
This Week in Salsa
By TWiS

This Week in SalsaMay 10, 2020

Salsa Snacks 1 - El Cantante
Today's featured salsa snack is the song El Cantante performed by Hector Lavoe.
This episode features the following music:
Latin cha cha cha by Ramon Escale Bartumeus Esta Tierra by Sean Fischer
TWiS 6 - Hotpot
Today we have Richie Kirwan and Marlene Navarro joining us. Richie is based in Liverpool, England and you may know him from his blog, The Dancing Irishman. Marlene is a salsera from Tampa and a Koreaboo - more on that in today's show.
Resources mentioned on the show:
Sound of Salsa in Liverpool, England ZISC talent show Online Dance Music/Resources Sagrada Familia
TWiS 5 - Post ZISC Pow Wow
Today's episode is a strange one. After the Zoom International Salsa Congress, some friends stuck on and we talked about the congress.
Guests:
Rosana Castellucci Ratna Suthar Alexander Gonzalez Guerline Thomas Natya Hans Celi Gueoli Emmanuel Vila Danielle Mari Diane CastellucciResources mentioned in today's show:
Zoom International Salsa Congress ZISC Talent Show ZISC Dirty Dancing - Quarantine Nights Angel lift stalling for time NowSalsa - Nery Garcia's upcoming site Velcro tape
TWiS 4: Interview with Joel Dominguez of Mysalsaonline.com
The Zoom International Salsa Congress is happening Saturday, April 25th! Buy your tickets now! We are hosting a Talent Show for all attendees so if you want to show off your talent (dancing, singing, juggling, baton twirling, etc) submit here!
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Joel Dominguez is on a crusade to dance with feeling. He is a native of Mexico where he was raised in a family of musicians. This upbringing fostered an early love and appreciation of Latin music.
From this early upbringing, Joel relocated to New York City by way of Dallas, where he now teaches classes with an emphasis on dancing to the musical instruments, especially the conga and the clave. In our conversation, we talk about this relationship between the dance and the music and how to dance with feeling.
Besides teaching classes in NYC, Joel also runs La Vieja Guardia social which if you are in New York is a must visit! He also runs MySalsaOnline, Joel Salsa and Dance With Feeling which are great resources for aspiring salseros. I personally have signed up for his

TWiS 3 - I would rather dance in a wool sweater than dance with a mask on

TWiS 2 - Of the 3 of us who would you say is the best dancer?

TWiS 1 - Shoulder Inversion, Tiramisu, Wait, Beef Toe
Our guests on today's roundtable are Salil Bavdekar and Will Boose.
Salil is a PhD graduate from University of Florida where he also taught salsa classes and was vice president of The Gator Salsa Club. He has DJed socials and run Latin nights in Gainesville and is also the founder of the Facebook group Salsa Memes for Spicy Teens.
Will is an MA student in Latin American Studies at UF (graduating in May), starting a PhD program in anthropology at Emory in August. He is a Bachata instructor at The Gator Salsa Club.
Resources mentioned on the show:
Manu Dibango dies of corona The end of handshakes Oura & UCSF partner on study for early detection of COVID-19 Germany Has Rolled Out a Staggering €50 Billion Aid Package For Small Businesses That Boosts Artists and Galleries CoBeatParty live DJ group Meme: Me-Travel-Coronavirus Meme: Going to my next salsa congress while avoiding the corona virus Memes: Dancing with skeleton / Dancing with volleyball / Dance with yourself Video: Dance routine Video: Going to first salsa party after quarantineStay in touch with us on Facebook and do us a HUGE favor and give us a 5-star on your podcast app. Get in touch with Rob directly on Facebook and Twitter if you want to connect, have interest in being on a future roundtable or would like to recommend a future guest!

SDC Podcast #33: "You have to treat it like a second marriage" Will & Constanza Orrock 2

LDC Podcast #32: "The mambo we dance and the salsa we eat" Eddie Torres
Eddie Torres also known as "The Mambo King" is a living legend in the Latin dance community. He has trained world-famous salseros like Adolfo Indacochea, Wilton Beltre and Eddie Torres, Jr. Along with June Laberta, Eddie developed what we call New York style salsa where dancers break "on 2". He danced alongside and collaborated with Tito Puente. Like we said, a living legend.
Here is part 2 of our interview with Eddie at the Chicago Salsa Congress. If you haven't checked out part 1, do it!

