 
Dear Readers, thanks to our network
of passionate salsa dancers, we have created this newly revamped Dear
TOsalsa section to meet the growing needs of our readership...
For Beginners to Salsa... don't forget we have this great new Guide to Salsa which has lots of answers! It's impossible for us to know all the answers to many of these questions/discussions, so please feel free to add your own response at any time via email or on our feedback form. |
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Dear
TOsalsa! -- Salsa Dancing around Canada
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February
23, 2004 -- Salsa In Winnipeg, Manitoba February 18, 2004 -- Salsa Night in Windsor Hi, I was on yur site and saw a question about if there was salsa at any club in Windsor...and I can answer that for you in case you didn't know. Yes, there is a latin night in Windsor and it takes place at "The Zebra Room" nightclub/lounge...downtown Windsor on Saturday nights. There is also another place called the "Aqua Lounge" which is introducing Latin Lounge on Fridays...not a bar scene....but a Lounge and dance ...it's located on a sophiscated street in Windsor called Erie. -- Beliz February 13, 2004 -- Instruction Can you recommend a dance studio in Whitby/Oshawa for teaching beginners salsa. -- Gary February
5, 2004 -- Sunday Salsa in Hamilton, ON February 4, 2004 -- Clubs in, around Burlington/Hamilton ?? I read one of your letters regarding Salsa Clubs around the Burlington/ Hamilton area printed on June 26. I wondered whether there had been any response. I am holidaying in Burlington over Easter 2004 & am desperate to find a local club for a few nights. I dont realy want to impose myself on reliance of a lift to & from venues, and as yet am unsure of public transport in the early hours. Any advice would be most welcome -- John January 27, 2004 -- New Latin club in Hamilton Hi Rose! I'm one of your tosalsa site fan! :) Here's a new site for Salsa in Hamilton that you can add in your list.. I'll try to check this club out this Sunday (weather permitting). Marie Ehler of Salsalicious will be conducting lessons starting this Sunday -- Feb 1st Vibe Dance Club.... Salsa, cha-cha & Merengue 235 Kenilworth Ave. N Hamilton..905-545-5510 Regards, Theresa Hi, you may already know this.. Hay un club Latino en Hamilton que se llama "Las Brisas" No estoy seguro de su direccion pero creo que es en la esquina de Main y Mcnab sts. -- Ron December 9, 2003 -- Great club in Kitchener area!! The Flying Dog which has been on going since february of 2003 hosts a latin night every thursday...it has been a success due to its huge area, good music and great vibe. I sincerely hope you guys can join us here in Kitchener for some salsa dancing! Christina November 16, 2003 -- New Club in Waterloo Hola! please add Thursday nights at the Flying dog club in Kitchener/Waterloo area, http://www.theflyingdogwaterloo.com/specialevents.html November 16, 2003 -- Clubs in Hamilton Area... Hello Rose and Ziv, do you know about any place in hamilton area where I can attend salsa classes? Thank you, Maragarita Dear Margarita, just check out our Toronto clubs page, I believe I started to add out-of-town club listings there... Rose November 13 -- New latin discoteca in Kitchener You have a great site, and we would love to have our club listed there. I was looking at the list of clubs in your site and noticed that you want to know if there is any new clubs in the Kitchener area. We had
opened a new Latin discoteque in Kitchener, about 3 months ago. We operate
every Saturday night from 9.00 PM to 3.00AM. We have the best DJ in
the Waterloo region so you can dance to the latest hits of salsa, merengue,
bachata and much more. Also we offer an excellent personal service,
a relaxing atmosphere where everybody can really have a good time. We
are located at 720 Westmount Rd, Kitchener, at the corner of Ottawa
St. beside the Price Copper. Admision is $ 5.00 and your hosts are Osvaldo,
Dina and Alex. Thank You November 6, 2003 -- Club in Niagara Falls We recently started up a latino night in Niagara Falls. Global Gruv Latino Saturdays @ Backstage and Mercury Nite Club. 5195 Magdalen Street. Niagara Falls, Canada. One block from top of Clifton Hill. Live Bands $10.00 @ door. Doors open at 9:30 P.M. For info. call: (905)-371-9709 November 2, 2003 -- New latin discoteca RITMO LATINO DISCOTECA, is now open in Kitchener, with the best DJ of the Region, you can dance to salsa, bachata, merengue,and all the latest music. Has been in operation for 3 months now with a tremendous success, where people can enjoy the night in a very relaxing way, with great personal service and exciting music. We are open every saturday night from 9.00 PM to 3.00 AM, ladies are free before 10.30 PM and you can reserve a table for special events, also we offer dancing lessons upon request, door prizes and occasionally live entertaiment. We are located at 720 Westmount Road, Kitchener, besides the Price Chopper. (at the plaza in Westmount and Ottawa St.) Your hosts are Dina,Osvaldo and Alex. Cover charge is $ 5.00 before 11.00 PM, $ 7.00 after 11.00. PLEASE COME BEFORE 11.00 PM IN ORDER TO GET A TABLE. Thank you for posting our club in your site. Sincerely Osvaldo Garcia October 15, 2003 -- Edmonton Salsa Scene,... It's Hot!!! Rose, I
