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One of the highlights of the Detroit Congress and one of the main reasons
I wanted to go was to watch, take lessons and hopefully get a chance
to talk to Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin in person! Back in April,
2001, I was lucky enough to go to Hush Nightclub on a Monday, where
they occasionally hang out socially. At an opportune moment, I introduced
myself and quickly got a picture with them. I knew they probably didn't
want to be bothered, so I respected that and would take the opportunity
to possibly get to know them in Detroit.
 I
was so excited as I have watched them for the past 5 years on TV at
the Ohio Star Ball and other ballroom specials. They are, in my opinion,
one of the more progressive and innovative latin ballroom dance couples.
They have such hot and steamy moves and tricks which translates into
their latin ballroom dances, such as cha cha and rumba, but also into
their own interpretation of the mambo and swing dances.
I
was pleasantly surprised that they remembered me from New York, and
said I was looking forward to taking their workshop. I had taken ballroom
dance classes with some of the top Toronto instructors, but I'll consider
that preparation for what I was about to learn from Tony and Melanie.
I was truly impressed by their cha cha and rumba workshops -- in one
short hour each, they showed us a basic pattern, using their own signature
choreography and styling; and with their many years of training and
experience was able to break down the technique simply enough that you
were able to follow their own interpretive styling. This totally blew
me away as not one instructor in Toronto so far has been able to break
it down so simplistically. At this point, I knew I had to have a chance
to interview a couple we only see on television, and they were kind
enough to agree. I was to meet them backstage after their Saturday night
performance where they performed a swing, cha cha and a rumba.
 After
all the performances, I quickly went backstage to find them. It was
so unbeliev-able to find that the backstage area turned out to be the
kitchen, but I guess the dancers make do with what's available. Many
of the dancers were still backstage chatting together, and I hoped they
were still in the mood to chat. Luckily for me, they were and we quickly
found a "quiet area" near the kitchen and sat down.
What
worried me the most was that I was totally not prepared and not sure
what questions I would ask, but relied on my past experiences and remembrances
of their dance routines on television and used that as my guideline.
I knew once the interview had started, it would flow on its own; and
it did, for two full hours. If it hadn't had been so late and the fact
they had to teach the next morning at 10 am, we probably would be there
still talking. Please note that most of this is from memory as I didn't
have a dictaphone back then.
What struck me most about this couple during our conversation is their
total respect for each other and their total oneness that you don't
always see between two people -- I think that is one of their strengths,
that they complement each other so well. In our conversation, they were
constantly deferring to each other -- maybe this is one of the ingredients
towards being a great dance couple!
Our
chat...
 How
did you meet?
Actually, they had a very long detailed answer, but all I could
recall was that they met during a West Coast swing club and have been
together since.
How did you get involved in the salsa scene?
This was a fun question as they really had to think hard to remember.
After all, they've danced ballroom mambo, which is a variation of the
salsa dance, but it was probably around the time they were chosen to
become part of "Dance with Me". On the movie set, not only
did they have an opportunity to work with Vanessa Williams and Chayanne;
but they got to meet and know many of the LA dancers, such as Joby &
Luis Vasquez, Josie Neglia, Rogelio, and so on. They appreciated the
talent of many of these dancers.
From there, they got interested in salsa dancing and checked out the
scene back in their hometown, New York City. They
also did a Mambo Marathon at the Copacabana where they met Henry Knowles
who invited them down to participate in the Puerto Rico Salsa Congress
in July, 2000; and they enjoyed every minute of it.
What do they think about the salsa syllabus idea?
They felt that salsa didn't need a syllabus as it would probably affect
the spontaneity of the dance. They also recognized that it was more
street-style and had its influences from many different styles of dance.
Which salsa dancers did they think have great potential?
They mentioned the Vasquez brothers in LA and Frankie Martinez from
NYC.
 How
do they come up with the ideas for their signature moves/tricks?
This question was interesting as it kind of affirmed one of my theories
about dancing -- most of the time they didn't concentrate on coming
up with moves, they would get inspired while dancing or it would happen
by accident. Mainly, the music tells them what to do.
Do
they get inspired by other dancers?
They mentioned that they really didn't compare themselves or studied
other dancers, but concentrated more on their own style and what felt
and looked good for them.
Do
they watch themselves or have copies of their own videos?
Kind
of a trick question, because they do have videotapes of themselves,
but don't like to watch them because they're never satisfied with what
they see. You could almost call this a variation of what dancers in
Toronto do -- you may not like what you see, but you watch it to find
out what to improve.
Being
a dancer, do they have a workout routine or regimen they follow?
When they were competing, they practiced between 3-5 hours per day,
plus the gym, and would take training in other forms of dance, such
as African and Flamenco, to expand their knowledge of dance and have
things to pull ideas from.
 Do
they have any other hobbies besides dancing?
This question caught them by surprise and they seemed abit perplexed.
They candidly told me that dancing was their whole life; they live it
and breathe it every day; and actually didn't have time for much else.
Plus they were in the midst of opening up a their first studio in Times
Square in New York City.
And I even had the nerve to boldly sneak in another question, "Since
they had some pets, that maybe they were ready for another type of pet".
Melanie took it in stride and mentioned they were happy and content
with their life as it was.
In summary, this was a "dream come true" interview for me
as I have always wanted to meet them, and I wasn't disappointed at all;
and hope to again meet up with them again at the Congresso or possibly
the next time I go to New York. For me personally, I wish they had been
living in Toronto, as I would love to absorb some of their vast knowledge
and talent.
What was also another exciting moment for me was receiving an email
from Melanie after she went back to NYC. I guess I made such an impression
on her that she had gone to my site and actually found the time to email
me back...
May
27, 2001
Hi Rose, Well no wonder your site is a full time job!!! I did not
go through everything but what I did see was excellent information.
It was very nice meeting you this weekend. Let me know when you
will be in New York again and maybe we could do lunch. Wishing you
continued success on your web site. Sincerely, Melanie LaPatin |
 And
now that I've completed this interview, almost a year later, as promised,
I sent a copy of it to Melanie who basically had very little changes
to what I remembered, and gave me a quick update of what they were up
to. As suspected, they've cut back on offers for touring and shows as
their new 2500 sq. ft. dance studio, Dance Times Square, was keeping
them really busy.
They were also busy working as co-choreographers on the new "Dirty
Dancing" musical which is presently in the works. They had auditions
in New York City late last year, and Frankie Martinez mentioned he even
tried out for it, and made it to a second try-out, but wasn't chosen,
as their style of dancing didn't suit the style of mambo they wanted
to portray.
And when can you get another glimpse of them, well, maybe one day, when
things calm down a little with their studio in NYC, we can entice them
down to Toronto for a visit or possibly they'll hit another congresso
in the future; but you can probably see them occasionally in a latin
club in NYC, like I did!
Tony
Meredith and Melanie LePatin
U.S. Latin Dance Champions
DanceTimesSquare Studio
Please call (212) 994-9500 or e-mail info@dancetimesquare.com
Other Links of Interest...
Tony and Melanie's
Website - DanceTimesSquare.com
Detroit
Pics -
Pics by JustSalsa.com
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