What’s a great way to learn salsa dance in an environment where there is little pressure?  A salsa dance party!  Salsa dance parties are usually hosted by instructors and studios as a way to allow new students to interact with other learners in a safe environment.  I say safe because for many just learning to salsa dance, making an entry into a club setting can be overwhelming to say the least.  

A couple of studios around town host these salsa parties regularly and I wanted to highlight one that is going on this weekend.  The Salsa party will be held at Pattie Wells Dancetime Studio from 8 to 10:30 pm.  The event is hosted by Jose, the salsa instructor at Pattie Wells, who has great experience teaching salsa dance in the Colombian style.  He’ll be teaching an beginner’s and intermediate salsa class that is included with the paid admission.  

For more information please visit the Pattie Wells Dancetime Website.

ShareThis

Salsa dancing lives to see another night at Aubergine Nightclub!  After a successful inaugural night on August 22, 2008 the club decided to extend its Friday night salsa dancing, at least on certain specific nights.    The next salsa night is scheduled for 9/26.  I’m happy with the decision and already have an event organized for the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup where you can RSVP.

Check it out and let them know you heard about it on Ritmo Bello!

ShareThis

As the San Diego Salsa Festival approaches, I’ve received numerous emails from people that are attending the event. For many of these folks it will be their very first salsa festival or congress that they will be attending. Many of these dancers are unsure about how someone can maximize their time at a salsa festival given that there will be so much to experience.

Apart from taking advantage of the salsa workshops that I mentioned in a previous Ritmo Bello article , I think it’s vital for new attendees to the salsa festival to fully integrate into the event by simply dancing and interacting with other attendees. I know from my own experience that it can be a little intimidating to arrive at a salsa event of this magnitude and be overwhelmed by the big names in attendance when you are just starting out. The Unlikely Salsero (aka Don Baarns , a friend of Ritmo Bello and online salsa dance resource, recently wrote about the upcoming San Diego Salsa Festival and addressed some of these issues. In particular, he’s written a 2 part series with tips and recommendations for those attending a salsa festival or congress.

Check them out and feel free to offer up any comments here to help out those attending the San Diego Salsa Festival for the first time.

ShareThis

As most of you know, I’ve been dancing street salsa for many years both locally here in San Diego and around the world.   Over those years I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy the dance and the positive changes that it has brought to my life.  From time to time I reflect on these changes and it occurred to me that my salsa dancing has affected me in a way I never would have imagined.

When I opened up my closet recently I noticed that I have not one but two separate parts to my wardrobe.  Indeed, on one side I had all my regular clothing and on the other I had what I call my "salsa wardrobe."  Any of you out there that have been dancing salsa for a while understand immediately what I mean by this simple revelation.   The clothing worn by a dancer can define that person just as much as their dance style and my separate salsa wardrobe reflects that to the core.

This got me thinking about an often overlooked part of our dance world, the people that provide the wonderful range of clothing and shoe options for us to wear.  One organization in particular, e.K. Clothing caught my attention in the Latin dance community and I recently sat down for an interview with the company’s owner,  Nicole Shahian,  to talk about outfitting the Latin dance world.

_________________________________________________________________

Ritmo Bello: Nicole, let’s go ahead and begin.  Many people that are new to salsa dancing here in San Diego are not sure what type of options are out there for footwear and dance clothing.  What makes e.K. Clothing a good option for them to consider?

e.K. Clothing: Our prices are pretty reasonable and usually if orders are received Monday – Saturday by about 1pm or so, they’re shipped the same day. Returns are easy and most of our styles are great for Salsa and other types of Latin dancing.

Ritmo Bello: How did e.K. Clothing get started?

e.K. Clothing: Well, just like the song – Todo Empezo…Bailando! About 4-5 years ago, I was out dancing almost every night and was always looking for new Salsa clothes, because you know how it is…Salseros usually have a semi-separate Salsa wardrobe, right? I made a couple of purchases from several major online retailers and was disappointed in the price vs. quality. So I figured maybe I could offer dancers a better option…

Ritmo Bello: I know that salsa and mambo dresses are one of the things you specialize in providing to the dance community.  Can you provide some helpful tips on what somebody might look for and consider when shopping for a salsa or mambo dress at your store?

e.K. Clothing: Any clothing that has ruffles, flounces, slits and cascades will extend or accent your movement and actually make you *look* like a better dancer. Halter straps (as opposed to tank straps) are nice because they don’t slip off the shoulders. Mid length skirts with zig zag bottoms spin beautifully. Also, blends of Polyester, Nylon and/or Spandex are the best kind of fabric blends for dancers because they stretch nicely, wash easily and dry quickly.

