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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
What would the world be like without salsa, tango, merengue or other types of Latin dancing? Indeed, what kind of world would this be without the arts and young people interested in them? Those concerns are the main focus of a local San Diego group that needs our help, Young Audiences of San Diego. Young Audiences of San Diego believes the world desperately needs workers and leaders who are creative, disciplined and visionary. The arts—music, dance, theater and the visual arts—foster those qualities in today’s students and tomorrow’s workforce.
For 45 years, Young Audiences of San Diego (YASD) has dedicated itself to integrating the arts into the education and lives of all children of our region through an extraordinary range of high quality performances, residencies and workshops to help our young people identify their cultural roots and discover their creative wings.
In celebration of its 45th season, Young Audiences of San Diego is hosting its fourth annual Summer Salsa fundraiser Aug 23, from 7 to 10 pm at NTC Promenade’s McMillin Event Center at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
The evening includes a 13-piece band, an expansive wood dance floor, and performances by Alma Latina and Mamboleo Pro of “A Time To Dance” Studio.
The price of admission also includes a catered dinner buffet, a no-host bar and unlimited water… Not to mention the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting a great local non-profit!
This fundraiser typically sells tickets for $40, but they’ve agreed to a special price to encourage the salsa community to participate: ONLY $20.00 WITH AN RSVP IN ADVANCE!!!
Please visit The San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group page for the event and follow the instructions to obtain the special pricing (ie you’ll need to email or call and mention “Ritmo Bello/Meetup” when you purchase.)
Do you teach zumba? That was the question I received last week at a private salsa lesson I was giving. Zumba? To be honest with you I wasn’t familiar with the fitness dance craze that has taken over the nation. I looked into it and found some pretty interesting things about Zumba.
Zumba is a fitness program inspired by Latin dance. Zumba uses a variety of styles in its routines, including cumbia, merengue, salsa, reggaeton, mambo, rumba, flamenco, and calypso. Music selections include both fast and slow rhythms to help tone and sculpt the body as part of the workout.
The actual word “Zumba” is derived from a combination of a Colombian word along with samba and rumba. Leave it up to us Colombians to come up with something novel like this!
Founded by Alberto “Beto” Perez (see the video I included in this post) the idea is to combine Latin rhythms with cardiovascular exercise to create an aerobic routine that is fun and enjoyable to perform.
I was shocked to find out that Zumba is big business too with DVD’s selling in excess of 3 million since its inception. The fitness program also has world-wide coverage, including 9,000 instructors worldwide ready to teach you Zumba. Many local YMCA’s, for example, have these lessons as part of their selection of classes and many people take advantage of them from Minneapolis to San Diego.
Although the movements are really nothing new for those of us familiar with Latin dance, I like how the program has been able to expand Latin dance to a segment of the population that otherwise might not be connected with it. As you see in the video here, soccer moms and anybody trying to lose weight have found great success with the fitness craze.
If any of you have experiences with Zumba, feel free to leave a comment and share it with the rest of the Ritmo Bello community.
Every one has a horror story about how they went salsa dancing and got stepped on/trampled/smashed/etc by another couple on the dance floor.
Apparently one Los Angeles Times writer had a particularly “memorable” experience recently when he went salsa dancing with his wife in Los Angeles. Augustin Gurza’s article points out that sometimes salsa dancers can get carried away with different moves, spins, and flips on the dance floor. Although I don’t think it was wise for Agustin to write an article basically focusing on one particular dancer, Alex Da Silva (see the picture in this post), the article does point out a problem that many of us encounter on the dance floor.
After reading the article feel free to write a comment on my website about your horror stories with salsa dancing mishaps or thoughts about the article. I look forward to see what you veterans of the dance floor have experienced.
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!
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.
at bello_jf@ritmobello.com
