January 30, 2009
The low point – two Reggaeton followed by a birthday dance for Richard and William. It was very busy at the start of the night, but opportunities for dancing had been limited in part because it was so crowded everywhere. It was considerably less crowded now and more people were filing out. I thought about skipping the next song, but Vish never played Ublabadu before – it ended up an On2 dance. At least until then dances not had were more on my mind over ones I had.
I arrived about 15 minutes before the end of the classes. On the way to the DJ booth, I glimpsed Andrea, Richard and a girl who I think was a part of the performance trio tonight. Umm – I guess it was a little more than a glimpse with Andrea, but she gives nice friendly greeting for lotsa people. Haihan was early to arrive as well – apparently quite tired; he stayed in the DJ booth quite a lot.
I kicked it off the night as the first DJ.
Playlist
La Llave – Grupo Latin Vibe
Volver Volver – Grupo Gale
De Todas Maneras Rosas – Ismael Rivera (1)
Isla Del Encanto – Orquesta Broadway
Cuera Maraca Y Bongo – Los Nemus Del Pacifico* (2)
Mirame A La Cara – Miles Pena*
Que Buena Baila Usted – Oscar D’Leon (3)
Periquito Pin Pin – Tommy Olivencia (canta: Hector Tricoche)
Mi Ritmo Es Bueno – Bobby Valentin (4)*
Aguardiente – Mark Dimond* (canta: Angel Canales)
Asia Minor – Machito*
El As De La Rumba – Jose Alberto “El Canario” (5)
Abran Paso – Orquestra Harlow
Mulato Rumbero – Eddie Torres Mambo Kings Orchestra*
Ritmo Sabroso – Alfredo De La Fe & Fruko
Hasta El Fin – Monchy & Alexandra (6)
Bamboleo – Fania All Stars (canta: Celia Cruz)
--showcase-- (7)
Soledad – La 33
Sandunguera – Los Van Van*
Telefono – El Gran Combo*
(1) Ivan is here. Surprise! Ditto Raj and Polly.
(2) Oops. Wrong CD. I meant to play from the first disc of the 2 CD set.
(3) Vish later played this one near the end of the night. There’s more excusable than playing Trucutu by himself twice or for that matter playing Sey by Africando two or three (!) times.
(4) Ivan’s favorite from about a year ago.
(5) Shila asked me where I get music (downloading?). He had a big reaction when I said I buy CDs.
(6) I had been holding off on playing Bachata despite Shila’s request because I thought the showcase was ready to go shortly. I finally gave in.
(7) Duende trio. Danie, Andrea and a third girl I don’t know. Music used was Mi Jeva by Joe Cuba.
Total = 20 songs. 1 Bachata. 20 Salsa including 7 new.
Haihan said I shoud dance with Theresa Tan from Malaysia. Maybe in April, May or June. [note: wrong name, but I've figured it out anyway]
I think who was not there was at least as remarkable as who was there. I overheard that Steph was taking a break. I'll blame coursework for now.
Vish said he wanted to DJ next, but he did not show up so Haihan took over for several songs. Vish did take over afterwards, but he seemed rather absentminded.
Feeling restless yet impaired...
Revolving Doors
January 23, 2009
I arrived too close to the end of the lessons to figure out who was part of the teaching team tonight. Joe was not there whereas Vish, Kafe and Dan were. Mark was there early so I think he might have been involved as well.
No cool-down track was used, and the social dancing started with Vish’s pre-recorded CD (starting with Ven A Medellin by Grupo Gale and El Pito by Isidro Infante). It was a three DJ rotation this time with Vish’s pre-recorded CD followed by Haihan, then Vish, then me, then Vish again to close the night.
People in attendance were fairly large in number to start with but there were not much of an overlap with last week. Steph was there after having performed in her Agnes show as was Raj sans the show. Some of the other old Thursday regulars showed up as well. The old Thursday people all left by around the time Haihan departed or shortly thereafter.
Demetrios showed up a bit later in the evening. From what I saw of his Chan Chan during Vish’s last set, I might say that the student is now the master – or at least a role reversal could be argued about. It took him less time than me, and he seems to be able to deal with partners with imprecise timing better than me (for me, it’s a chore not a challenge).
Hmm. How about that ever-growing all-male clique? I suppose it’s not a clique. I wonder if the absence of reliable (read salsaholic) followers is causing a replica of old Buenos Aires Tango scene. It’s threatening to become a commonplace sight.
There was a circle dance for Abbe. She brought me a Champagne glass afterwards – thanks. I danced with her to Ritmo Sabroso. She wanted to try an On2 dance again, and I got her on the floor when Vish inexplicably started Alto Songo by Afro-Cuban All-Stars. However, he switched the song to the Spanish version of Playa No More so I went back to On1. Thus there was only one On2 dance for me tonight (a bit sloppy one to Bomba Carambomba by Son Boricua – my partner did not like the song).
The most notable newcomer tonight was Christine from Freiburg. Due to her ride not showing up, she and her friend stayed until closing. She said she arrived at Cambridge about 3 months ago and previously tried CS on a Wednesday and a Saturday. She left for her friend’s place with help from another.
For me the dances during the early part of the evening were as whole below expectations. Possible factors included rustiness, nervousness, after-effects of previous lousy partners, and general common beginner issues. Dances after finishing my set on the other hand were more satisfying arguably with reasons other than merely change of expectations.
Vishal was using more CDs for Salsa than he had been in last couple of years. Quite a few of his songs or CDs appeared to be suffering from degradation.
Other chats were with Robin (general dance stuff), Bojan (Ntoman) and Tomas (the reason for shortage of ...).
Playlist
Amor Perfecto – El Gran Combo
Las Mujeres – Los Nemus Del Pacifico*
Noche De Salsa – Louie Ramirez
Soy Antillana – Celia Cruz & La Sonora Poncena*
La Musica Es Mi Vida – Spanish Harlem Orchestra
La Guitarra – Erick*
Babarabatiri – Tito Puente
Rosalia – Juan Luis Guerra
Te Extrano – Extreme
El As De La Rumba – Jose Alberto “El Canario”*
Lindo Yambu – Cheo Feliciano
Sonando – Poncho Sanchez
Avisale A Mi Contrario – Roberto Roena
Abaniquito – Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers (-3%)
Que Le Den Candela – Los Van Van*
Ritmo Sabroso – Alfredo De La Fe & Fruko* (-3%)
Total = 16 songs. 1 Bachata. 1 Merengue. 1 Cha Cha. 13 Salsa including 6 new.
I arrived too close to the end of the lessons to figure out who was part of the teaching team tonight. Joe was not there whereas Vish, Kafe and Dan were. Mark was there early so I think he might have been involved as well.
No cool-down track was used, and the social dancing started with Vish’s pre-recorded CD (starting with Ven A Medellin by Grupo Gale and El Pito by Isidro Infante). It was a three DJ rotation this time with Vish’s pre-recorded CD followed by Haihan, then Vish, then me, then Vish again to close the night.
People in attendance were fairly large in number to start with but there were not much of an overlap with last week. Steph was there after having performed in her Agnes show as was Raj sans the show. Some of the other old Thursday regulars showed up as well. The old Thursday people all left by around the time Haihan departed or shortly thereafter.
Demetrios showed up a bit later in the evening. From what I saw of his Chan Chan during Vish’s last set, I might say that the student is now the master – or at least a role reversal could be argued about. It took him less time than me, and he seems to be able to deal with partners with imprecise timing better than me (for me, it’s a chore not a challenge).
Hmm. How about that ever-growing all-male clique? I suppose it’s not a clique. I wonder if the absence of reliable (read salsaholic) followers is causing a replica of old Buenos Aires Tango scene. It’s threatening to become a commonplace sight.
There was a circle dance for Abbe. She brought me a Champagne glass afterwards – thanks. I danced with her to Ritmo Sabroso. She wanted to try an On2 dance again, and I got her on the floor when Vish inexplicably started Alto Songo by Afro-Cuban All-Stars. However, he switched the song to the Spanish version of Playa No More so I went back to On1. Thus there was only one On2 dance for me tonight (a bit sloppy one to Bomba Carambomba by Son Boricua – my partner did not like the song).
The most notable newcomer tonight was Christine from Freiburg. Due to her ride not showing up, she and her friend stayed until closing. She said she arrived at Cambridge about 3 months ago and previously tried CS on a Wednesday and a Saturday. She left for her friend’s place with help from another.
For me the dances during the early part of the evening were as whole below expectations. Possible factors included rustiness, nervousness, after-effects of previous lousy partners, and general common beginner issues. Dances after finishing my set on the other hand were more satisfying arguably with reasons other than merely change of expectations.
Vishal was using more CDs for Salsa than he had been in last couple of years. Quite a few of his songs or CDs appeared to be suffering from degradation.
