This Week in Salsa

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

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

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 Castellucci Resources 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

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! --- 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

Our guests on today's show are Kathleen Matos and Michael Johnson Kathleen Matos is a salsera who lives in Tampa, Florida, and is a performer on the Mambo Elegancia performance team. Michael Johnson is a salsero, bachatero and kizombero who lives in Austin, Texas. He DJs in Austin as DJ Cognition and you can connect with him on Facebook and SoundCloud.  Resources mentioned in this show include: Linda Melodia Dance Company in Honolulu De’Jon Polanski online classes The Zoom International Salsa Congress CoBeat Online Salsa Congress Japan online salsa sessions Article on Contact tracking apps Andy Gonzalez of Fania passes Congress temp check at the door Simpsons meme 5-man perfect shine video

Our guests on today's show are Hong Kwon, Andres Caicedo and Rosana Castellucci Hong Kwon has been a salsa DJ for 10 years, record collector, 8 years in the Bay Area, 2 years in Philadelphia. He recently teamed up with 4 other DJs to form CoBeatParty which is a worldwide salsa community with over 14k members. Andres Caicedo took his first salsa class on the same day (Mid Jan 2008) as Rob. Andres, Frank and Rob organized the Gator Salsa Club in the summer of 2009 and Andres served as the founding GSC president. Andres has been to congresses in North America, AustralAsia, and Europe. He and his girlfriend own and manage a dance and yoga studio in Honolulu while Andres serves as a Naval Reserve Submarine Officer. Resources mentioned in this show include: The Zoom International Salsa Congress CoBeatParty Facebook Group Interactive Social Dancing While Distancing GoFundMe for Andres' Salsa Studio Meme of Raggedy Man Bachata by yourself

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 quarantine Stay 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!

Picking the right dance partner is crucial to a successful dancing career. There's so much more to consider besides dance skills. Partners spend a lot of hours practicing, teaching, competing and traveling together.

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!  

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

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

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.

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/

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.

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.

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 :)

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 :)

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 Roena Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher…and if you enjoy it leave us a review too!

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 OSC Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher…and if you enjoy it leave us a review too!

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 :)

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 :)  

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 :)

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 :)

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 performance Don't forget to check out the podcast on iTunes & Stitcher...and if you enjoy it leave us a review too :)

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 :)

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 :)

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 DanceInk But 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 :)

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!

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!

Free Hugs. We get them every day in life and also when we dance. Today we explore the social etiquette around hugging and salsa as told in Free Hugs by Brisbane Salsero. Enjoy! Remember to leave us a review on Stitcher and iTunes and we'll give you a shoutout on the show!

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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.

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!

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 F&#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!

Today's episode is a re-post from an excellent article on LatinDanceCommunity.com written by Richie Kirwan of The Dancing Irishman. It is a great read and the takeaway for me is that even though we are inspired by watching other dancers, only measure your progress against your former self, not against others.    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 :)

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 :)

Last week, there was a thought-provoking blog post on RitmoySaborsalsa.com discussing the downsides of recording a move after you learn it from an instructor. It's a great post and everyone should read it. I do think that like many things in life, it depends and is not a black and white answer.    I've gained enormous value out of recording patterns and shines that I have learned, though I have procrastinated on learning some. I even have a playlist on Youtube which compiles all of the moves that I have learned at congresses and workshops over the years so that I can review them from time to time.   What do you think? Is recording videos hurting your initiative to practice those moves?   Remember to subscribe to the podcast on 

Happy 2015! If there is one thing I love about the new year it's that it's resolution time! Today on the podcast we are talking all about setting your salsa goals for the year using the SMART apporach. Enjoy!   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 :)

On December 2nd, the latin dance community lost Juan Flores at the age of 71. Mr. Flores was Director of Latino Studies at NYU and an expert on Latino culture. His research focused on Puerto Rican culture as well as the ethnographic unearthing of blackness in Latin music. If you want to check out some of his work, the book From Bomba to Hip Hop is a great jumping off point.    Juan Flores was also a big fan of boogaloo. He loved it. So in honor of his love for boogaloo, today we are replaying one of my favorite episodes, an interview with Jonathan Goldman all about boogaloo.   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 :)

Rachel Cassandra has come a long way since her first exposure to dancing (folk dancing to be precise). She is a true dancing journeyman (ok, woman) having danced salsa, bachata, swing, lindy and more. But then she found her love of kizomba which completely suited her body and preferences. She is founder of Kizomba Community and an instructor in Kizomba who has traveled all over the place teaching and dancing Kizomba.   Today on the show we talk about what Kizomba is, why it is getting so popular, the culture surrounding the dance and of course, talking about her viral post, "Five Lies You've Been Told About Kizomba". If you've read the post, today's convo will elaborate on Rachel's thoughts written there.    If you don't know about Kizomba, consider this interview your primer on the topic!    Remember to subscribe to the podcast on 

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. 

