OK,
cards on the table I have a confession to make: Terry and
Yolande run my local salsa club which I go to every Tuesday.
And often I'll go to another one they run on a Wednesday,
and if they've got anything on on the Friday I may well
go to that. And as for the Saturday one, the one with the
guest teachers and the shows, I definitely go to that one
unless I'm out of the country.
And
I'll bet if you're reading this, you have your regular clubs,
and regular teachers and regular salsa-friends; places where
you feel comfortable and people you like to be around. Its
like that old comedy Cheers – the bar where everyone knows
your name. These are places you can just go along to because
you want to learn to dance, yes, but you also want to have
a chat or a laugh; where you'll just drop in and find someone
you know without having to organise a meeting at a certain
time or place, where you can be a bit late and not let anyone
down, or where you can just decide to go at the last minute.
But
it takes a lot of work, and thought and the right attitude
to people to create the kind of place where anyone can walk
in and feel welcome and safe. I mean, it takes some guts
early on to walk into a place on your own, doesn't it. We've
all done it, and the welcome you get when you do it is all
important. And that definitely comes from the top – from
the people who run the club. With Terry and Yolande the
teaching is indisputably top-notch, but there is that extra
element, that certain something that makes you wanna go,
and keeps you loyal.
So,
have you wondered about the teachers and promoters who run
your local club? Why do they do it? How
do they do it? What drives them?
I
decided to track Terry and Yolande down – not difficult
as I see them every week! – to get the answer from the horse's
mouth, so to speak.. So, maybe you can compare it to your
local club – wherever you are in the world – and contemplate
what it takes to create somewhere where you
want to go. Out of all the places you could go to.
So,
obviously, I needed to know how it all started, so I
|
Terry and Yolande
asked Yolande where and when the salsa seed was sewn.
“I
was drawn to salsa because of the music,”
she
said. “My background is in Latin American dancing, and my
sister and my pals were always talking about dancing salsa.
So, eventually, me and a friend decided to go to Bar Salsa;
we turned up one Thursday, and there was a great atmosphere.
It was absolutely heaving and we watched the class – I got
really excited about learning the dance. There were so many
people dancing with so many different rhythms – everyone
danced differently and it looked fun and exciting.
“I
was hooked right from the beginning,” she continued. “I
went home and thought, I love this feeling. From the following
day I took a lesson every day for a week, and I continued
like that for a while.
“I
loved the dance and didn't get tired of t. I still have
that feeling.”
And
how did Terry get hooked?
“I
was single at the time,” he explained, “and one of my oldest
friends, Fola, kept inviting me to go to salsa. I was always
too busy, but one day my plans fell through and I went to
La Finca with her. Elder Sanchez and Julian the Duke were
teaching. I took Elder's class, and couldn't get the basic
step, so found this woman who just wanted to practice, and
she was really patient with me. And after that I started
to go to different clubs with Fola.
“There
was,” he continued, “something infectious about the atmosphere.
Everyone was so happy – go to salsa and forget your problems!
“It
became my life. I'd go to work, go home, eat, sleep, get
up and go to salsa. Go back to bed. Go to work, and so on.
That was my life for years!”
And
the teaching?
“Initially
just did it for the love of it. Then Fola asked me to assist
her teaching at Cannons in Convent Garden, and that was
the beginning of it.”
Of
course, then Terry met Yolande, and skipping a big
bit in the middle - in 1999, Salsa Chillout was
born. The Haystack in Canvey Island was the first club,
and it grew and grew and grew, and they now have classes
and clubs all over Essex.
|
So,
what is the secret behind this success?
According
to Yolande, a lot of it's about consistency.
She
explained, “Wherever you dance in any of our clubs, you
will experience the same thing with us and our teachers.
We
know people will enjoy the experience.
We
try to ensure people have a good time and we always make
sure we speak to people, we put a lot of emphasis on picking
teachers, and we make sure everyone feels welcome and comfortable.”
And
as for Terry a good reputation is one of the factors that
draws people to the clubs.
“Word
of mouth is very important and the people who come through
the door are our best advert.
“We
try to keep it fun and give people a secure environment,”
he added. “A lot of people who come are people on their
own, so we make it a fun and friendly place.”
And
there is another element to running a salsa club, according
to Yolande.
“It
is an important part of the community to have places like
this. Many people get health benefits from dong salsa and
its also good for the mind. It encourages people to go out,
socialise and have a sense of community. And you meet new
people and make new friends you wouldn't normally meet.”
But
the bottom line, the real deal, the reason they run salsa
clubs?
Yolande
first:
“When
people come to us we want them to have that same experience
we had the first time. We want people to have the experience
of salsa, and we know they will have that feeling; it's
a feeling you have whether its just by coming and watching,
being a beginner, improver or advanced dancer.”
And
for Terry,
“I
want to give people the love of salsa that I had when I
first walked through that door at Finca.”
Well
then, keep on doing what you're doing because you're doing
it right….
And
here's a competition – when you next go to your local club,
try to decide which one's Norm…..(sorry, if you've never
watched Cheers that will mean nothing to you. Never mind,
that's life)
www.salsachillout.com
www.chrispenhall.co.uk
Click
for Archives Copyright
Chris Penhall 2007 |