Other chats were with Robin (general dance stuff), Bojan (Ntoman) and Tomas (the reason for shortage of ...).
Playlist
Amor Perfecto – El Gran Combo
Las Mujeres – Los Nemus Del Pacifico*
Noche De Salsa – Louie Ramirez
Soy Antillana – Celia Cruz & La Sonora Poncena*
La Musica Es Mi Vida – Spanish Harlem Orchestra
La Guitarra – Erick*
Babarabatiri – Tito Puente
Rosalia – Juan Luis Guerra
Te Extrano – Extreme
El As De La Rumba – Jose Alberto “El Canario”*
Lindo Yambu – Cheo Feliciano
Sonando – Poncho Sanchez
Avisale A Mi Contrario – Roberto Roena
Abaniquito – Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers (-3%)
Que Le Den Candela – Los Van Van*
Ritmo Sabroso – Alfredo De La Fe & Fruko* (-3%)
Total = 16 songs. 1 Bachata. 1 Merengue. 1 Cha Cha. 13 Salsa including 6 new.
Lee Wright Tribute Night
January 17, 2009
Journey back and forth was fast. It was a bit windy. One of the roundabouts at Aldgate disappeared. It was a little jarring but it made the travel more efficient. It rained during a 2 block walk from my car to the Bar Fly Club ULU.
The first person I saw at the door was Helen – obviously not in New Zealand. The first person from Cambridge was Richard. Making my way around all the rooms being used, I saw that pretty much all of who’s who in London was present – aside from ones travelling afar, etc. I think it might take less time to mention who wasn’t there (and I’m not going to make such list public). Lee was a beloved figure.
London sure is a big city. It would not be a stretch to say that there were at least as many people if not more here tonight compared to the New Year Resolution Jam at DC. People are on average younger. It’s less On2 heavy; I would guess less than quarter of my dances were On2. I would infer that followers here on the whole had seen not as many good leads as in DC.
There were three rooms – all of them were full of photographs of Lee; many taken with people who were acting as volunteers for tonight’s event. I only took a glimpse of the third room (Lee’s dance floor upstairs), which at the time was the least populated and supposedly with most varied music format and also had a large sheet on the wall for people to leave behind messages and handprints. The main room was the most crowded at all times. I ended up dancing in that room only twice. This was because I found the music in the second room (music all night) to be just as good in the main room without it being so crowded. Just as useful was that the second room had cooler temperature and better spots for leaving drinks. The second room was also much better lit compared to dark main room. This however meant that I did not see as many people as I would have had I stayed in the main room all night.
Despite the presence of dance floor and music during performances, most people opted to watch dance showcases when such were available. More than a couple of songs were played to no more than three couples during the shows. The shows by Anke & Gil (Austria/Mexico), Eva & Mauro, Mamboleo, Miriam & Colleen, Mambata, Element Dance Co., Fahrenheit, Lee’s student groups from Newbury and Brighton, Marchant & Davina, Diablo Dance Co., Shaan & Aiste were all great and were interspersed with moving speeches. Shelley was the MC of course.
I think either I had a very good night as a lead or my lead has improved considerably (possibly helped a great deal from the DC trip). I say this based on reactions from quite a few people I have had previous dances with. On general I think more people seem to like the way I lead now compared to some time ago – although I might add that this is not necessarily the case with some people I have known for very long time.
Hardly anyone left before closing time at 2 AM. Tamambo was handing out fliers for SOS anniversary extravaganza to people on their way out. I would have bought a Saturday party pass except it was never available for purchase. Now I have serious doubt as to whether I’ll go at all.
Journey back and forth was fast. It was a bit windy. One of the roundabouts at Aldgate disappeared. It was a little jarring but it made the travel more efficient. It rained during a 2 block walk from my car to the Bar Fly Club ULU.
The first person I saw at the door was Helen – obviously not in New Zealand. The first person from Cambridge was Richard. Making my way around all the rooms being used, I saw that pretty much all of who’s who in London was present – aside from ones travelling afar, etc. I think it might take less time to mention who wasn’t there (and I’m not going to make such list public). Lee was a beloved figure.
London sure is a big city. It would not be a stretch to say that there were at least as many people if not more here tonight compared to the New Year Resolution Jam at DC. People are on average younger. It’s less On2 heavy; I would guess less than quarter of my dances were On2. I would infer that followers here on the whole had seen not as many good leads as in DC.
There were three rooms – all of them were full of photographs of Lee; many taken with people who were acting as volunteers for tonight’s event. I only took a glimpse of the third room (Lee’s dance floor upstairs), which at the time was the least populated and supposedly with most varied music format and also had a large sheet on the wall for people to leave behind messages and handprints. The main room was the most crowded at all times. I ended up dancing in that room only twice. This was because I found the music in the second room (music all night) to be just as good in the main room without it being so crowded. Just as useful was that the second room had cooler temperature and better spots for leaving drinks. The second room was also much better lit compared to dark main room. This however meant that I did not see as many people as I would have had I stayed in the main room all night.
Despite the presence of dance floor and music during performances, most people opted to watch dance showcases when such were available. More than a couple of songs were played to no more than three couples during the shows. The shows by Anke & Gil (Austria/Mexico), Eva & Mauro, Mamboleo, Miriam & Colleen, Mambata, Element Dance Co., Fahrenheit, Lee’s student groups from Newbury and Brighton, Marchant & Davina, Diablo Dance Co., Shaan & Aiste were all great and were interspersed with moving speeches. Shelley was the MC of course.
I think either I had a very good night as a lead or my lead has improved considerably (possibly helped a great deal from the DC trip). I say this based on reactions from quite a few people I have had previous dances with. On general I think more people seem to like the way I lead now compared to some time ago – although I might add that this is not necessarily the case with some people I have known for very long time.
Hardly anyone left before closing time at 2 AM. Tamambo was handing out fliers for SOS anniversary extravaganza to people on their way out. I would have bought a Saturday party pass except it was never available for purchase. Now I have serious doubt as to whether I’ll go at all.
Countdown Begins
January 16, 2009
Acille mentioned that it has been very cold in Cambridge while I was away. DC on the other hand had mostly mild weather while I was there. Weather in Cambridge now is better. So far so good.
I arrived at CS near 10. Making my way to the DJ booth and saying happy new year to several people on the way, I noticed no Joe. Final practice track was being played. Playa No More was ready to go. It looked like I was going to go first.
Playlist – Part I
Huracan – Bobby Valentin
Sientate Ahi – Oscar D’Leon
No Dejemos Que Muera El Amor – Miles Pena*
Se Me Fue – Conjunto Yumuri
Muchachita – Orquesta Guayacan*
Asi Son – El Gran Combo
Almendra – German Villarreal
Tu No Me Has Visto Miguel – Javier Vazquez (mislabelled Sonora Matancera)
I was about to play a Merengue next when Vishal came by and asked to have him start off with a Merengue. Perfect timing, I thought. Vishal upped the tempo a bit, and then Haihan took over. Meanwhile I danced.
First I was going to ask Jane or maybe someone else except they were occupied one way or another. I settled on a random girl except I realized it was Natalie just as I started asking; I was delighted.
Cambridge is a younger scene in every way compared to DC. People are younger too – no doubt helped by the university. I wonder if the North Carolina scene headlined by the Cobo Brothers and three major universities is similar to Cambridge? Cambridge does not have anyone at the calibre of Cobo Brothers of course.
Cambridge have lower average standard compared to DC (e.g. me at DC might be equivalent to somewhere between Demetrios and Dan at Cambridge), but here I get the benefit of familiarity. I rarely danced more than once a night with one person. I danced multiple times with at least 4 people (one – twice, one – two or more likely three times, one newcomer whom I liked in terms of timing and connection but possibly not rated as highly by others – three times, one – more than three times). I easily could have danced multiple times with more people had they stayed longer (e.g. Jane, who was about the only person there tonight good for complicated songs).
It was a weird night in terms of attendance. According to Haihan, classes started this week. So having people like Natalie and Wei-Shen made sense. But no Mark or Stephanie. However, Zhenzhi, Sam (tired) and Richard were there. Johnny yes, Ivan no, Mauricio no. Sacha. David. No Sharon. No John!
A number of people asked me about my impending departure – Haihan, Vishal and Abbe. For whatever its worth, my schedule here will be normal until the end of March. I’ll be travelling for much of April, and I’ll be returning to the States for good in mid-late April. I might make a CS appearance in April just prior to departing but there’s no guarantee on that score. I prefer not to have a “leaving dance” and promise to make it really boring if forced to give one.
