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Toronto's Hot Summer of Salsa Highlights by Rose Lau, Toronto Updated September 3, 2000 |
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Potential New Sunday Hot Spot! On Sunday, May 21st, there was a Grand Opening of a new Sunday Salsa night at Left Bank on Queen Street. Definitely a winner for the regular Sunday salsaholics who crave a club with lots of room to dance. The decor is very classy and the spacious wooden floor is fabulous.
June 11, 2000 Since the most successful Grand Opening Party of Atlantis Nightclub for Latino Satursdays at Ontario Place back in March, I only heard that Atlantis was mainly filled with alot of non-salsa dancers or beginners, and decided to check it out for myself! I was gearing myself up for the fact that there would only be one or two "regulars" to dance with, but got pleasantly surprised when I arrived there on a night where there were quite a few "regulars" and was happily able to get my salsa fix. BUT I could see why it's not the Saturday hotspot for salsa lovers -- their salsa sets are few and far between! You had to wait almost 45 minutes between salsa sets!!! They play everything from dance music, merengue, bachata with some salsa. It has all the elements to be the most popular club on a Saturday night-- including a fabulous wooden dance floor, lots of room for mingling, great high ceilings so it's not as smokey, another dance floor upstairs for R&B for non-salsa dancers and the outdoor patio. Atlantis -- wake up! June 17, 2000 A New Contact Sport for the Summer -- Salsa! Now that it's summer, I've just started to go back to El Rancho's on Fridays, and usually, I can deal with the crowds, but not when dancers turn the dance floor into a sporting arena! I must have been stepped on at least 6 times, and have a new beautiful black and blue bruise on my left foot. That wasn't the best part -- someone was kind enough to elbow me on the left side of my forehead during a turn! I now have a bump the size of a goose egg! At least they stopped to say "sorry" and ensure I was alright. Dancers, especially the inexperienced ones, please learn to pay attention to others around you! Show some common courtesy, apologize if you step or "hit" someone -- I do! Also, if the floor is crowded, don't attempt to do those great moves, such as dips or moves that take up a lot of space. The girl could get a concussion from another dancer in that position! More experienced dancers can manage to execute these moves, but only because the lead ensures the space is "safe" before executing that fancy move! The perfect example was a dance I had with Teddy, the Asian Sensation from United Salseros last night. We had a fairly small space to work with and with his amazing lead, he was able to execute whatever complicated combinations he chose to. What's great about Teddy, is when he totally focuses on the goal of not being hit/bumped by any dancer, it becomes a game or dance of skill to do all the dance moves he wants without injury. One of my friends said it was fascinating to watch, because there were split second, last-minute changes dependent on what other dancers around us were about to do -- I was not hit or bumped into at all! Thanks Teddy for that great dance! Let's learn to respect each other's space so we can all enjoy what we love to do -- dance! June 25, 2000 Where did Rose get her Salsa Fix last week! As most hard-core addicted salsaholics know, you can't expect to have an amazing night each night -- BUT! if you're lucky to find one dancer who can give you your fix! then you go home happy... At Babalu's last Thursday was one of those nights -- I got there late and most of the regulars were either gone or about to leave... so I knew I wasn't going to get a solid night of salsa heaven! Then, I heard a song which I love to salsa to and asked Giovanni Torres from Los Salsomanos for a dance. We don't dance together on a regular basis, so I consider him one of my gauges to see how our dancing has changed. About 3-4 months ago, we had a dance and it was fun, but what a difference from then to now... There were so many cool combinations in turn patterns that were either new or variations of other NY/LA moves which I have never tried before and I got almost all of them! So thank you Giovanni for giving me my salsa fix and keep the art alive! Salsa in Hamilton?! On Saturday, a few die-hard salseros went to see Enio Cordoba (from LA) in Hamilton and to check out a Jack and Jill Salsa Contest. His dancing is very different from typical LA-style, I would interpret it to be "West Coast Swing meets Salsa". If you enjoy adding the "raunch" (sexy gyrating hip actions) from West Coast Swing to Salsa, then you will enjoy his style, a mixture of Toronto-style salsa with a lot of