It's the end of a long, dark winter And I was sooooo tired. I could have stayed in and watched Midsomer Murders day in, day out. I really could. (I have a bit of a weakness for John Nettles from his Bergerac days, I'm afraid) But I didn't. I forced myself out three times, yes! Three times over the middle weekend in March. And I thought, I'll just stay for a short time – get a little exercise. Just get out. But do you know……..what is it?? I was like the Bisto Kid . I'd stand there, thinking….i'm sooo tired, I'll sit down, perhaps rest a little with my eyelids shut…..but what is this track? I HAVE to dance. And there I was…going, aaah, salsa….carried towards the dance floor ….swept away by Latin rhythms seared deep in my soul from somewhere way back before I knew anything…when I was probably a little bit of seaweed drifting off the Cuban coast….floating towards the sun, drawn towards the light….and I danced….and I wasn't tired any more! The rooms were full of smiley faces …wiggling and giggling….full of possibly equally weary people who just needed to dance to some sunshine music. And we did. Oh yes we did!!! An' it were great…And then on Monday evening I rested, which was a big mistake, because I couldn't move, couldn't move…anyway.
I told Terry how fab the music was. Because if something transcends that kind of weariness, it needs to be said, doesn't it! And that fatigue is now gone because “Spring is bustin out all over!!!” and the clocks will be changing soon, so, you know…
SALSA CHILLOUT HAVE HELPED US GET US THROUGH THE DARK, COLD MONTHS WITH THEIR SPICY LATIN WAYS AND THEIR SEXY, VIBRANT AND HOTTTT RYTHMS…. AND NOW THEY ARE GEARING US UP FOR THE SPRING!!!
Now, guess what… once again, The Secret Life of Salsa Chillout …last month I told you about Terry's V.I.P encounter and Sharon's Adventure experience… well, then, you knew already that Salsa Chillout is just a veritable hotbead of talent didn't' you!! I mean, you only have to look at the teachers to know that. But not only, but also….our Holly made her salsa performing debut this month with Irene Miguel's student performance team at the Salsa Streedance Event at the Broadway Theatre in London….and on Easter Sunday/Monday, she performed at Scala……! So, good on ya, Holls…its one thing dancing for fun…it's another dancing for the benefit of others…and I hope the gold hot pants are still comfy!
So, onwards and upwards, what do Terry and Yolande have in store for us this month…….
Do not in any way forget the Super Salsa For a Fiver at Marconi in Chelmsford on Friday 28 th March. That is an awful lot of salsa for a fiver, it really is. I don't know where else you'd get that much salsa for so little. I reckon, if you calculated it on price per dance (which is what I use to calculate the actual cost of my clothes – ppw – price per wear), you'd be down to 0000000000000.000032519.2. 3. And that's not even a Mid-Season Salsa Sale. So, see you there (Can't resist a bargain)
Then it's my favourite fun salsa thing – La Rueda with Steve Eden at the Wooden Hut in Stanford Le Hope on Friday 11 th April. This is where I get to go….”i don't know what's going on, I don't speak Spanish, that's my excuse”…whilst dancing in the opposite direction to everyone else (dancing AGAINST the traffic, if you will). But I do try hard, and it is such a clever thing to learn. You can really show off to your mates who don't do la Rueda: as long as you smile and don't cry, they will never know you are going the wrong way…they will think that you are doing a solo spot! Obviously, if you are doing it correctly it looks even better. And then, da da da……….the ever, ever popular, Shelley and Lee make a much-demanded return to Chelmsford . Oh, do we love ‘em. We do don't we. If you have never had the pleasure of partaking of a Shelley and Lee class, you must, you really must, and you can, on Saturday 19 th April at Marconi in Chelmsford . And if you have already sampled their delights, you'll be back, wont you!! It's a given.
Miguel and Mayana
Well, that's the future. What about the recent past…….Miguel and Mayana in Chelmsford , brightening up March with an excellent well-structured class: demanding but achievable, with lots of changes of direction and graceful moves. And as for the show – it's called Descarga Musical, which means Explosion of Music. And it was. Sharp, sassy, classy and vibrant – if you haven't seen it, you really should. It was perfect.
So, as per, I nabbed the duo for a little bit of a chat after the class and guess what! Their performance in Chelmsford was on the first anniversary of their performing together – they have been teaching together for two years, performing for one……and guess what again! Their debut performance together was last March at Planet Salsa! Another Salsa Chillout production. Plus Salsa-Sensation, obviously.
Spooky or what…. |
So, I was very impressed by the class, and wanted to know how they plan what they teach.
“We know what we want to teach,” explained Miguel. “it's not for us to show off. We try to get 99% of the class to understand. You want to use moves that are easy to learn- today involved a lot of leading for the men – a lot of turns”
“A lot of people teach choreography”, said Mayana, “but if you do choreography people wander why they cant use it on the dance floor”
“The class is not about us,” continued Miguel. “When we show off we do it on stage! The class is about the students.”
And the next obvious question, because I like to know….”Why, how, salsa??
Miguel used to be known as Miguel de Puerto Rico, although his heritage is Romanian and Italian – Romanian mother and Italian father.
“I love Puerto Rican music,” he explained, “and the way they dance and their flavour. It inspires me. Some people turn to dancing Cuban or ballroom. As soon as I heard Puerto Rican artists perform I was drawn. I still feel in a previous life I am part of it. I think there's something.”
And for Eastern European Mayana – how did salsa draw her in?
“I am a trained dancer,” she said, “and it's by pure accident I ended up performing ballroom rumba at a salsa event. That's when I realised there was a salsa scene.”
She continued, “When I learned to dance I loved Latin rhythms – something in the music keeps you alive.”
Well, we've chatted about the class, we've chatted about their history, what about the routines? What do you do, how do you chose the music, how do you shape what you hear into a routine?
“For this routine, we listened to the track for the whole summer, from June, in our car,” explained Mayana. “We listened to it over and over again. We have to interpret the music , so it takes a long time to introduce.”
Continued Miguel, “We dance LA style on 1, have done Puerto Rican style on 2, and this routine is NY on 2. people don't really know the diversity of salsa. All the different elements – it's unbelievable.”
So, how does it make them feel, dancing salsa?. For the kind of discipline and work and imagination teachers and performers have to put in to make it work well for us there must be a huge love of the music and the dance.
“I had a conversation with Osbanis a long time ago,” said Miguel. “He said to me – “I felt this track inside my body and I had Goosebumps” – and I though, I've never heard that and I've been dancing for eight years! But now, in the Puerto Rican rehearsals I had tears, I felt something inside my heart. I felt, wow! My whole body felt different. I know now.
“So, when I hear a good track I feel all my problems and aches are gone and I'm captivated by it. It's like a drug.”
And for Mayana?
“Salsa makes me feel free, it makes me feel very feminine. And also, you never now from one track to another, with one dancer, then another. Its unknown – you never know what they are going to do.
“It's a safe and warm environment. And it makes you happy”
And another way to make the couple happy – nay, all salsa performers happy – is to make as much noise before, during and after the routines to show your appreciation.
Explained Mayana, “When we perform, the more reaction we get, the more we give. From the first scream we hear! We're nervous and it helps. We need the encouragement!”
Added Miguel, “people should not be scared to express themselves.”
And I think it's fair to say, that before, during and after their performance, the Chillout crowd showed their encouragement and appreciation. And it was well deserved. And explosion of music indeed!
Copyright Chris Penhall 2008 |