hope that you are well. After graduating from the University of Alberta in 2000, I decided to head to Korea to work and explore new opportunities. As luck would have it, while in Korea I heard that the Buena Vista Social Club would be performing there. I managed to be hired on for the event by the LG Arts center where the band was to perform. I was assigned to translate and host the band. As a result, I ended up working as a translator/ photographer with the band and traveled with them to Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and the United States. Although my experience with them was brief, 4 weeks to be exact, it was a wonderful experience, one that I will never forget. They were truly a wonderful group of people; simple yet sophisticated, and always happy. They demonstrated such a passion for life that it inspired me to live better and be happier. My full time work in Korea as a HR consultant ended in June of this year (2003). I returned to Edmonton but found out that the Latin salsa dance scene was barely surviving. It was beening kept alive by the few Salsa instructors which were passionate about Salsa. I discovered that the salsa scene in Edmonton lacked an attractive dance club where one could simply dance the night away. Some suggested the one local Latin Night Club, but I soon realized that most salsa dancers tended to shy away from it for a number of reasons which I will not get into. I decide that it was time to do something about it and with the help of the local salsa instructors; we managed to hold an event this past Sunday, Oct. 12/2003. We basically got the word out 6 days prior to the event, called it 'a Salsa Affair!' and ended up with a turn out of more than 300 salsa dance enthusiasts! It was a Salsa Success!!! Because of this, we are planning on holding 'Salsa Affairs' on a monthly basis with the next one being scheduled for November 10th, 2003. We would like to welcome anyone who is interested to attend the event. If the first was indicative of the next, this one will be great! We will keep you posted and will be sure to take pictures of the event this next time around. Thank you Rose for your efforts in helping keep the Salsa scene alive and well in Canada. We owe you. con mucho
carino, Cristian Munoz October 5, 2003 -- Dance lessons I live in Hamilton, Ontario and am interested in taking lessons here. Do you have any classes in this area? Thanks Lisa Dear Lisa, I don't know of formal classes but there is a club called Up Lounge in Hamilton that has a salsa lesson before the social dancing. Hope that helps, Rose September 26, 2003 -- Clubs which you can find on 2 dancers Hi Rose..
I have a club in Hamilton called The UP Lounge September 10, 2003 -- Salsa in Windsor? hello, Just wondering if you knew of any clubs that have salsa in Windsor. Thanks! Cesar August 29, 2003 -- Looking for Salsa in London, Ontario Hi! My name is Darina and I'm from Montreal. However, I am moving to London Ontario for University and I am interested in finding a salsa dance school in this city. Can you please send me some information on any latin dance schools in London. Thank in advance. August 18, 2003 -- Latin Night in Kitchener/Waterloo and Guelph Area Hello, here are two clubs which have Salsa/Merengue in the above area. first is the The Flying
Dog (every Thursday) In Guelph is E-bar which has salsa night every 3rd Thursday of Month ( once a month) E-bar hope this helps the salsa lovers! cheers Hamid August 11, 2003 -- hello i was just wondering if u knew of any latin dance clubs in hamilton?? Sonia July 22, 2003 -- Salsa Teachers in Windsor, ON Hi Rose, Been a while since I cruised onto your site and let me just say that as always it is an awesome place to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of salsa in Canada!! I had a quick question for you, or perhaps one of your readers will know the answer - are there any salsa dance schools or instructors in Windsor, ON? The preference would be to not have to go over the river into Detroit every week - as you could imagine this gets to be a bit of a pain and can take forever depending on what route one takes.... thanks Rose. -- Christina July 12, 2003 allo my names is tony and i would like to know if there is some course giving here in montreal. if you have any suggestion please get back to me. Dear Tony, there are lots of dance schools in Montreal, a few that I know of are San Tropez, SalsaEtc, Tropicalissimo, for starters and you can also check out www.salsafolie.com for more information. You can use Google.com to find these dance schools as they all have their own websites. Rose July 12, 2003 -- Salsa in London, Ontario Hey Everybody! To those who have been looking for the salsa scene in London I have some info for you. Old Chicagos an Carlton St. has a very good salsa band that plays there every wednesday, no cover.They have free dance lessons at 8:00 i think. I go there every week and I love it. The same band also plays thursdays at The Wet Spot on York St. however it doesnt always have a good turnout ( not sure why). They also play at The Barking Frog on Richmond R.d, Sunday nights, this is also an awsome palce to go. The band that im talking about is called Pachanga and they always bring in a crowd, they really know how to get people on their feet. I hope this helps you those looking in London. P.S. This band will also start to play Saturday nights at The Drink on Warncliff R.d, however im not sure when there starting that -- Angela June 26, 2003 -- Salsa lessons in Burlington,Oakville or Hamilton? Hi Rose,
I'm desperate to find an excellent school or club where I can learn
Salsa. I could drive to Toronto, but would prefer not to as there has
got to be somewhere reputable to go in my area. Any Suggestions or advice
would help. By the way I've heard that there are instructors by the
name of Mark &Marie in my area. Do you have any info on these folks
including a contact phone number? Thank You. Victoria June 20, 2003 -- clubs in kitchener-waterloo area
Wanted to let you know about a club in Waterloo offering a Latin night.
