San Diego is a big convention town as we all saw with the recent Comic Con International Meeting here this last week. Every time there is a big convention in town I inevitably receive a ton of emails from people asking me where the best places to dance salsa here in San Diego. One thing I’ve noticed from these emails is surprise when the people I write to learn that there is not a regular salsa club that is open on Fridays and Saturdays in the Gaslamp Quarter . Indeed, the best salsa dancing downtown is located at Café Sevilla Tuesdays through Thursday in my opinion. Sometimes, though, it would be nice to have salsa dancing downtown on a Friday or Saturday night for a change.
Well, looks like change is coming our way, albeit for one night in August.Aubergine, the uber upscale restaurant and club venue , is opening its doors to salsa dancing on August 22nd , 2008. Located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter (and across the street from Café Sevilla), the club is known for its fashionable and unique vibe that would serve well as a salsa dancing venue. (Indeed, there are lots of places downtown that would be great salsa and Latin dancing venues but unfortunately the club owners haven’t been all that open to the idea).
The event is hosted by Angel and Tulane from A Time to Dance Studio who will be providing a lesson. There will also be dance performances by well known groups like Majesty in Motions Pro team and the Sexy Salsa Divas.
The San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group will be in attendance at the event this night and I’ve organized a place to RSVP for the event . You can find out all the details about the event there including instructions on how to get placed on the VIP guest list.
If you’ve followed Ritmo Bello in the past you may remember a saying that I used to post on my old website that read “If you can walk, you can dance!” Well, I’m pleased to report that I’ve been wrong all this time. Let me explain.
Absolutely Dance Sport, a specialized dance studio catering to the disabled here in San Diego, opens its doors on August 5th , 2008. The focus of the new studio is to bring more attention to a growing movement called Wheelchair DanceSport . Wheelchair DanceSport is a partner dance competition where at least one dancer in the pair is in a wheelchair.
Wheelchair dancing is not actually new. Since 1977, international competitions in Wheelchair Dance Sport have been organized and supported by organizations like the International Paralympic Wheelchair Dance Sport Committee and International DanceSport Federation. There is even an American Dance Wheels logo similar to the NBA’s iconic sign as seen below:
Wheelchair dancers participate in combination style dancing with an able-bodied partner or duo dance with two wheelchairs. The dances that are performed with wheelchairs pretty much are the same ones that a non-disabled couple can perform. That means that a wheelchair dancer could dance salsa, samba, cha cha cha, rumba, paso doble, and other popular Latin dances.
I found this tango video especially captivating to watch:
My immediate reaction to all this is that I am very thankful that there are people in the community concerned with bringing dance to the disabled population. Indeed, if I were ever in a position where I needed to rely on a wheelchair I would most likely seek out this studio to be around empowered individuals passionate about salsa and latin dancing.
The local San Diego dance scene (which includes salsa, tango, samba, and other types of Latin dancing) is expanding and garnering more exposure worldwide. San Diego’s salsa dance scene, though, is definitely still in development compared to larger market areas like New York and Miami. From time to time I like to take a look outside of my own area to see how others are spreading salsa dance within their own communities. As a salsa dancer in the local San Diego dance community, I am always looking for examples of how others are helping promote the genre and spread the virtues of the dance.
Los Angeles, although a short drive away from San Diego, presents a totally different and vast salsa dance experience as compared to San Diego. Recently I found an organization similar to Ritmo Bello in Los Angeles that helps inform the local community regarding salsa dancing related information. Vida Salsera, Spanish for "Salsa Life", has kept the Southern California/Los Angeles salsa community up to date with its salsa dance scene, including special events, concerts, and live music performances since November of 2005.
I sat down with Dena Burroughs of Vida Salsera to talk about her experiences in promoting salsa dancing in her own community:
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Ritmo Bello : San Diego and Southern California are areas where Salsa is very popular. What does your organization offer to the community in terms of Salsa dancing information?
VidaSalsera:VidaSalsera.com is primarily a calendar of live music events, mainly of Salsa bands, in the L.A. area. However, I have a smaller “Out of Town” section in which I post events for as far north as San Francisco and south as San Diego. I have separate sections for Salsa clubs in L.A., as well as information on bands and DJs that someone could hire, instructors, CDS, and so forth.
Ritmo Bello: What are the origins of your organization?
VidaSalsera:I started VidaSalsera.com in November of 2005. It was truly a project of love - I wanted to create a site where I could support the Salsa movement in L.A., particularly the artists and musicians, with the freedom of expression that would only come from owning my own site.