Dan asked me about On2 shines and others. I gave a couple of examples, but the thing is I improvise on the spot about 90% of the time often not even thinking about the timing. The standard thing would be to be on R foot on 2, 5, 7 and L foot on 1, 3, 6 whether On1 or On2. However, I don’t always follow such rigid rule and more often than not use 4 and 8 as well as syncopations. Because I generally do my shines on percussion solo, it gets to be quite free-flowing (no hard and fast rule about breaking on 1 or on 2). Of course, it’s not all about the feet either – rest of the body (shoulder, arm, chest, hips, etc) can move to the beat as well.
Playlist – Part II
Ken Moussoul Guis Li – Africando
Tee Pee Mambo – Tito Puente*
Para La Luna – Los Nemus Del Pacifico*
Te Pone La Cabeza Mala – Los Van Van*
Usted Abuso – Celia Cruz & Willie Colon (-4%)
Remember Me – Eddie Torres and His Mambo Kings Orchestra*
No Es Una Novela – Monchy & Alexandra
Total = 15 songs. 1 Bachata. 14 Salsa including 6 new. Mohammed was excited by Los Nemus Del Pacifico getting played (without the song picked being the ubiquitous Castigala presumably).
Acille mentioned that it has been very cold in Cambridge while I was away. DC on the other hand had mostly mild weather while I was there. Weather in Cambridge now is better. So far so good.
I arrived at CS near 10. Making my way to the DJ booth and saying happy new year to several people on the way, I noticed no Joe. Final practice track was being played. Playa No More was ready to go. It looked like I was going to go first.
Playlist – Part I
Huracan – Bobby Valentin
Sientate Ahi – Oscar D’Leon
No Dejemos Que Muera El Amor – Miles Pena*
Se Me Fue – Conjunto Yumuri
Muchachita – Orquesta Guayacan*
Asi Son – El Gran Combo
Almendra – German Villarreal
Tu No Me Has Visto Miguel – Javier Vazquez (mislabelled Sonora Matancera)
I was about to play a Merengue next when Vishal came by and asked to have him start off with a Merengue. Perfect timing, I thought. Vishal upped the tempo a bit, and then Haihan took over. Meanwhile I danced.
First I was going to ask Jane or maybe someone else except they were occupied one way or another. I settled on a random girl except I realized it was Natalie just as I started asking; I was delighted.
Cambridge is a younger scene in every way compared to DC. People are younger too – no doubt helped by the university. I wonder if the North Carolina scene headlined by the Cobo Brothers and three major universities is similar to Cambridge? Cambridge does not have anyone at the calibre of Cobo Brothers of course.
Cambridge have lower average standard compared to DC (e.g. me at DC might be equivalent to somewhere between Demetrios and Dan at Cambridge), but here I get the benefit of familiarity. I rarely danced more than once a night with one person. I danced multiple times with at least 4 people (one – twice, one – two or more likely three times, one newcomer whom I liked in terms of timing and connection but possibly not rated as highly by others – three times, one – more than three times). I easily could have danced multiple times with more people had they stayed longer (e.g. Jane, who was about the only person there tonight good for complicated songs).
It was a weird night in terms of attendance. According to Haihan, classes started this week. So having people like Natalie and Wei-Shen made sense. But no Mark or Stephanie. However, Zhenzhi, Sam (tired) and Richard were there. Johnny yes, Ivan no, Mauricio no. Sacha. David. No Sharon. No John!
A number of people asked me about my impending departure – Haihan, Vishal and Abbe. For whatever its worth, my schedule here will be normal until the end of March. I’ll be travelling for much of April, and I’ll be returning to the States for good in mid-late April. I might make a CS appearance in April just prior to departing but there’s no guarantee on that score. I prefer not to have a “leaving dance” and promise to make it really boring if forced to give one.
Dan asked me about On2 shines and others. I gave a couple of examples, but the thing is I improvise on the spot about 90% of the time often not even thinking about the timing. The standard thing would be to be on R foot on 2, 5, 7 and L foot on 1, 3, 6 whether On1 or On2. However, I don’t always follow such rigid rule and more often than not use 4 and 8 as well as syncopations. Because I generally do my shines on percussion solo, it gets to be quite free-flowing (no hard and fast rule about breaking on 1 or on 2). Of course, it’s not all about the feet either – rest of the body (shoulder, arm, chest, hips, etc) can move to the beat as well.
Playlist – Part II
Ken Moussoul Guis Li – Africando
Tee Pee Mambo – Tito Puente*
Para La Luna – Los Nemus Del Pacifico*
Te Pone La Cabeza Mala – Los Van Van*
Usted Abuso – Celia Cruz & Willie Colon (-4%)
Remember Me – Eddie Torres and His Mambo Kings Orchestra*
No Es Una Novela – Monchy & Alexandra
Total = 15 songs. 1 Bachata. 14 Salsa including 6 new. Mohammed was excited by Los Nemus Del Pacifico getting played (without the song picked being the ubiquitous Castigala presumably).
DC Dance Collective Second Week Monthly
January 10, 2009
This event is held on the second Saturday and fourth Saturday of every month. The fourth Saturday might be a regular DC Salsa Meetup night, which increases the total number of attendees mostly by adding more beginners.
I was very curious to see the On2 class material in DC so I left home early. Actually I was later in arriving than I had intended. Lucky for me the spinning class was held before the turn pattern class. Thus I ended up gabbing with Tanya and Maylis before the turn pattern class started.
Intermediate On2 class with Psyon
6,7,1,2,3,5 CBL inside turn for follower from open hold both connections intact
6,7,1,2,3,5 R turn for leader with both connections intact with L-R ending behind leader’s neck [note: I got hung up on how to end in this position – it took me so long to figure this out (I still am not completely sure) so I ended up sitting out rest of the session] – possibly a full basic here or toss R-L behind follower’s back R waist
6,7,1,2,3 re-connect R-L behind follower’s back R waist and begin as if Copa ending somewhat like back-to-back with follower with both connections still intact – however, this cannot be led like a Copa because what’s wanted is a in-and-out half turn for follower rather than 1 1/2 turn so the pressure on R-L needs to be very small and delicately measured – while follower is turning (with L-R now disconnected), leader also turns towards follower and turn right (starting on 2) to face away from follower (with both now facing same direction on the same line for follower as the start of previous bar and with R-L now wrapped around front of the leader and on leader’s L waist
5,6,7,1,2,3,5 leader turns full R leading with R-L and with L-R connected above leader’s R shoulder – it seemed like leader started turning his foot on 5 while most of the turn happening on 6 – this is one of those moves leader turns full turn while getting follower to move around to the other side effectively making a half turn travelling except here follower’s turn is more like New York walk (right turn to end) rather than simple CBL (left turn) [note: this does not sound too difficult although it is something I never tried and the timing is non-standard for the follower – not standard New York walk timing in any case]
6,7,1,2,3,5 now from mirror-image of CBL position lead follower to 1 1/2 (R-L now disconnected) inside travelling turn (1 1/2 counterclockwise)
6,7,1,2,3,5 leader turns half R with L-R on 6,7 and transferring from L-R to R-R and lead free broken left turn for follower lead presumably coming right after 2 – here lead also turns to get back to facing follower but I don’t remember if the turn was to L or to R
Some of the class videotaped the material at the end of the class. Too bad I got so confused at the start. Even though this was far from impossible class, I think I would have had struggled with unfamiliar turns and techniques at 3 or 4 other points. I think there were more people checking out the On2 classes than the On1 classes.
With some analysis mostly done while watching, I probably could do okay with a remedial class. In fact I might be able to salvage something (I especially liked the middle bit) with practice. The fact that I haven’t had any regular classes since April (with one-off on August and September) probably made me a little rusty although the real trouble was with unfamiliarity with the patterns and pace of instruction.
By the way, it was indeed Psyon (and Maylis) I saw the other night doing a more challenging version of Sergio and Lindsey. I think Maylis said it was like going to a battle. Tonight’s display/practice for them was fast footwork more than partner work.
Tanya was referring me to prospective dancee partners left and right all night – it bordered on sublime and comical. As a result more than a third and perhaps close to half of my dances may had something to do with her. I think I would have had a great time without it, but I am also fairly sure it made it even better.
Names, names, names. Trying to remember more than one or two new names a day is hard. Maylis was easier because she was the first and was with an unusual name. The second had a name probably starting with a letter D and undisclosed Chinese-sounding last name – it might have been Diana, but even after second time hearing it from Tanya I’m not completely sure. I ended up refraining from commenting on her top; I couldn’t decide whether it was a conversation starter or killer. Kate I remembered from the first CG – another case of first name of the evening (I’m not that good). I remembered Janet’s name afterwards helped by meetup photo from long time ago. One other new person with name I greeted was Mr Mambo Tommy Smith.
