Get Your Tickets NOW, Salsa Crazy Cruise, 2009, Mexican Riviera!!!

Do you have your Tickets for the

Salsa Crazy Cruise?

Salsa Crazy is taking salseros from all over the world to the Mexican Riviera for what will be one of the best vacations of their life.

If you love to travel, if you love to see new and exciting places, meet new and interesting people, and of course, salsa dance….. then there is no reason to wait for this opportunity. Join us on Salsa Crazy’s Cruise to the Mexican Riviera, January 25th - February 1st.

The SalsaCrazyCruise is setting sail to the Mexican Riviera, AKA Paradise!
WITH LIVE SUPER-BAND CHINO ESPINOZA ONBOARD!!!

WHO SHOULD COME?

Everyone! This cruise is a great vacation for all ages, and all skill levels (yes, even beginners). Singles, Couples, groups of friends, all are welcome!

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Julio Bravo LIVE at Cafe Cocomo, Saturday NOV. 1st

LIVE SALSA WITH

JULIO BRAVO Y SU ORQUESTA SALSABOR

Saturday, November 1st 2008

Cafe Cocomo
650 Indiana St.
San Francisco, CA

Doors open at 7:30pm
Salsa Lesson with Salsa by Jake at 8:00pm
DJ Ivette Fuentes ” La Coqui” at 9:00pm

Cover Charge:

$10 Before 10:00pm and $15 after 10:00pm

About Julio Bravo:

Julio Bravo was born in Lima, Peru.
He demonstrated his passion for the arts at a very early age appearing on children’s television programs, school plays and several theatrical productions.

Julio arrived in the United States in 1989 with high musical
aspirations and began performing with “Trio Los Chalanes,”
becoming increasingly popular within the Latin American
community, particularly the Peruvian community.

In 1991 Julio appeared on the television show “Buscando Estrellas” -the Latin version of Star Search- making it to the finals and giving him a tremendous amount of exposure and opportunities. Julio joined Orquesta Internacional in 1992, performed regularly throughout Northern California gaining individual notoriety and was increasingly in demand as the featured act.

In 1994, Julio decided to assemble his own orchestra, Salsabor.
Based in San Francisco, California, Julio Bravo started recruiting
talented musicians and securing bookings for the band at local
nightclubs and private venues.

Julio has recorded two Peruvian music albums: “Jarana Peruana” and “Cerca de Ti” and is currently working on his first salsa CD featuring his original compositions. Julio’s unique interpretations and distinctive style are the band’s trademarks.

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Salsa Halloween with Julio Bravo at Roccapulco, San Francisco.

1st Annual Halloween Costume Salsa Bash!!

Roccapulco
3140 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA

With Incredible Live Salsa Band:

Julio Bravo y su Orquesta Salsabor

Live from Roccapulco Supper Club

Friday October 31st, 2008

$1000 Worth of Cash and Prizes!

Dress up, get crazy, and dance the night away!

Don’t miss this amazing Halloween Salsa Event!

Roccapulco is an internationally renowned Salsa Club and restaurant in San Francisco. Information - Age for admission: 21 and over; Dress code enforced; Doors Open: 8:00pm. Cover Charge: $10.00 Friday and Saturday before 9:30pm, except for special events.

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Halloween Salsa Crazy DVD Salsa!!!

Don’t Miss this Scarily Cheap Opportunity!!

Salsa Crazy has an amazing dance dvd sale going on until Halloween at Midnight!! Don’t miss the opportunity to bring your dancing to the next level with the number one best selling salsa dvd’s in the world!!

Join SalsaCrazy’s in learning some of the most popular dances this Halloween!

Get 30% off each and every DVD we offer…
or chose between our incredible Package Deals.

Learn Salsa, Bactaha, Merengue, Cha Cha Cha, or Any Ballroom Dance Today!

Sale Ends Halloween Night, So Act Now before it’s too late!

Click here to take advantage of the

Halloween Sale!

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Announcing: The 2009 Hawaii Salsa Festival!!!

The 2009 Hawaii Salsa Dance Festival!

Have your tickets yet? Reserved your inexpensive

flight? Do it!!

February 5 - 8, 2009!