Ritmo Bello : On your website I see that you promote many different types of events and even have areas where musicians can list their information. Can you tell me a little about how that started?
VidaSalsera:I got deep into the Salsa scene about a decade ago. I went through that crazy euphoria that new dancers all get into – I wanted to do nothing but dance, at every spare moment of my day. As time went by, my infatuation with Salsa dancing matured into a real love for the music itself and an appreciation for those who make it so beautiful, who are so talented, yet really do not often get the attention, or the recognition, they deserve – the musicians. Without them, there’s no music to dance to. My intention is to, in whatever small way I can, support what they do so that the music will not end.
Ritmo Bello: I also saw on your website that you offer information about other things such as salsa music information. What’s been your experience with salsa over the years and the public’s response to the music & dance?
VidaSalsera:I am convinced that knowing what a song says, for example, makes a huge difference in how you enjoy it, even how you dance to it. The lyrics of a song can make you laugh when they’re funny, and when you laugh your composure, your body movements, your actual dance, changes. By the same token, when the song is romantic and perhaps manages to remind you of your current or past love, the experience of listening and dancing to it is transformed. Because we are in the U.S., and because many of the Salsa lovers here are English speakers, I have a hunch they’re missing out on a very important part of the Salsa experience. That’s why I started the “Salsa Lyrics” section on my site. Slowly, (because it’s very time consuming) but surely, I am translating the lyrics of Salsa songs into English. Hopefully, those who read them will remember what a particular song says the next time they dance to it. I think a few people agree with me because the lyrics request link of my site is one of the most active ones.
Ritmo Bello: I had an opportunity to visit your YouTube channel today and see that you’ve posted lots of salsa related videos for the public to view. If an artists or somebody looking for exposure to your audience wanted to have a video posted what is the process like?
VidaSalsera: Invite me over to a gig! I will do my darn best to get a good video. I have limited resources, mind you. I go around with a small, yet amazing, Sony camera that does wonders, and I do look for the right angle, the right light, and the right moment to come up with a good shot. YouTube is a fabulous resource for artists. Some of my videos have been watched thousands of times. The video I took of Gilberto Santarosa at The Mayan has been viewed over 70,000 times! That floors me, but that shows you the power of the Internet to make things known. Every musician should take advantage of it.
Ritmo Bello : I know that you are based out of Los Angeles, California and have great insight into the Southern California salsa scene. Do you ever make your way down to San Diego for a little bit of salsa dancing?
VidaSalsera: I make my way everywhere. (Helps that I am a little hyperactive, a little A.D.D. and a lot insomniac. ::smile::) I have been to the La Jolla Marriott , to Club Miami , to Cafe Sevilla , to Havana Restaurant, to the Harrah’s Rincon, to many Salsa places in San Diego. And, for the record, I have very lovely memories of Thanksgiving holidays at San Diego’s Café Sevilla, from many years ago, when Salsa was my best friend during some rather lonely times. I will always treasure Café Sevilla’s turkey and stuffing dinners to the sounds of Salsa. That should be a tradition that should never die.
Ritmo Bello : Anything else you’d like to share with the general public?
VidaSalsera:There’s this story about how, when the great philosopher Socrates was in prison, a voice spoke to him on a dream, saying, “Practice music, Socrates!” For most of his life Socrates had been trying to separate philosophy from art, from music. Years later, Nietzche used that “Practice music, Socrates!” to point out that humans are best when they combine both their thinking ability with their appreciation for the arts; that we can be thinkers, serious people, responsible, and so forth, and still have a passion for music, for poetry, for art as a whole. For those of us whose passion is this music and this dance… it’s all good - Nietzche would approve. So… Practice Salsa, everybody!
Ritmo Bello: How can the Ritmo Bello audience reach you if they want to find out more information about your organization?
VidaSalsera: My name is Dena Burroughs. I am at www.vidasalsera.com and dena@vidasalsera.com Say hi anytime. Suggestions, information, commentary and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thank you, John.
Ritmo Bello: Thanks Dena for all that you do to promote salsa dancing!
Tango dancing has moved in many new directions over the last few years. Here in San Diego a unique dance ensemble called TANGOCENTRIC is making its mark on the dance scene.
TANGOCENTRIC originated with 6 talented dancers under the direction of Susan Lake .