Ritmo Bello: Are there different options available for ladies interested in specialized dresses for ballroom or Argentine Tango?

e.K. Clothing: Some of our ready to wear items are popular with Tango dancers - usually the more elegant, sharper styles or those with some sort of lace detail. For Ballroom dancers, a lot of our skirts are great for practice wear. At this time we don’t offer custom Ballroom dresses, though.

Ritmo Bello: I also understand that you offer skirts and pant options to women dancers.  What are some of the advantages of choosing an option like this compared to a full dress?

e.K. Clothing: Dresses and skirts typically have a lot more movement and can be much more eye catching. Pants are quick and easy and you never have to worry about them flying or inching up as you’re dancing. Pants and skirts are a nice option for those who like to mix and match and sometimes are better for women who may need a different size up top than what they wear on bottom.

Ritmo Bello: How does a dancer find the right sizing for a dress, skirt, or pant when considering some of your clothing?

e.K. Clothing: It is always important to consider your body type. There are certain styles that are more flattering to different figures and it is just a matter of finding what cut/style suits you best. Everyone has their favorite pieces of clothing that they tend to wear over and over again. If you can figure out what it is that you like about your favorite outfits and look for those qualities when clothes shopping, you’re more likely to be happy with your new purchases. Also, knowing your measurements (these can be taken with a tailor’s tape measure) is always helpful. Every clothing manufacturer is different, so ALWAYS take a look at the size chart if you’re shopping online!

Ritmo Bello: In terms of footwear, what are some things you recommend to somebody looking for good salsa, mambo, or even tango dance shoes?  What characteristics make for a really good dance shoe?

e.K. Clothing: Dance shoes should be flexible, have a non grip bottom that has just enough traction for spins and should always STAY PUT on your feet, especially around your heels. For women, wearing dance shoes (instead of regular street shoes) absolutely makes a difference. Although dancing shoes might be a little more expensive, usually they are made with quality materials and last a long time. For suede bottom shoes, almost any cobbler can replace the suede when it wears out, so don’t worry too much about preserving the suede - just dance!

Ritmo Bello: In your opinion what is the best heel height for dancing?

e.K. Clothing: The best heel height is what you’re most comfortable in–for women, if you’re not used to wearing high heels, dancing in them will take a while getting used to. I’d suggest a thicker heel if comfort is the main concern, because the more area that weight is distributed across, the better. However, the most common heel for women’s Latin dance shoes is 2.5 inch slim heel. Padded soles or inserts help with getting used to higher heels.

For men, usually a 1 inch heel is the standard. Some men who dance a lot or compete prefer the 1.5 inch heels, but I’ve been told those take some getting used to as well.

Ritmo Bello: Do you offer customized shoe making options for dancers?  If somebody had an idea for creating a custom shoe with e.K. Clothing what is that process like?

e.K. Clothing: We do! We have many, many custom colors available for all shoe styles. Custom designs can even have 2 or more chosen colors/materials. Customers specify the style, color/material(s) and heel height and in 3-5 weeks the shoes will be finished.

Ritmo Bello: I’ve talked to a number of professional dancers that have mentioned your store as a great place to find group dance or performance style dresses.  What kind of options do you offer to those dance groups looking to outfit their whole team?

e.K. Clothing: Group discounts start at 10% for purchases of 3 or more of the same item, regardless of color or size. We also carry sizes S-3X and often have a larger selection of colors in stock, which varies by season. Also, depending on the style, we can accommodate custom sizes and colors with a fairly quick turn around.

