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.

Just wanted to send out a quick thank you to everyone who helps support Ritmo Bello through your contributions and readership.  We wish you all a happy and safe Easter holiday weekend.

God Bless,

John

You can always tell when someone is passionate about what they do.  Whether it is their job or simply a fun pastime, it’s clear that this passion drives them to do amazing things. 

Giancarlo Gabellini is a great example of this type of passion.  As the owner and creator of Gabellini Dance Shoes, Giancarlo has become well known within the salsa dance world for his innovative salsa dance shoe designs.  Indeed, Giancarlo’s passion for social salsa dancing has allowed him to dance, travel, and grow his business in a way that sets him apart from other salsa shoe designers.  I had the unique privilege to interview Giancarlo recently and learn more about salsa dancing from a shoe designer’s point of view.  I hope you enjoy the interview!

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Ritmo Bello:   Giancarlo, thanks for taking time out of your schedule to address the Ritmo Bello audience.  Salsa dancers here in San Diego would love to know what makes your dance shoes great for dancers.  What makes Gabellini Dance Shoes a good option for them to consider?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:   Gabellini Dance Shoes was created because of my introduction to salsa. While it goes without saying quality and comfort are essential our shoes reflect the lifestyle and the fashion sense of the salsa community.

Ritmo Bello:  How did Gabellini Dance Shoes get started? 

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  The idea came out of necessity. After taking dance classes for about 6 months I committed to buying dance shoes. When I shopped around I was absolutely shocked by the available styles, most of which looked like something from 1970’s. I could see that there was a definite need for a stylish dance shoe.  Putting the concept of a fashion forward dance shoe in motion was second nature because I have a background in production from my years in the garment industry.

Ritmo Bello:  How has your experience in the garment industry influenced the design of your dance shoes?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  Working in the garment industry involves studying fashion trends and using quality manufacturing techniques, both of which are essential to putting out top notch dance shoes. As far as styling goes you look at what dancers are wearing as street shoes and then incorporate those features into beautiful dance shoe. Salsa has the best social dancers around and we deserve styles that reflect our lifestyle.

Ritmo Bello:  Your website describes the best dance shoe soles as those made of suede.  Can you explain why you make that recommendation?  Are there any advantages to these types of soles versus other types?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  I always do my home work, the best way to test dance shoes is to wear them.  I wore different types of dance shoes, from rubber sole dance shoes that restrict your movement to a jazz slipper that offers neither comfort nor support. My best advice came from experienced performers and the consensus was that a suede sole is the perfect balance of friction and maneuverability.  I added a small rubber portion at the back of the sole for that extra stopping traction when you need it.

Ritmo Bello:  I know you that you offer five unique styles of dance shoes.  Can you describe what makes each one different and unique? 

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  Unlike traditional dance shoes that focus your entire weight on the heel and ball of the foot our styles have a new design concept. All of our shoes have a wedge shaped sole that distributes the weight of the foot over the whole surface of the sole.  We incorporate and build in arch support with metal shanks and reinforced sides. We always use 100% leather outer and lining to hold the form of the shoe.

Besides the distinct style options, there are some differences in flexibility.  The Fly is the lightest and most flexible shoe because it is 3/4 lined in leather.  The Classic has a leather outer and is fully lined in leather but it will soften up like a dance slipper and you’ll be able to reverse point.  The Lead and Sancho are structured shoes that offer full support and will hold their form.  All of our shoes are lighter than the average dance shoes because we use a patented material we use for our soles. 

Ritmo Bello:  You create shoes that are available for men and women? 

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  Yes, the Fly and Classic styles are available in women sizes. Our busiest day for women dance shoes is always Sunday afternoon, the ladies coming looking for comfort after a long weekend of workshops and all night dancing. 

Ritmo Bello:  Lots of dancers first learn about your products through the salsa congresses you attend each year.  Is it true that you attend 40 plus salsa congresses a year? 

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  We are now very popular with Swing and Ballroom dancers so we are doubling the amount of events we attend every year. With every business I’ve owned I consider direct contact with my customer crucial for success, there is no better way to get feedback about your product. Salsa Congresses provide what I call “grass roots marketing” and allows Gabellini Shoes to be part of the dance community and also helps support the events.