This was the first night out ever where I had more On2 dances than On1 dances by a large margin – I’m thinking that more than two thirds of the dances were On2. Previous high was On2 up on On1 by a single dance at SOS London. Here I would estimate that more than half of the dances on the floor were On2. My impression is that there were more “serious” dancers here than there were at Clarendon Grill in previous weeks and here two weeks ago.
Hong Kong (Michi Sarmiento Y Sus Bravos), Arinanara (Eddie Torres and His Mambo Kings Orchestra), Cal Tjader, Grupo Latin Vibe, Bongo Loco (Lebron Brothers), Ti Mon Bo, Salsa Buena, etc closing with Salchicha Con Huevos. I can’t remember them all by title, but I think I knew more than 10 songs spot on this time around. Music was from the 50s to 00s with smatterings of jazzy tunes, flutes, vibraphones and strings – classics interspersed with obscure. Not too fast – at least not all the time. The only time I thought it was too fast (especially given the late hours), I overheard Earl tell the DJ to slow down to good effect.
One person told me that the turn towards more familiar was unusual but may indicate more than one-off change. There were two Bachata – I don’t think there was a Bachata last time although there wasn’t a second room this time also. No Merengue – no complaints. No Timba – ditto. Aforementioned Hong Kong was the only song I recognized as Colombian.
I am not sure why things have changed, but based on tonight I would say that DC Dance Collective second (and fourth) Saturday could be considered the best venue for people serious about Salsa especially those serious enough to learn On2 dancing in On1 dominated area. Presumably it helps to be pretty good to start with, and it also helps to get to know the people in the scene. Then again I don’t think I was especially good, and a thought that these people will find me to be a fraud after seeing me a few more times came to my mind more than once.
So what do I make of my off-hand assessment “It feels like an old scene on a down cycle?” made after my first visit? Well… it is an old mature scene – there have been good dancers here for longer than in London. What about “down?” I don’t think I have a strong basis to make a good assessment from what I have seen only. I don’t think it’s growing rapidly, but I’m guessing it’s holding fairly steady with influx and outflux of people more or less balancing out. If it’s down, it is no more down than it is in London. At least in terms of On2 dancing, I cannot say with certainty that SOS London is better than here despite London SOS attracting larger number of people. I look forward to seeing how things compare in London - presumably first at Lee Tribute event next weekend.
Annoying travel note - Is the speed limit in DC highways (295/395/etc) really 40 mph rather than standard 55 mph? If so, why are there so few speed limit signs (I haven't spotted one yet)? I might be looking at a large number of speeding tickets. Yuck.
This event is held on the second Saturday and fourth Saturday of every month. The fourth Saturday might be a regular DC Salsa Meetup night, which increases the total number of attendees mostly by adding more beginners.
I was very curious to see the On2 class material in DC so I left home early. Actually I was later in arriving than I had intended. Lucky for me the spinning class was held before the turn pattern class. Thus I ended up gabbing with Tanya and Maylis before the turn pattern class started.
Intermediate On2 class with Psyon
6,7,1,2,3,5 CBL inside turn for follower from open hold both connections intact
6,7,1,2,3,5 R turn for leader with both connections intact with L-R ending behind leader’s neck [note: I got hung up on how to end in this position – it took me so long to figure this out (I still am not completely sure) so I ended up sitting out rest of the session] – possibly a full basic here or toss R-L behind follower’s back R waist
6,7,1,2,3 re-connect R-L behind follower’s back R waist and begin as if Copa ending somewhat like back-to-back with follower with both connections still intact – however, this cannot be led like a Copa because what’s wanted is a in-and-out half turn for follower rather than 1 1/2 turn so the pressure on R-L needs to be very small and delicately measured – while follower is turning (with L-R now disconnected), leader also turns towards follower and turn right (starting on 2) to face away from follower (with both now facing same direction on the same line for follower as the start of previous bar and with R-L now wrapped around front of the leader and on leader’s L waist
5,6,7,1,2,3,5 leader turns full R leading with R-L and with L-R connected above leader’s R shoulder – it seemed like leader started turning his foot on 5 while most of the turn happening on 6 – this is one of those moves leader turns full turn while getting follower to move around to the other side effectively making a half turn travelling except here follower’s turn is more like New York walk (right turn to end) rather than simple CBL (left turn) [note: this does not sound too difficult although it is something I never tried and the timing is non-standard for the follower – not standard New York walk timing in any case]
6,7,1,2,3,5 now from mirror-image of CBL position lead follower to 1 1/2 (R-L now disconnected) inside travelling turn (1 1/2 counterclockwise)
6,7,1,2,3,5 leader turns half R with L-R on 6,7 and transferring from L-R to R-R and lead free broken left turn for follower lead presumably coming right after 2 – here lead also turns to get back to facing follower but I don’t remember if the turn was to L or to R
Some of the class videotaped the material at the end of the class. Too bad I got so confused at the start. Even though this was far from impossible class, I think I would have had struggled with unfamiliar turns and techniques at 3 or 4 other points. I think there were more people checking out the On2 classes than the On1 classes.
With some analysis mostly done while watching, I probably could do okay with a remedial class. In fact I might be able to salvage something (I especially liked the middle bit) with practice. The fact that I haven’t had any regular classes since April (with one-off on August and September) probably made me a little rusty although the real trouble was with unfamiliarity with the patterns and pace of instruction.
By the way, it was indeed Psyon (and Maylis) I saw the other night doing a more challenging version of Sergio and Lindsey. I think Maylis said it was like going to a battle. Tonight’s display/practice for them was fast footwork more than partner work.
Tanya was referring me to prospective dancee partners left and right all night – it bordered on sublime and comical. As a result more than a third and perhaps close to half of my dances may had something to do with her. I think I would have had a great time without it, but I am also fairly sure it made it even better.
Names, names, names. Trying to remember more than one or two new names a day is hard. Maylis was easier because she was the first and was with an unusual name. The second had a name probably starting with a letter D and undisclosed Chinese-sounding last name – it might have been Diana, but even after second time hearing it from Tanya I’m not completely sure. I ended up refraining from commenting on her top; I couldn’t decide whether it was a conversation starter or killer. Kate I remembered from the first CG – another case of first name of the evening (I’m not that good). I remembered Janet’s name afterwards helped by meetup photo from long time ago. One other new person with name I greeted was Mr Mambo Tommy Smith.
This was the first night out ever where I had more On2 dances than On1 dances by a large margin – I’m thinking that more than two thirds of the dances were On2. Previous high was On2 up on On1 by a single dance at SOS London. Here I would estimate that more than half of the dances on the floor were On2. My impression is that there were more “serious” dancers here than there were at Clarendon Grill in previous weeks and here two weeks ago.
Hong Kong (Michi Sarmiento Y Sus Bravos), Arinanara (Eddie Torres and His Mambo Kings Orchestra), Cal Tjader, Grupo Latin Vibe, Bongo Loco (Lebron Brothers), Ti Mon Bo, Salsa Buena, etc closing with Salchicha Con Huevos. I can’t remember them all by title, but I think I knew more than 10 songs spot on this time around. Music was from the 50s to 00s with smatterings of jazzy tunes, flutes, vibraphones and strings – classics interspersed with obscure. Not too fast – at least not all the time. The only time I thought it was too fast (especially given the late hours), I overheard Earl tell the DJ to slow down to good effect.
One person told me that the turn towards more familiar was unusual but may indicate more than one-off change. There were two Bachata – I don’t think there was a Bachata last time although there wasn’t a second room this time also. No Merengue – no complaints. No Timba – ditto. Aforementioned Hong Kong was the only song I recognized as Colombian.
I am not sure why things have changed, but based on tonight I would say that DC Dance Collective second (and fourth) Saturday could be considered the best venue for people serious about Salsa especially those serious enough to learn On2 dancing in On1 dominated area. Presumably it helps to be pretty good to start with, and it also helps to get to know the people in the scene. Then again I don’t think I was especially good, and a thought that these people will find me to be a fraud after seeing me a few more times came to my mind more than once.
So what do I make of my off-hand assessment “It feels like an old scene on a down cycle?” made after my first visit? Well… it is an old mature scene – there have been good dancers here for longer than in London. What about “down?” I don’t think I have a strong basis to make a good assessment from what I have seen only. I don’t think it’s growing rapidly, but I’m guessing it’s holding fairly steady with influx and outflux of people more or less balancing out. If it’s down, it is no more down than it is in London. At least in terms of On2 dancing, I cannot say with certainty that SOS London is better than here despite London SOS attracting larger number of people. I look forward to seeing how things compare in London - presumably first at Lee Tribute event next weekend.
Annoying travel note - Is the speed limit in DC highways (295/395/etc) really 40 mph rather than standard 55 mph? If so, why are there so few speed limit signs (I haven't spotted one yet)? I might be looking at a large number of speeding tickets. Yuck.