Ritmo Bello: Although most of your offerings are geared towards women, do you offer anything for men visiting your store?

e.K. Clothing: Currently we have men’s shoes. Hopefully by the end of the year, we’ll have some clothing for men as well…we’ve been told they’re feeling a little left out…

Ritmo Bello: Is there any chance we’ll see you in San Diego wearing some of the items you sell at e.K. Clothing?

e.K. Clothing: Right now, probably not John …I’m pretty much glued to our retail store in Lomita, CA 6 days a week.

Ritmo Bello: How can the Ritmo Bello audience reach you if they want to find out more information about e.K. Clothing?

e.K. Clothing: We can be reached at the e.k. Clothing website , 888-831-0925 or info@ekclothing.com.

Ritmo Bello: Nicole, on behalf of the Ritmo Bello audience and the San Diego dance community thanks so much for providing quality clothing options for dancers…

e.K. Clothing: Thank you!  Maybe one day I’ll see you on the dance floor!

ShareThis

For everyone that attended the San Diego Salsa Festival last year you’ll remember that a major focus of the Festival was the salsa competition.  Indeed, the majority of salsa festivals or congresses are great opportunities for salsa dance teams, both local and from afar, to showcase the hard work they put into their dancing.

The San Diego Salsa Festival has the added benefit of being an official qualifying location for the World Salsa Championships .  This major salsa dance competition is being held on December 3-6, 2008 in Florida and brings together the best in what salsa dancers have to offer.

The objective of the World Salsa Championships is to see which couple or teams in each division can best interpret salsa music and dance regardless of the repertoire of tricks that are employed.  What this means is that the competitions are looking for those who truly feel the music and can express what they feel in the dance for the benefit of the salsa community.

The World Salsa Championships is a collaboration of salsa dancers around the world united under Albert Torres and The Salsa Seven, Inc , the producer of the event and pictured below.  The hope of this major event is to bring more visibility to salsa dancing as a whole to the general public and to create what he describes as “unity through salsa.”

So what can we expect at the San Diego Salsa Festival for competitions?  There will be 4 categories of competition with only 1 couple and only 1 team moving on to the competitions in Florida .  The areas of competition include On1 salsa couple dancing, On2 salsa couple dancing, Team dancing, and a Cabaret couple division.  An example of Cabaret style might look something like what is seen in this video included in this post below.  (A Time to Dance Studio, the major supporters of the San Diego Salsa Festival, appear here during a recent performance at Aubergine.)

The judges will determine who moves on to the World Salsa Championships based on timing, overall technique, difficulty, connection/partnering skills, choreography/originality, appearance, and showmanship.

The winning couple and teams not only secure a spot at the World Salsa Championships, but they also get compensated for their hard work.  This compensation comes in the form of paid flights to Florida courtesy of the San Diego Salsa Festival along with all meals and hotel accommodations provided by Salsa Seven, Inc.  Not a bad deal if you ask me.

Don’t miss a great opportunity to cheer on your favorite dance team and RSVP for the San Diego Salsa Festival!

ShareThis

How long will salsa dancing be available in San Diego’s downtown on Friday nights?

Hopefully for a long while since Aubergine’s debut of salsa dancing went extremely well, at least from a dancer’s perspective. While others may be evaluating the profitability of having salsa dancing at Aubergine in terms of drinks sold and other such factors, I think it’s equally important to look at the people and groups that were attracted to this new salsa night.

Indeed, the San Diego salsa community came out en masse to support the new venue. There were many familiar faces from the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup , as well as major San Diego dance studios being represented. A number of notable performances were conducted by Majesty in Motion, A Time to Dance Studio, and the Sexy Salsa Divas . The video posted here shows the young ladies during the performance that night.

Whether or not the salsa night remains a normal mainstay for Aubergine, I think the majority of people in attendance appreciated the ability to have salsa dancing at a venue like Aubergine. I have to say that it was interesting to go from the part of the club that was hosting the salsa dancing and to visit the other areas of the club that were open to hip hop. I noticed upon my return to the salsa areas that many of the people from the hip hop room were curiously showing up to watch the salsa dancing. A couple of those people found themselves on the salsa dance floor too.

Overall, I think there is a future for salsa dancing in the Gaslamp Quarter on Friday nights. Let’s hope Aubergine thinks the same thought.  Thanks to A Time to Dance Studio and other San Diego salsa supporters for bringing salsa dancing to downtown San Diego on Friday nights.