Experimenting with Jazz, Ballet, and contemporary techniques, this innovative dance company is pushing the boundaries of what we all know as tango. Definitely not for the weak of heart, the challenging choreographies break the traditional look of what we have accepted as tango dancing today.
Saturday morning on August 9th, the first TANGOCENTRIC dance auditions will take place as the company continues to find its place in the theatrical dance community. For anyone wanting to expand their dance experience, this would be a dance "must" according to Susan Lake, director of TANGOCENTRIC.
For a while now I’ve been following another independent writer and publisher passionate about salsa dancing, the WanderingSalsero. The WanderingSalsero , managaged by a gentleman named Art Williams, is an informative and highly visited website with all sorts of salsa dance related news, views and reviews.
Art recently posted an article about Ritmo Bello’s newly redesigned site that you can see on his website. One thing I wanted to clarify if you do see the article is that Ritmo Bello has no connection with Mike Bello from the Mambo Fellow . Ritmo Bello is managed by yours truly, John , and will continue to provide quality salsa and latin dance information for the San Diego, California area and beyond.
Since launching Ritmo Bello last year here locally in San Diego, California I’ve been able to meet and interact with numerous salsa based organizations around the world . The love that I have for the music and dance we all know as salsa has the great effect of inspiring people to do novel things to promote the genre.
Here in my hometown of San Diego another local group, Addicted2Salsa , has done some really great things to promote salsa dancing. Primarily using their great video capabilities , Anthony Persaud and Addicted2Salsa have launched countless videos online covering everything from salsa basics to advanced salsa combination moves.
The video here caught my attention because I really think that salsa is something that can be integrated into our everyday lives. What better way to integrate salsa into your life than with a tool that most of us already have, an iPhone. The video tutorial covers resources you can access online using an iPhone that include Pandora , Midomi , Shazam and of course AOL radio . In past Ritmo Bello articles I’ve written about similar services online that allow you to fully integrate salsa music into your daily experience and Anthony’s video is a great visual explanation of how you can access these resources.
Thanks to Anthony Persaud and Addicted2Salsa for providing a great resource!
The night will focus on Colombian culture including an examination of its multicultural society - including connections with Mexican, Caribbean, African, European, Middle Eastern, and Native American influences. It will also highlight the strong influence of the indigenous people to the region including the Muisca , Tariano, and Quimbaya peoples. Of course, the night will also focus on the great musical influence Colombia has made on the world. Many modern day Colombian songs and instruments are linked to this early influence. There will be live Colombian music, Colombian dance, and Colombian cuisine during the event.
In the past I’ve written about the different salsa congresses that take place around the world. Many of the the professionals involved in these competitions contend for the coveted privilege of performing in the World Salsa Federation’s (WSF) World Salsa Championships.
The WSF is recognized by the Amateur Athletic Union , the largest amateur sporting organization in the U.S. with over 800,000 members. Isaac Altman and the World Salsa Federation were successful in bringing Salsa and DanceSport as official sports in the Junior Olympic Games since 2002. I had the unique privilege of talking with Isaac regarding his efforts to bring his organization’s goals to Southern California and particularly, San Diego.
Enjoy!!!
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Ritmo Bello: Isaac, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to address the Ritmo Bello audience. To start off, what is the mission and focus of your organization as it pertains to the San Diego Salsa and Southern California Salsa communities?
World Salsa Federation:Our mission is generally the same World-Wide, however, Southern California is definitely a hotbed for Salsa dancers. Our mission is as follows:
To promote, encourage, publicize and facilitate the art of Salsa dancing including leisure and competitive style, by giving demonstrations, holding competitions and exhibitions, by organizing or sponsoring lectures, lessons and examinations, awarding certificates, prizes and scholarships and doing all such matters and things as will conduce to raising or improving the standard of Salsa dancing, including leisure and competitive styles, and by promoting uniformity of instruction in the basic and advanced steps of Salsa through a uniform Bronze, Silver, and Gold Syllabus .