LDC Podcast #31 - "You don't want to be in clicks" Jose Santamaria
Traveling out-of-state and overseas to teach is a dream that many young instructors have. But where to begin? And what steps should one take in order to fulfill that dream?
On this Podcast, we asked Jose Santamaria how he accomplished his dream of traveling and teaching overseas. It's not easy, he says, but it isn't impossible either. For him, it all comes down to learning the basics and the history of the dance, practicing and training very hard each week, networking and making contacts wherever one goes, using social media effectively and above all... loving and enjoying the dance.
Jose Santamaria is the owner of the J.A.S. Latin Dance Academy in Santa Rosa, CA. He has been teaching Latin dance for more than ten years, and has taught in many festivals and congresses across the United States and Canada.
His style and expertise have taken him to new and exciting places like Egypt, Japan, and several countries in Europe. According to Jose, anyone can become an international dance instructor. And while the experience might be different for each person, he shared the story about what worked for him and what he thinks takes to become one.
Click on the audio player below to hear about Jose's story, his passion and knowledge for the dance, and his tips and opinions on how to stay on track to become an international instructor.
If you live or plan to visit Santa Rosa, CA and wish to take lessons with Jose, contact the J.A.S. Latin Dance Academy at (707) 293-4292 or salsa@jasdaance.com. www.jasdance.com

LDC Podcast #30: "This dance began with a puppy love heartbreak" Eddie Torres
Eddie Torres also known as "The Mambo King" is a living legend in the Latin dance community. He has trained world-famous salseros like Adolfo Indacochea, Wilton Beltre and Eddie Torres, Jr. Along with June Laberta, Eddie developed what we call New York style salsa where dancers break "on 2". He danced alongside and collaborated with Tito Puente. Like we said, a living legend.
LDC caught up with Eddie at the Chicago International Salsa Congress. Luckily, we brought our microphones! Here is part 1 of our interview where we cover The Palladium, Tito Puente, how Eddie got into dancing and much more.
Show Notes:
Augie and Margo dancing at the Palladium Eddie Torres website Eddie Torres YouTube page Eddie & Maria Torres with Tito Puente Eddie Torres and June Laberta at the studio
LDC Podcast #29: "Nobody owns the dance!" Mike del Campo
Anybody want to be a dance instructor? Where to start? How does an average instructor become great? Apparently, it takes more than just being a great dancer!
Mike del Campo and his wife Gina have been teaching dance for more than 20 years. They are the owners of "Del Campo Dance Studio", one of the most popular and highly rated dance studios in Sacramento, CA.
On this podcast, Mike shares his years of experience with us, and gives some tips and advice on how to teach beginners, how to deal with students who have a hard time and are clearly out of their element, what to look for in teaching assistants and even advice for people who want to open their own dance studio.
For Mike,students are a reflection of their teachers, so he makes sure all his students are well taught.Click on the player below to listen to some useful information on how to become a great dance instructor. Even if you are an expert, I'm sure you will pick up a few pointers.

LDC - 28: "You have to own the dance floor!" Will and Constanza Orrock
The World Latin Cup is this month. Dancers from all over the world will flock to Miami Beach and attempt to impress the judges to come home with a title.
How do champions train for a dance competition? The road to any dance contest is hard, but it involves more than just learning and practicing a routine. On this Podcast episode of LDC, dance champions Will Orrock and his wife Constanza talk about how they prepare to compete. They spend hours at the dance studio, but they also train at the gym, they eat well and prepare mentally. Listen to the podcast to find out what else they do to train and win!
Will Orrock studied dance and choreography at the University of the Americas in Chile. He's a two-time South American salsa, bachata and merengue champion and also national ballroom champion in Chile. He currently teaches in the South San Francisco Bay Area.
If you live in San Francisco and wish to train or take classes with Will and Constanza you may contact them at (408) 480-2769, or send them at e-mail: orrockw@icloud.com. You can also visit their website: http://www.wevolvedance.com/

LDC 27 - "I like to hijack the lead..." Michelle Donehew
Why does Michelle like to hijack the lead from her partner when she social dances?
Because sometimes it's a good idea!
Listen to Michelle Donehew talk about how she comes up with new choreography, the importance of teaching beginners and how to manage a dance team effectively in order to have a strong dance community.
Michelle was born in Hato Rey, PR, and she's been dancing since she was 9 years old. Her dance training is extensive, and includes ballet, tap, jazz musical theater, and Latin dancing. For nine years she was part of "Salsamania", one of the most renowned dance teams in San Francisco. In 2015 she joined forces with her very talented partner Manny Villarreal to be the co-director of Sabor Latino-Oakland bachata team. She is known for her feminine, fierce, and sassy style which has helped her win many awards and championship titles in her career.
Michelle and her partner Manny Villarreal plan to shock audiences and the judges at the World Latin Cup again this December. They need our help to pay for travel and lodging expenses, so click here to help them achieve their goal, and as always, thank you for supporting our community.

LDC 26 - Who wants to be a DJ?
DJ Mario B has been mixing tracks for more than ten years in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area. He's currently the resident DJ for the new Latin nightclub "Millennium",and he keeps everyone dancing for hours.
How? He does his homework, he pays attention to the crowd, but most of all, he loves music.
So what does it take to be a DJ?
Click on the player below to listen to "DJ Mario B's" story, including some great advice for new and aspiring nightclub DJ's.