pauses so the girl can "show her stuff". What's interesting is that he also puts that style into nightclub cha cha and it looks amazing! We also entered a Jack and Jill competition where you pay $2 each into a winner's jackpot. You are back to back, guys on one side and girls on the other. The MC tells the guys or girls to move down so many dancers to the left or right, then that's your dance partner. You have about 30 seconds to show your stuff, and then they decide on 3 finalists by audience applause, then they dance briefly again, and the winner is also chosen by audience applause. It was a lot of fun to participate and/or watch. By the way, Toronto won, Teddy and Magna were lucky enough to dance together. July 3, 2000 How to balance your Salsa Addiction -- and find time for yourself or other friends! Have you ever had this problem -- I have! Every week, I tell myself that I will cut back on the number of hours/days I dance out in the clubs, and somehow I get sucked back in! How do you know if you're addicted? Well, if you go to the clubs at least 4 nights a week consistently, and sometimes up to 7 nights a week (including dance classes), then you can truly consider yourself an addict! Another way, is when someone in the Clubs asks you where you've been or they say whenever they are out dancing, so are you! But think about it, are you going that many nights because the last time wasn't as amazing as the previous night? Last week I mentioned that you can't expect to have a great night every night, but here's a way to try to maximize your dancing pleasure. This weekend proved that it's sometimes good to do something else besides dancing for a night! Friday night at El Rancho's was a blast as alot of the salsa regulars are starting to hang out there on a regular basis, so Saturday became my night of rest to hang out with non-salsa friends. So I had a blast meeting up with old friends at a BBQ and making some new contacts. On Sunday since it was the long week- end, I hit "Left Bank" as all the regulars know that Babaluu's would be totally jammed -- and because I was totally rested from my "night off", I was truly ready to salsa! My prayers were answered, but it was actually a challenging evening, some- thing like the scene from "Dance with Me" where Vanessa is passed around from partner to partner. In this case, I was passed around between Strickly Salsa (Albert and Oscar) and the United Salseros (Teddy and Rene), with a sprinkling of other salsa addicts. The only time I had a chance to rest was during the bachata and merengue sets. Which could bring me into another subject of how to become a good follower! maybe next time... But thank you all for an amazing night of fun... the biggest challenge was adjusting my resist- ance and mind set to their style of dancing -- they each have their own unique style and turn patterns. PS: Don't go to a club expecting to have a great time! That way you won't be disappointed if you don't, but you'll have an amazing night if you do! July 27, 2000 Summer Club Update! Well, this week I was going to talk about the female salsa dancers, but since I don't dance with them regularly, I decided to put it off until I had more male feedback. So instead, here's the latest info and/or experiences I've received regarding which summer clubs are the most popular. Last week, I was out almost every night of the week dancing, except Tuesday -- so much for my new resolution to cut back! Also, it seems the dance club scene favourite nights are very erratic this summer -- probably due to the fact that there are more clubs to choose from on any given night, so it's hard to determine which nights are the best, and the regulars can now be picky about which nights they would like to go out and dance. If I had to say which nights I prefer to be out dancing, it would be Mondays (if I have extra energy), Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. If you want to listen to salsa music, mingle and dance a bit, then go Monday to Society or Wednesday to Babaluu's (if you like the older music). So here's my consensus: on Monday, I hit Society, which has good music (90% salsa), good atmosphere, and a wooden, but slightly slippery dance floor. It wasn't very busy that night, but it is a nice option for a Monday, alongside Embassy Cafe. Unfortunately on Tuesday, something unexpected came up, so I didn't go out dancing; but I heard that Berlin was happening since Vibrason was playing there that night and it's consistently busy probably due to the live bands each week; also, the newly re-opened Tequila will need time to promote itself/grow. On Wednesday, I checked out Babaluu's, and it has definitely become a popular dance night since they play old salsa music from vinyls; and then drove up to Park Ave., which was crowded, but it