They offered a mix of Latin: Salsa, Merengue, Chacha, Bachata, and Latin
Pop, and a minimal amount of top 40 dance music. ciao, Rafeek June 18, 2003 -- Night Clubs in Quebec City, Quebec
I will like to know if you know of any good latin clubs in Quebec City,
Quebec. I'm originally from Chicago and am a salsaholic. I will be there
for the weekend (Thurs night, Friday and Saturday). Can you help me? May 27, 2003 -- Hello There!!!! I live in Burlington and was hoping to take advance SALSA lessons, Can you please tell me of locations that may offer advance classes in the Burlington/Oakville area. Thanks Carolina April 26, 2003 -- salsa in Guelph Just thought I'd let you guys know that "the e-bar" at 41 Quebec St. in Guelph is having a latin night on the first Thurs of every month... they've been running it sporadically over the past few months with a really good turnout. The DJ (Colin) plays mostly salsa, some merengue, a little cumbia by request and one or two latin rock classics. I don't have the pone number, but it's a good time for sure! :0) Heather April 17, 2003 -- Re: Salsa Dancing in Calgary I just returned from Calgary yesterday, and they do have a couple clubs out there to dance salsa. You can go to Don Quixotes on 3rd Ave near the Eau Claire shopping mall. The best nights are Friday and Saturday. There is another one called Casa de la Salsa. It's downtown on 8th Ave. Enjoy your trip - - John April 14, 2003 -- Salsa in Calgary Canada Hi! I will be traveling to Calgary, CANADA next month. I'm trying to look on the internet to find a place to go to dance salsa there, but I couldn't come up with any. Do you know of any place in Calgary with salsa dancing? Thanks! Tam April 11, 2003 -- I have just taken a job in Waterloo and am sorely missing the Toronto salsa scene. But just when I thought all hope was lost... I hear that a restaurant/bar/club here in Waterloo called the Flying Dog has just started a Latin Night on Thursday nights. It's at 341 Marsland Drive near the University. I have not yet been there to provide personal feedback (just found out about it) but will certainly be checking it out! Hope to see some of you other "lost in KW" folks there! -- z April 10, 2003 -- Salsa in Peterborough? I am planning to go down to Peterborough this summer to visit my friend and would like to know if there are any salsa clubs down there. If anyone out there can help me out with this, it would be greatly appreciated. -- Jazz April 9, 2003 -- On friday nights, you can now dance salsa at the Star Club in Hamilton : $5 to get in and they have dance classes starting around 10pm... Star Club 306 King St. West / 905-777-7844 have great day ! April 8, 2003 -- Simone, I live in Hamilton area and I am in a similar position - I can never find a person to go dancing with. So if you're looking for a friend who shares your love for dancing, and are not picky about skill level, let me know!! --Marina April 8, 2003 -- What's New
More on KW dance scene. April 7, 2003 -- More Kitchener Waterloo Salsa Events Hi Rose, The KW Salsa scene is slowly starting to pick up. The Flying
Dog (http://www.theflyingdogwaterloo.com/) has free salsa lessons every
thursdays starting at 8:30, followed by a night of dancing. The night
ends at about 1 am. They are at 341 Marsland Drive in Waterloo. No cover. Great site! Tomas March 26, 2003 -- New Salsa Night in Hamilton Hi guys here is current new info The Star Club Every Friday night Open now 3 weeks Awesome club near Hess Village on the corner of Hess and Queen, At La Luna building... 5.00 cover DJ K with 90% Salsa ..free dance lessons with Marie 9:30 pm, great dancefloor Thanks Marie March 22, 2003 -- Team Canada, your beginning and cliques Well, I thought it was common knowledge, naming a team such as Team Canada. That you should have the best in Canada on it, is this true? Well, you were not even close, did't even have the best dancers in Toronto or Montreal dancing. Dance is suppose to be fun, relaxing, good for your health and most of all, feel the music..... And as for the cliques, well, a another story. Dance is something that is handed down from one person to another from the beginning of time. Remember your beginnings and you are able to dance comfortable into the future. We often forget where we came from and how we started. Oh yes one more thing, I find it very funny that these lovers of latin music do not even attend alot of the Latin concerts, festivals,or events...... Get the