Experience the Music, Passion, Dancing & Spirit of Aloha in Paradise…

Aloha and Welcome to Hawaii. We hope you enjoy your visit here in the island of Oahu and are able to Experience the Music, Passion, Dancing and Spirit of Aloha in Paradise.

Featuring The Son Caribe Band
The Number 1 Choice of Latin Music in Hawaii

World Salsa Championship Top 3 Competitors:

• John and Liz - SalsaMania, San Francisco
• Judah and Sunshine - Aloha Rumberos, Honolulu
• Ana and Joel - Mazacote Dance Company, Boston

Hawaii’s Premier Salsa DJ’s:
DJ Rod & DJ Ray w/ DJ Judah (Hawaii) & DJ Corwin (Utah)

Visit HawaiiSalsaFestival.com for more info…

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Conjunto Karabali LIVE at Jelly’s Havana Cafe, San Francisco

Karabali LIVE at Jellys’ Havana Cafe

Sunday October 26th, 2008

Jelly’s Havana Cafe
295 Terry Francois St
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 495-3099

4:00pm / Cover: $10.00

About Karabali:

Conjunto Karabali is the Bay Area’s newest and hottest Latin dance band, featuring some of the finest talent in the Latin music field. The band is co-led by 2 of the United States’ most renowned percussionists, Mike Spiro and Karl Perazzo, who have joined forces to create a group specifically for the dancer’s enjoyment.

They describe Karabali’s style as “old school” salsa, and they bring to the Bay Area for the first time the traditional NY conjunto sound, popularized by Johnny Pacheco, Conjunto Clasico and Conjunto Libre. This band is about swing and joyful energy, and the dancers can’t wait to hit the floor when Karabali kicks into high gear.

The band boasts a who’s-who of SF Latin music all-stars in its line-up, starting of course with its leaders, Mike and Karl. These two internationally recognized drummers have performed and recorded with almost every major Latin artist of the last 30 years, from Eddie Palmieri to Carlos Santana, from Tito Puente to Celia Cruz.

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Orquesta America LIVE at the Ramp, San Francisco

Eric Rangel y Su Orquesta America LIVE!!

Saturday, October 25th 2008

The Ramp
855 Terry Francois St
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 621-2378

Free Cover before 4:30 / Cover $10.00 after 4:30

About Eric Rangel y Su Orquesta America:

After many years of recording and performing with some of the best Latin bands on the West Coast, Eric Rangel decided to venture out and in May 1997 he started Orquesta America.

He has assembled some of the Bay Area’s finest musical talent.

His list of musicians are second to none, with vocalists such as Cuba’s own Ramon “Monchy” Esteves with over 100 recordings under his belt, also brother (recording artist) Rick Rangel better known for his work with classic Charanga bands such as Tipica Cienfuegos & Orquesta Batachanga.

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Edgardo & Candela “Celebrando 20 Anos” CD Release Party! Yoshi’s San Francisco

Pan Caliente Records and Yoshi’s Present:

Edgardo & Candela “Celebrando 20 Anos”

CD Release Party!

Tuesday, October 28th 2008, at Yoshi’s, San Francisco

Yoshi’s SF

1330 Fillmore St. @ Eddy

San Francisco, CA

Shows: 8:00pm ($16) and 10:00pm ($10)

Buy Tickets for the 10pm show before October 27th

and get $3.00 off our new CD!

“Candela”: Jeff Cressman, Sandy Cressman, Julio Areas, Bob Karty, David Belove, Abel Figueroa, Marty Wehner, Omar Ledezma and Edgardo Cambon.

Plus special guests: Jason McGuire, Seth Asarnow; “LaTiDo”: Juan Ceballos, Camilo Landau,  Steve Senft. Tango dancers: Ramina & Marcelo. Flamenco dancers: Fanny Ara, Melissa Cruz, Kerensa DeMars.  Urugrayan Candombe drummers: Walter Gonzales, Jorge Dominquez, Natalia Bernal, members of Las Bomberas de la Bahia, and many surprise guests.

Tuesday, October 28, at Yoshi’s San Francisco

1330 Fillmore St. at Eddy San Francisco

Shows: 8:00pm ($16) and 10:00pm ($10)

Open Dance Floor + All Ages Welcome!