Today on the show, we have some of LatinDanceCommunity's top writers talking about the latest and greatest articles about salsa dancing along with some random latin dancing topics. Listen in for a fun conversation!   Resources mentioned in today's show: What Makes a Salsa Champion An Introduction to the Orishas

Today on the show, we are talking about how to support your salsa community. If you don't, it may just not be there next month.    In other news, I'm growing a mustache! Specifically, Movember is upon us and I'm raising money for men's health. Donate to my page here or join my team, The Stacheros, and raise money for the cause!   Don't forget to check out our other podcast episodes by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher and like us on Facebook!

Joining me today on the show is Rosana Lastra, my beautiful girlfriend! We talk about our connection as a couple on the dance floor, issues we've identified for improvement and about dating in the salsa scene in general. Enjoy!   Don't forget to check out our other podcast episodes by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher and like us on Facebook!

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, 

Today on the show we have a special guest, Jason Haynes (aka "The Kobe Bryant of Bachata") of LatinDanceCommunity.com. Jason along with salseros across the globe are writing fantastic latin dance articles on salsa, bachata and kizombe to connect the Latin dance community.    Jason and I talk about the new LDC website, some interesting blog posts that are live on the site now and a little bit about Jason's background and how he got into the salsa community.    Links from today's show: Roots of Bachata Dance 

How do I say this....plateaus suck. We have all been there. Doing the same turn patterns for the past 2 months. Knowing all kinds of moves but still moving your body like a rhythmically challenged novice.    Half the battle is knowing whether you are in a phase of growth or plateau (or, eeegad! decline). To do this, you need a system for measuring your progess. Well, today is your lucky day. We talk about such a system on the podcast which you can find at ToanHoang.com.   This is a fantastic resource so you can take an inventory of where you are at and what skills need your highest priority to get out of that dancing funk and get back into growth. Check out the full podcast here and as always, leave us any feedback in the comments or send an email to rob@thisweekinsalsa.com.

Just about the worst thing that can happen while dancing salsa is getting a nice, juicy heel to the back of your foot. Injuries on the dance floor are no fun, but dancing defensively can save you and your partner from these more often than not.   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!

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!

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?

  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.  

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.

Today on the 2nd installment of the This Week in Salsa roundtable, Cory Gray and Frank Condori are back for more as the trio discusses salsa pet peeves. Among the many, many pet peeves out there, the roundtable discussed/argued on the following:   Someone saying 'No' to a dance :( Don't "over-style" as a follow Resting bitch face |: Hogging women for multiple dances

Nestor Russell is a salsero to his core. Besides being one of the most accomplished dancers in the Lone Star state, he has a deep knowledge of the music behind the dance. Nestor has studied violin and other instruments along with music theory for years and brings this knowledge to his salsa dancing.   During our chat, we talk about music theory and when you listen to this first 15 minutes I promise you'll know more about the clave than you ever thought possible. Besides music theory, Nestor shares his own approach to improving as a dancer (lots of passion).    This was a great conversation so definitely give it a listen. Then check out more about Nestor at nestorrusselldance.com or on his Facebook page. And if you are ever in the Dallas area, look him up!

This post was prompted by an e-mail from Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Lift, an app for instilling positive habits in your every day life. The e-mail discusses this idea of deliberate practices which is defined as...    "focused, grueling, repetitive practice in which the subject continuously monitors his or her performance, and subsequently corrects, experiments, and reacts to immediate and constant feedback, with the aim of steady and consistent improvement."   While Tony didn't have salsa in mind, hopefully you can see the usefullness of deliberate practice in your salsa journey. Give this podcast episode a listen to learn more about Tony's thoughts on deliberate practice as well as some of my own.    

Fuquan and Candace run Fuego y Hielo Dance Company in Atlanta, Georgia and are fusion artists having trained in a variety of dance styles. But their real dance love is for the mambo, salsa and cha cha. You can check out one of their cha cha routines here.    The first part of the interview revolves around salsa music, specifically the difference between commercial and artsy approaches to music. From there, we talk about dancing the cha cha, musicality, spinning technique (hint: squeeze your legs together), dance etiquette and much more!   This is a tactical episode chock full of highly actionable advice that you can incorporate into your dancing today. Check it out and leave any feedback in the comments below!