picture....... Come together, we all love dance and music. -- Martin March 18, 2003 -- Dear Rose I just read the letter (january 28, 2003) from Anup, asking about salsa in Montreal. He wrote: "I hear Montreal is not big into Salsa as Toronto is. I hope I am wrong." I don't know the Toronto scene myself, but I'm pretty sure he is very wrong.Salsa is VERY big here and there are LOTS of clubs. Instead of Cactus and Salsatheque, I would have sent him to Cactus and Cubano's. (316 Ste Catherine St. W.) Salsatheque has a very slippery tile dance floor with grooves in it that catch your feet. The chairs are scruffy and feel like they're going to tip over. They cram the tables and chairs way too close together. There's something about the atmosphere I just don't like. AND they play way too much music that is not salsa (or merengue, bachata or cha-cha) . Rappy, hip-hoppy stuff, delirious girl groups, etc., etc. Cactus doesn't play that kind of music at all. That's one of the things thats good about it. Cubano's doesn't play TOO much of it....... The other clubs do play it and that's why I don't go to them. I don't enjoy that kind of music, though obviously many other people do. -- Liza March 17, 2003 -- Outside the GTA I was wondering if you knew of what was happening around Ontario as far as salsa and latin dance goes. The near north could sure use some "spice". Thanks very much, Pat March 17, 2003 -- Hi Rose, Just a little update for the Hamilton area; Fridays - Star Club, 298 King St. West, Hamilton 905 777-7844 -- Thanks, Sean March 9, 2003 -- Salsa and Flamenco Classes in Waterloo Hi there, I am currently studying in Waterloo. Wanted to know two things: 1. Do you know of a dance studio or instructor in the area for lessons for the summer 2. Are there any salsa nights at clubs here, assuming there are no salsa clubs! Thanks for your help. Farah. Dear Readers, do you have any information for Farah? February 28, 2003 -- new club
Hello my dear Rose! I would like to know if you can spread the word
around that we are working hard here in Québec City to get something
going for us salsa dancers. To get to my point, I have been offering salsa nights at a club in Québec since January, 2 nights actually, but looking to offer even more weekly. To do this, I've asked help from the biggest swing studio in Québec, Portoswing, to invite their dancers as well I am beginning to offer courses there. But it would be GREAT if there could be some more experienced dancers come up to Québec and stay for a night (or two) if they are available. My budget actually doesn't allow me to invite a professional team but we will eventually do so once we get an average of 150 dancers taht come regularly. Our swing nights actually have that many dancers. This is only an invitation...I understand the restrictions, but it would be great if you could spread the word, and mabye, just mabye, we might see some great salsa dancers! By the way, we have people come all the way from Cleveland come up to Québec for our swing nights! Here is my web site : www.clubsns.com (I am currently taking courses with Teddy in Montreal to perfect my salsa) -- Rick February 11, 2003 -- Carlo, Stranded in PEI Hi Rose, I was wondering if you could post the following message to the Salsero who wrote in about the lack of a Latin dance community in PEI - a friend of mine came across an article (my friend is actually from PEI and laughed when I showed him Carlo's comments about the lack of a Latin dance scene on the Island) about a student from Colombia who has recently started teaching tango in Charlottetown - here is the link to the article -- in case this link does not work here I have cut and paste an excerpt from the newspaper article and have provided the telephone number where the instructor can be reached. The excerpt: "February is traditionally a cold month on PEI But this year it won't be that way for long, if Ioel Tufano (pronounced Yoel) has his way. The 19 year-old Colombian man is turning up the heat in Canada's smallest province with his sizzling Latin American dance rhythms this winter. "I want to teach Islanders how to tango," says Tufano. The Argentinean dance, known for its face-to-face contact, dips and slow glides, done in four-four time is a favourite of Tufano's, who is visiting the Island this year. He was introduced to PEI through a friend of his father's and following a visit, he returned this year for a longer stay. For more information about classes call 675-4282." I know it's not exactly a club where you can go and salsa, but it is a positive start - who knows, maybe you can hook up with the instructor and start up a joint effort to bring more Latin dance to the Island - best of luck! Let me just say Carlo that I feel for you - I am moving from Ottawa to London in the near future (going to "O" Division) and from what I understand the London salsa scene exists, but is fairly limited. So if you happen to ever be on course in London in the future look me up at the office and we can check out the local salsa scene. Christina February 6, 2003 -- Instructors in the K/W area Hi Rose, This is in regards to the question about instructors in the K/W. Area. For beginners, UW Spanish Club and L.A.S.A.L.A.S. both have dance lessons weekly. L.A.S.A.L.A.S. holds lessons in the Turret every wednesdays for Salsa and Merengue. Spanish Club meets every tuesday at 7 pm in the Student Life Center at UW ( Lower Floor ). Everyone is welcome, no experience necessary. ( http://sayhi.to/spanishclub ). hope this helps -- Tomas February 6, 2003 -- Re; Giving lessons in Guelph Hi Carla, I am a graduate student at University of Guelph and we have
a club called Latino Cultural Society whihc offers classes to its members.
you can either be hired by them or by Athelitic Centre by University.