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San Francisco’s Secret Salsa Spot, Cigar Bar and Grill

Cigar Bar & Grill
850 Montgomery Street
(at Gold St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
www.cigarbarandgrill.com

About the Cigar Bar:

Tucked away, down some inconspicuous stairs on Montgomery Street in North Beach, you will find a San Francisco Jewel called the Cigar Bar. It attracts locals and foreigners from all different parts of the world. I feel like I am being transported to some little place in Spain or Cuba when I enter the warmly lit bar. I am drawn in by the live Latin music playing from the small tiled dance-floor.

This isn’t your normal Salsa Club, well it isn’t a Salsa Club at all. It is a place where people go to enjoy a selection of tapas, great tequila (well this is a personal note), wine, live music, cigars of course, and now salsa dancing.

It feels a bit how salsa dancing was born, not in the big clubs, but in small venues where people are drinking, dining and then letting the music move them to the dance-floor.

Music:

The Cigar Bar & Grill is a leading San Francisco venue to hear live music. We are committed to providing mainstream & Latin Jazz from leading Bay Area Musicians. Don’t miss out on a truly unique San Francisco music experience!

Live Music every Thursday at 9:30pm, and Friday & Saturday nights at 10pm

Offering the Bay Area’s best in Salsa, Cuban Son, Merengue, Samba, and Afro Cubano

Salsa Dancing, Latin Dancing encouraged!

Drinks:

The Cigar Bar & Grill features a comprehensive selection of premium rums, single malts, cognacs, wines and ports. The Mojito is a favorite specialty amongst the guests as is the house made Sangria. Try the Caipirihna made with Brazil’s Cachaca, fresh lime juice and sugar.

Food:

The Cigar Bar & Grill features tasty rustic foods prepared with care. Whether it’s bar favorites like hot wings, calamari and fish tacos - to fine dinners like pistachio crusted king salmon or fork tender beef shortribs, The Cigar Bar provides delicious meals to please all palettes in the casual dining atmosphere.

Monday-Thursday from 5:00pm - 10:00pm

Friday from 5:00pm - 11:00pm

Saturday from 6:00pm - 11:00pm

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Don’t miss the 5th Annual Tribute to Percussion

5th Annual Tribute to Percussion

with Live Salsa Bands

Wednesday October 22nd, 2008

Shattuck Down Low
2284 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
$10 Cover/$5 for students

Thursday October 23nd, 2008

Cafe Cocomo
Mariposa and 19th St., near hwy 280
650 Indiana St., San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 824-6910
Cover: $15.00

This is a very special annual event that you won’t want to miss.  Come see the tribute to Percussion featuring

Little Johnny Rivero and Ralph Irizarry with Karl Perazzo, Michael Spiro, Edgardo Cambon, and Karabali.

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Saoco Performing LIVE at Mambo’s Salsa Live, Oakland

SAOCO LIVE AT MAMBO’S SALSA LIVE

Saturday, November 1 2008

—–Salsa Lesson at 8:30pm—–

—–Band Plays  10:00pm - 1:00am—–

COVER: $15.00

Mambo’s Salsa Live
474 Roland Way
Oakland, CA

About Saoco:

Leyder “Dos Four” Chapman was born in Holguin, Eastern Cuba and raised in Havana.  He left his family and career as a professional basketball player on the Cuban National Basketball team to pursue the “American Dream”.  In 2001, bound for the Goodwill Games in Australia with a layover in Los Angeles, he chose to remain in the U.S., knowing he would not be able to see his family or country for at least five years in exchange for the feedom to pursue a life of his own choosing.

Chapman’s talent for perfoming started at a young age.  Even though he excelled in athletics, he was always dedicated to his love for music and dance, and he continued to develop his skills as a lyricist and composer.
At the age of nine, he began performing in various talent groups in and out of school: dance troops; theater clubs; chorus; and playing percussion.  He wrote his first song, “Yo Te Amo Verdad,” at age fourteen.