Clarendon Grill One Week Later
January 5, 2009
This time I arrived shortly before 10 as the second Merengue was being played – I am under the impression that the 2 Merengue followed by 2 Bachata around 10 PM is more or less fixed into the program at Clarendon Grill these days.
While in topic of music, I was struck by variety of Salsa music (not Bachata or Merengue or Cha Cha) played. If anything, tonight’s music was more inclusive than what I would have used in Cambridge or elsewhere. For example, Boogaloo Blues by Johnny Colon would not have cracked top 50 Cha Cha for me as a DJ. There was a definite Cuban possibly Timba track at one point. A couple of Charanga were played as were a few old-time pre-70s sounding songs. There also were some Romantica and some Colombian. Combine tonight’s party with my last two DC parties, I had little reason to think about lack of variety in Salsa music. Thus I felt even more puzzled about the seemingly atypical and deliberately obscure and difficult music choices I found on my first night out. My confusion was cleared partially when it was explained to me that the DJs at DC Dance Collective try to emulate Frankie Martinez’s Abakua Friday socials in NYC. This was a new to me - I had not considered that there were DJs emulating Frankie like the legion of dancers emulating Frankie. I’m now guessing that the musical choice would have been less puzzling to me if I had seen the social without the large number of beginner dancers from the meetup group – a party of a small group of people practicing their craft so that they would be able to blend in with Frankie’s crowd.
While I enjoyed all the dances at Clarendon Grill once again, it was somewhat anticlimactic following the Resolution Jam especially in terms of absolute number of dances and dance partners. I missed the luxury of glancing around the room for few seconds and picking out prospective dance partners and dancing whenever I want. Phrases like "I just can't get enough" and "What I got was just enough to make me frustrated" partially summarize my thought for the evening - I guess that makes it two in a row. I also never got a sense of concrete improvement in my dancing – not surprising given a trip like this is not conducive to such efforts. All this makes me wonder if my priorities are all out of whack.
I had some chat with Tanya, Josh and Earl. Jimmy was around too for greetings etc.
Usually I don’t pay much attention to other leads, but tonight was something of an exception – possibly because I had too much down time. There was at least one performer type lead of note (leading a lot of broken left turns repeatedly and seemingly giving his partner a challenging exam – with his partner doing quite well in following … it was all quite intimidating) – I wondered if this was Psyon, but I did not try to find out his identity. Yet another very smooth lead with very good control caught my eyes a few times – no introductions there either.
This time I arrived shortly before 10 as the second Merengue was being played – I am under the impression that the 2 Merengue followed by 2 Bachata around 10 PM is more or less fixed into the program at Clarendon Grill these days.
While in topic of music, I was struck by variety of Salsa music (not Bachata or Merengue or Cha Cha) played. If anything, tonight’s music was more inclusive than what I would have used in Cambridge or elsewhere. For example, Boogaloo Blues by Johnny Colon would not have cracked top 50 Cha Cha for me as a DJ. There was a definite Cuban possibly Timba track at one point. A couple of Charanga were played as were a few old-time pre-70s sounding songs. There also were some Romantica and some Colombian. Combine tonight’s party with my last two DC parties, I had little reason to think about lack of variety in Salsa music. Thus I felt even more puzzled about the seemingly atypical and deliberately obscure and difficult music choices I found on my first night out. My confusion was cleared partially when it was explained to me that the DJs at DC Dance Collective try to emulate Frankie Martinez’s Abakua Friday socials in NYC. This was a new to me - I had not considered that there were DJs emulating Frankie like the legion of dancers emulating Frankie. I’m now guessing that the musical choice would have been less puzzling to me if I had seen the social without the large number of beginner dancers from the meetup group – a party of a small group of people practicing their craft so that they would be able to blend in with Frankie’s crowd.
While I enjoyed all the dances at Clarendon Grill once again, it was somewhat anticlimactic following the Resolution Jam especially in terms of absolute number of dances and dance partners. I missed the luxury of glancing around the room for few seconds and picking out prospective dance partners and dancing whenever I want. Phrases like "I just can't get enough" and "What I got was just enough to make me frustrated" partially summarize my thought for the evening - I guess that makes it two in a row. I also never got a sense of concrete improvement in my dancing – not surprising given a trip like this is not conducive to such efforts. All this makes me wonder if my priorities are all out of whack.
I had some chat with Tanya, Josh and Earl. Jimmy was around too for greetings etc.
Usually I don’t pay much attention to other leads, but tonight was something of an exception – possibly because I had too much down time. There was at least one performer type lead of note (leading a lot of broken left turns repeatedly and seemingly giving his partner a challenging exam – with his partner doing quite well in following … it was all quite intimidating) – I wondered if this was Psyon, but I did not try to find out his identity. Yet another very smooth lead with very good control caught my eyes a few times – no introductions there either.
Resolution Jam
January 3, 2008
The Resolution
I’ll be back in Cambridge for few more months in 2009. Nothing will change while I’m still in Cambridge. I’d like to make one more trip abroad – the most likely possibility is checking out the Paris scene in February/March for a long weekend.
Once I’m out of Cambridge and the UK, I would prefer to change the way I post. I think it will stop being a daily blog – by this I mean I will cease to write about every Salsa outing on day-to-day basis.
I suppose if I were to be in a very small scene, perhaps I could use the blog to drum up interest. However, in a larger established scene this blog in current format likely will cause me more headache than its’ worth.
I think I could document any lessons or moves I am working on. I could still write about travelling and seeing other places. If I were to DJ, posting the playlist should be reasonable. Otherwise I think I should limit covering the local scene to minimum - possibly a monthly update or less.
I think it would be nice to see how it feels to live outside a fishbowl in the Salsa world.
An Interlude
How about if I say that I stirred things a little while I am here? Let’s start with a quote.
A Quote
“I trust it will adhere to that time schedule. I wouldn't want to read in some obscure blog about the DC salsa scene how the Resolution Jam unbelievably shut down for an eternity at the height of the evening for amateurish performances and a dance contest. The folks I know, myself included, are coming primarily to dance - not watch.” – attributed to Bailandus Africanus (January 2, 2009 on the DC/MD/VA Salsa MeetUp Forum)
An Announcement
For those checking out this blog from DC area – could you refrain from reprinting this entry in a public forum? I’ll be providing a separate review minus personal and extraneous stuff for such purpose. To best of my understanding, this post will not be sent to Josh automatically by Google alert.
Nacho
I took off shortly after 8 to Arlington. First I was to meet Ignacio at his new place. After missing my exit on 395, however, it was a struggle to figure out where I was. A phone call later and a brief glance at the map finally revealed that I was rather far off to west of his place. When I finally located his building, finding on-street parking became a bigger issue. More than half hour later than I hoped for, I finally saw Ignacio face-to-face for the first time in over 3 years.
The Past
On his way to Spain, Ignacio decided to have a layover in the UK for two nights to hang out with me. He arrived at Cambridge on Friday. Next day, we drove to London – finding a hotel in the Victoria district. After a quick tour of a few major sights (British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and Buckingham Palace), we had a dinner in some restaurant on Queensway in the Bayswater district.
Near the restaurant was a small dance club advertising Salsa dancing. The place was sparsely occupied. The dance floor was tiny – no more than 5 square meters or enough for no more than ten couples at most. Hardly anyone was dancing. This place by the way is absolute nowhere in the London Salsa world. My Salsa research for venues in London about a year later showed no sign of this club’s existence.
It was also the first time I heard Salsa music (and presumably Merengue and most likely some other Latin music). I can say that the music made absolutely no impression on me – I neither loved it nor hated it. I couldn’t distinguish between Salsa, Merengue and whatever else the DJ was playing.
I remember a group of buxom ladies of African descent and an Asian from Far East hitting on these women all night for dances all night long. I don’t think the women were particularly impressed with the Asian guy as a dance partner but his persistence seemed to lead to a few dances. Being a neophyte, I have no idea how he danced but the impression that remains was that he did little but sway while burying his head in the women’s chest – I think he was a little shorter than all of the women.
Ignacio might have danced once with some of the women the Asian guy was hitting on. Mainly we passed the time drinking and seeing who else would show up. Eventually a few more people drifted in. Ignacio danced for maybe 2 or 3 songs with a Caucasian woman – probably English. I thought she looked nice enough, but Ignacio did not seem particularly impressed when he returned.
After another drink or so, a pair of Hispanic girls showed up. Ignacio seemed to hit it off with one of them. He must have danced with her for well over half dozen dances – probably in groups of three dances for three times or so. It might have been a little less than that because he probably danced at least twice with her friend. I was doing nothing but drinking and watching – first by myself and later with whomever among the Hispanic pair Ignacio was not dancing with.