February 5, 2003 -- Salsa DJ in in Kitchener Hello, Golden Lions Club has Salsa DJ Every Saturday, cover$5.00 I think ladies are free!! I did try it last September and was ok, lots of room to dance! Address: 238 King Street West, Kitchener, but call (519)745-2393, before you go to make sure they still have it, Hamid January 28, 2003 -- To Salsa in Montreal
Hi, I will be in Montreal from Feb 20 through 23rd. I dance salsa on
1, and I need your advice. What are the places to go to for dancing
salsa while at Montreal? I hear Montreal is not big into Salsa as Toronto
is. January 17, 2003 -- Latin Night at the University of Waterloo! UW Spanish Club is hosting a Latin Night on Tues. January 28th. Free Salsa and Merengue lessons start at 9 pm. Admission is free. The party is at the Bombshelter ( inside the Student Life Center ) @ the University of Waterloo. January 17, 2003 -- Salsa Clubs Niagara Falls Please advise whether you are aware of any salsa clubs in Niagara Falls. Regards, Roger December 15, 2002 -- Dance Classes in Waterloo Hi, I'm from Quebec and I just moved here... I would like to find a salsa school in the Waterloo area because I just moved here and I miss to dance a lot... My husband doesn't know how to dance but he wants to learn so even if I dance a bit, I would like to follow new lessons with him and start from the beginning again... I don't really mind... Can you help me with that... I don't mind to drive to Toronto to go out at night once in a while but to go there for lessons... Not really, traffic sucks... Thanks
for you help.. Sara December 11, 2002 -- Oakville Salsa Dance
Hey there! I am looking for a club to go Salsa Dancing in Oakville/Miss/Burlington.
I am a beginner but am VERY anxious to learn! Please help! Kim December 4, 2002 -- Giving lessons in Guelph
Hi! My name is Carla and I currently live en Ecuador. I will move to
Canada on september 2003...to Guelph, an hour away from Toronto. Can
you please give me information about salsa clubs, salsa lessons, salsa
dance groups, etc, in this area please? I am a certified salsa teacher
and am interested in applying for a job. I very much appreciate your
help and hope to hear from you very soon, kindest regards, Carla Valdivieso November 25, 2002 -- Drop in Classes I really love salsa dancing and would like it if you can please please send me a list of places in Toronto, Niagara Falls, or Buffalo that I could go to better in prove my salsa dancing moves. I'm 15 years old and I go to niagara falls High-school and I'm in the 9th grade -- Montrese Dear Montrese, I'm not familiar with any dance schools in the Niagara Falls or Buffalo region, but there's a list of Toronto schools on our Instructors' link on the top of our site. You'll find email addresses to contact them directly there. Good Luck! November 18, 2002 Hi Rose, I’m responding to Christina’s email from Nov 7/02. She’s wondering about the salsa scene here in London. Well, sorry to say, Christina, but the salsa life here in London is a bit dead. The one and only “happening” place in London is on Wednesday nights at a bar called Old Chicago’s, located on 153 Carling Street. There are free group lessons that start at 8:00, and then the band will start to play around 10:00. There are a few good instructors here in London, just ask around at Old Chicago’s and I’m sure you’ll be referred. Susan November 7, 2002 -- London, Ontario Hi Rose, I was wondering if you happen to know of any salsa instructors in London, Ontario? Or if any of your readers would happen to know of any? I am going to be moving from Ottawa to London and am really hoping that the salsa scene is alive and kicking in London - I know it exists, but am looking for some concerete details. Thanks
a bunch - and a big thanks to you for such an awesome web site! Christina November 1, 2002 -- Friday night salsa in Montreal Hi Rose, I was wondering if you or any of your readers know of a good place to go Salsa dancing on a Friday night in Montreal. I will be going next weekend and I would try out the Montreal scene. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Yvette Dear Yvette, most dancers either like to go to Salsatheque (more crowded regular latin-style club) or Cubanos (more cozy on multi-levels) on Fridays. There may be others, but these are the only two we seem to go to while in Montreal usually on the weekends. October 21, 2002 -- salsa dance lessons I live in Courtice (Oshawa area) and would like to take Salsa lesson's locally. Do you know of anyone in this area that gives lessons. I didn't have success searching your instructors list. Many thanks, Patti Dear Patti, I'm not familiar with that region, but maybe one of our readers can provide some information. Rose October 8, 2002 -- Salsa in Hamilton, Ontario Havana Nights is long gone! Here's the scoop on the Hamilton Salsa scene(all are downtown) -- Sean Wednesdays
Up Lounge 35 John Street S. 905-51-SALSA October 8, 2002 -- Salsa in London, Ontario
Hola!! I hope you can help me! Does anyone know of any Salsa clubs/
lessons/ instructors in London, Ontario? They are definately lacking