Not until Chapman arrived in Oakland, CA was he able to fully commit his time to creating music and choreographing dance.  His entreprenerial spirit drove him first to become a professional dance instructor teaching casino-style salsa classes and rueda workshops.  He quickly developed a large following throughout the Bay Area because of his unique, highly energetic teaching style and dynamically infectious performance spirit.  He is the founder of the “Estrellas Cubanas” dance group and in 2004, he founded SAOCO, a band specializing in the fusion of Cuban rhythms with popular reggaeton.  He also established Elegua Music, his own recording company.  His first CD, “La Farandula” was released in lat 2005, and he is currently working on his second SAOCO album scheduled for release in late 2006.

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Orquesta Bakan LIVE at the Ramp, San Francisco

Last Saturday at the Ramp with Orquesta Bakan

Saturday, October 18th 2008

The Ramp
855 Terry Francois St
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 621-2378

This Saturday come early and party with Orquesta Bakan at The Ramp.  This waterfront club has been great all year and always jam packed.  This will be the grand finally this year for the Ramp’s outside entertainment.  We will have celebrations for both our singers, Cafe’s birthday, and Fernando’s welcom back from his tour of duty in Iraq.  We normally would start at 5:00pm however we will start this Saturday at 4:30pm

About Orquesta Bakan:

This high-energy Orquesta consists of some of the finest musicians in Northern California.

A nice blend of experienced, and up and coming young talent is reflected in their showmanship.

On vocals are, Victor “Cafe” August and Fernando “Nando” Wilkins. On Trumpets, Tom Bertetta and John Ruff. On Bari Sax, Peter Cornell, and on Trombones Doug Beavers, and Mike Rinta. Christian Tumalan on Piano, and Carlos Ramirez on Electric Bass.

Eric Mendez on Timbales, Sean Zuniga on Congas, and Director Jose Guaman on Bongos/Vocals. Each member brings the flavor of his country ranging from Puerto Rico, Panama, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, and the USA.

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Bachata Workshops with Bachata King, Rodchata. Sacramento

About Rodchata:

Rodney “Rodchata” Aquino is a world renown Latin Dance teacher. Solely responsible for contributing and popularizing bachata and salsa dance in San Francisco Bay Area, RODCHATA, as bachateros intimately calls him, has been in the Latin Dance scene for over 15 years and is considered one of the foremost authority in salsa and bachata dance.

A certified instructor, his dance background includes Latin International Ballroom, salsa (on1, on2 mambo, and Cuban son, Casino), chachacha, merengue and bachata (traditional and modern). His 1st encounter of the bachata dance was in the East Coast in the 90’s. He embarked himself into dancing bachata and studying the culture ever since.

Contact: Roxana - roxanaboreggo@hotmail.com

Tel: (916) 428-3210

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Avance LIVE at Cafe Cocomo, Saturday, October 18th!!

AVANCE Live at Cafe Cocomo

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

Come See the Bay Area’s Hottest Salsa Band Live at Cafe Cocomo This Saturday October 4th, 2008

Cafe Cocomo

650 INDIANA STREET | SAN FRANCISCO, CA. | 415-824-6910

*Salsa lesson by Jake at 8:00pm

*Band starts at 10:00pm

*Cafe Cocomo’s bar and grill is open for happy hour & dinner

*Half Price on all Drinks from 5pm-7pm

*Cover: $10 before 10pm / $20 after 10pm

About AVANCE:

Avance Originates and consists of the hottest and newest talents the San Francisco Bay Area has come to know. Four electrifying, bilingual singers, a sizzling horn section, and one of the best rhythm sections on the West Coast. You put this all together and you get a new and unique sound that crosses the language barrier: Spanish and English. Leading the group is Carlos Santana percussionist, Karl Perazzo, and Co-Founder/Vocalist Armando Cordoba.

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Berlin Salsa Congress Review, 2008

Berlin Salsa Congress 2008

Review by Sydney Hutchinson

If you needed any more proof of the salsa explosion that has been going on around the world for the past few years, you only needed to look as far as the flyer table at the Berlin Salsa Congress this year.

In just that one square meter of tabletop, I picked up flyers for salsa congresses and festivals in Poland, Switzerland, Morocco, Estonia, the UK, Slovenia, Greece, Turkey, Monaco, two cities in the Netherlands, and three cities in Germany. When I started performing in New York in 2000, salsa hadn’t yet been heard of in most of these places. Or maybe it was just that New York can still be so insular and cliquish as a scene. Whatever the case, this is one of the great attractions of being a salsera/o today: you never know who you’ll meet next, or where you’ll end up.

