We are less than a few weeks away from the upcoming San Diego Salsa Bachata Kizomba Festival and more information is now available for the event. Below is an updated schedule of events that you can refer to throughout the event. Don’t forget that the entire event is full of dance workshops, lessons, performances by some of the most gifted dancers in the world and of course great social dancing available for you to take part in.
If you don’t have your tickets yet there is still time to purchase yours today. Please visit the official San Diego Salsa Bachata Kizomba Festival website for more details. Thanks and see you all at the 8th Annual San Diego Salsa Bachata Kizomba Festival!
I’m very excited to share news about a new Wednesday night option for salsa dancing here in San Diego. Spin Nightclub will boast San Diego newest and biggest night club for salsa and Latin dancing that we’ve ever seen. Hosted by Salsa Susie’s Ooh La La dance company every 4th Wednesday each month, the new venue will feature 3 levels, 2 rooms, over 10,000 Square Feet and a 24 hour license to allow till dawn salsa dancing to your heart’s content.
If you’ve ever gone out salsa dancing here in San Diego in the last 20 years, chances are you know Valerie. Cafe Sevilla’s own salsa evangelist, she’s continuously introduced new dancers to salsa dancing in a way that focuses on the social aspects of the dance. Believe it or not, she was my first salsa instructor and helped to instill the love for the music and dance that I still enjoy today. Recently I sat down with Valerie to talk about her long history here in San Diego and to discuss the future of the dance in our community. I hope you enjoy this short interview as much as I did.
Ritmo Bello: Valerie, thanks for taking the time to address the Ritmo Bello dance community. Let’s begin. What are some of the reasons you began to dance and later teach salsa dancing here in San Diego?
Valerie: I’ve been dancing since I was a child, my mom being Puerto Rican influenced my interest in Salsa but I have explored other dance areas such as swing, ballroom, and country western as well. The music just kept bringing me back to Salsa. I was a dance major at Indiana University and when I was approached to teach salsa at Pachangas (a night club in the Gaslamp) in the late 80’s I decided to try it. I found that I really enjoyed the social aspects of dancing and sharing that with people.
Ritmo Bello: San Diego has seen many transitions in the salsa dance scene over the last 20 years. What are some of the main changes you’ve experienced since you began to dance here in San Diego?
Valerie: When I first started dancing Salsa in San Diego the clubs were totally Latin. The dancers were a small and pretty exclusive group. It was unusual to see non Latinos in the clubs. As Salsa has gained an international music and dance audience; the clubs have changed to show that diversity. It’s really great that you can go anywhere in the world these days and have a place to dance. It crosses language barriers!
Ritmo Bello: Most folks here in San Diego recognize you from your many years of teaching salsa at Café Sevilla in the Gaslamp Quarter. What has this experience meant to you and what are some of your fondest memories teaching there?
Valerie: I have always thought of Cafe Sevilla as my home, even though I have worked at more clubs than I want to mention, lol. I think my favorite memories include Sevilla’s support of my designing a unique (at the time) salsa club format for their Club Salsa. Exposing San Diego to LA and big name bands in an intimate setting, starting a variety of dance contest (the first club contests) and designing a smooth format which (for the first time in San Diego) included the combination of dance instruction, DJ and live music. I know it sounds crazy but the San Diego Salsa club scene was quite different when we started at Sevilla.
Ritmo Bello: Although the old Café Sevilla location is currently closed, we are all excited for the re-opening in early 2011. What types of things specific to Latin dancing can we expect to see at the new Café Sevilla once it re-opens on Fifth Avenue?
Valerie: Oh boy, get ready! The dance floor is going to be bigger and won’t have ruts. There is going to be a real beautiful stage. The bar will run the length of the club and is going to be stunning, A sound system to die for, all placed within the ceiling. Brand new inside and out, Sevilla is going to raise the bar for salsa clubs in San Diego.
Ritmo Bello: Why do you think Downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter is so popular for dancing salsa?
Valerie: Probably, because Salsa has been there longer than in any other area of San Diego and people are used to going down to the Gaslamp.
Ritmo Bello: While Café Sevilla is closed are there any salsa venues that you’d like to share and recommend to the San Diego dance community?
Valerie: Thank you John. Here are some:
*Sundays you can find us at Tio Leo’s 5302 Nappa Street for our $5.00 Salsa Sundays. Its a great central location with ample free parking and a great Sunday Hang out. We start at 7:30PM with and Salsa class followed by 2 DJs “New Yo Rican” and DJ Andre.
*We have taken Sevilla’s Tropical Tuesdays (Bachata and Merengue) to Club U31 in North Park with dance class at 9:00 followed by DJ Israel and Alex el Heavy. Cover only $5.00.
*No Cover Thursday Salsa at La Fiesta 628 5th Ave in the Gaslamp is the best! Dance class at 8:30PM and DJ New Yo Rican at 9:30PM. Entrance and class is free and La Fiesta offers drink specials and appetizers.