in Salsa fever! Gracias!! Any help would be much appreciated. Catherine September 7, 2002 -- Salsa in Winnipeg Hello Rose and Ziv, Salsa is happening in Winnipeg. The source for Salsa in Winnipeg can be found at www.latindance.ca. If you (or any tosalsa.com readers) happen to be in Winnipeg check us out. Ron Santos September 4, 2002 -- Rose! Hey! Grupo Sabroso, Los Salsomanos and Team Canada I thought did an awesome job in Montreal, and made a good impression overall... it will be nice if you kind of mentioned that as that kind of relates to To Salsa, doesn't it? Jealous Rene, masking as Teddy Comments I heard from Los Salsomanos performance where that it was spunky and very musical and full of energy Grupo Sabroso shines routine comments that it was very well synchron-ized and together - including people from New York who approached us thinking that Toronto did not have a troop that performs on 2. Grupo Sabroso couples performance comments were that they did not realize Toronto had a strong on 2 presence, plus Jay and Michelle got so many compliments! Team Canada
- was the obviously the biggest, and the final perform-ance. Although
some people already saw it many thought it was good to see individual
dancers strengths during the dancing as it was a smaller than the usual
group, and a lot thought the Toronto dancers were really good. Just
my 2 dollars worth of cents. - Ted September 4, 2002 -- Montreal Congress
Having just experienced my first real salsa congress/festival in Montreal,
I have returned to Toronto with new found motivation to salsa. Rose,
you are quite correct when you mentioned that the smaller congresses
give you a chance to get to know dancers from other locales better.
Although, I didn't dance too much, I did sit back and observe and take
it all in. The performances, freestyle dancing (especially from NY)
were all amazing. For those who have not attended any of these organized
events...what are you waiting for?? Anyways, I am going to send you
my pics for the festival and I am hoping you can post them on your site.
Arthur (N' Maple) August 26, 2002 -- Salsa Night in Hamilton Every Wednesday night at the Up Lounge we have Salsa night included are beginner, Intermediate and advance lessons. The night is hosted by Mark & Marie. The Up Lounge is located on the corner of Main & Huston in Hamilton...Above Sundried Tomatoes. Cover is only 5.00.. Lessons are free Please arive at 9:30 pmif you would like to take part in our dance lessons -- Marie. Info line... 905 - 51 - SALSA August 7, 2002 -- Salsa Team Canada Rose, I just wanted to let you know that even back here in Hawaii, we are hearing about your performance in PR. You guys must really have kicked the sh_t out of it! Congratulations! Mahalos, Rob of Salsafix.com August 5, 2002 -- salsa in Kitchner Hi,
On your website you mention that one can dance salsa Saturday nights
in Kitchener at Elements night club...unfortunatly I have been there
and to my disappointment they do not offer a salsa night. Dear Nicole, I don't have any info on Kitchener, but maybe a fellow dancer will have some info and write in. June 18, 2002 -- Dancing in the Hamilton/Burlington Area Hi Eddy, There are a few places to go out in Hamilton/Burlington. Tuesdays you can go to the Sheraton in downtown Hamilton and there is a salsa/merengue night at the club inside. It is fairly small or intimate but with a friendly, learning crowd. On Thursdays there is latin night at Baranga's on the beach, and this is a bit of a younger crowd. Friday's there is supposed to be latin night at the Arnie at Mohawk College. And Saturday's you can go to Yanni's Casa Blanca in Hamilton behind the Go station for a genuine latin feeling with only a $2 cover. However, if you are looking for a higher calibre of dancers or more variety of music, I recommend spending the $5 on gas and driving to Toronto. Sarah June 15, 2002 -- Salsa in the Burlington/Hamilton area? Are
there any salsa clubs in the Burlington/Hamilton area? tks Eddy May 24, 2002 -- Lessons for Beginners in Kitchener-Waterloo Area Hello! I am really interested in taking up salsa dancing but I can't find locations that offer beginner's lessons. Is there any salsa classes for beginners in the Kitchener-Waterloo area? Any information would be great. Thanks! Julia Mielcarek May 7, 2002 -- Dance style Rose and Ziv? My wife and I like to dance, have taken disco and ballroom lessons over the years, and in the past, have been asked where our studio is located, but last night, we went to our first night of salsa group lessons. I was expecting a forward and back basic salsa step, or a "5/7" basic, but she did the basic, side to side. Is that normal for first nights, and beginners? We learned in 1.5 hours what we could have done in 10 minutes; side-to-side basic, slow couple turn and a turn under. Where does one learn more intricate salsa in the Niagara Falls area? Do you know of any salsa dancing in this area? They have
international ballroom competitions in Niagara Falls each year, and
I'll try to see if there's any salsa with it. Beginner John May 3, 2002 -- Lessons in Hamilton Dear
Rose: Somebody wrote in about taking lessons in the Hamilton area. I
take private lessons through an individual I met at Hamilton's one and
only Salsa Night...Wednesday at the Tonic Lounge in the Sheraton Hotel
with Mark and Marie. Great instruction for $3.00, great music and a
good crowd. Perhaps you could pass on the info. Also, could you recommend
a good instructional video on Meringue. Thanks. Dale. May 1, 2002 -- clubs in Hamilton You have a couple of clubs listed under Oakville / Hamilton area. You might want to ad Yannis, in Hamilton, it's open I think Friday nights and for sure Saturday nights- music & ambiance is mostly latin, with salsa, meringue, bachata , etc. Just thought I'd let you know. Yannick April 30, 2002 -- Team Canada? and Club Mayan comp. Hello