This year’s Berlin Salsa Congress was the eighth held in Germany’s capital under the leadership of Franco, from the Berlin dance company Pura Salsa. The international theme of this Congress was maintained throughout the weekend. The twenty-nine instructors hailed from a variety of countries, reflecting both the new realities of the EU as well as the organizers’ efforts to include greater diversity. The US, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Italy, Switzerland, and even India were all represented in the classroom.

This year, organizers aimed to capitalize on the growing interest in both men’s and ladies’ styling classes. Tamambo and Neeraj both taught men’s movement to full houses. The concept of men’s styling hadn’t yet appeared on the scene back when I was teaching with Razz M’Tazz, and I found it inspiring to see a roomful of fearless men working together to learn how to better use their bodies. Surely this represents a step forward for both genders! (We ladies love to see a man who can really do a body roll.)

In a new twist this year, women had the option of purchasing a “Ladies’ Experience” pass instead of a traditional weekend pass. The idea was that this pass would allow women who wanted to work on improving their dancing without worrying about a partner to enjoy smaller class sizes taught by women, for women. From what I heard in the ladies’ styling classes I attended, students were bothered by the fact that passes weren’t controlled at the door, or the courses clearly marked, so that many women with regular passes were able to attend the “Ladies’ Experience” too. This small problem did not detract from my enjoyment of the classes taught by Susana Montero, Magna Gopal, Karima (Majusee, Paris), and Karel (Yamulee). Each woman had a different take on the concept of ladies’ styling. Together, Karima’s zest, Magna’s precise counts, Susana’s attention to detail, and Karel’s focus on body movement made for a well-rounded experience.

Dancers Prithviraj and Ree from Bangalore, India brought one of the most unusual choreographies to the conference, performing and teaching a number they called “Salsa Bollywood” that included sections in both of the named dance styles. Prithviraj has extensive experience choreographing popular dances for South Indian films, so it seemed natural for him to go on to salsa. He and partner Ree now teach the style in their Bangalore dance studio, “Rock Around the Clock.” Whenever salsa successfully moves to a new location, there is a temptation to try to create a local or national style of salsa by combining it with local dances. One successful example of such an effort can be found in Mexico City dancers Victor and Gaby’s creation of “salsa con quebradita.” The difficulty is in finding out how to combine the two types of movement into a unified whole. The next challenge for these two will be to find a single kind of music and movement that expresses a combined sensibility. Instead of separating the two styles into different sections, can one combine Bollywood moves with partner work and do them to salsa? What about vice versa? Ree and Prithviraj have taken a first step and seem to be well on their way to answering these questions in the future.

The evening shows at the Berlin Salsa Congress were well run and professional, although there was a bit too much talking between numbers for some tastes. On Saturday night, the roaring twenties theme went well with the neighborhood’s sense of history, as the event was held in Columbiahalle next to the old Tempelhof airport. The audience responded enthusiastically to all the acts, but there were several standout performances. For instance, the classic New York style on-2 mambo by Yamulee Dancers was technically flawless with impressive spins and footwork. Iris de Brito’s creative choreography used modern dance technique to fuse Cuban movement with the music and dancing of her native Angola. And Italy’s Marco B and his Flamboyán Dancers impressed twice with two equally innovative numbers. In one, the dancers evoked the experience of spirit possession, helped by tunics that were used to alternately cover or reveal their faces. The other combined the suggestion of mimes and puppetry with movements depicting the range of emotions all dancers experience through the processes of choreography and rehearsal, from frustration and anxiety to ultimate joy. The latter was surely the feeling most of the audience experienced upon watching Marco B’s exceptional performance.

Tired but happy, I left the congress on Sunday with the impression that, while salsa is still growing, it is far from having peaked. The number and quality of dancers from all over the world at this event reminded me of why salsa is so popular and so important in many of our lives. It brings together people who would never have the opportunity to meet and converse if it weren’t for the dance. It demonstrates that you don’t have to look a certain way or have a certain body type to be beautiful. Most of all, it lets you step outside of your day job and your everyday self, to just feel, just enjoy, just dance.