I remember complimenting the girl about how nice she looked dancing, and she in turn complimented Ignacio for being a really good dancer and making her look good. It was her first time stepping into this Salsa club. Before leaving, Ignacio and the girl exchanged contact information – I don’t think anything came out of it aside from one e-mail maybe.
I think it was on the way back to the hotel (we hailed a taxi after some wandering around) that Ignacio suggested to me that I take up Salsa dancing – that it was a great way to socialize. Or perhaps he made the suggestion for the second or third time – I am fairly sure the topic of Leipzig came up before we entered the Salsa club. In any case I said that I would start after an upcoming trip I to Cape Cod/Boston immediately followed by another trip to Newquay/Cornwall in next couple of weeks. Just under one month later, I had my first Salsa lesson in Cambridge.
This Salsa night out, my first, happened on August 28, 2004.
The Jam
Ignacio and I headed off to the Resolution Jam shortly before 10. The signage outside the Salsa Room still had old sign for Cecilia’s. There was a line or queue. The music had started by the time we were outside. Shortly after 10:10, we were in.
The place was packed with people dancing – more crowded than the other time I visited. The venue felt even larger than last time too. Possibly there was more space than previously because the staff removed many of the tables and chairs. Only a smattering of small tables lined the walls of the venue. Even when the new portable floor is considered, the SOS at Royal Sonesta Hall probably has less wood dance floor space than here. The crowd estimate was over 600 people.
I had not known what to expect from him considering that the last time he went out dancing was over a year ago. Apparently he hadn’t gone out dancing for another 2 years prior to it. In our conversation later in the evening, it sounded like our London outing was not far from being one of the last few times he went out Salsa dancing. Oh well. It was no surprise that his confidence would be shaky, and it could not have helped to have this event be his first night out after a long furlough. I think he ended up dancing only once all night. He said he would want to have around ten refresher lessons to feel more comfortable at this type of night.
After settling in putting our coats tucked away and in my case changing into dancing shoes (the one I still don’t have high opinion of in terms of comfort), Ignacio and I did watched people dancing for 3 songs or so. One of the leads I’ve seen in two previous nights in trip approached me – a guy named Jimmy. He whispered in my ear that I was famous. I grinned and said he was exaggerating. It was essentially a repeat of what happened in Cambridge except people here were far friendlier about it – no doubt helped by the fact that I was a visiting guest.
The music was pretty much all Salsa with a sprinkle of Cha Cha. The variety of Salsa seemed even greater here compared to DC Dance Collective and Clarendon Grill nights I experienced earlier in this trip. Keep in mind that musical choice often change from night to night even with same DJs (and many venues here rotate DJs). I liked the music or perhaps more precisely I liked the combination of the music and the followers available.
There were four dance showcases. The first two were from Philadelphia – Calle Luna composed of 4 couples and Calle Sol composed of 3 couples. Third was a couple from Boston. Last were 4 couples including Milton Cobo. The level of choreography and execution went more or less according to form by the order of appearance. The first act probably could have made opening night series of performance in middling European Congress. Milton Cobo is a known quantity in European Salsa Congress circuit except I would add that Cobo Brothers would travel to Europe with smaller number of dancers and likely would have included his brother James, who I think was not here tonight. In any case, I quite liked the first 30 seconds of Cobo Brothers act. Making a space for the showcase took a bit, but the rest of it once the space was cleared went quickly without much dithering.
The judges for the Jack and Jill contest were summoned before and after the Cobo Brothers Dance Company’s performance. The dance contest itself was run fairly efficiently with a single round of dance to perhaps two thirds of the song Merecumbe by Los Titanes. Ignacio tried to goad me into entering. It was something I had considered (of course I seem to consider such contests all the time without ever actually participating), but I ultimately decided against it. Even before the start of the night, I thought I had earned enough notoriety. Even before the start of this trip, I thought it silly to enter as a short-time visitor. Finally, it looked like there were way more eager leaders compared to followers; I may very well have entered if the opposite were true.
As for the contestants, it was not easy for me to pick out the winner between 8-10 couples. I probably would have danced a bit differently and less frantically than most of the contestants at least at the start of the song – even if it may not have been the best winning strategy. Most of the contestants appeared to be very competent social dancers; no one caused me to scratch my head in confusion as I had in all other Jack and Jill contests. If I had to choose between the contestants, I would have picked the pair with the lead holding a white towel on his back pocket because I thought he did a somewhat better job dancing to the music. However, I have no idea who won in the end.
One benefit of the showcase and contest break was that it gave me a small opportunity to survey the room and the occupants. The venue was large and crowded and I was not mingling as much as I would have if I were by myself. Thus I was able to spot among others my favorite dance partner from Virginia Beach. At the conclusion of the dance contest, I sauntered over to the opposite side to greet her. She recognized me but already had a dance partner for the first song (and a very crowded dance floor), but we caught up afterwards. She seemed quite happy to see that I remembered her well. I danced with her to the third song and a couple more in the course of the rest of the evening.
I took a short break a little after 1 to give Ignacio a ride home; he said he was feeling the effects from antihistamine. The party was still going strong by the time I returned except there was now more room for dancing. It was also easier to spot prospective partners. As is the case usually, proportion of people who were primarily watching rather than dancing went down as the night progressed. However, there still were many people I had not danced with and would have liked to ask. Thus dancing was even more fun during the last hour.
Probably the biggest complaint I could make is that the party ended too early. The announcement for the last song came at 2:30 or so. Lights came on promptly. There were still tons of people. I had not danced with many of the people remaining. I have danced with no more than a couple of people I had danced with in two previous nights. I think the party could easily have gone to 3:30 or perhaps even beyond. With lights on and after a minute or so, the DJ put on another song followed by one more – both Romantica. I danced to the first but not the second (most people had changed shoes, etc by the time these songs came on).
I also got together with Tanya and Beto for a friendly chat sharing laughs, etc – I had said brief hello and/or dance with both individually earlier. Tanya introduced me to Josh also. I suppose the blog controversy was good for accelerating the process of familiarization and perhaps friendship. It was also at the end of the night I caught up with Mr. Earl Rush. Here's another retrospective.
Earl Rush
A highly enthusiastic and tireless DC promoter, Earl Rush sometimes tries to impersonate a Godfather figure. However, between the bluster and goofiness, his antics come across to me as completely harmless and even humorous because it is transparently clear that it is all in good fun. Before dancing Salsa, I seem to recall reading somewhere that he had hip hop dance background.
One of the most lasting memories I have of Earl is not surprisingly from the first time I saw him in December 4, 2005. I believe he was the first person I saw in person executing a Copa using his feet on follower’s hips. This is a move not used much in Europe; the last person I saw using this move was Mario B, who was visiting Scala at end of August 2008 from NYC.
However unusual this move was, an even more striking one came moments later. Earl was dancing with a latecomer to the party; her name is Christina, whom I met again briefly about a year ago. In the middle of the dance, Earl took Christina’s hand and got her to get a hold of his dress shirt, which was tucked in properly in his semi-formal gear. Earl then maneuvered the hands, etc. to get the shirt to come off undone and leaving her hand on his shirt while his hand moved away. The end effect to was to make it look like Christina started undressing Earl right there on the dance floor. For whatever its worth, there was no nudity involved as Earl was wearing an undershirt.
Formal Review of Resolution Jam (January 3, 2008)
Earl had asked me to send him a review. Considering the fact that I did not attend the afternoon’s workshop or the evening classes, a full review is impossible. However, I thought a review of the social including a comparison to how things are done elsewhere might be useful. I will be sending him a copy for his pleasure after more editing, and he may do whatever he want with it. I would appreciate no further action from others unless Earl likes it.
StuckOnSalsa hosted the Resolution Jam at the Salsa Room (2619 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA). The Salsa Room was formerly known as Cecilia’s Night Club - in fact the signage for Cecilia’s was still present on the outside mast of the venue at the time of this event several months after the venue name change. I arrived shortly before 10, and the music was already on - early by European standard.
The Salsa Room, which also holds weekly Salsa nights, has a large dance floor - I estimate it is around 700 square meters or over 7000 square foot. Perhaps the ideal capacity is a shade over 500 people for a Salsa event although the venue can hold more people. I would guess that over 600 people attended thus it was quite crowded. In general Salsa venues are smaller in Europe.
In terms of atmosphere and crowding, this Resolution Jam was comparable to Scala Bank Holiday Salsa all-night party in London, which is held 5 times a year between April and August on Sundays preceding Holiday Mondays. The attendance at Scala generally ranges from 1000 to 1500 people although the number of people dancing in the main room tends to be considerably smaller. Scala has 4 separate rooms, and the main room for classic Salsa has less dance space compared to the Salsa Room thus crowding on the dance floor is arguably more problematic at Scala during the height of the party from around 11:30 to 2:30.
