| Emails
from Luisa |
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Responses
from TOsalsa.com |
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February
28, 2001
Simply Dancing
Hi there Salsa Team...a few weeks ago I e-mailed you on behalf of Cyndy
and her new upcoming dance lessons and Wednesday night dancing at Park Avenue
starting in March..this is up and coming news I think your web-site salsa
readers would like to know about. Apparently, you were unwilling to do a
write up on your site...saying that you do not advertise???? As a reader
I was disappointed because we live up-town (do not like going to Palazzo's
and Latin Fever is so so)...We really like the way Cyndy teaches and think
the rest of your readers would like to hear the news that Park Avenue is
getting a boost! I log on to your site regularly and read about everyone's
openings and lessons and am puzzled why her's wasn't included? I would hate
to assume that your site is biased and that you are only promoting certain
groups??? But then again I wish to hear your response! I know your site
isn't about advertising, it is about informing your group of salsa dancers....Sincerely....
Luisa |
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February
28, 2001
Hi
Luisa,
I
actually called and talked to Cindy whom I have
also taken lessons with in the past.
TOsalsa
however, as you noticed, does not list
or advertise lessons. I did tell Cindy that.
The
reason we do not list classes is because there
are so many! If we had to list all the classes
of all the different instructors we would be
overwhelmed. So to be fair, we choose not to list any.
We
really do appreciate you informing us of the
classes though. Often we get asked via email where
to take classes in remote locations. This will come
in handy.
I
hope this answers your email.
Sincerely,
- Ziv.
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March 29,
2001
I am sorry...but as much as I enjoy your web site...I am going to ask
that you take my name off your listing...I just feel that your site
is biased in some ways...and tends to favour a certain group.....there
are other salsa events going on....that you have chosen not to mention
(re: Simply Dancing at Park Avenue - Wednesday Nights!) I keep hearing
of everyone else's events-openings-classes etc...?????
So for
that... it is with regret that I make mention to you...that I no longer
want to be a part of your mailing chain....thank you....Luisa
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March
29, 2001
Dear Luisa,
I am sorry to hear you feel that way about our site as we have certain guidelines
about what we post, such as:
1. "Classes" which we don't post or we would be working 24 hours
a day versus "workshops" which we do post for all instructors
as it is usually a special drop-in class.
2. Regarding being biased -- it may look that way, but certain "groups"
as you put it are very active in the salsa scene and keep us updated regularly.
They email us all their "special event" information. Any "classes",
i.e. 10 classes for $150, are not posted by us -- it is up to the individual
dancers to contact each instructor to find out when their classes are commencing
or to review their website. That is why you never see Cindy, Peter of Dancing
Thru Life (who was my first instructor) or Soles Dance Studio being mentioned
as they most do "classes". Any 2-hour workshops by an instructor
(if they advise us via email) is included on our site. You will note on
our home page that Soles has a special workshop and it was posted.
3. Please remember, this site is managed by hardcore salsa dancers who have
a full-time job and do this in their spare time. It has grown so quickly
over the past few months that we need to work on it 7 days a week unless
we are lucky to find some dedicated volunteers who love salsa as much as
we do and wish to help Toronto become a major salsa destination.
4. I don't know if you attended or read one of my flyers for the "Fiesta
Fever" Social on Sunday, March 25th. We had almost all the following
salsa instructors in Toronto at our event, including Cindy. The only ones
invited who couldn't make it out were Strickly Salsa, Salsallstars, Eric
Angel, Mary Adams and Torontosalsa (as they were teaching classes), Abby
Mina, Vladamir and Guillaermo.