ShareThis

Ever heard of “Latin Grooves”?  If you haven’t you are missing out.

Latin Grooves, a local radio show that airs 1 to 3pm Saturdays on Jazz 88.3, delivers what many people in San Diego wish we had more of on the radio:  salsa music and all types of Latin jazz.  Broadcasting since 1951, the station is the only 24 hour all jazz radio station to devote a segment of its programming to Latin jazz for the benefit of San Diego listeners.

The main DJ for Latin Grooves, Chris Springer (pictured here in this post), was recently highlighted in an article that appeared today in the Del Mar Times .  As described in the article, Springer has a knack for not just playing Latin jazz but also educating the public on the origins and synthesis of the music over the years.

Although a local station, Jazz 88.3 has worldwide reach through the internet with a fan base ranging from New York to throughout Latin America.  To find out more information check out the Jazz 88.3 website or set your dial to the radio program Saturday afternoons.

Thanks to Chris Springer and Jazz 88.3 for keeping Latin Jazz alive here in San Diego!

ShareThis

As it gets closer to the 2nd Annual San Diego Salsa Festival here in San Diego this September, there may be many of you wondering what happens at a event like this. Indeed, before I attended my first festival (aka salsa congress) for salsa years ago I really had no concept of what went on during an event like this.

If you are a beginner and just learning to dance salsa, the festival will present to you a massive assortment of options to dance, watch performances, and most importantly learn a great deal about salsa dancing. One aspect of the San Diego Salsa Festival that will be of particular help to new dancers are the numerous workshops scheduled throughout the weekend.

A salsa workshop is a little different from a traditional salsa dance lesson in that salsa workshops allow the instructor to really concentrate on certain aspects of the dance. This is helpful because let’s say you already know how to salsa dance but want to learn some new styling moves without going through the basics once again. A specific salsa workshop like the one Iran Castillo is hosting at the San Diego Salsa Festival might interest you as it will focus on “cool moves” and “On2” dancing.

The workshops during the San Diego Salsa Festival start on Friday night with a beginner’s boot camp workshop that will consist of 3 hours of focused dance instruction for those new to the dance. The rest of the weekend will have workshops hosted by local dance studios like A Time to Dance, Salsa Inferno, and Majesty in Motion. There are also workshops hosted by visiting studios and instructors from as far as Cali, Colombia.

There is a full schedule of times for the workshops already up, but I’m sure it will change a little once the Festival is closer in time.

Until then, feel free to RSVP for the event at the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group and find out more information on how to purchase tickets for the event.

ShareThis

The 12th annual Celebrate Dance Festival in Balboa Park (San Diego) is this weekend August 22 to 24th.

The event is free to the public and will take advantage of Balboa Parks’ Casa Del Prado Theater (which seats 650 people).  There will be over 55 regional dance groups performing over the three days highlighting a diverse range of dance styles, types, genres, and music.  Many of Ritmo Bello’s friends will be performing at the event including TangoAlma Dance Ensemble , LaDiego Dance Theater , and TANGOCENTRIC.

TANGOCENTRIC presents one of the most novel presentations on Sunday August 24th at 2pm for the festival as the experimental dance company works with tango centered dramatic movements.  The group has been expanding and fresh off their recent auditions they are ready to entertain and educate the community about tango through dramatic story related dance.  I posted a video here of a recent performance they did.

The event will be a great reason to get the whole family together and to watch some great dance performances, all in the beautiful Balboa Park setting.  Come out to this FREE event and support dance in San Diego!

You can view the whole schedule for the weekend here or find all the information at the Celebrate Dance Festival website.

See you at Balboa Park this weekend!

ShareThis

Many of us know the health benefits from dancing tango, salsa , samba, merengue, and other forms of Latin dance.  But did you know that simply listening to these types of music can improve your health?

Recent studies show that listening to music of all types has the great effects of lowering your blood pressure, improving your concentration, and overall stimulating your brain.  Many studies also show that listening to music can improve performance on standardized tests.  For most salsa, tango, and other Latin dancers, the music can simply put you in a different state of mind and allow you to restart your day on a fresh note.