For those familiar with Bar Salsa in London, Scala Bank Holiday Salsa party could be considered a souped-up version of Bar Salsa. I have been to Bar Salsa on only one Monday, but the common consensus is that Mondays and Wednedays are the only worthwhile nights for serious Salsa dancers at Bar Salsa; weekend at Bar Salsa supposedly is more of a meat market.
Significant number of people in attendance arrived from out of Washington DC – Baltimore metropolitan area at least as far as Boston to North Carolina. Many local dancers seemingly fairly inactive in local social scene appeared to come out of woodwork to attend this well-established big party. Combine with the die-hard regulars and relative newcomers to the Salsa world, there was no shortage of people to dance with.
Four showcases were given by Calle Luna from Philadelphia, Calle Sol from Philadelphia, a couple whose name I did not catch from Boston and Cobo Brothers dance company from North Carolina. These performances were similar in calibre seen in various European Congresses - Cobo Brothers in fact are regulars in the European Salsa Congress circuit, typically performing in the middle of the biggest party night.
Making a space for the showcases was done in an improvised manner with the organizers struggling to make sufficient amount of floor space for the performers. It worked fairly well although I would suggest that it may have helped to have the organizer on the middle of the performance space to direct people to move beyond a certain area using their body/arm/finger to mark the area as is done in places like SOS (Salsa On Sundays) in London - the best weekly London Salsa venue in my opinion.
Aside from the initial delay in getting the performance area ready, the performances and a Jack and Jill dance contest were run with minimal fuss at least compared to European standard. Dance contests I have seen in England and rest of Europe often involved multiple rounds with additional time spent weeding out weaker candidates. Here the contest was limited to a one song played about two thirds of the way through. The performances in Europe are often preceded by lengthy introductions and promotions of other events and sometimes other inanities.
My biggest complaint is that the party ended too early. There still were tons of people I would have liked to dance with by closing time including many local dancers. I suppose it's not entirely a bad thing to finish the party near the height of fun, but I think I easily could have had a fabulous time for another hour or more.
It was interesting for me to learn that the DC Congress parties (in June) last until only 3 AM. By comparison Scala Bank Holiday party lasts until 6 AM. Salsa parties lasting until 5 AM is common in Europe; the one in Athens supposedly went on until 8 AM on some nights (with social dancing resuming around midnight after a long series of showcases in case of Athens).
In closing, StuckOnSalsa once again delivered the Salsa highlight of my DC trip. Kudos to Earl Rush et al.
The Resolution
I’ll be back in Cambridge for few more months in 2009. Nothing will change while I’m still in Cambridge. I’d like to make one more trip abroad – the most likely possibility is checking out the Paris scene in February/March for a long weekend.
Once I’m out of Cambridge and the UK, I would prefer to change the way I post. I think it will stop being a daily blog – by this I mean I will cease to write about every Salsa outing on day-to-day basis.
I suppose if I were to be in a very small scene, perhaps I could use the blog to drum up interest. However, in a larger established scene this blog in current format likely will cause me more headache than its’ worth.
I think I could document any lessons or moves I am working on. I could still write about travelling and seeing other places. If I were to DJ, posting the playlist should be reasonable. Otherwise I think I should limit covering the local scene to minimum - possibly a monthly update or less.
I think it would be nice to see how it feels to live outside a fishbowl in the Salsa world.
An Interlude
How about if I say that I stirred things a little while I am here? Let’s start with a quote.
A Quote
“I trust it will adhere to that time schedule. I wouldn't want to read in some obscure blog about the DC salsa scene how the Resolution Jam unbelievably shut down for an eternity at the height of the evening for amateurish performances and a dance contest. The folks I know, myself included, are coming primarily to dance - not watch.” – attributed to Bailandus Africanus (January 2, 2009 on the DC/MD/VA Salsa MeetUp Forum)
An Announcement
For those checking out this blog from DC area – could you refrain from reprinting this entry in a public forum? I’ll be providing a separate review minus personal and extraneous stuff for such purpose. To best of my understanding, this post will not be sent to Josh automatically by Google alert.
Nacho
I took off shortly after 8 to Arlington. First I was to meet Ignacio at his new place. After missing my exit on 395, however, it was a struggle to figure out where I was. A phone call later and a brief glance at the map finally revealed that I was rather far off to west of his place. When I finally located his building, finding on-street parking became a bigger issue. More than half hour later than I hoped for, I finally saw Ignacio face-to-face for the first time in over 3 years.
The Past
On his way to Spain, Ignacio decided to have a layover in the UK for two nights to hang out with me. He arrived at Cambridge on Friday. Next day, we drove to London – finding a hotel in the Victoria district. After a quick tour of a few major sights (British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and Buckingham Palace), we had a dinner in some restaurant on Queensway in the Bayswater district.
Near the restaurant was a small dance club advertising Salsa dancing. The place was sparsely occupied. The dance floor was tiny – no more than 5 square meters or enough for no more than ten couples at most. Hardly anyone was dancing. This place by the way is absolute nowhere in the London Salsa world. My Salsa research for venues in London about a year later showed no sign of this club’s existence.
It was also the first time I heard Salsa music (and presumably Merengue and most likely some other Latin music). I can say that the music made absolutely no impression on me – I neither loved it nor hated it. I couldn’t distinguish between Salsa, Merengue and whatever else the DJ was playing.
I remember a group of buxom ladies of African descent and an Asian from Far East hitting on these women all night for dances all night long. I don’t think the women were particularly impressed with the Asian guy as a dance partner but his persistence seemed to lead to a few dances. Being a neophyte, I have no idea how he danced but the impression that remains was that he did little but sway while burying his head in the women’s chest – I think he was a little shorter than all of the women.
Ignacio might have danced once with some of the women the Asian guy was hitting on. Mainly we passed the time drinking and seeing who else would show up. Eventually a few more people drifted in. Ignacio danced for maybe 2 or 3 songs with a Caucasian woman – probably English. I thought she looked nice enough, but Ignacio did not seem particularly impressed when he returned.
After another drink or so, a pair of Hispanic girls showed up. Ignacio seemed to hit it off with one of them. He must have danced with her for well over half dozen dances – probably in groups of three dances for three times or so. It might have been a little less than that because he probably danced at least twice with her friend. I was doing nothing but drinking and watching – first by myself and later with whomever among the Hispanic pair Ignacio was not dancing with.
I remember complimenting the girl about how nice she looked dancing, and she in turn complimented Ignacio for being a really good dancer and making her look good. It was her first time stepping into this Salsa club. Before leaving, Ignacio and the girl exchanged contact information – I don’t think anything came out of it aside from one e-mail maybe.
I think it was on the way back to the hotel (we hailed a taxi after some wandering around) that Ignacio suggested to me that I take up Salsa dancing – that it was a great way to socialize. Or perhaps he made the suggestion for the second or third time – I am fairly sure the topic of Leipzig came up before we entered the Salsa club. In any case I said that I would start after an upcoming trip I to Cape Cod/Boston immediately followed by another trip to Newquay/Cornwall in next couple of weeks. Just under one month later, I had my first Salsa lesson in Cambridge.
This Salsa night out, my first, happened on August 28, 2004.
The Jam
Ignacio and I headed off to the Resolution Jam shortly before 10. The signage outside the Salsa Room still had old sign for Cecilia’s. There was a line or queue. The music had started by the time we were outside. Shortly after 10:10, we were in.
The place was packed with people dancing – more crowded than the other time I visited. The venue felt even larger than last time too. Possibly there was more space than previously because the staff removed many of the tables and chairs. Only a smattering of small tables lined the walls of the venue. Even when the new portable floor is considered, the SOS at Royal Sonesta Hall probably has less wood dance floor space than here. The crowd estimate was over 600 people.
I had not known what to expect from him considering that the last time he went out dancing was over a year ago. Apparently he hadn’t gone out dancing for another 2 years prior to it. In our conversation later in the evening, it sounded like our London outing was not far from being one of the last few times he went out Salsa dancing. Oh well. It was no surprise that his confidence would be shaky, and it could not have helped to have this event be his first night out after a long furlough. I think he ended up dancing only once all night. He said he would want to have around ten refresher lessons to feel more comfortable at this type of night.
After settling in putting our coats tucked away and in my case changing into dancing shoes (the one I still don’t have high opinion of in terms of comfort), Ignacio and I did watched people dancing for 3 songs or so. One of the leads I’ve seen in two previous nights in trip approached me – a guy named Jimmy. He whispered in my ear that I was famous. I grinned and said he was exaggerating. It was essentially a repeat of what happened in Cambridge except people here were far friendlier about it – no doubt helped by the fact that I was a visiting guest.
