shed some light and be a guide to some of the heart-breaking,
insulting cons and betrayal that can happen.
More on this next
issue....
PS Ladies and men; if
you have a story and would like to anonymously tell others, write to
Josie@latindance.com. Your
name will never be revealed.
visit
www.LatinDance.com
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