During this unprecedented Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak it seems as though every part of our normal routines have been upended. Just a few weeks ago we had regular social dancing but with recent government mandates most if not all gatherings have been cancelled. Worst yet many people are in total quarantine without any indication of when all this will change.
I thought it would be helpful to provide some helpful local resources and ideas for continuing your passion of dance from where ever you are, lock down or not.
Many if not all dance studios here have begun the process of offering their salsa lessons online through video instruction. From Deseo Dance to Ooh La La and others they are extending many of these new resources directly from their websites and leveraging platforms like Facebook and YouTube to keep connected with students.
Many of these resources have the added benefit of being provided live in real time with the instructors responding to viewer generated inquiries. Here is a sample from Deseo Dance’s Serena Cuevas today:
As we see more local studios adding live content and offerings virtually it will be interesting to see the support from the community. As with many artists during this time it will be the local dance community that keeps the spirit of dance alive through the help of talented instructors. If you know of any other resources you’d like me share please send me a message via email and I’ll help spread the information as best I can.
Please be safe during this difficult time and stay positive. For you that pray, St. Vitus (Patron Saint of Dancers), pray for us…
Many of San Diego’s dance teams and studios have been busy upgrading their online presence over the last few months. If you’ve visited David and Jennifer Stein’sMajestyinMotion.com, for example, you’ll notice the new upgraded feel of their website. The site is simple yet elegant and gets you the information you need about the organization.
Deseo Dance also upgraded their online image recently with a new website that integrates the essential information you need along with a sleek presentation. Some of the video links are still being upgraded but overall it looks like a great start to match Deseo’s powerful image.
Other dance studios and teams are working with their established online presence, continuously adding new content that is appealing. Salsa Susie’s Ooh La La Dance offers easy ways to reach information and in particular videos of performances in case you missed a recent competition on their nice website.
If you know of any other salsa teams or groups upgrading their online image let us know so we can share with the whole San Diego salsa scene.
If you’ve ever been to the La Jolla Marriott you know it is not your typical salsa club. Hosted in the Character’s Bar & Grill area of the hotel, the venue consistently serves as a nice choice for salsa dancing on Fridays and Saturdays. The unique location of the club makes it easy for ordering a dinner, sharing some drinks and even playing some pool in between dances. Having a dual purpose of a sports bar is also a bonus if you care to catch the latest sports figures while you visit. One thing to note is that if you like a very well lit salsa club as opposed to a darker venue this is your place. The venue tends to keep the lights on so you can see your dance partner as you dance.
Serena Cuevas from Deseo Dance usually teaches the complimentary lesson starting at 8pm. For those of you unfamiliar with Serena check out this interview I conducted a while back soon after her work with Gatorade. She is currently starting up new lessons too for anyone interested (you can see the info below).
Along with other newer venues like the San Diego Salsa Jam, the La Jolla Marriott serves as an integral part of San Diego’s salsa dance scene. You can see a complete list of dance venues on our club list here on Ritmo Bello.
Hello Everyone! San Diego’s own Deseo Dance company is expanding to include a new focus on samba dance. Serena Cuevas joined forces with Melanie Riveira to bring to San Diego some of the best Samba dancing to be found in America’s finest City.
Here is a short intro video to the recent changes with Deseo Dance and auditions for the new teams if you are interested:
Good luck to all of you auditioning for this great dance organization!
Some of San Diego’s finest dance companies will be coming together for the San Diego salsa and bachata Dia de San Juan Puerto Rican Festival this Saturday June 12. The performers and dance companies include Abel Pena, Susie Nguyen & Ooh La La Dance Company, Alma Latina, Salsa Inferno, and the recently returned Deseo Dance under Serena Cuevas‘ direction.
The event runs from noon to 6pm so you’ll still have plenty of time to go dancing at night too!
Local San Diego dance company Deseo Dance is back home in America’s Finest City! The group, led by Serena Cuevas, recently visited New Zealand, Australia, and Japan as part of their 2010 Spring Tour. The first video above is a compilation of that trip and gives you a glimpse into what it is like to travel the world as part of a salsa and bachata dance team.
The next video below is a funny one of Oliver Pineda and Kevin Malpas dancing with a “calendar version” of Serena:
At first glance you probably wouldn’t think that San Diego has much going on apart from the traditional surfing and other recreational diversions for which this place is known.It takes a simple look under that well known surface to see that San Diego is a teeming hot bed of salsa dance talent.
Much of that dance talent is due in part to the myriad of salsa dance competition teams that offer a wide array of styles and philosophies of salsa dance.San Diego is fortunate to have a salsa scene influenced by such a great group of performers that help inspire those new to the scene to learn more about the dance. Here at Ritmo Bello I’ve been privileged to get to know these performance groups over the years and I wanted to highlight some of them here.
These and many other dance teams which I haven’t mentioned here all deserve to be recognized for the great exposure they give salsa dancing to the general public. For many people here in San Diego, joining a dance team is a great way to accelerate your learning of salsa dance while expressing yourself through performance.
If you’ve had a good experience with a local San Diego dance team feel free to leave a comment on this post.