The music was pretty much all Salsa with a sprinkle of Cha Cha. The variety of Salsa seemed even greater here compared to DC Dance Collective and Clarendon Grill nights I experienced earlier in this trip. Keep in mind that musical choice often change from night to night even with same DJs (and many venues here rotate DJs). I liked the music or perhaps more precisely I liked the combination of the music and the followers available.
There were four dance showcases. The first two were from Philadelphia – Calle Luna composed of 4 couples and Calle Sol composed of 3 couples. Third was a couple from Boston. Last were 4 couples including Milton Cobo. The level of choreography and execution went more or less according to form by the order of appearance. The first act probably could have made opening night series of performance in middling European Congress. Milton Cobo is a known quantity in European Salsa Congress circuit except I would add that Cobo Brothers would travel to Europe with smaller number of dancers and likely would have included his brother James, who I think was not here tonight. In any case, I quite liked the first 30 seconds of Cobo Brothers act. Making a space for the showcase took a bit, but the rest of it once the space was cleared went quickly without much dithering.
The judges for the Jack and Jill contest were summoned before and after the Cobo Brothers Dance Company’s performance. The dance contest itself was run fairly efficiently with a single round of dance to perhaps two thirds of the song Merecumbe by Los Titanes. Ignacio tried to goad me into entering. It was something I had considered (of course I seem to consider such contests all the time without ever actually participating), but I ultimately decided against it. Even before the start of the night, I thought I had earned enough notoriety. Even before the start of this trip, I thought it silly to enter as a short-time visitor. Finally, it looked like there were way more eager leaders compared to followers; I may very well have entered if the opposite were true.
As for the contestants, it was not easy for me to pick out the winner between 8-10 couples. I probably would have danced a bit differently and less frantically than most of the contestants at least at the start of the song – even if it may not have been the best winning strategy. Most of the contestants appeared to be very competent social dancers; no one caused me to scratch my head in confusion as I had in all other Jack and Jill contests. If I had to choose between the contestants, I would have picked the pair with the lead holding a white towel on his back pocket because I thought he did a somewhat better job dancing to the music. However, I have no idea who won in the end.
One benefit of the showcase and contest break was that it gave me a small opportunity to survey the room and the occupants. The venue was large and crowded and I was not mingling as much as I would have if I were by myself. Thus I was able to spot among others my favorite dance partner from Virginia Beach. At the conclusion of the dance contest, I sauntered over to the opposite side to greet her. She recognized me but already had a dance partner for the first song (and a very crowded dance floor), but we caught up afterwards. She seemed quite happy to see that I remembered her well. I danced with her to the third song and a couple more in the course of the rest of the evening.
I took a short break a little after 1 to give Ignacio a ride home; he said he was feeling the effects from antihistamine. The party was still going strong by the time I returned except there was now more room for dancing. It was also easier to spot prospective partners. As is the case usually, proportion of people who were primarily watching rather than dancing went down as the night progressed. However, there still were many people I had not danced with and would have liked to ask. Thus dancing was even more fun during the last hour.
Probably the biggest complaint I could make is that the party ended too early. The announcement for the last song came at 2:30 or so. Lights came on promptly. There were still tons of people. I had not danced with many of the people remaining. I have danced with no more than a couple of people I had danced with in two previous nights. I think the party could easily have gone to 3:30 or perhaps even beyond. With lights on and after a minute or so, the DJ put on another song followed by one more – both Romantica. I danced to the first but not the second (most people had changed shoes, etc by the time these songs came on).
I also got together with Tanya and Beto for a friendly chat sharing laughs, etc – I had said brief hello and/or dance with both individually earlier. Tanya introduced me to Josh also. I suppose the blog controversy was good for accelerating the process of familiarization and perhaps friendship. It was also at the end of the night I caught up with Mr. Earl Rush. Here's another retrospective.
Earl Rush
A highly enthusiastic and tireless DC promoter, Earl Rush sometimes tries to impersonate a Godfather figure. However, between the bluster and goofiness, his antics come across to me as completely harmless and even humorous because it is transparently clear that it is all in good fun. Before dancing Salsa, I seem to recall reading somewhere that he had hip hop dance background.
One of the most lasting memories I have of Earl is not surprisingly from the first time I saw him in December 4, 2005. I believe he was the first person I saw in person executing a Copa using his feet on follower’s hips. This is a move not used much in Europe; the last person I saw using this move was Mario B, who was visiting Scala at end of August 2008 from NYC.
However unusual this move was, an even more striking one came moments later. Earl was dancing with a latecomer to the party; her name is Christina, whom I met again briefly about a year ago. In the middle of the dance, Earl took Christina’s hand and got her to get a hold of his dress shirt, which was tucked in properly in his semi-formal gear. Earl then maneuvered the hands, etc. to get the shirt to come off undone and leaving her hand on his shirt while his hand moved away. The end effect to was to make it look like Christina started undressing Earl right there on the dance floor. For whatever its worth, there was no nudity involved as Earl was wearing an undershirt.
Formal Review of Resolution Jam (January 3, 2008)
Earl had asked me to send him a review. Considering the fact that I did not attend the afternoon’s workshop or the evening classes, a full review is impossible. However, I thought a review of the social including a comparison to how things are done elsewhere might be useful. I will be sending him a copy for his pleasure after more editing, and he may do whatever he want with it. I would appreciate no further action from others unless Earl likes it.
StuckOnSalsa hosted the Resolution Jam at the Salsa Room (2619 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA). The Salsa Room was formerly known as Cecilia’s Night Club - in fact the signage for Cecilia’s was still present on the outside mast of the venue at the time of this event several months after the venue name change. I arrived shortly before 10, and the music was already on - early by European standard.
The Salsa Room, which also holds weekly Salsa nights, has a large dance floor - I estimate it is around 700 square meters or over 7000 square foot. Perhaps the ideal capacity is a shade over 500 people for a Salsa event although the venue can hold more people. I would guess that over 600 people attended thus it was quite crowded. In general Salsa venues are smaller in Europe.
In terms of atmosphere and crowding, this Resolution Jam was comparable to Scala Bank Holiday Salsa all-night party in London, which is held 5 times a year between April and August on Sundays preceding Holiday Mondays. The attendance at Scala generally ranges from 1000 to 1500 people although the number of people dancing in the main room tends to be considerably smaller. Scala has 4 separate rooms, and the main room for classic Salsa has less dance space compared to the Salsa Room thus crowding on the dance floor is arguably more problematic at Scala during the height of the party from around 11:30 to 2:30.
For those familiar with Bar Salsa in London, Scala Bank Holiday Salsa party could be considered a souped-up version of Bar Salsa. I have been to Bar Salsa on only one Monday, but the common consensus is that Mondays and Wednedays are the only worthwhile nights for serious Salsa dancers at Bar Salsa; weekend at Bar Salsa supposedly is more of a meat market.
Significant number of people in attendance arrived from out of Washington DC – Baltimore metropolitan area at least as far as Boston to North Carolina. Many local dancers seemingly fairly inactive in local social scene appeared to come out of woodwork to attend this well-established big party. Combine with the die-hard regulars and relative newcomers to the Salsa world, there was no shortage of people to dance with.
Four showcases were given by Calle Luna from Philadelphia, Calle Sol from Philadelphia, a couple whose name I did not catch from Boston and Cobo Brothers dance company from North Carolina. These performances were similar in calibre seen in various European Congresses - Cobo Brothers in fact are regulars in the European Salsa Congress circuit, typically performing in the middle of the biggest party night.
Making a space for the showcases was done in an improvised manner with the organizers struggling to make sufficient amount of floor space for the performers. It worked fairly well although I would suggest that it may have helped to have the organizer on the middle of the performance space to direct people to move beyond a certain area using their body/arm/finger to mark the area as is done in places like SOS (Salsa On Sundays) in London - the best weekly London Salsa venue in my opinion.
Aside from the initial delay in getting the performance area ready, the performances and a Jack and Jill dance contest were run with minimal fuss at least compared to European standard. Dance contests I have seen in England and rest of Europe often involved multiple rounds with additional time spent weeding out weaker candidates. Here the contest was limited to a one song played about two thirds of the way through. The performances in Europe are often preceded by lengthy introductions and promotions of other events and sometimes other inanities.
My biggest complaint is that the party ended too early. There still were tons of people I would have liked to dance with by closing time including many local dancers. I suppose it's not entirely a bad thing to finish the party near the height of fun, but I think I easily could have had a fabulous time for another hour or more.
It was interesting for me to learn that the DC Congress parties (in June) last until only 3 AM. By comparison Scala Bank Holiday party lasts until 6 AM. Salsa parties lasting until 5 AM is common in Europe; the one in Athens supposedly went on until 8 AM on some nights (with social dancing resuming around midnight after a long series of showcases in case of Athens).
In closing, StuckOnSalsa once again delivered the Salsa highlight of my DC trip. Kudos to Earl Rush et al.
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