Ritmo Bello:  What’s the best thing about attending these salsa congresses?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  Over the past years I’ve made friends with so many social dancers, instructors and performers. It’s always fun joining up at the events and exchanging stories about our salsa travels.  I share a character trait that I think all dancers have, we are very social people with a certain “joie de virvre”. No matter where I travel in the world there’s an instant connection with fellow salsa dancers, it like running into an old friend.

Ritmo Bello:  I assume, then, that you will be at the San Diego Salsa Festival this year in September?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  Angel and Tulane are fantastic hosts and I had great time at the last 2 events so I’ll definitely be back. On a side note, now when people ask me the question” If you could live anywhere?” my first pick is San Diego.  I’m not sure how many shoes I have to sell for that beach front property!

Ritmo Bello:  For those interested in purchasing your shoes online, how do you know which size will be the best fit? 

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  I do have a size chart online that’s very accurate but I always encourage dancers to ask me questions if there any doubt about sizing.

Ritmo Bello:  What’s your return/exchange policy like?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  I know you have to make a leap of faith when buying shoes online, I offer free return shipping for exchanges and refunds and an absolute 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. I’m old school when it comes to customer service.  The customer is always right. 

Ritmo Bello: I understand that you ship everywhere all over the world, is that right?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  We have customers all over the world, To give overseas customer the same return shipping advantage we opened a warehouse in the UK this year. We will open a distribution center in Rome and Germany by the end of the 2009. 

Ritmo Bello:  Can you tell me a little about your “wholesale” program and who can participate in that program?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  We want to put Gabellini dance shoes on anyone who loves to dance so we have many options available. Along with our very successful distribution program for dance schools we also offer dance troupes volume discounts.

Ritmo Bello: What is the most interesting story you have from your travels and business of Gabellini Dance Shoes?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  One event in particular always brings a smile to my face. At my first salsa congress as a vendor, way before I knew anyone in the business, I was at my booth when a guy comes up and asks if I knew where the room for the advanced salsa workshop was. I pointed him in the right direction and warned him “Not to feel bad if it was above his head, I had heard the class was pretty challenging”, he went on to the class. Later someone told me his name was Tito, as in “Tito and Tamara” I guess he was amused too since he’s become one of my regular customers. 

Ritmo Bello: Anything else you’d like to share with San Diego dance community?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  Make sure you take advantage of our draw for a free pair of dance shoes that we give away each month. We’re also excited about our new woman’s formal shoe line coming our by the end of the year, so stay tuned. 

Ritmo Bello: How can the Ritmo Bello audience reach you if they want to find out more information about Gabellini Dance Shoes?

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  The best way to contact me is via email.   I always answer questions and usually within 24hrs.  gabellini.net@gmail.com  You can also visit me at my website, Gabellini Dance Shoes.

Ritmo Bello:  Giancarlo, on behalf of the Ritmo Bello and San Diego dance community thanks so much for your time.

Gabellini Dance Shoes:  Always a pleasure, I’ll see everyone again on my next trip to the West Coast events. Come by and say hello!

Our friend Don Baarns at The Unlikely Salsero posted an interesting article about age and salsa dancing this week.  I encourage you to read the article (click here to see it) since it brings up a great discussion about social dancing.

I agree with Don that there really is no age limit for dancing salsa or pursuing those activities for which you have a passion.  In my own experience as a salsa dancer here in San Diego, some of my best dances have been with women over 40.  Indeed, I’m happy that the salsa scene here is very welcoming to older dancers since it adds to the overall sense of community when you see young and old interact in dance.

This video I’m posting here has been on youtube for a while now, but its still a great example that you are never too old to salsa dance.  See you on the dance floor!

Congratulations to the San Diego Chargers for making it to the playoffs!  We wish the team good luck as it takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.  Go bolts!