To encourage, foster and increase public interest in the art of Salsa dancing. To formulate and secure international recognition and adoption of official international rules and Syllabus of Competitive Salsa dancing, and to encourage the promotion and proper conduct of competition, and the recognition of established championships. To do all such things as are likely to promote and improve the standard of Salsa dancing. To encourage the general public to obtain instruction only from qualified teachers, and to do all such things as are likely to promote and improve the standard of conduct to raising or maintaining the professional status and ethical standards of all persons engaged or seeking to be engaged in the teaching of Salsa dancing. To grant permission for approved National WSF member organizations to organize, world, continental and area/regional continental championships in Salsa that are controlled by the WSF, and such other titles as may from time to time be determined by the WSF. To formulate rules to govern such championships and other titles in accordance with the rules of the WSF and/or other rules recognized by the WSF, which are not incompatible with these objects, and which shall include the governance of the conduct of member organizations and persons or bodies recognized by and/or is registered with the WSF. To promote, facilitate and encourage exchanges of information on all matters pertaining to Salsa dancing.
To formulate promulgate and oversee a uniform method of judging and marking in all Salsa competitions and championships throughout the world. To acquire the copyrights and other rights, licenses and privileges of any sort likely to be conducive to the objects of the WSF and to encourage, assist and employ persons to write, compose or invent dance steps, music, musical arrangements and scripts and remunerate such person or persons, and to print, publish or cause to be printed or published, books, pamphlets, newspapers, journals, circularize, instructional handbooks and/or video tapes, dances steps, dance arrangements, music and musical scores and arrangements and literature of any kind likely to further the objects of the WSF and its members; and to sell, distribute and deal with any matter so printed or recorded as the WSF may think fit and to grant licenses or rights in respect of any property of the WSF and to enter into agreements with persons, firms or societies in connection with the same. To secure the recognition of competitions and other events that are recognized by the WSF.
Ritmo Bello: What are the origins of your organization?
World Salsa Federation: The WSF is a United States corporation with World Headquarters in Miami, Florida, and was legally formed in August 2001, and is the recognized World Governing Body for Salsa Competition.
Ritmo Bello: Are there any dance or music artists you are currently promoting that you’d like the public to know more about?
World Salsa Federation: The WSF is not an organization that promotes music artists as such. The WSF is a dance organization, but does help music artists get work at no charge. The WSF currently has several World-Class dancers it manages called Las Estrellas De La Salsa.
Ritmo Bello: I saw on your website that you offer a model search feature?
World Salsa Federation:
Yes we do. We are always looking for people to highlight in our print and TV ads.
Ritmo Bello:What are some of the programs and services that you offer apart from the model search?
World Salsa Federation:The World Salsa Federation, Inc. provides top-notch certification for Teachers, Instructional DVD’s and Videos, Achievement Awards for Amateurs, and with great customer support.
Ritmo Bello: I heard that you are hosting the Salsa World Championships in Miami, right?
World Salsa Federation:
That is correct. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the World Salsa Federation, Inc. I would like to welcome everyone to the 7th Annual World Professional Salsa Championships to be held November 7th and 8th, 2008. This year I am sure we will celebrate with record attendance at our wonderful facility, the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming facility in Miami, Florida. Over 2 days, competitors will have an opportunity to be World Champions in their style 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!!!
Ritmo Bello: Anything else you’d like to share with the general public?
World Salsa Federation:We hope that we will get to meet all the wonderful people of Southern California and share in our passion, SALSA!
Ritmo Bello: How can the Ritmo Bello audience reach you if they want to find out more information about your organization?
World Salsa Federation: You can call us at 786-566-2604, visit our website at www.wsfsalsa.com , or email us at wsfsalsa@yahoo.com
Ritmo Bello: Isaac, on behalf of Ritmo Bello thank you for your time and good luck on your future endeavors!
The basic idea of the event is to have people from both sides of the San Diego & Tijuana border meet through the border fence on the beach or at Friendship Park at the San Diego & Tijuana border.
The goal of the group is to bring people together by finding a theme that has no borders, often has a direct effect on improving the region, and always results in friendships across cultural boundaries. Salsa dancing seems like an excellent fit for such a lofty endeavor.
The philosophy behind the group is simple. The Border Meetup Group believes that one of the root causes of strife in the world today is a lack of understanding between peoples of different cultures. You can remove this lack of understanding by having people engage each other in something that helps build good will. Again salsa dancing to the rescue.
The group’s website has this to say about their events and why they choose to meet at the international border:
"In The Border Meetup Group, we believe by actively creating events that allow people from different cultures and sub-cultures the space to get to know one another under a peaceful guise and theme that is of interest to all involved, we will contribute to the promotion of this vital understanding. The border is an ideal venue as it serve as a literal and symbolic unification of people across cultural and physical boundaries."
Indeed, the world could use some more of these types of events.