is mostly filled with non-salsa dancers. On Thursday, I decided last minute to hit Babaluu's, and it was packed, partially with beginners and some salsa regulars. This used to be one of the hottest nights for regulars to mingle, but I heard that some salseros are hitting the Harbourfront concerts on that night, or going to Fregatta's. On Fridays, my favourite spot has been El Rancho's since alot of the regulars seem to show up there, and I end up dancing there all night, then checking out Plaza Flamingo afterwards since it's free with your stamp from El Rancho. Some regulars go to Babaluu's, but it is so crowded with non-dancers that I can't imagine how you can have a good time if you want to dance. Saturday, well, it's still a tough night to choose from as there's too many clubs so alot of the regulars either choose this as a night-off from dancing or keep rotating which club to hit -- also, most of the clubs don't seem to devote enough time to salsa during the evening since there's a lot of non-salsa dancers there too! And finally, Sundays, I've stopped going to Babaluu's for the summer as it get so crowded with non-dancers, plus most of the regulars are starting to hit Left Bank which has a great dance floor and has more room to dance. July 31, 2000 How Toronto Rocked this Weekend! Although many of us didn't make it to the Puerto Rico Bacardi Salsa Convention, we had the next best thing -- the best dancers hitting the same clubs each night! It kinda kicked off on Thursday at Babaluu's with a lot of the regulars dancing up a storm, while I stayed home and updated this page... on Friday, alot of the great dancers hit El Rancho's and we closed it! I was fortunate to salsa all night with some of the best male dancers in TO (pro and amateur), along with some casino. Probably the most memorable dance that night was with Rene of United Salseros who took me into so many newly innovative combinations that I had to keep my thinking cap on at all times! On Saturday, there was a preliminary competition at Park Avenue and many of the regulars decided to check it out. For whatever reason, Park was not overly crowded, but the patio was really nice since they've added greenery and lights to make it more cosy. Since it gets so hot inside, we danced outside most of the night to 90% salsa. It was a fun evening, made even more memorable by a new casino/steal-the-girl dance where you get couples to dance in-sync on the same beat, then try to steal each other's partners. What makes it hilarious is that the girls can be doing a rotation and voila, you have a new dance partner after you finished your turn. For the guys, sometimes they have to "salsa across" about 3-4 feet and around another couple to get to their new partner. That's a great way to have a blast with your friends or to make new ones. On Sunday, the TOsalsa team and friends decided to go to the El Rancho Boat Cruise which is always a blast -- cruising and dancing to salsa! The only disadvantage was the steel deck as a dance floor! Dance Tip: If you're wearing high heels, make sure you sit when you're not dancing so you don't limp off the boat! This time, they even extended the cruise an extra half-hour. Then we hit Left Bank, where alot of the regulars were already dancing up a storm! The show stopper of the evening was a dance between Oscar and Kathy of Strickly Salsa! If you want tons of non-stop energy and tricks during a super-fast salsa, this is the couple to watch -- especially when they're fired up to dance like it's the last dance of the night! Two moves which really caught my eye was the 360 flip she does in almost slow motion, and the new neck dip combination which is pretty well indescribable unless you watch it! What's amazing about the last few weeks is seeing again how the level of salsa has moved up another notch with the pros and the better dancers in Toronto in the past 6 months! August 7, 2000 Another eventful weekend! Well, we had a great time in Montreal partying and hanging out with old friends and new... If you have never visited Montreal -- you should. It was great to be able to walk around the downtown core from the Delta Hotel to the Old Montreal Waterfront. After attending three (3) salsa conventions this year, I think I've found the secret formula to balance the salsa convention merry-go-round -- make sure you make time to see the City! or all you will be talking about is how you went from the nightclub to the hotel to sleep for 4 hours, if you're lucky, then got up early to eat breakfast and change to rush to the workshops for the whole day without seeing sunlight then rush back to shower, change and have dinner, then rush back to the hotel for the dance shows and partying; and this same merry-go-round continues for at least 2-3 days. The Toronto Salsaweb Convention