Okay, so the economy is not doing so well, your 401K has tanked, and you are counting every penny you can hold on to.  Believe it or not, this can be the perfect time to go out and learn how to dance.  Below I am posting an article written by Kelly Rice, a local freelance writer and friend of Ritmo Bello, who approached me with some ideas for learning to dance on a budget.  I hope you enjoy her article and feel free to leave any comments you have on this post.  

John

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5 Tips for Learning to Dance on a Budget – An Article by Kelly Rice

If your finances have recently gone through an adjustment, chances are, like me, you have come to find that many things you enjoyed before you simply can’t afford anymore and have placed them under the list of “unnecessary expenditures.”  With an unprecedented drop in the US economy, it’s only natural that we are going to reprioritize our spending, but things that bring us joy in times of financial stress, especially those that don’t have to contribute to our monetary anxiety, shouldn’t be ignored.

Dancing is one of them.

Studies suggest that dancing can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, increase flexibility and fitness levels.  Like other sports, dancing releases endorphins which can make a person feel better, creating a great outlet for any pressing economic unease.  No matter your age or experience, dancing is something that can benefit your mind body and soul and believe it or not, it is possible to do it without draining your wallet.

With that said, here are a five tips that can help make dancing a realistic and affordable adventure regardless of your personal budget: 

1.  Jump in and Get Involved: Take Group Classes

While certain dances like Ballroom dancing are out of reach for us mortals who can’t or aren’t willing to spend all our extra money on $100/hour lessons, weekend competitions that require plane rides, hotel fees and entry fees and sequined outfits, there are ways you can avoid spending a lot of money while still transforming yourself into a good dancer.

Numerous dance studios provide group lesson for about $8-15/hour.  Usually purchasing a package will allow you to receive a discount.  Some examples of San Diego-based studios that offer great deals are: Culture Shock, Champion Ballroom and Cheek2Cheek Dance studio just to name a few. 

If Dance studios are still too much of an expenditure, try checking out your local YMCA University or Community College, where in San Diego semester-long classes are as cheap as $20/unit.

Group classes are great if you are not yet comfortable enough to go out and brave it on the dance floor.  Introduce yourself to the teacher and other people in your class.  Knowing that you will be showing up tells them that you care and they’ll hold you more accountable when you miss a class, keeping you inspired to keep coming.

Average Monthly Cost: $50 (based on two lessons per week)

2.  Get involved in the Community

While taking lessons (especially private lessons) are usually the most efficient and most helpful way to get started, money can often be an obstacle.  If taking even group classes a few times a week isn’t viable for you, look for community colleges or YMCA venues for special deals on group classes.  Take advantage of special club nights where a lesson is often included in the reasonable cover price of $10.00, $8.00 or, if you get there early enough, it’s often free! This is a chance to meet other dancers both new and seasoned and then by all means stay after the lesson to practice your newly acquired skills!

Meetup.com is an excellent place to stay on top of new and established lessons, clubs and venues.  Registering and joining specific dance groups means you will be regularly notified via e-mail when those types of events and special classes are being planned.

Average Monthly Cost $40 (based on going out twice weekly)

3.  Practice Everywhere

In front of the mirror, in line at the grocery store, with a friend or with someone you’ve just met, the only way to develop that muscle memory is to repeat basic steps, movements and patterns until they become as natural as walking.  Sure you might look silly when you spin out of your cubicle seat or cha cha your way to grab your drink at Starbucks, but you’ll be the envy of your friends when they finally get to see you on the dance floor.

Don’t be afraid to ask people to practice with you, as well.  While you start picking up a new dance you are bound to meet people who would love to show you a few moves, even if they aren’t a teacher.  Maybe he/she can help you in an empty corner of a dance venue next to the people who aren’t dancing.  Who cares if they watch you.  Learn to tune other people out.

Average Monthly Cost: $0  (if you need space, most studios will let you practice for $5)

4. Watch other Dancers

Seriously.  Whether you are perched at a seat at the bar with a mojito in hand watching Mr. Fancy Pants you so envy spin the brunette beauty you dream about being good enough to dance with, or just sitting at home watching youtube videos, there is a lot you can get out studying other dancers.  Like a surfer watching waves or an NBA player watching a basketball game, there are thousands of combinations out there and no way to ever know all of them, so why not learn from others and benefit from watching them.