Tango Alma , a local San Diego tango group and friends of Ritmo Bello , was recently highlighted in a short documentary regarding the health benefits of music.  I posted that video here for you to watch and you’ll see both Todd and Marizabel of Tango Alma explaining how tango dance and listening to music is good for your health.  Enjoy!

ShareThis

Ever used Wikipedia to find information online?  For many people Wikipedia and other wiki style sites help facilitate sharing information in a format that is different from a traditional website.

Wiki’s are different from traditional websites in that nobody really “owns” the wiki.  Instead, a wiki is a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified code language.  This video explains with a little bit more detail how it all works.

Salsa dancers here in San Diego now have their own wiki called Salsa Nirvana .  Salsa Nirvana is a wiki for salsa dancers by salsa dancers. I was contacted by Salsa Nirvana after they found Ritmo Bello online and with their help established a San Diego Salsa Dance Wiki that anyone can access today.  Now that San Diego has a wiki specific for salsa dancing there are lots of ways for people in the community to help.

If you are a studio or salsa instructor, for example, you can post information about your lessons and where you teach.  If you represent a salsa dance club here in San Diego you too can post information for the benefit of the San Diego community and those visiting San Diego.  If you have videos of San Diego salsa dancing that you want to share, you can post them here as well.  I already posted some basic information to start off the page and invite others to add to the page as well.

If anyone has any questions on how this works feel free to contact me, John at bello_jf@ritmobello.com

Check out the new San Diego Salsa Wiki today!

ShareThis

If you’ve been following the television program America’s Got Talent you know that salsa dancing has been in the spotlight in a big way.  Junior and Emily of Amicitia Dance Company here in San Diego are still in the competition and need your help now.

The brother and sister salsa dance duo are wild cards on the program and need your online votes to position them back into the main competition. You can help decide who joins the quarter-finals out of the judge’s wild card picks that remain (a total of 8 remain).

In order to vote online you’ll need to visit this special VOTING PAGE for the competition.

Voting ends at 4:00 PM EST Friday, August 15, 2008.

Watch the performances, choose your favorite (We hope it’s JUNIOR & EMILY) and vote now! The winner of the wild card vote will be announced in the September 3rd broadcast of Americas Got Talent.

The remaining 8 acts include Donald Brazwell (Operatic singer w/throat injury 11 years ago), Victoria (little-girl contortionist), Junior & Emily ( Salsa/Ballroom dancers), Lil Country & Page One (dancers from New Orleans), Sword Swallower, Kyle Rifkin (R&B Singer), Xclusive (Robotic Dancer), and Miss Pussycat (grinder girl).

Live shows from LA start after the Olympics. Watch to see if your favorite "Wildcard" act advances on September 3rd, 8/7c.

To find out more information you can visit Junior and Emily’s website regarding their standing in the competition.

Help salsa dancing make an impact on the national broadcast stage!

ShareThis

Grupo Niche , for those unfamiliar with the group, is a Colombian salsa band that has been around since the 1970’s.  Based out of Cali, Colombia the group has produced some of the most memorable salsa songs of all time including "Una Aventura" and "Cali Pachanguero".  The latter song is highlighted in the video that accompanies this post.

The San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group will in attendance for this great concert and we’ve set up a RSVP page for those interested .

Come out for some great authentic Colombian Salsa!

ShareThis

It’s getting close to that time of year again, time for the 2^nd Annual San Diego Salsa Festival ! Hard to believe a whole year has gone by, but I’m glad this fun event is coming up soon. This year the event is taking place September 19^th through the 21^st .

For those of you planning to attend the San Diego Salsa Festival this year I’ll be writing a number of articles with some helpful information, especially for those coming from out of town.

If you are traveling to San Diego via air, most people will be able to easily find flights that arrive at Lindbergh Field . Lindbergh Field is San Diego’s main airport and offers domestic and international flight options to travelers. If you are on a budget and don’t mind putting in a little work to save a buck another option might be the Tijuana International Airport . I recently took a family member there for an international flight to Colombia, South America and he was able to save at least $600 on his ticket.  The only catch is that you need to make your way from Tijuana into the US and this could add additional wait time due to border crossing.