Colombia’s Independence day is this Sunday July 20th and there are a number of events around San Diego to celebrate the event.
First, The Casa de Colombia will be hosting a dance and food exhibition at Balboa Park’s International Cottages . For those of you familiar with the International Cottages, you know that the organization is a consortium of "houses" that represent 32 countries here in San Diego. The idea behind the International Cottages is to give a glimpse of the member countries culture, history, and traditions. For Colombian Independence Day, there will be a lawn program on Sunday including performances by a dance and ballet group, Colombian musicians, and vocal entertainment all in the Colombian tradition. The event begins at 11am. I’ll be at this event wearing my traditional colombian vueltiao sombrero , so say hello if you see me.
The Casa de Colombia is later hosting an event at Cafe Sevilla , with featured guest Yari More and his orquesta, a dance class beginning at 6:45pm, complimentary Tapas Buffet until 7:30pm and DJ’s spinning Colombian salsa music throughout the night. If you miss the event at Balboa Park, you can still learn about the Casa de Colombia and what they do for the local San Diego community at the information table they will be hosting at Cafe Sevilla. I heard through my sources that there will be Aguardiente drink specials throughout the night…not to be missed!
Cover is only $8.00 but i heard you can get a discount entry if you wear anything with Colombian pride (T-shirts, paint your face, etc.), making it only $5.00.
Come dance the day away to help fundraise $10,000 to benefit the Southern California Wildfires Recovery Program presented by Rebuild, the San Diego chapter of Architecture for Humanity . Rebuild is a non-profit organization promoting architectural and design solutions to global, social, and humanitarian crisis. Friends, relatives and companies will sponsor dancing participants to fundraise for this event. Pass the word, get involved, make a difference.
This is going to be a great event and there are a number of ways you all can help.
There will be dance instructors, DJ’s from Cafe Sevilla, lottery prizes, and potential live TV coverage covering this event and more. Help recruit friends, colleagues and co-workers to come out and dance for a social purpose.
Sandra Plaza from Rebuild indicated that they need more participants to dance in the event. Fundraising $100 for yourself is as easy as asking 5 people to donate $20 each and you are in! People can sign up on the day of the event and Rebuild is asking for a friendly donation to meet their goal of $10,000.
If for some reason you are unable to make it to the event but would like to sponsor a dancing participant, please let Cecilia Nerey, cnerey1002@aol.com, know for how much total or per hour you would like to donate. Please spread the word! For further information, please contact Angie Zerna at 619 794 3054 or zangel56@hotmail.com, or visit www.afhsd-rebuild.org on how you can volunteer to make a difference.
Hope to see you there!
________________________________ The Salsa Marathon sponsors include but are not limited to:
* Ritmo Bello – San Diego’s Online Guide to Salsa and Latin Dancing * Zuri’s Banquet & Hall * Staples * "A Time to Dance" Owned by the best DANCING DUO in San Diego - Angel and Tulane Rivera! * Cafe Sevilla with Valerie "SD’s 1st Lady of Salsa" * DJ’s Rick "La Voz" Chriss & David "New Yo Rican" * and many more!
Hello once again from the East Coast, Philadelphia, PA.
I opted once again to repeat a good thing and went back to the club I visited the night before, Brasils in Old City Philadelphia . Although similar to my first night of salsa dancing, there was a different studio hosting the lessons. Led by Mike Andino of Estilo Dance Studio , the lesson was a refreshing and upbeat event that consisted of some nice moves being taught. I included a video from Mike’s website here so you can meet him and recognize him if you ever come to Philadelphia for salsa dancing. My special thanks goes out to him for extending a welcome to an outsider like myself and making me feel welcome.
The night I have to say was even better than the previous night’s outing. Not only was there a different crowd (I believe there were at least 2 bachelorette parties in attendance that night) but I was able to meet some really nice Philadelphia residents like Katie (thanks for all the great dances!).
I have to admit that I am running low on energy today. The only thing I have to do at this point is go to Mass at a local Catholic Church and get some rest.
Oh yeah, I may go out yet again tonight…still unsure on that. I know of at least one place I could go to tonight, Alfie’s that Mike suggested I visit. More to come later…
Last night I had the opportunity to visit Philadelphia’s Old City area and it was a great experience. For those of you in San Diego, California the Old City here in Philly is reminiscent of the Gaslamp Quarter downtown . I included a video here so you could get a better sense of what I mean.