Upcoming SalsaCa.com events include:
Our Annual Holiday Party Saturday Dec 4 at Tio Leo’s featuring Charlie Chavez y su Afro Truko!
APotluck and Dance for David’s Birthday at Dancing Unlimited 4569 30th St on Sat Dec 25th
Our Signature New Year’s Eve con Salsa which will be held this year at Tio Leo’s. Our New Years Party is the San Diego’s longest running Salsa NY Party. Dance class/mixer, DJ, JD Salsa All Star Orchestra, NY celebration w/ champagne toast and followed by lite buffet with coffee! For more information check SalsaCA.com
Finally in March we are hosting a group trip to Puerto Rico. We go every year to take in the sights and the Dia Nacional de la Salsa. More information stay tuned to SalsaCA.com.
Ritmo Bello: What direction do you see salsa dancing going in San Diego’s dance scene? Do you think interest in bachata and other Latin dances will ever eclipse salsa dancing here in San Diego?
Valerie: I really enjoy bachata and hope it is here to stay. I have watched other “flashes” come and go but this is different. It reminds me of cha cha cha in the sense that no one used to play it and no one would dance it and now it is a part of the salsa dance format. I think bachata will be incorporated into the group of dances considered salsa. Personally I think it will give more musical variety to the music and dance in salsa clubs. However there is the possibility that bachata may take off as an off shoot developing new clubs specializing in bachata and merengue. It will be interesting to see how it goes.
Ritmo Bello: With so many new dance teams, instructors and groups now in San Diego how do you explain the great continued success you’ve experienced over so many years?
Valerie: That’s a rough one, John. You know I don’t want to give away any of my secrets! I guess I attribute it to the fact that I really love people and salsa. For me, whether it be promotion, booking, consulting, managing, teaching or publishing my funky newsletter; my involvement in the salsa community is more of an obsession than a vocation.
Ritmo Bello: What advice can you give to new people that find salsa dancing and want to learn?
Valerie: Enjoy the process! Take some club classes, laugh and if you enjoy it, consider taking a group private class to fine tune your dance skills. Get some of this music and listen to it as much as you can. If you can get comfortable with the music, I think you will find the learning process will be easier.
Ritmo Bello: In your opinion, what is the best thing about dancing salsa in San Diego?
Valerie: I think after traveling around, I find that San Diego’s salsa community is made up of a really friendly group of people. No problems, they just want to dance and have a good time!
Ritmo Bello: Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
Valerie: My website is SalsaCA.com, email salsasd@sbcglobal.net, phone (619) 516 4466
Ritmo Bello: Valerie, Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to seeing you at the new Cafe Sevilla!
That’s right! Blue Agave Nightclub once again brings the biggest names in salsa, bachata, and even merengue here to San Diego. This time it’s salsa sonero Victor Manuelle, merengue king Elvis Crespo, Bachata Heightz and a number of great artists coming to San Diego for the Invaders Tour 2010. Victor Manuelle has been to San Diego a number of times and you may have enjoyed seeing him in concert courtesy of Blue Agave Nightclub last year (check out the Ritmo Bello YouTube video below):
If you are a fan of the “Dancing with the Stars” TV show you are in for a treat. Here in San Diego at the historic Starlight Theatre in Balboa Park there will be a limited engagement showing of “The New Mambo Kings.”
“The New Mambo Kings” is an exciting musical revue that blends Latin American culture through the art of dance, voice, and music. The show will feature lots of different Latin music styles including Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Cha-Cha-Cha, Samba, Tango, Rumba, Paso Doble and Boleros. It will also have flashy dance numbers and a good amount of singing both in English and in Spanish.
Starlight Theatre’s new Guest Artistic Director, Carlos Mendoza, along with his brother Mauricio Mendoza hope to reach out to everyone from all walks of life with their show. The brothers have a long history in the performing arts, appearing in popular movies and shows like “Blow” starring Johnny Depp (see the Youtube video below). I think the show will be a great way to experience the full range of Latin American music and dances in a way that is energetic and riveting. If you’ve been one of the people glued to the TV watching “Dancing with the Stars” this will be a great show for you too.
It’s not surprising to see new dances grow in popularity. Indeed, many of the Latin dances we enjoy today such as salsa have roots in other dance traditions that were once more common.
Over the last few months I’ve noticed a lot of new Youtube videos showcasing a fairly recent dance called Kizomba. Credited by many as coming from Angola, the music and dance also has connections with Portugal as many of the songs are sung in Portuguese. When you see the videos here you’ll notice that some of the movements are similar to other Latin-style dances such as tango, samba, and merengue.
So far I haven’t seen this type of music hit the San Diego dance scene, but I would not be surprised if took hold here. For now we can watch the spread of this music and dance worlwide and await its debut in America’s Finest City.