Invited Instructors
Dancing thru Life -- Peter Djakovic
Dance to Live -- Paula & Jose
La Classique - Alberto Gomez
Love to Dance -- Inessa
Los Salsamanos -- Jennifer and Giovanni
On Beat Dance Co. - Ivy Cuervo
Rhythm in Motion - Elizabeth Sadowska
Salsallstars Dance Co. -- Daniel Guajardo
Simply Dancing - Cindy Griffin and Angelo Paglia
Soles Dance Studio -- Mark & Nicole
Sonero Productions -- Eric Angel
Strickly Salsa -- Albert and Kathy
TorontoSalsa -- Jeff Tran and Valerie Nattress
United Salseros -- Stephanie, Teddy & Rene
You Can Dance -- Mary Adams
Abby Mina
Frank Bishun
Guillaermo
Oren Shoshan
Oscar Naranji
Sasha Tahiliani
Vladamir
Regarding being biased, I have included an email from another salsera who
feels absolutely the opposite in opinion!
Hello Rose:
I emailed oursalsathing requesting information about their upcoming social.
They also mentioned that your upcoming social will be really good, so hopefully
I'll be able to make it to both socials. I'm glad that people such as yourselves
are so friendly and committed to promote Salsa. As I told the people from
oursalsathing, I'll tell you as well - keep up the great work, and unity
among Salsa dancers. Lana
Anyways, Luisa, I believe I've made my point and one thing I realize in
this "salsa business" is that you can never please everyone.
Sincerely, Rose Knows |
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March 29,
2001
ROSE...
Thank you
for your passionate and detailed letter, I am sure you are doing the best
you can do and in no way wanted to overreact. But still I just find that
there seems to be some sort of undercurrent of favouring (which I have
tried to overlook) but can not seem to ignore.
I have written
to you before in praise of your site and you actually published it. So
basically I am the kind of person who really stands back and rationalizes
to "tell it like it is" . So I am hoping that you can take my criticism
construct-ively... or at least understand where I am coming from with
this. Maybe, just maybe, you can find room for a change in format...or
a spot for something of this nature.
And in this
case....you say those who are being published are active...so it may very
well seem that way. But their exposure on your website perpetuates their
success. I find I get mailings about events, etc... that are no different
from the type of thing that is happening.
Luisa
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March
30, 2001
Thank you Luisa for responding back to my email, and I do take what you
said constructively and I guess you do realize how passionate I am about
salsa!
Actually, it's a compliment to our site if you feel that their exposure
perpetuates their success as most of them are successful because they were
already in business before we got started. Many instructors who are listed
on our site, such as Soles and Dancing Thru Life, are very successful because
they are excellent teachers. They don't have time or are not interested
in teaching in clubs and/or hold weekly special workshops. They specialize
more in teaching the solid basics of salsa dancing.
And because we announce workshops and club openings, it looks like only
certain dance groups are being favoured when in actual fact - they are the
ones who are fueling and creating new club openings and special performances
to our growing salsa scene. In many cases, because they also social dance
in the clubs, they also help fuel the excitement for budding dancers to
improve and learn salsa dancing.
Many other instructors such as Soles and Dancing Thru Life do not have time
or the energy to do this. And it's because of the new breed of dance instructors
who teach, but also dance in the clubs, along with their dance performers
have helped to fuel and grow the salsa scene.
So in a sense, I should also thank you, because you have provided me an
inkling of why our salsa scene has grown so quickly in the past year.
Rose
PS Regarding a change in format, for the types of notices you are talking
about, maybe in the future if we have more volunteers who can help us with
our site; but at this time, unfortunately not, as this type of format would
force us to do this for every instructor in the city and they start classes
every 6-8 weeks - which would equate to at least 10 notices a month. This
would be impossible to manage, plus most instructors do not send us this
information. The instructors themselves publish info about their own classes
on their own websites, have their own student email list and/or hand them
out to their students. |
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March
30, 2001
Dear Rose, thru these correspondences, I feel connected with you in the
sense that we have a common ground and a strong common interest. Your explanation
does help me understand better how this whole thing works and possibly I
am wrong in thinking the way I was.....for this I apologize.....and want
you feel positive about our discussions....stay well and thank you for your
responses.......Luisa |
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