TO Salsa. March 20, 2002 -- Lessons Hello there!!!!! Wondering if there is someone you know who teaches salsa in the Windsor area. Thanks, Kamal March 12, 2002 -- Salsa lessons information I live in windsor and was hoping to take some latin dance lessons. could you please tell me of locations that may offer lessons. Your help would be appreciated. Thanks, Kamal January 10, 2002 -- Hi there, Thanks for having this great web site on salsa dancing, but I don't seem to find out what I need...I know you are mostly in the TO area, but do you know if there is any clubs or "schools" / Instructors that give salsa lessons in the Hamilton area? I would really appreciate some feedback on this one....Thanks, Yannick Dear Yannick, this is a tough one as I'm not familiar with the area at all and every once in awhile someone asks... hopefully someone who reads this may be able to help you... the only suggestion I have is check the dance schools and colleges in your area and you may be able to find a class. I also did a quick search in Google and found this website for Dance Line Studios which has a salsa class. Hope this helps... Rose Knows July 13, 2001 -- Learning Salsa Dear TO: Great website for those interested in Salsa. I have recently taking group lessons in Hamilton and I can honestly say that if I continued this way, it would probably take me 10 years to become somewhat proficient in Salsa. The instructors that are listed on your site have quoted rates for a number of lessons. I am sure that these are group rates, are they not? If so, I am interested in one-on-one lessons, as I have taken for swing. For myself, I rate at which are learn this way is exponentially higher than in a group and I want to Salsa as quickly as possible. Also, what's the easiest way to find dance partner(s) of the same calibre as yourself? The other problem with these groups is that you get maybe ten times as many new girls as guys as first timers. Then when practice time comes, all of the 'Latin Lovers' come out of the woodwork and take over. How do you compete against that. They become the teachers and the girls love it. I guess the real question is, how do I get there? Finally, one criticism and is not directly aimed at your website. You mention that you have a new page for beginners, which is great, but wouldn't you agree that if you want to promote Salsa (and I'm sure you do), then the best way would be to maximize your efforts in catering to people like me, beginners. I guess I'm a little disapointed when I go out and see very few people trying to learn, when I know there are alot more wanting to, but the intimidation factor becomes overwhelming. I will learn and become good at it, but that's me. However, the quantity of new talent will make or break anything. Anyhow,
appreciate the opportunity to voice. Dear
Dale: Wow, this could be a very long reply and to give you
a little more expert help, I've asked a few new salseros to the scene
to provide me some feedback on starting out from their experiences.
In the meantime, let me give you some of my own knowledge I've gained
along the way. And
finally, your comment about catering to beginners, I'm not sure what
you are asking? Is it more content on the site catering to beginners
or is it the events we list don't cater to beginners. And yes, it would
be nice to cater to beginners (in fact, we're working on a Beginner's
Salsa Guide to be released later this year providing more in-depth information),
but don't forget this website is for anyone interested in salsa, whether
they live in Toronto or somewhere else. The majority of the dancers
I know that are addicted to salsa, fall in love with the music, the
dance or the atmosphere, and want to learn to dance socially or to the
level of the advanced dancers. Yes, I agree it's intimidating to go
to the clubs where there's alot of great dancers, but don't you get
inspired by watching them and in turn, you want to get to their level.
And the only way to get to their level quickly is if you apply yourself
to taking classes and practicing at home and in the clubs consistently.
And if you really think about it, it's only intimidating for beginners
because you feel all eyes will be staring at you knowing you are a beginner
by your dancing; when in reality, in a crowded club, most dancers will
focus and remember only the advanced dancers amongst all the social
and beginner dancers. March 15, 2001 -- I'm wanting to take inexpensive salsa lessons, do they offer them at any clubs in downtown Toronto? Thanks, Morgan Dear Morgan, Stay tuned as I put together an update on the clubs which offer inexpensive salsa lessons. This question has come up many time over the last few months and deserves it's own home. Check out Mondays at Smokey Joe's, Tuesdays at Berlin and Tequila, Wednesdays at Babaluu's and Park Avenue, Thursdays at Babaluu, Fridays at the Courthouse, and Sundays at Left Bank -- Rose Knows March 4, 2001 -- Hi, I went to a Latin dance club in another city and saw salsa. I loved it! The problem is I am a woman of size and though I am pretty and a good dancer, no one will ever ask me to dance. So I have no opportunity to learn salsa. Though it might sound impossible to think I can learn salsa without a partner, I want to try so that at least I can dance to the music in my own home. Is there a website that explains the basic moves? Also of the Salsa video's which do you recommend? The area I live in , Mobile, Alabama, has no group salsa instruction and I cannot afford private instruction. I appreciate any advice you can offer. Thank you. Kelly Dear Kelly, I wrote to Abbey who speaks from experience, so here's some advice from the Mambo Mama from New York City! April 1, 2001  Hi
Rose, please tell Kelly to check out www.MamboMamas.com
just so she'll know she isn't the ONLY big chick out there dancing! Next,
she'll just HAVE to move to New York!!! NO group classes in Alabama???