In terms of Philly salsa dancing, I visited a nice little venue called Brasil’s . The club, located in the colonial part of the city, has a decent size dance floor on the second level and pretty good drink specials ($3 for a Corona before 11pm). There were good lessons given by La Luna Dance Studio too (learned a new move called the susie Q).
Philly salsa is danced On1, so it wasn’t too difficult for me to meet some folks and get some good dancing in early on in the evening. The city is also pretty diverse as I was able to dance with some residents that were originally from Hungary and other exotic locations around the world. Although there was only a DJ and no live band, the DJ did a good job of mixing salsa with an occasional merengue and bachata. I could have done without the Regaton though.
Overall, it was an excellent night out on the town here in Philly. I have some other places to check out tonight but my feeling is I might make my way back to a good thing at Brasil’s again. I’ll let you know how it pans out.
Hello from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! I arrived safely yesterday and enjoyed my first morning outing here in the "city of brotherly love". It’s always interesting when you travel to a new place and how the sights and sounds capture your attention. Philly is no exception as there is definately an old world feel to the city and a particular style to its residents. One thing that surprised me is how hot it is here in the summertime!
I’m excited to go salsa dancing tonight and Saturday, still trying to decide which spots to visit. Being already in the city, I’m inclined to visit some of the local spots including Brasil’s . I’ve been informed of another club in New Jersey (for those of you not familiar with the layout of Philly, New Jersey is super close to where I am now too) that I may consider visiting.
Wherever I end up, I know I’m in for a great time in the Philadelphia area. Take care and look for my next update!!!
As we approach Colombia’s independence day I’ll be posting information about local celebrations here in San Diego. One of the larger ones will be hosted by Rumba Entertainment at the Mission Valley Hilton on Sunday July 27, 2008.
The event (which doesn’t fall on the actual independence day for Colombia ) will be a combined festival to celebrate not only Colombia’s independence but also Peru’s.
There will be a live band, Orquesta Ritmo Caliente, and DJ Farley will be spinning Colombian style salsa. Oh and for all the Colombians out there the event will have Aguardiente Cristal.
For those of you in San Diego this weekend, I have a new event that Sarah, a Meetup member , asked that I post on Ritmo Bello. Below is the information:
Come experience Brazilian culture and support a good cause at
the same time by attending "Keeping the Beat" on Saturday, July
12. Keeping the Beat is a fundraiser for the non-profit
organization Rhythm of Hope . Rhythm of Hope is a global
network dedicated to improving the quality of life for people
in marginalized communities in Brazil. The goal of Keeping the
Beat is to raise $10,000 for Rhythm of Hope. The evening will
commence at 7:00 pm with a three-course, Brazilian theme
gourmet dinner. At 9:00 pm a silent auction and raffle will
begin, featuring top-quality artwork, items and services
donated by local artists, businesses and restaurants. At 11:00
pm the fun really gets started with a DJ spinning Brazilian
music including Samba, Bossa Nova, Brazilian Funk, Forro, and a
taste of Hip Hop.
You must purchase tickets in advance for this at the Rhythm of Hope Website . You can purchase tickets for the whole evening, or just a portion of the night (just the dinner, or
just the dance party for example). All proceeds go directly to
Rhythm of Hope to support social projects in Brazil such as
providing clean water and sanitation in rural communities,
helping impoverished favela (slum) youth and providing
education in poor communities.
Event: "Keeping the Beat" a fundraiser for Rhythm of Hope
Date: Saturday, July 12, 2008
Time: Dinner at 7 pm; Silent Auction and Raffle at 9 pm; Dance
Party beginning at 11 pm
Event details and tickets at: www.keepingthebeatsd.com
If you’ve followed Ritmo Bello for some time now, you know that I love history and enjoy traveling to places rich in history. You would also recognize that I love salsa dancing in the places I visit.
I’ve done some research online and found a varied assortment of places and activities to check out while I’m there. First, using my connections through Meetup.com I’ve been able to find out about the 28th Annual Latino Festival that takes place this Saturday. The Philly Salsa Meetup group has organized an event to meet at the festival and I’m going to try to connect with some members from the group.
For nightlife I have a number of options that include these three venues:
You can bet I’ll be doing some more research on places to visit for salsa while in the city and of course I’m open to any of your suggestions you might have for salsa clubs to visit. Whatever places I do visit I’ll be writing reviews like I did with other places I’ve visited .
I’ll write some more about my trip later this week but until then I leave you with a quote from St. Augustine :
“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” Time to read some pages……….