LDC 25 - Interview with Richie Kirwan: "When Dancing Becomes Groping"
Today's chat is with Richie Kirwan, LDC author of When Dancing Becomes Groping: Time To Clean Up the Dance Scene! Sadly, within the Latin dance community there are some shady characters. Richie sheds light on these guys and Rob gives some self-defense tips for the ladies. If you enjoyed Richie's post, you are going to love this interview!
This week's song is 'Merecumbe' by Johnny Colon, aka the birthday song, as chosen by our guest, Richie.
Remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher. And I would REALLY appreciate you leaving a 5-star review so that more people can find out about us :)

LDC 24 - Interview with Jonathan Goldman of Spanglish Fly
This week's show features an interview with Jonathan Goldman. Jonathan plays trumpet for Spanglish Fly, a boogaloo bound based in NYC. If the name sounds familiar, that's because we had him on the show last year for his fantastic Fania 50-year anniversary tribute.
He's back talking about the band's new album dropping on September 18th. Listen to the show to hear the story behind many of the songs as well as sneak peek listens of top tracks.
And for those of you that listened to this episode, here's a link to the Cuarenta Dos video featured by the NY Yankees.
Remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher. And I would REALLY appreciate you leaving a 5-star review so that more people can find out about us :)

LDC 23 - Interview with Del Dominguez of Mixed Motion Art Dance Academy
This week's show features an interview with Del Dominguez of Mixed Motion Art Dance Academy. Del is passionate about figuring things out and refining them to the best of his ability. This goes with his dancing, his art and his teaching. Known as a refined dancer and meticulous instructor, Del’s mission is to make MMA the go-to destination for higher learning in social Latin dance.
This week's song is Mi Desengano by Roberto Roena.
Resources from this week's show:
Sekou McMiller social dancing Flava Invasion Franklin Condori social dancing Cognitive dissonance Napoleon Hill Eddie Torres performance TED talk on Chinese food Reticular Activation System Hardcore History podcast Calling it Quits: Why Some Social Dancers are Hanging Up There Dance Shoes Boston Salsa Festival Magna social dancing with Salsa y Control (Johnny and Andres) Lamento de Concepcion by Roberto RoenaDon’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher…and if you enjoy it leave us a review too!

LDC 22 - Interview with Michael Johnson (Gainesville, FL)
Today's show features Michael Johnson, bachatero y salsero hailing from Gainesville, Florida. Mike is a wealth of knowledge on all things Latin dancing. This was a fun deep dive into the social dynamics side of the scene along with plenty of discussion about technique. Enjoy!
This week's song is Fantasia by Quarter Street. I found this sweet tune courtesy of DJ Condorito so if you like it, let him know :)
Resources mentioned in today's show:
Maslow's hierarchy of needs Mike Johnson & Nina at OSCDon’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher…and if you enjoy it leave us a review too!

LDC 21 - Calling it Quits
Over the past few days, one of our LDC posts has gone crazy viral! So naturally we turned it into a podcast episode :) Calling it Quits: Why Some Social Dancers are Hanging up Their Dance Shoes a powerful piece on the Latin dance community and why some dancers are opting out. And it has truly struck a chord with our readers. Hopefully it will do the same for our listeners. Enjoy!
This week’s song is Mango Mangue by Los Totos, a salsa/chacha old school tune.
Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher…and if you enjoy it leave us a review too :)

LDC 20 - Interview with Daniel Caicedo
This week's show is an awesome interview with Daniel Caicedo. It really just evolved into an awesome conversation about salsa dancing and the community. Denny's at it's best.
Daniel is a native Colombian but a world traveler, currently living in Canada, eh. He's a salsero, teacher and salsa enthusiast and he shares his story and his views on the latin dance community on the show. Enjoy!
Resources from today's show:
Arthur Murray 1950's commercial on cha cha TED talk - The Power of Seduction in our Everyday Lives How do I tell him he smells? Velcro tape for make your own salsa shoes Tanja & Jorge Island Touch bachata performance that I was at!This week’s song is Stairway to Heaven (salsa version) and here is a great social dancing interpretation by Mitchell & Monica.
Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher…and if you enjoy it leave us a review too :)

LDC 19 - Interview with DJ Suave Beats of Orlando
Today on the show concludes my three part interview series direct from the Orlando Salsa Congress. This interview is with DJ Suave Beats who was the DJ in the bachata room on Saturday night at OSC. Ever want to get inside the mind of a DJ? Here's your chance! Enjoy :)
This week's song is Hechicera Tú by Wuelfo and here's a beautiful social dancing rendition of the song by Andres Giraldo and Selene Tovar.
Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher…and if you enjoy it leave us a review too :)

