Latin Dance Community

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 :) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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 :) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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 :) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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 :) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message

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. --- Send in a voice m

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisweekinsalsa/message