Once you arrive, you’ll need to get to the venue where the San Diego Salsa Festival is being hosted. This year the San Diego Salsa Festival will be at the Four Points Sheraton once again, same place as last year. If you stay at this hotel the reservations for choice rooms could be pricey, but you can try finding good rates through hotelscombined.com , as this website will allow you to compare over 30 major reservation sites in one search. I did a specific search for the Four Points Hotel and found that the rates are pretty good.  Check it out here:

http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Four_Points_by_Sheraton_Hotel_San_Diego.htm

Apart from getting here and finding your lodging, you’ll want to explore San Diego during your stay and there are plenty of rental car agencies available for car rentals. You could take advantage of public transportation to get to places like Downtown San Diego most notably taking the iconic San Diego Trolley to travel around.

I’ll keep you posted on more things to consider for your trip to San Diego as it gets closer to the 2^nd Annual San Diego Salsa Festival.

ShareThis

Ever wish you learned to dance as a kid? I recently saw a documentary about dancing in Argentina and noticed that very early on kids there are taught Argentine Tango along with their regular studies. Although I’m not sure how prevalent this really is in Argentine society, it’s safe to say Argentina has produced some very good Argentine Tango dancers as a result.

What if we could start having our kids learn to dance early on as well here in San Diego? Well, its already happening.

Dancing After School (DAS) , a 501c3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to providing comprehensive life changing dance programs to youth in under-served areas throughout San Diego County. Dancing After School has been able to make tremendous strides in educating and inspiring youth to learn dance. Based locally here in San Diego and founded by Walter Meneses, the organization serves all of San Diego including the border regions teaching dance to thousands of elementary school children.

Why teach kids to dance? There are lots of reasons I can think of including giving kids a positive role model to follow in terms of instructors, giving them something to master in their free time, and getting kids up and moving around. Indeed, with obesity rates rising every year with our youth I think it’s paramount to give kids another outlet for meeting their needs.

The video I’ve posted here is from an Argentine Tango dance class taught by DAS instructors. They also teach other types of Latin dance including salsa, merengue, bachata, mambo, Cha Cha Cha, and Jazz. After the students are taught the dance for a term they are given an opportunity to showcase their work. This next video shows a performance by a group of kids who’ve gone through the classes.

Ritmo Bello and The San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group will be supporting DAS at an upcoming event to raise money for the organization. For anyone interested please visit the special RSVP page that has more information including how to contact DAS .

Please come out to support a great organization!

ShareThis

Dance San Diego Magazine and Mina Communications (DSD & M) are presenting San Diego’s first citywide August Dance Awareness Month initiative (ADAM) this August 2008. Over the last few months, Dance San Diego magazine (DSD) and Mina Communications (MC) have been preparing for San Diego’s first August Dance Awareness Month (ADAM) initiative. Since their announcement, many artists within the dance community have shown a sincere desire to help the cause including Tango Producer Susan Lake . There is even congressional support for this as seen in this letter from Susan Davis .

The concept of a dance awareness movement in San Diego was first initiated in 1996, when Eveoke Dance Theatre held their first Celebrate Dance Festival (CDF) . Today, the CDF is an annual tradition that has become Southern California’s largest dance event of its kind. The CDF has served as a valuable exposure outlet for hundreds of dancers over the years, and serves as the inspiration establishing the August Dance Awareness Month initiative. This year’s CDF from Aug. 22-24 will be the major event highlight of the inaugural 2008 dance awareness campaign.

An inauguration party will kick off the events this month on August 14th , 2008.   All are invited.  Apart from this party, there are dance film presentations, in-studio performances from various dance companies, free dance classes at various dance schools, and much more.

Ritmo Bello and The San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup group are supporting the event and there is an event on our calendar for you to access all the information .

Celebrate Dance Awareness month here in San Diego!

ShareThis

Here in San Diego, California many people are unfamiliar with the Brazilian dance known as samba.  Indeed, I have to admit that I too share in this unfamiliarity with the high energy dance from Brazil.  Although there may be places to visit for samba dancing here in San Diego, those venues typically don’t get the same exposure as salsa and tango dancing venues.

We all recognize, though, the distinctive sounds and dress typical of Brazil’s Carnaval celebrations (it’s hard not to notice the headdresses and seductive movements associated with the dance). I also