LDC 18 - Interview with Leydi Barros of BAILA Society (NYC)
Continuing our coverage from the Orlando Salsa Congress, I sit down with Leydi Barros of BAILA Society (BASo). She is an incredible dancer and performer up in NYC and we discuss how she got into salsa, her growth as a dancer and some of her experiences along the way. But mostly, it's just a fun conversation between two friends about something we both love, SALSA!
Resources mentioned on today's show:
BAILA Society TED talk about building confidence Orlando Salsa Congress (mark it on your calendars for next year!)And this week's song is 'Mulato Rumbero' by Nacho Sanabria. Got some nice hits in there ;)
Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher…and if you enjoy it leave us a review too :)

LDC 17 - LIVE from Orlando Salsa Congress! (Plus Latin Swag)
Today's podcast was recorded at the Orlando Salsa Congress over July 4th weekend. It was a blast to record and epitomizes what I consider the congress experience. Hanging out, talking salsa and bumping into friends from all over. The conversation takes some twists and turns, starting out with Jonathan from Agape Dance Studio (Orlando) and Rey Collazo from Tampa. Later on in the conversation, Latin Swag members Marco Molina and Josbell Quiros stop by and hilarity ensues. Enjoy!
Resources mentioned on today's show:
Anya Katsevman, world champion dancer Magna Gopal Latin Swag OSC performance Latin Swag America's Got Talent performance Jose & Valerie OSC performance UMDA OSC performance 300 theme OSC performanceDon't forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher...and if you enjoy it leave us a review too :)

LDC 16 - Salsa Stories
Today's show is a little bit different. I go out on the mean salsa streets of Gainesville (aka University of Florida) to interview some of my students. Hear their stories about getting into salsa, how they have grown and advice for others.
Today's closing song is A la memoria del muerto by Piper Pimienta Diaz.
And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher :)

LDC 15 - Live From My Cramped Closet!
Welcome to the podcast, live from my closet! Seriously, I think I just discovered how to improve the audio quality of this show 10x. All it takes is me sweating like crazy stuck in cramped quarters for the better part of an hour....or in some cases, my dog :)
This week on the show, we are reviewing Rachel Cassandra's post, "So You Want to Be a Man?" On Gendered Language in Dance.
On the event calendar for the weekend ahead, we have a WORLD'S FAIR salsa congress :) But seriously, cool venue for dancing and GREAT lineup. If you are in NYC, worth checking out.
And for my random thought of the day, the Orlando Salsa Congress full weekend pass is more expensive than ever, $250! But I argue why that is a very good thing for us Joe Salseros.
LDC Song of the Week for this week is Otra Oportunidad by Jimmy Bosch!
Enjoy the podcast and remember to subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher! And if you really love us, leave a review too so that more people can discover us :)

LDC 14 - Bachata is Big...Porque?!
We're back!!!! On today's show, we cover all the new awesomeness happening on LDC including the following great reads:
Joining the LDC Interview with Javier Padilla DanceInkBut wait, there's more...did you know we have an event calendar? That's right, all the latin dance events coming up around the globe for you to check out. I go through some of my favorite June events (and wish I could fly like superman to all of them).
And for my random thought of the day, I talk out loud about bachata. A recent visit to Puerto Rico was devoid of any bachata music at all. This made me realize that bachata plays an essential part in the LDC ecosystem, even if you hate dancing it.
Enjoy the podcast and remember to subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher! And if you really love us, leave a review too so that more people can discover us :)

LDC 13 - The Different Kind of Leaders (Recap)
Great post this week by Chilly Alisar on the different kinds of leaders. Check out my recap and some personal thoughts about leading!
Oh and below is the Adolfo shine I'm currently learning :)
Remember to leave us a review on Stitcher and iTunes and we'll give you a shoutout on the show!

LDC 12 - My Salsa Plateau (and getting past it)
For the past few months, I've been in a funk. I'm doing the same moves, over and over and over again, ad nauseam. But hey, that's what happens. None of us are strangers to the hated plateaus. But one way or another, we gotta get past them.
Today on the show, I'll talk about my current plateau and what I'm going to try doing to get out of it ASAP!
Remember to leave us a review on Stitcher and iTunes and we'll give you a shoutout on the show!

LDC 11 - Free Hugs (Recap)

LDC 10 - The Future is Here
I came across a super cool technology this week, SoloShot, which follows you around and records you! I know, sounds creepy, but also super useful for salseros who want more video of their dancing. Today I discuss this tech (with myself), enjoy!
Oh and here's the link to the prior episode I did on cool future technologies for the dance floor.
Remember to leave us a review on Stitcher and iTunes and we'll give you a shoutout on the show!