Today on the show I revisit a few of my own personal experiences with building the salsa community in Gainesville, Florida. We all have our own communties where we live and dance.    Too often, we complain that there aren't any good salsa nights in town or wish that we could move to NYC to be around really great dancers. Instead, I want us to shift our thinking. Let's look inward. Let's think about how we can take the initiative and start a salsa group, put on a local social ourselves and otherwise build our own community rather than just whine and moan about the lack of options.   Welcome to the no excuses episode, enjoy!   PS. Here's a clip of me dancing at the house party last night :)

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

Franklin Condori is a self-proclaimed salsa addict and is known on the dance floor for his smooth, New York style lead. Frank has been dancing for so many years that he can't quite remember though legends say it begain ~2007 in Gainesville, Florida.   From there, he has improved as a dancer, DJ and event organizer in the Boston area. He has trained with Universal Mambo Dance Academy, Masacote Dance Company and Salsa y Control. Frank now runs the Fuego y Candela salsa social in Boston along with Salsa in the Park. He is also a co-founder of the Gator Salsa Club.    Frank is passionate about organizing salsa events to build the community. We talked about the elements for a great social and a great congress. We also talked at length about the ideal mindset of a dancer, what makes for a good lead/follow, techniques to improve your dancing and a lot more.   

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

It's congress season and that means many of you are spending your weekends taking hours of workshops, eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches in your hotel room and dancing in the bachata room until 6am.   If you have never been to a salsa congress, this podcast talks about what you can expect from the weekend, both the good and the bad. Overall, congresses are an essential experience to have if you are in the salsa scene. It is a time to make new friends and connect with old ones from around the world.   Check out the show and comment with anything that I missed!

Today on the show, I discuss the best latin music documentary I've ever seen, Latin Music in the USA put on by the fine folks at PBS.    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! 

This week on the show, our guest is Jose Botta of Josebotta.com. Jose is originally from Lima, Peru and came to the states more than 20 years ago. During those years, he got involved with the salsa community and got hooked. After several years of dancing in Washington, D.C. and trying all of the dance shoes on the market, he realized there were no options for a more versatile men's dance shoe that could be worn on any surface and not ruined by weather. JB dance shoes were born as a comfortable, durable, stylish, lightweight and multi-surface option for men.   One of the most important decisions that we as dancers make is what shoes to dance with. Jose is an expert on men's dance shoes and our conversation revolves around what makes a great shoe and what factors to consider before putting down your hard earned cash on a new pair of kicks. What color should they be? What kind of soles are ideal for how you plan to dance? Are there other options besides just suede soles? All of these questions and more are answered as part of today's show.   Beyond dance shoes, Jose is passionate about salsa. We talk about the salsa community as a whole, where it's headed and some of our favorite experiences. Enjoy!

You are probably asking yourself: "How is lucid dreaming going to help me become a better salsa dancer?" Now that I've inceptioned your mind with the perfect question to start this post off with, let me answer:   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!

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 

We all want to get better and faster...and let's throw in better looking for good measure. While I can't help you with the 3rd, those first two are very achievable when it comes to salsa.    Today on the podcast, I talk about these 10 ways that you can speed up your rate of improvement.    Define actionable goals Video yourself Leverage your existing strengths/figure out how you learn best Expose yourself to salsa right after waking and before going to bed

This week on the show we sit down international dance photographer Daniel Tarrosa of Jacksonville, Florida.    Daniel founded Daniel T. Photography and Salchata Media Bloc and now travels the world capturing the best moments of some of the biggest salsa and bachata congresses.    As a photographer, he has a unique perspective on the salsa community and also on the similarities and differences of dance communities in the U.S compared to abroad in Asia. We talk about these differences, some of his favorite congresses and much more on this episode. Enjoy!

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....  

This week on the show we had Anthony Kumo Tineo from Dolce Vita Dance Company in on the show. Starting at the age of 14, Kumo has honed and continues to perfect his dance skills. What started as a social pastime has exploded into an ever growing passion for the art of the Latin dance and quest for knowledge in body movement, teaching techniques and performance showmanship.   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!

Salsa music is a beautiful example of human-engineered evolution. In fact, The Great Salsa Timeline attempts to document each step of this evolution going back to Christopher Columbus' discovery of Cuba in 1492. I won't go back that far in this post but I do want to highlight two of the most important musical innovations of the late 19th and early 20th century that led to the creation of salsa as an art form, Son Cubano and its sub-genre, Son Montuno.  

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!

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.

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.

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:

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.