was my intro into the International Salsa Dance Circuit. We got to meet so many of the best dancers and instructors from around the world; and it was great to see them all in LA (as if you're old friends) a month later, and a few of them again in Montreal, such as Abbey (Mambo Mamas), Ismael (Caribbean Soul Dancers) from New Jersey, Nick from New York, and Seaon from LA. The funniest story for me was storing Mambo Mama's luggage in our room while we went for dinner... and she later asked if she could take a nap in our room; and how could I say no. I did warn her there was already four of us in the room and we were like a mad bunch of teenagers, bickering and negotiating who would use the shower first, all trying to get ready before the dance show started and all we did was talk her ear off about dancing; then she politely thanked us for housing her luggage and went on her way! I think she realized at that point she wouldn't be getting any sleep, but she is one cool lady to hang out with... I even had a short dance with her on "1" with her leading as Rene and Teddy were taking turns on the dance floor with me. But I will say that the funniest moment for me was the look of horror on the guys' faces when I said Mambo Mama was coming up for a nap! (and Mambo Mama, if you EVER happen to read this, hopefully you won't take it the wrong way -- after all, they are young pups...) And this week, the salsa merry-go-round doesn't end as a fellow salsera from Detroit, Katie (Berlin Amateur Dance Contestant) will be coming into town to party one night and who knows which clubs Seaon will frequent this week before the workshop! August 13, 2000 The "on 2" Invasion continues! Well, if any of you thought last week was eventful with the Montreal Salsa Congress, Toronto's Latin Fest and with Seaon in town partying in all the regular club hotspots all week and his great workshop this weekend... well another "on 2" dancer, Robert Vidal from New York, will be hitting our town starting tomorrow. He is not well-known on the International Salsa Scene circuit, but he's here on business and wants to check out the Toronto salsa scene! He apparently was part of the Addie Diaz Dance Company for a year and now teaches in Brooklyn, New York; and he can dance on 1 or 2. You can probably catch him in the following clubs: Monday at Society, Tues at Berlin, Wed at Babaluu/Park, Thurs at Babaluu, Fri at El Rancho and Sat at Park since it's the dance contest finals. For those of you who didn't get a chance to see Seaon in the clubs dancing, you missed a great opportunity to see a fabulous dancer who's diverse as a leader and a follower on 1 or 2. He has a very unique style which is so smooth, but then he'll throw in some great styling/footwork (shines) at the appropriate moment. He also has a great sense of humour! When I watched him as a follower with the guys and they allowed him to "show off" with some fancy footwork as the men stand with their legs apart; he totally cracked us up by doing some of those ladies' body rolls, kicks and/or would turn around and stick his butt right up to his partner. Hopefully before he leaves on Monday, I will have a chance to interview him about his dancing and his thoughts about Toronto and the International salsa dance scene. Apparently, everyone enjoyed his workshops and he plans to come back to Toronto sometime soon. Also, a few out-of-town guests were here this past weekend, click here for their comments about the Toronto dance scene. Other tidbits: Apparently Eddie Santiago and Son by Four are playing at the TLN Latin Carnival at Ontario Place this coming Sunday; and for those of you who love to enter dance contests, there's a competition starting in Montreal at Club 649 in September which offers $3,000 Cash for the 1st Prize, but you need to pay $30.00 to enter; and you need to compete over 3 nights to qualify as a semi-finalist. August 21, 2000 The "on 2" Invasion will continue this weekend... Unbelievable! Another week just flew by as I showed Robert Vidal, an "on 2" dancer-instructor from Brooklyn, New York our town! He was part of the Addie Diaz Dance Co. for a year, teaches Salsa part-time, and can dance on 1 or 2. What was a real treat was his easy-going, fun-loving nature that made him fit right in with everyone he met and/or danced with. Although he prefers to dance on 2, he would also dance on 1. What was interesting was that he brought a lot of his NY on 2 styling on 1, so it almost had the same "feel" as if you were dancing on 2 except for the timing. He wanted to check out the clubs each night, so we started last Monday at Society which was jam-packed due to Kleyber's birthday party. Many of the instructors and salsaholics showed up so I was able to introduce Robert to most of them. Tuesday, we hit Berlin and he