How I proposed to my girlfriend at TEDxUF
Back in October of 2014, I met with the organizers of TEDxUF, the largest TEDx conference in the southeast, about an idea for a talk. Over the past six years, salsa dancing has completely changed my life and I wanted to share my experiences on stage. The organizers loved the idea and so did I, so I got the green light for A Brave New Salsa Dancing World.
Flash forward a month, and I've made no real progress on my talk. I had a rough outline but there were lots of holes in the story and, most importantly, I had no ending. Driving in the car, I was thinking of how to end this talk. Could it be with a dance, something motivational, funny?
Then, I got a text. It was from my girlfriend (who I first met at a salsa social) and it read "Love you, muah". BAMMM! It hit me like a train. I knew exactly how I was going to end this talk. I was going to propose to my girlfriend on stage. It both excited and terrified me at the same time.
I spent the next 4 months living a double life. On one side, I worked with my girlfriend to build up the talk that she thought I was going to give, which included her dancing on stage. And on the other side, I worked on the talk I was actually going to give. The whole facade came close to crumbling down on numerous occasions: almost sending her the wrong draft of the talk for review or saying lines seemingly out of order to her as we practiced together.
Then the day finally came. I don't know which made me more nervous, giving a complete TED talk from memory (c'mon, powerpoint is for amateurs) or getting down on one knee to ask the love of my life to marry me. Probably a little of both.
Once I began my talk, all of the nerves that had built up over the past 5 months, the planning, writing, editing, re-editing, re-re-editing....it all just melted away. I was in the zone, hitting on every point in my Memory Palace.
But as I neared the conclusion of my talk, something dawned on me. I was about to propose in front of 1500 people! You can see the exact moment where this realization occurs, right after we finish dancing for our second time. I sound quite winded from the dancing. Lies...all lies. I dance salsa all the time, so 30 seconds of dancing is not going to put a dent in me. Me sucking wind is entirely due to forgetting to breathe for a moment as I let my girlfriend head back off stage. I suddenly realize that I have 4 more lines before the backstage organizers will re-introduce her into the talk (push her back on stage).
As I delivered those last few lines, it felt exactly like going skydiving. When you head up in that plane, the instructor

LDC 8 - The Greatest Salsa Congress...Ever!
This week on the show we are revisiting Jason Haynes great post putting together his salsa congress dream team, entitled "The Greatest Salsa Congress....Ever!".
I hope you enjoy the show and don’t forget to tell friends to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher!

LDC 7: Bailando! College Students Get Their Salsa On
Today on the podcast we are recapping a great article written by Jazley Faith entitled "Bailando! College Students Get Their Salsa On". I dance salsa in a college town and teach for the Gator Salsa Club here in Gainesville so this recap of a night out salsa dancing at college definitely sounds familiar. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy the show and don’t forget to tell friends to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes andStitcher!

LDC 6: LDC Recap - When your non-dancing spouse doesn’t support your dance life.mp3
Today on the LDC podcast, we are doing a recap of one of the posts from this week, When your non-dancing spouse doesn’t support your dance life. It's a very relevant and timely post for me since I just got engaged last week!
I hope you enjoy the show and don't forget to tell friends to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher!

LDC 5 - Interview with Daybert Linares of LDC and Son y Casino
Daybert Linares Diaz is a contributor to LDC and recently published a post entitled "CUBAN MUSIC: TO BE OR NOT TO BE PLAYED FOR SALSA DANCERS?". Today on the podcast, we are speaking with Daybert about this post and elaborating on the current lack of Cuban music in the salsa scene and why this music should be reintroduced at socials and congresses.
Daybert is a Ph.D. student of contemporary Latin American Literature with a focus on the Caribbean at the University of Maryland, College Park. Born and raised in Cuba, Daybert has taught Cuban dance in the United States for over five years now, having held workshops in cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, New York, and Washington, D.C. He is also the editor of "Son y Casino," the only blog dedicated to both the Cuban dance of casino and son music, which he updates regularly with informative pieces which deal with this small part of Cuban culture.
Some Resources From Today's Show:
Sublette, Ned. Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to Mambo Waxer, Lise. Situating Salsa: Global Markets and Local Meanings in Latin Popular Music. A useful Cuban music blog Some artists to check out: Arsenio Rodríguez, Ignacio Piñeiro, Félix Chappottín, Cheo Marquetti, Sonora Matancera, Conjunto Casino, Conjunto Universal, Conjunto Rumbavana, Estrellas de Chocolate, Miguelito Cuní, Senén Suárez, Pacho Alonso, Roberto Faz.Remember to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes and Stitcher…and leave us a 5-star!