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Do’s and Dont’s Part 2: The Guys Speak Out This Time

This is Part Two of Do’s and Dont’s of Leader and Followers on the Dance Floor. If you haven’t read Part One, check it out here.

(Rising crescendo): Ladies and gentlemen - Here now the long awaited (drum roll please) Part 2 of Turn-Offs on the Dance Floor, this time featuring what specifically turns guys off about the girls! For those of you just tuning in, I recently did a completely unscientific study of what bugs women most about men on the dance floor - What kinds of things turn them off the most. The results (see my previous article in the salsa archive) were interesting if not surprising, and my hope is that they may plant a few seeds, open some eyes and perhaps in some small way help us all out. You know, it’s so easy, just in general in life, to get caught up in whatever it is we’re doing and (not maliciously) forget that what we’re doing effects those around us, sometimes not very nicely either, no matter how well-meaning we are.

Of course if you’re not well-meaning, well, then what I’ve been writing isn’t going to help you or change anything, nor are you likely to read this or anything else that you might find critical. You’ll continue to be a self-aggrandizing fool that’s the only one who thinks you’re really doing any good out there, and you’ll never have enough narcissistic self-feedback to feel satisfied with yourself or anyone else. Sorry, am I being too vague?

Seriously, though - I think that most of us, by a huge margin, really are well-meaning, and really are open to feedback and really are willing to take a look at ourselves and change if it seems that it might help us and those we dance with. If I may generalize, dancers are on the whole very nice, respectful, good people, and however critical I may sound please remember that that is my basic premise. My intention in these articles is to raise some consciousness, not ire, so please take whatever I say in that spirit.

Some general comments: First, and quite interestingly, overall I found that guys had a much harder time coming up with complaints about the ladies than the ladies did about them. There were a lot less specific things guys mentioned that turns them off on the dance floor. “Why is that?” you might ask. Well, at least it’s the question I asked, and I came up with four possible explanations (which are not mutually exclusive):

1) Guys are less picky, more tolerant and less likely to complain. They just enjoy the positive and don’t make big deals out of the negatives. Further, men are just less likely in general to complain than women are.

2) Guys just appreciate the dance more and as such are more likely to overlook their partner’s faults. One respondent stated: “I am usually just happy to be dancing with someone.”

3) Guys are so grossly over the top in their bad qualities that the women’s shortcomings pale by comparison, leaving, relatively speaking, very little to righteously complain about. One (male) respondent aptly put it: “The freaky-women to freaky-guy ratio out on any given night is very small in my opinion…We really have no leg to stand on [as it were] when it comes to complaining.”

4) Women are just objectively and in general better behaved/mannered and more considerate and respectful than men are. This, of course, gets reflected on the dance floor and therefore there is simply less about them to complain about.

Another general observation is that a disproportionate number of the guys’ complaints were of ladies’ behavior off the dance floor, while in the previous survey, most, if not all of the girls’ complaints about the guys were of the guys’ behavior during the dance itself. Interesting. Let’s get back to that later, ok? You’ll see what I mean.

First I want to digress profanely for a moment, if I may - Try this - Go back over everything that I just wrote (starting with “Some general comments:”) with sex in mind instead of dancing. Yeah, right?! Sorry - I know it’s off-topic but some things are just too funny to be ignored. Please forgive me. Now, where were we? Oh, yeah…ok…

Compare and contrast:

One of the biggest complaints women had about men in my previous survey was grossness and sleaziness - bad breath, body odor, inappropriate touching, groping, etc. This was, almost unanimously, a non-issue for the male respondents. Bad breath and excessive sweat were mentioned very briefly by only two guys. None mentioned inappropriate touching or groping. One guy, interestingly, mentioned getting violated by too much eye contact! So women score for hygiene and for manners/respect during the dance.

But where women came up way shorter than men was on the issue of respect, consideration, and rudeness off the dance floor! There was a clear gender differential here, with men seeing women as much more prone to being rude than women seeing men that way. One common complaint was: Turning you down for a dance and then dancing with someone else, often in the same song. If I turn someone down I one: Certainly do not dance with someone else to the same song and two: Find that person later and ask her to dance.