mentioned that he enjoyed the layout and atmosphere the best of all the clubs we visited. Wednesday, we went to Babaluu with its latin roots night, and Robert danced Miami Casino Rueda as a "follower" with 4-5 couples in a circle dancing. Not bad for his first time, he was challenged with some advanced combinations. On Thursday, the partying really started as he didn't have to go back to work on Friday; and his brother and another friend from New York also joined us. We went back to Babaluu, closed the place and headed out for chinese food! On Friday we went shopping, then headed to El Rancho's; and can these New Yorkers party, even during the dance set. And finally, on Saturday, they had a whirlwind tour of the Beaches, downtown, massage, whirlpool, then over to Park Avenue since they had their dance competition finals. It was disappointing to have Robert witness a contest in which the caliber of the dancing was not up to the same standards as the Berlin Competition in March. The performances were not as polished from a technical standpoint, although they had nice costumes and some great tricks. The style was based on the Toronto Cumbia style of dancing with some choreography and basic shines. In my opinion, none of the couples would have made the top 3 spots if they had competed at Berlin with the same routine. What was a real shame was that Pawel and Dora, the Berlin champions, were not allowed to compete because of complaints from other contestants that it wouldn't be fair if they entered. What would Robert's fondest memories be of Toronto -- probably all the nice people he met, the hot looking young ladies he will never forget; and the only route he could remember -- the car drive from my place to and from their hotel. My fondest memories of our guests -- their fun and easy-going nature, my take on their New YORK accent and BONGO bucks (their nickname for our money). Well, this week will be a little calmer until Sunday with the last El Rancho Boat Cruise. Then you can kick-start your week on Monday at the Embassy Cafe Farewell Salsa Party or at Society where DJ Henry Knowles from NY will be judging a DJ competition finals. September 3, 2000 What to look forward to during the month of September... Fall Salsa Dance Classes will be starting probably within the next 2 weeks with most schools. For those of you who want to add another dimension to your dancing ability, why not add international-style ballroom lessons. One of my favourite dance clubs is Dance Club Blue-Silver Inc. at Embers, on Warden Ave, just south of Eglinton. It's a great bargain at $82.50 for 15 weeks. The teacher is Jeff Hennson who's been teaching for 35 years! I've been going there for two years to learn how to dance ballroom socially, but also paying attention to his instructions on technique. Their open house is Sept. 5th with classes starting on Monday, Sept. 11th and Tuesday, Sept. 12th (Info Line: 416-657-2660). Last week was pretty eventful, but it was impossible to attend every function. If you were able to attend any events not mentioned below, please email me and I will post it. On Monday, I hit Frank's Embassy Cafe Farewell Salsa Bash, which was busy considering the fact that Society was having their DJ Competition Finals. We all had a chance, male or female, to have a dance with Frank. As usual, Teddy of United Salseros was up to his usual antics, by imitating various dancers who were there, but he had a little difficulty trying to imitate Frank as he has some unusual combinations, but we were all thoroughly entertained. On Tuesday, I hit Tequila's as it was Michelle of United Salsero's surprise birthday bash and you know that most of the "regulars" would be there to help her celebrate. It was a fun evening as you could choose either to dance or mingle to about 90% salsa. Tequila is growing to become the alternative to Berlin's on Tuesdays as you can attend a dance lesson and have one non-alcoholic drink for only $5. On Friday, I attended the Salsa Fund Raiser by 4 on the Floor Productions. It was a nice evening dancing on a 2600 sq. ft. wooden floor to Vibrason and Klave Y Kongo at Capitol Event Theatre. In their admission price, they also included a lesson from Paula and Jose of Dance 2 Live, and an elegant Argentine dance exhibition by Elizabeth Sadowska with Rodolfo Aguerrodi from Buenos Aires. They danced the Argentine milonga, waltz and the tango. Dancers from Los Salsomanos and United Salseros were there mingling and dancing, along with many other dancers and TO instructors. And on Sunday, I hit Left Bank which has become a popular alternative for the "regulars" to Babaluu's. Next month... the article continues on amateurs and I would like your comments, positive or negative; and who you would consider the the most salsa-addicted male and female. |