LCD 4 - Interview with Christian Tumalan of Pacific Mambo Orchestra
2013 GRAMMY® Winner the Pacific Mambo Orchestra (aka the PMO) is a 20 piece musical group leading the rebirth of the Latin Big Band Sound. The PMO uses the traditions of the classic mambo-craze orchestras of the 1950s to deliver their original music and clever, modern arrangements of hit songs. Currently the only fully active Latin Big Band on the West Coast of the United States, this elite group of the Bay Area's finest musicians performs in both English and Spanish, and even some French and Portuguese selections.
We are speaking with band co-leader Christian Tumalan about what's next for PMO and about salsa dancing, music and the intersection of the two. Some resources from today's show:
Pacific Mambo Dance (single) Like Pacific Mambo Orchestra on Faceboook
LDC 3: Interview with Jennifer Ables & Matt Owens of SoldiersWhoSalsa.org
Soldiers Who Salsa is on a mission to enhance and enrich the lives of active and retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families through a unique program incorporating therapeutic and social dancing with a variety of music and professional instruction.
Today on the LDC podcast we are interviewing founder Jennifer Ables and former patient/volunteer Matt Owens to learn more about the program and the good that it is doing in the lives of those in the armed forces around the world.

LDC 2: LDC Recap - How do I tell him he smells???
Today on the LDC podcast, we are doing a recap of one of the posts from this week, How do I tell him - he smells??? by Chilly Alisar. Some resources mentioned in today's show include:
Thompson Tee w/ reinforced arm pits
10 foods that make you smell
We hope you enjoy the show and don't forget to tell friends to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher!

LDC 1: Interview with Richie Kirwan of LDC and The Dancing Irishman
Today on the show I am chatting with Richie Kirwan, contributor at LDC and The Dancing Irishman, about some of his latest posts including The Best Salsero You Can Be and What to do when you FFF&#K up while dancing. If you read Richie's stuff (and really who doesn't), this is a must-listen where we take a deeper dive into the ideas behind these posts and plenty more. Enjoy!

TWIS 41: The Best Salsero You Can Be (Why You Aren't As Good As You Want To Be?)

TWIS 40: A Brave New Salsa Dancing World
What will the future of salsa dancing look like? What technologies will change the way we dance and interact in the salsa scene? Today on the podcast, Rob plays Nostradamus and predicts new technologies that will impact our salsa community. From drones to Ironman suits and much more, prepare for your mind to be blown!
Remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher. And I would REALLY appreciate you leaving a 5-star review so that more people can find out about us :)

TWIS 39 - DEBATE! Pros/Cons of Recording Turn Patterns

TWIS 38: Setting Your 2015 Salsa Resolutions (and Avoiding Common Mistakes)

TWIS 37: Tribute to Juan Flores - Interview with Jonathan Goldman, Author of "Fania at Fifty"

TWIS 36: Interview with Rachel Cassandra all about Kizomba!

TWIS 35: The Top 5 Ways to Never Get Great at Salsa
Today on the show we are talking about all the ways that will never get you great at salsa. From signficant others to an aversion towards social dancing, listen in for the pitfalls towards becoming the next salsa dancing phenom.

LDC Salsa News Roundtable

TWIS 33: Is Your Salsa Community Growing or Dying?

TWIS 32 - Interview with Rob's Girlfriend Rosana Lastra

TWIS 31: Interview with Jonathan Goldman, Author of "Fania at Fifty"
Earlier this month, Jonathan Goldman wrote an excellent piece on Fania's fifty-year anniversary, aptly named "Fania at Fifty". In the article, Goldman paints the picture of the Latin music scene in the 1960's and 1970's. He discusses the rise of salsa and the decline of Latin boogaloo and the controversy.
The article is a must read for every salsero, seriously, read it now. My interview with Goldman sheds even more light on this boogaloo/salsa transition at Fania and was a truly enlightening interview for me.
Jonathan Goldman teaches literature and writing at the New York Institute of Technology. He is author of Modernist Is the Literature of Celebrity (and has written about culture and hisotry for such publications as The Paris Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Open Letters Monthly, James Joyce Quarterly, Novel and Narrative. As a musician, he leads the Latin boogaloo band,

TWIS 30: Interview with Jason Haynes of LatinDanceCommunity.com

TWIS 29: How to Measure Your Improvement as a Salsa Dancer

TWIS 28: Tips for Dancing Defensively
On today's podcast, I am sharing my best tips for ladies and gents to use when dancing in a crowded space. These will take some practice, but over time you'll see less of those salsa collisions guaranteed!
We hope you enjoy this week's episode. Remember to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes and leave us a 5-star!

TWIS 27: Tips to find the local salsa scene in any city
Finding salsa when traveling is tough. We're excited to meet local dancers and will show up to a local salsa night only to find out that it shut down a year ago. Never fear, this week's podcast takes you through tips to help you find the quality salsa nights in any city your travels take you. The tips covered include:
Google (duh)
Facebook (double duh)
Facebook groups/graph search
Congress organizers
Airbnb
We hope you enjoy this week's episode. Remember to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes and leave us a 5-star!