Here in San Diego the dance community is particularly privileged to have one such professional from the Tango world helping keep the dance alive.
Susan Lake from Susan Lake Productions recently sat down with me for an interview to discuss tango dance and music here in San Diego, California. Below is the article. Enjoy!
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Ritmo Bello: Hi Susan, thanks for taking the time to address the Ritmo Bello audience. What is the focus of your organization in relation to the San Diego Dance community?
Susan Lake: My company, SUSAN LAKE PRODUCTIONS, has always been about bringing to San Diego the best information on dance. 10 years ago, I created the TANGO BALL which served as an arena for not only some of the best tango performers in the world, but became the beginning roots of dance fusion in San Diego. As the Artistic Director for TANGOCENTRIC , a performing tango dance ensemble, I have opened the door to experimental dance using tango as the dramatic center of the choreography. At present I am conducting workshops in San Diego for performers and advanced dance companies who wish to integrate tango into their own particular dance styles.
Ritmo Bello: What are the origins of your production company?
Susan Lake: I am originally from New York City, Where I attended Hartt College of Music. When I came to San Diego I became part owner of Mac Vitties Dance Studio. After selling the studio, I started a dance company called TANGO LAGO. I organized dance classes, brought guest artists to San Diego conducted educational tours to Argentina for the study of tango and eventually originated the longest running event of its kind, the TANGO BALL. At present my company is called SUSAN LAKE PRODUCTIONS and my career has led me into the areas of Producer, Director, Project Developer and lecturer.
Ritmo Bello: A question I often get from my audience deals with identifying what is and is not Tango. What is Tango? How do you know if a piece of music is tango or not?
Susan Lake: The dance tango, has its origins in Argentina. It is the result of immigrants from Europe coming together in a time in history when people were being displaced from the countries they once called home. The dance tells the stories of humanity and its stuggle for an identity.
As far as tango music is concerned, yes there is music that is considered traditional tango music and is commonly identified by the sound of the bandoneon . However, today tango is danced to everything from jazz to symphonic music and electronic sounds.
Ritmo Bello: What is the difference between American and Argentine tango?
Susan Lake: One of the most distinct differences is the use of the legs. Secondly is the embrace or what is commonly known as the dance frame. One of the unique and beautiful aspects of Argentine tango is the use of the "pause", which significantly adds to the drama or "tension" of the dance. It is very typical to watch American style tango and be able identify "set" patterns. In Argentine tango, the combinations are endless and it is common to observe that everyone is creating their own story through the dance itself!
Ritmo Bello: I heard you mention earlier that you have a new performing ensemble called TANGOCENTRIC. Could you tell me a little bit about what that is all about?
Susan Lake: Yes, I started TANGOCENTRIC a year and a half ago. It is an experimental dance ensemble that incorporates different dance styles in the choreography. They have performed locally at several different venues and we are currently working on a unique Tango program.
Ritmo Bello: Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
Susan Lake: Yes. As I am now an organizer on the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group and will continue hosting Tango events for the group’s members. I will also be available to anyone who may have tango questions. You can e-mail me at susanlakeproductions@gmail.com and you can reach me at 888-796-9670.
Ritmo Bello: Susan Lake, Thank you so much for your time and I hope to attend some of your Tango events in the future.
Susan Lake: My pleasure John. Hope to see you at one of my upcoming events!
Recently I wrote an article about Jorge Elizondo and what he is doing for bachata dancing around the world. Well, Jorge is now coming to San Diego!!! The World Bachata Bootcamp Tour will be here in mid July to host bachata workshops on everything ranging from Footwork Fundamentals to isolating & controlling body movements in bachata dance.
For those of you interested in attending the bachata workshop, Ritmo Bello & San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group will be there to support Jorge’s mission to spread Bachata dancing in San Diego. To find out more information (including venue and registration information) please go to the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group website page for the event.
To get a glimpse of what you’ll see at the workshop check out the video in this post.
As with any move, there are still some items that are being worked on but for the most part the move went well.
Along with the new design and look of Ritmo Bello, you’ll notice that I’ve tried to make the presentation of the posts much clearer here compared to the older website.
If there are any businesses out there interested in sharing their products or services with the general public, I’m going to be expanding out the advertisers section for that purpose. Feel free to contact me direct at bello_jf @ritmobello.com
Also if you have any suggestions for things you’d like to see here please let me know as well.