The advantage of watching live dancers is that you can pick and choose who you want to watch at the literal blink of an eye.  Are you interested in the polished look of the teacher from the lesson earlier in the evening or are you intrigued by the guy in the corner who seems to be inventing his own movements, possibly a fusion from another type of dance?  Learn from other peoples mistakes and see how they recover from an attempted spin or move that went awry.  You can also look at the dancers and see who you’d like to dance with in the future.  It doesn’t take long to tell who is out there to dance and have fun with anyone, who is serious about only dancing with a certain partner.

While watching live dancing is probably more exciting than studying videos, the advantage of the latter is that you can watch dancers on video whenever you want.  A lot of dance teachers out there have great instructional clips online.  Another pro about videos is that you can pause, rewind and replay as many times as you want.  If you are a visual learner or trying a new move you cant quite understand, this approach certainly beats paying for a professional to explain it to you. 

Total Monthly Cost $0

In that vein, however, sometimes there is no substitute for a few classes with a professional to give you a “leg up.”

5. Set up a Trade. 

If you have a skill that you can trade for dance lessons, what better way to get great one-on-one classes with professional teachers.  Maybe he/she needs a new business plan, a website, legal advice, professional studio photos, nutrition help, a costume design, etc.    If you have a trade-able service, market it!  Chances are there are teachers who are also unable to pay for a service that you can provide them.  Private classes are amazing chances to get one-on-one instruction, correct bad habits, improve posture and balance, and expedite your progression as a dancer. 

Total Cost: Depends on the trade

Sure there are cons to dancing.  As in any physical activity, sweating is unavoidable and the occasional heel stab or mistaken turn that ends up in a bumper car-like collision can be uncomfortable, but compared to the multitude of health-benefiting pros, they are quite little in the big picture of things.  Dancing is a life-long investment you can enjoy at any age.  Once you begin the dance journey you might surprise yourself how much pleasure it can bring to your life.  An observer might see you simply moving your body and smiling, but to you the outside world momentarily ceases to exist as you experience flashes of dancing bliss.

About the Author:

Kelly Rice is a freelance writer and web designer, health coach, and substitute teacher.  She has her Masters of Fine Arts from California College of the Arts and since then has lived and worked abroad in Uruguay, Argentina and Puerto Rico.  Recently she moved back to San Diego and is enjoying learning to dance salsa.  When not writing, teaching, coaching or designing websites, she likes dancing zouk lambada, reading good fiction, cooking and contributing to the CouchSurfing Project. 

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The views expressed in this article are strickly those of the contributing writer and not necessarily those of Ritmo Bello.  Your comments and opinions are welcome on this post.  Thanks!

Thanksgiving is almost here and I know that many of you are busy with holiday travel and gatherings.  For those of you in San Diego and interested in taking part in something unique you might want to consider auditioning for a salsa musical.

The Old Globe Theatre is currently accepting applications for auditions to a new musical called “Kingdom”.  The musical will highlight hip hop dancing and salsa as they search for singers, dancers, actors, and actresses.  

Tony from Heatwave Productions is helping with submissions for those of you interested in auditioning.  You can find out more information about this and how to audition by emailing him at tony@heatwaveproductions.com.  

Good Luck!

That’s right!  Ritmo Bello launched exactly one year ago this day and it’s been quite a ride.  The picture I posted here is from the original Ritmo Bello website.  You’ll see that over this year our website has undergone many changes.   

Covering San Diego dance topics ranging from Salsa events to Tango performances, Ritmo Bello has been a fun endeavor for me personally.  Thanks to everyone that has contributed content to Ritmo Bello articles over this last year. 

Special thanks also to all those individuals and groups that have participated in an interview with me.  I’ve learned so much about the local dance scene and the people here who comprise it.  Without all of you Ritmo Bello would not be the great success it is today.

San Diego has a diverse Salsa and Latin dance scene as many of my articles demonstrate.  This next year I hope to bring you all even more great dance information.

Thanks and God Bless!!!