TWIS 26: The Beginner's Guide to Body Isolation
What is body isolation?
Body isolation is simply moving one or multiple parts of your body without moving any others. You see this often in hip hop dancing but it's useful for salsa, too. For example, when you see a salsa dancer roll their shoulders forward and back in beat with the music, that is an example of isolating the shoulders.
Why do we want it?
The best salsa dancers can isolate parts of their body to better interpret the music. It brings a fluidity to your dance that separates beginner and intermediate dancers from the advanced salseros.
How do we get it?

TWIS 25: Back to Basics - The Cross Body Lead
Today, we're doing part 1 in a series called back to basics. One of the most common moves in salsa is the cross body lead. As much practice as we get on this, it's incredible how often beginner and intermediate dancers get this wrong.
This one move is the building block of so many other moves in salsa dancing. The goal of the cross body lead is for the leader to bring the follower from one side of the line to the other. Remember, in LA and NY style dancing, we dance back and forth on a line. If the leader is facing north and follower south on a straight line, by the end of the cross body lead, the leader is now facing south and follower north.
For the first 4 counts, the leader should be getting off the line. Now that the follower has an unobstructed view, she can dance across the line on the next 4 count. By the end of this 8 count of dancing, the two have switched positions.

TWIS 24: Salsa for Gringos, Vol 1 - El Dia de mi Suerte by Hector Lavoe
Today on the podcast I've taken the song 'El Dia de mi Suerte' and translated the meaning to English for all the Gringos out there. If you don't speak Spanish then you are missing out on an entire spectrum of information in every song you dance, information that you could be using to improve your musicality and dance style.
The song chosen for today was originally sung by Hector Lavoe and is a classic that you will hear all the time in social dancing. The main theme of the song is that bad shit happens and you have to remain positive, then one day your luck will change. But on deeper inspection Hector is singing from a point of desperation, not determination.
Check out the episode here to get the rest of my thoughts on the song. I would love to hear your opinion of this song and if I missed anything in the translation or if there is subtext related to Hector's history that influenced this song. And for a word by word translation of 'El Dia de mi Suerte', check it out on YouTube.

TWIS 23: Roundtable Discussion on Salsa Pet Peeves

TWIS 22: Interview with Nestor Russell of the Dallas Salsa Scene

TWIS 21: Deliberate Salsa Practice

TWIS 20: Interview with Fuquan and Candace of Fuego y Hielo Dance Company

TWIS 19: Let's Build Our Own Salsa Scene

TWIS 18: Roundtable Discussion on Salsa Congresses
Today's show is all about the wonderful world of salsa congresses. The TWIS roundtable discusses the social aspects of congresses like meeting other salseros from around the world and how to dance with the pros. We also talk about the practical issues like food during congress and how to take care of yourself with proper sleep so you don't die by the end of the weekend.
Like with any conversation about congresses, we talk about our favorite congresses and our experiences there. There are plenty of rabbit holes we go down, including:
Why Frank should wear a dress while dancing
Why Cory should shave her head
Why Rob only remembers what women wear if they are missing a shoe

TWIS 17: Interview with Franklin Condori of the Boston Salsa Scene

TWIS 16: Interview with Joel Dominguez of MySalsaOnline.com

TWIS 15: Salsa Congresses: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

TWIS 14: Latin Music in the USA, Bridges
I consider this required viewing for all serious salseros. It gives you a great base of understanding the history of latin music and how it has evolved here in the U.S. The first of 4 parts is called Bridges and talks about the influences from Puerto Rica and Cuba and latin music in New York.
This documentary spans 4 decades from 1930-1970, with other parts tackling 1970-today. If you don't know who Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez are, you need to watch this. Listen to the podcast where we incorporate some of the musical numbers from these artists and others.
And watch out for additional summary podcasts coming out for the rest of the PBS episodes!

TWIS 13: Interview with Jose Botta from Jose Botta Dance Shoes

TWIS 12: The Beginner's Guide to Lucid Dreaming for Salsa Dancers
Turns otherwise unproductive hours of sleep into time for mastering your dance moves.
Dance with world-famous salseros and learn from them.
Overcome the emotional baggage stopping you from becoming the best dancer you can be.
Try out crazy/high-risk moves in a safe environment with no chance of injury
On this podcast episode, I talk about what lucid dreaming is, how it can improve your dancing, and tactics to increase the incidence of lucid dreaming. Give it a listen!