How can you survive in such an environment? I couldn't afford to take
privates either! However, until she gains some confidence, I know this
might sound weird, but find a gay guy to take lessons with. They're the
BEST friends, they don't care if you're fat and they don't want anything
from you. Believe it or not I came into the salsa world through hanging
at gay Spanish clubs. It was a gay guy who started bringing me to straight
clubs 'cuz HE thought I shouldn't ALWAYS be hanging out with just gay
guys. For a long time I would ONLY go to a straight club if he was with
me. Eventually, he introduced me to all the dancers, made sure I knew
everyone and felt comfortable. After that I started taking classes, met
a lot of people there and as my dancing got better, my confidence grew.
Just be careful not to turn into a bonafide fag hag! I know I would've
married my friend Manny in a hot minute if he hadn't died. He was the
nicest man I'd ever known and I told him all the time that I didn't care
that he was gay. So that's my REAL story of how I started dancing salsa.
Now I have my own dance company and perform all over the world. Life's
strange, isn't it? Hope this helped. Abbey, THEmambomama
March 15, 2001 -- Club Listings etc. Hi there, I wrote you before re: Hamilton clubs, you enquired about the instructor @ Tonic, for the life of me I can't remember her name but I didn't think she was a very good teacher, wonderful dancer but not very helpful with explainations. The advanced moves she teaches are very choreographed and would be difficult to repeat in a lead and follow situation. I have been taking lessons at a place called Danceline Studios in Hamilton. Scott (don't know his last name) teaches a beginner and an intermediate Salsa class and he is an excellent instructor, very strong lead and is able to pick out what you are doing wrong. Very easy to understand and can break the moves down. They have a website, www.danceline-studios.com if you are interested in more information. Also Rascalz is now Richards Mansion and so far have no latin night, Karma club at the airport stopped their latin night(lack of interest) and there is a new club in Hamilton called Club Continental so far has been very quiet so I will keep you posted if it gets any better - Irene March 12, 2001 Just wanted to say how much I love this site. I am a beginner and I know this site will propel me into the world of salsa much faster than if I was on my own. I am looking forward to your partner search feature. Please add it soon!!! Thank you T.O. Salsa, Raisa Dear Raisa: Thanks for your feedback and it's great to know that Beginners also find this site useful. The partner search database we want to create is quite program-intensive, so cross your fingers and it will hopefully be ready before the summer! Rose Knows... PS As a beginner, if there's anything else you would like to see on this site which we aren't already providing, please let us know! January 15, 2001 "Can someone please briefly explain the difference between LA styling, Cuban style, New York Style, etc. I've just recently re-entered the dance scene and am a bit confused about all the different styles that have cropped up. Thanks." -- Old-Timer Dear Reader: We will hopefully have a story in a future article on the different styles of salsa. To give you my best interpretation without getting too technical, I think Cuban style would be similar to the old Toronto style of dancing a few years back called cumbia-style (more side to side with a rock step) and they break on "1". LA style is the forward and backward salsa and breaks on the "1". It's also very flashy with a lot of tricks. Regarding New York style, it's also backward and forward salsa, but breaks on "2". It's a less showy style for men, but gives women more chance to include styling. Another style is Casino-style Salsa from Miami, where couples form a circle, and one dancer calls out different moves and in unison, the dancers execute the moves with the same partner, and/or switches to the next partner in the circle. Hope that helps-- Rose Knows... January 2, 2001 -- Salsa outside Toronto Are you aware of any salsa dance courses in the Kitchener/Waterloo area? -- Beverley Dear Readers -- do you know of any instructors in the Kitchener/ Waterloo area? December 29, 2000 -- "I live in Oakville. I was recently in Cuba on vacation and learned a few basic steps of Salsa and other Latin dances. The instruction was excellent and I would like to continue. Do you know of a few very good Latin Dance instructors located in Mississauga, Oakville or Burlington that I could contact? Also, are there any good nite clubs in this area that you could recommend for Latin dancing. Thanks in advance, and compliments on your excellent web site. Dear Readers: Does anyone know of any instructors in Mississauga, Oakville or Burli
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