John

Ritmo Bello

The economy has been the front and center topic these last few weeks as we hear about the collapse on Wall Street.  All of us are affected to some degree and this also includes those of us that are part of the San Diego dance community.

One message I saw circulating on the internet mentioned that salsa dancing is a great way to work through the financial stress that we are all experiencing.  Indeed, I think its important to keep doing the things that keep us strong emotionally during this time and for many salsa, tango, and other forms of latin dance are such activities.  Although salsa and latin dancing may cost some money in terms of club cover or dance lessons, many times the ocassional expense is worth the huge benefits you can receive from the dance.

We all know too that small businesses have been hit hard by these tough economic times. The salsa and latin dance community as a whole can help support those businesses that help to create the dance experience we all enjoy.  E.K. Clothing, a small business I interviewed recently, is one such business that could benefit from our patronage.  The company has extended free standard shipping of any purchases of $50.00 or more if you use the special promo code “RITMOBELLO” (it ends 12/31/2008).   If you are not familiar with E.K. Clothing, you can check out their great assortment of salsa dance wear and shoes on their website.

Feel free to leave comments if you have other ways to keep positive and support the dance community during these economic times.  

From time to time I come upon something new in the dance world and today I found out about a dance called Zouk Lambada.  More specifically, the music is called zouk (it’s a french-caribbean inspired blend) and the dance is called zouk lambada.  Described as the “Coolest Dance You’ve Never Heard Of”, Zouk Lambada is becoming more popular with the salsa and tango scene worldwide.  

Usually salsa and tango dancers can pick up this type of dancing easily with a little help and San Diego is fortunate to have a visiting Zouk Lambada instructor coming in October.  If you see this video you’ll see some elements found in other Latin dances that appear in Zouk Lambada:

Willem Engel, a Zouk Lambada instructor from the Netherlands, will be hosting a workshop event at a local studio here in San Diego.  To get a sense of what this workshop will look like and to see Willem in action I’ve posted this video from a previous workshop he hosted in New York:

To RSVP for the event you can visit the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup and find out more information about where it will be held and times.

Come check out this novel Latin dance!

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!

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

Check out the new San Diego Salsa Wiki today!

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.

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!

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!

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.)

Please help support our kids access the arts!!!

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.

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 5^th , 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.

Please visit the Absolutely DanceSport Studio here in San Diego for more information and let them know you heard about the organization from Ritmo Bello .  Thanks.

Hope you are all doing well.

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.

Apart from covering salsa dance news, the site also is an expression of his experiences ranging from living abroad to internet business strategies.

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.

Check out Art’s website, the WanderingSalero!!!

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!

Hope you are all doing well.  I had a great time this weekend at the Dia de Independencia celebrations hosted by the Casa de Colombia in Balboa Park .  While at the event I learned about another celebration to take place at the Museum of Man next Thursday night, July 31st from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

The event is part of the Museum’s Tower After Hours series with the goal of celebrating San Diego’s unique and vibrant ethnic mix.

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.

For more information on the event and admission costs, please visit the event’s website connected to the Museum of Man.

I’m back from Philadelphia, PA and wanted to remind everyone about an important event taking place this Saturday.

Rebuild San Diego still needs all our help!!!

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!

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

Just a reminder that the new improved Ritmo Bello will be launching by July 1st!

What this means is that the current feed will expire and you will need to subscribe to this new feed for Ritmo Bello.

(For those of you not familiar with subscribing or RSS feeds I found this useful Google Reader tutorial created by Andy Wibbels that will help.)

Along with the new feed, you’ll also notice that the new address for the site will be www.ritmobello.com . (Note: The old site address of www.sandiegosalsadancing.com will still get you to the new site as well once the changes take effect.) This is in line with my efforts to start adding in more Latin dance information covering samba, tango, cha cha, merengue, and bachata along with the same San Diego salsa dancing information you’ve come to enjoy reading on my website.

If anybody has any questions feel free to contact me direct at bello_jf@ritmobello.com . You can still find me on on my Twitter page for Ritmo Bello as well.

Thanks for all your support!!!

John