TWIS 11: Interview with Sonia Rivera of Diamond Dancers International
This week's interview is with Sonia Rivera, Director of Diamond Dancers International based in Tampa, Florida. Sonia is extremely passionate about salsa dancing, both the dancing and the culture. This passion exudes from her during our interview where we discuss topics like what makes a good teacher, dealing with salsa love and heartbreak and the education of younger dancers. My favorite part of the interview was discussing how to become a full-time dancer. Sonia is one of the few salsa dancers who has achieved this and she shares some tips and mindsets to have if you want to make salsa your life, both personally and professionally. For more information about Sonia, check out Diamond Dancers on their website and on Facebook. You can also connect with Sonia on

TWIS 10: 10 Strategies for Becoming a Better Salsa Dancer

TWIS 9: Interview with International Photographer Daniel Tarrosa of Salchata Media Bloc

TWIS 8: Improve your salsa lead in less than a minute with this story about turtles
Before I get into the turtles, I want to introduce this post with some background.
I'm wired to think in terms of metaphors and this is also the way I teach salsa. Most of them just come up in the spur of the moment. While they're often times ridiculous, I've found they are some of the best teaching tools for my students because the metaphor sticks. It gives a vivid image in their mind, the more ridiculous the better, that they can refer back to an important point I'm talking about.
Onto Turtles
Here in beautiful Gainesville, Florida, we have a ton of springs and summertime means tubing! One time I was out on the river with a group of salseros and as we passed through the jungle of trees, around the bend appeared a family of turtles. They were hanging out on the rocks to our left and we were quickly approaching them.
As we got closer, one of my more rowdy friends jumps out of his tube and starts swimming quickly towards them, splashing and yelling "AHHHHHH!!!". The turtles freak out and dive into the water. That was the end of it, or so I thought....

TWIS 7: Interview with Anthony Kumo Tineo of Dolce Vita Dance Company
I first met Kumo in 2009 at Flava Invasion and was amazed by his spinning technique. During the interview, we talk about his early days as a salsero, his experience competing and also about salsa technique and etiquette.
I definitely came away from this interview with a lot of knowledge, specifically I have a new training regimen for practicing my spin technique. Enjoy!

TWIS 6: An Introduction to Son Cubano and Son Montuno

TWIS 5: Interview with Cory Gray of the Oakland/SF Salsa Scene
Cory Gray has been dancing hip hop and salsa for more than 20 years. She is now pursuing her MFA in dance at Mills College. During the interview we talk about her transition from hip hop to salsa dancing, dance techinque and the salsa community at large. This interview with jam packed with dance tips and tactics and much more. Enjoy!

TWIS 4: Are you learning salsa the wrong way?
One of the beautiful things about salsa is that you cannot out-evolve your lifespan. That is, even if you spent every day of every hour learning how to dance, you can keep improving until the day you die.
But before you start dedicating all of that time to improvement in dancing, it's important to figure out how you learn most effectively. This is akin to if I told you to read 10,000 books. The first book you should read is the one entitled "How to triple your reading speed and comprehension". This post will help you to identify your personal "speed reading" strategy for salsa dancing.

TWIS 3: Up-Beats and Down-Beats and Core-Beats....Oh My
Beats are how you keep the timing of the music. Most students first learn to dance 'on the beat' which corresponds to the 4/4 timing which is why we count to 8 in salsa.

TWIS 2: The On2 Salsa Essentials that every On1 Dancer needs to know
I've been dancing salsa On2 for the past 4 years. Like many, my salsa career began as a wide-eyed and bushy-tailed On1 salsero. For those of you that have yet to make the jump to On2, here are the 3 essentials of New York style salsa that will help you on your journey:

TWIS 1: Edwin Nieves & Greysa Baez of Escenario Latino
Edwin Nieves and Greysa Baez have been dancing together as a professional dance couple for 5 years. They are dancers, choreographers and qualified instructors with a burning passion for dance. Edwin and Greysa have been traveling the world representing their island of Puerto Rico in places such as Canada, Panama, Colombia, New York, Texas, Dallas, Chicago, Italy, Guatemala just to name a few.
Edwin Nieves has a background of dancing the traditional puertorican music from to the most prestigious band in the island called GIBARO de PR for 5 years. Greysa Baez comes from a ballet and jazz background belonging to one of the most important dance studios in PR called Academia de Baile Julie Mayoral for 14 years.
Together they have achieved many goals like 2nd place winners in the Canada Salsa Congress 2009 and 2010, 3rd place winners in the PR Salsa and Hustle festival 2009, 1st place winners in the PR Salsa and Hustle 2010 and finalist in the world known competitions PR Salsa Open 2010 and World Salsa Championships 2009. Edwin and Greysa have had the opportunity to share the stage with different artists of the genre like El Gran Combo de PR, Luis Enrique, Michael Stuart, La Sonora Poncena, Luisito Carrion, Andy Montanez, Lalo Rodriguez, Roberto Roena, Raphy Leavitt y la Selecta, among many others. They were judges of the Cali Salsa Festival in October 2011 and Panama Salsa Congress 2012 and 2013.
They are the owners of ESCENARIO LATINO dance studio, directors of the groups Raza Dance Company and Escenario Latino.