You know folks, dancing, like life, isn’t, or shouldn’t be, all about “What’s in it for me.” It’s about, or should be about, at least as I see it, giving, passing on joy, and letting it come back around to you; and come back it will, I promise. I will make you an absolute guarantee right here and now: If you do something for someone (like dance with her/him) even when you don’t want to, you will go home feeling better about yourself. I promise. Try it.

Another frequent guys’ complaint was about women (and you ladies know who you are) who only dance with their little clique of “cool guys”(e.g. Cubans) and forget that we all were beginners once; and that perhaps the reason guys wanted to dance with you when you were just beginning had a lot more to do with your cleavage than your dance skills or your natural charm. I make it a point, in life in general, to try to give away what was given to me, so I try to always ask a beginner to dance. Because I know what it’s like to sit there all night and try to muster up the courage to ask a girl to dance and then that feeling of I can’t wait till the song is over because she must be hating every minute of this, etc., etc., etc. Be kind, people - It’s always a good investment.

A couple of guys with girlfriends expressed (understandable) amazement that some women have the audacity to interrupt them while they are cozying up with their significant others and ask the guy to dance, while ignoring his girlfriend! Ladies, what’s up with that? Really, I would like someone who does this to explain that one to me! Please, I’ll give you five bucks, ok? The other off-the-floor complaint that came up more than a few times was that women get into all these little (or not-so-little) dramas with each other and others, that it creates a real “negative energy,” and it was kindly suggested, and I’ll second that motion, that you leave that drama at home, or anywhere else.

The narcissistic dancer was noted by men and women, but there seem to be a lot more men narcissistists than women, at least based on my non-scientific (but very astute, brilliant, entertaining and non-narcissistic) survey. Some of the guys’ comments that would fall into this category were: “…they dance by themselves, not paying attention to the lead.” Not making eye contact was a very common complaint. Don’t worry, ladies, we are not going to interpret a sweet glance as a sex proposal, ok? And if we do you should have the appropriate tools to deal with it. Look at me. Smile. I alluded to this in my first article but I’ll say it more specifically here: A dance is a brief and intimate and sensuous and completely compartmentalized encounter. It neither implies nor suggests anything at all beyond the parameters of the song that happens to be playing at that moment. Anyway, here’s what I do when a woman has her eyes all over the place except on me while I’m dancing with her: I just stop and ask, “Who are you looking for? Do you need to stop? Can I help you find him/her?” That usually puts an end to it, as well as my ever dancing with her again.

Several guys spoke of women acting overly dramatic on the dance floor - One, (I love this!) called it “Faux Latin Passion,” - The attempt at looking sexy but really looking more like you’re “convulsing on the dance floor.” Another respondent called it the “over-dramatic-look-at-me super crackhead watch-me-shine dancers.” Now that description needs no further comment, and I think we’ve all seen it. It’s not sexy. It’s silly.

Some of the complaints were the same as the ladies’: Not a strong enough connection, too strong of a connection, being disengaged. In comparing the women’s and men’s’ peeves most of the common ground was in the area of lack of awareness and consideration - for your partner and for others: Being aware of space, of other dancers, connecting with your partner, being present with your partner and for your partner, making (and breaking!) eye contact, and overall just trying to make your partner feel special and allow him/her to make you feel special. Can’t we all do that for five or six minutes at a time? Once again, my friends, it all comes down to kindness and respect, and not being totally clueless.

Since this is my article, I’ll take the liberty to list my own personal pet peeves, about leaders and followers, in order from least to worst:

1) Look at me. Dance with me. Make me feel like there is something special, however small it may be, about me.

2) Don’t stink. Can I make that more clear? Is anything more easily fixable? Don’t stink!

3) Guys stay the **** away from me on the dance floor ok? Either you’re good enough to know better or you are bad enough to be extra careful. Watch your space and respect others’ space - It’s not all about you!

4) Ladies, don’t turn me down just to dance with someone else who is just as good a dancer as I am but cuter.

5) Ladies, don’t turn me down to dance with someone who is a worse dancer than I am but cuter!

And finally, let me close with a quote from my friend and respected member of our Bay Area scene here, Mr. Rick W. aka Dark Rum, who says it better than I can:

“I strongly feel that ladies (and men) should always take a chance with respect to all those involved to dance with each other. People, this is your chance to meet someone new and make new friends. Ironically, with it being called ‘salsa’ you’re adding new ingredients with each dance. If you don’t know a guy, that is no reason not to dance with him. Basically, try to dance with someone new every once in awhile, keeping the African proverb in mind: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ I believe we are all responsible for each others’ progress in this social dance.”

Dr. Bill

www.drbillsblog.com
drbillperry@comcast.net

October 2008

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Borinquen Live this week at Cafe Cocomo, San Francisco

Borinquen Performing LIVE!!

Thursday, October 16th 2008

Cafe Cocomo
650 Indiana St.
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 415-824-6910

Salsa Lessons with Jake at 8:00pm
DJ Fab Fred at 9:00pm

Borinquen Live at 10:00pm

About Borinquen:

The powerful Latin sounds of Orquesta Borinquen have become one of the top choices for salsa in the San Francisco Bay Area. As one of the busiest salsa bands in the Bay Area, Borinquen consists of carefully picked musicians to make the perfect band for people who love to dance to powerful, energetic salsa. Orquesta Borinquen keeps you on your feet! The incredible sound and highly energetic personality of Borinquen is matched only by our stage presence. We love to have a great time on stage, and enjoy making music together. Come out and take a ride with Orquesta Borinquen.

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Tito Garcia LIVE at the Shattuck Down Low

Tito Garcia Performing LIVE!!

Wednesday, October 15th 2008

Shattuck Down Low Lounge
2284 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA
Tel:(510)548-1159

————————

*Beginner Salsa lessons from 8-8:45*
*Intermediate Salsa lessons from 8:45-9:30*
$10 cover, $5 w/student ID
$4 margarita special!

About Tito Garcia y Su Orquesta International:

Ernesto “Tito” Garcia has been playing music professionally since 1971. During these last 20 or so years he has experienced the incredible and thoroughly inspiring evolution of the West Coast Salsa scene in the Bay Area. “Tito Garcia y su Orquesta Internacional” has taken full advantage of the multi-cultural or “international” array of musicians in this area and thus the name of “Internacional”. “Tito Garcia y su Orquesta Internacional” plays Salsa in the traditional format of the pioneers of this music and adds their own West Coast “tinge”.

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Hot Salsa Afternoons at the Ramp with Orquesta Borinquen

Orquesta Borinquen LIVE at the Ramp

Saturday October 11th, 2008

–Free before 4:30pm / $10 Cover after 4:30pm–

–Band Starts at 5:00pm–

The Ramp
855 China Basin
San Francisco, CA. 94107
Tel: 415 621-2378

About Orquesta Borinquen:

The powerful Latin sounds of Orquesta Borinquen have become one of the top choices for salsa in the San Francisco Bay Area. As one of the busiest salsa bands in the Bay Area, Borinquen consists of carefully picked musicians to make the perfect band for people who love to dance to powerful, energetic salsa. Orquesta Borinquen keeps you on your feet! The incredible sound and hightly energetic personality of Borinquen is matched only by their stage presence. The band loves to have a great time on stage, and enjoy making music together. Come out and take a ride with Orquesta Borinquen!!

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Monthy Afro-Funky Dance Party at Bollyhood, San Francisco

CubaCaribe & Dj Alfie1Bateria’s **Monthly**

Afro-Funky Diaspora Dance Party

www.CubaCaribe.org

Saturday October 11th, 2008

8:30pm - 2am

¡¡¡ 2nd Saturday of Every Month !!!

(Oct 11th - Sat. Nov 8th - Sat. Dec 13)

The Bollyhood Cafe
3372 19th st. at Mission st.
San Francisco, CA

Djs Spinning - Salsa - Timba - Samba - Pagode - Dancehall - Soca - calypso - Hip Hop del Mundo - Electro Latino - y mås!

Live Performances by:

Live Samba Show
“Sambamora”
& The Bateria Blocura de San Francisco
(Featuring Members of Loco bloco)
www.sambamora.com

Resident Dj’s

Alfie1Bateria
(CubaCaribe.org)

DarkRum
(Añejo Productions, La Tropical,
& La Bodegita del Medio)
www.anejoprod.com

- Also -

International Concert Video’s on the Big Screen
(And Remember “No Cover” Before 10pm)

Cover for this Event is $5.00 (You Can’t Go Wrong)

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