S A L S A H E A T N E W SFriday, November 6, 2009 Edition #103Miami, Florida

The 8th Miami Salsa Congress

For a total of five days you will experience over 80 live spec-tacular showcases, dance to the music of some of the hottest

Salsa disc jockeys & Live Bands in the industry and take dance workshops with the best in-structors from around the world.

The Miami Salsa Congress was created in 2002 to give Floridians a chance to experi-ence the latin culture of music and dance under one roof. It’s also an opportunity to bring salsa music and dance lovers from as far as the UK, Asia, South America and beyond to enjoy our beautiful sunny city while enjoying great Salsa mu-sic. This is why everyone calls the Miami Salsa Congress,

THE ULTIMATE DANCE VACATION!

SalsaThe salsa originated in the Caribbean, although it also has a strong African influ-ence. It is typically danced by couples and centers on a four-beat combination of two quick steps and a slow step with a pause or tap. Partners can then add turns and other flourishes to this basic footwork.

MamboThe mambo was created in Cuba. Its sig-nature move is a three-beat step moving forward and then backward while shifting weight between feet. One member of a dancing pair performs the backward motion while the other moves forward. What really gives the mambo its style, though, is the hip-swaying action the weight shift creates. Although the mambo is a couples dance, the basic mambo step has appeared in everything from line dancing to aerobics videos.

MerengueMerengue is an essentially Dominican dance, even being named the official dance of the country. It is generally considered easy to learn. The follow-ing basic movement is performed to the front, back, and side in couples dancing – step onto the inside edge of the foot, roll the foot to transfer weight, then drag the other foot to meet the first foot.

RumbaThe rumba has its roots in the Cuban son. It is performed with two quick steps and then a third slower step taking two

beats. Dancers use a pattern such as a box to guide their movements. Although the dance was originally performed with quick steps, ballroom rumba dancing has emphasized slow, romantic steps with a focus on hip movements.

Cha Cha ChaThe cha cha cha, also called the cha cha, is another Cuban-born dance, similar to the mambo in style. However, after the basic movement of stepping forward or backward and shifting weight between feet, the cha cha cha adds a quick set of three steps to the side. This gives the dance its name, as many dancers will count out these steps as “cha cha cha”.

BachataThe bachata is another dance from the Dominican Republic. Dancers move side to side in a four-beat pattern – three steps to the side and a pause. This pause forms the essence of the bachata as dancers incorporate pronounced hip movements. Overall, the dance is much more about moving the body with style than the simple back and forth steps.

SambaSamba is Brazilian in origin and danced to music of the same name. The samba may be danced individually or with a partner. Dancers move forward and backward, shifting weight between feet. It is a fast-paced dance, with three steps for every two beats, although the overall speed varies according to the music.

Salsa Kings Dance Studio11200 SW 8th StMiami, FL 33174(305) 969-3522

Latin Groove Dance Studio Inc12816 SW 122nd AveMiami, FL 33186(786) 312-1097

Star Ballroom Dance Studio13313 W.Dixie HighwayMiami, FL 33186(786) 306-0085

Dance Dreams-Latin Heat7801 Abbott Ave # 502Miami Beach, FL 33141(305) 868-9418

Aventura Dance Studios2646 NE 189th TerraceMiami, FL 33180(305) 466-3633

Divas of Dance8881 SW 131st StMiami, FL 33176(786) 286-9372

NEW TO THE SALSA

SCENE?Try some of these Latin dance

classes in your area!

TYPES OF LATIN DANCE

San Diego is known for it’s beautiful beaches, near perfect weather, and an evolving salsa dance scene. I mention the last point because over the last few years San Diego has experienced a new genesis of energy and excitement in Latin dance. One salsa dancer in particular, Serena Cuevas, is credited with bringing salsa dancing to the national spotlight through her recent work with Gatorade on their new G2 products.

Serena Cuevas, director of Deseo Dance, shared some of her thoughts about her own development in salsa dancing and where it is going here in San Diego. Enjoy the interview below!

Ritmo Bello: Serena Cuevas, thanks for taking some time out of your busy schedule. San Diego’s salsa dance scene is always expanding with new talent and your dance company Deseo Dance is a great example of this fact. What does Deseo Dance offer to the San Diego dance community that’s different from other local dance studios?

Serena Cuevas: I train my dancers to feel movements first. Counts, tim-ing, and technique are key factors to learning and progression but you’ll really go no-where in the long run without ‘feeling’ the moves and mak-ing them your own.

Ritmo Bello: Every dancer has a story about how they first found salsa dancing and how they first started to dance. Can you tell me a little about how you came in contact with salsa dancing?

Serena Cuevas: I was 11 years old and my dad had shown me the basic…”1,2,3… 5,6,7…”. Without counts, just “back, together, forward, togeth-er”. It was so fun for me but I wanted more! My mom had been taking private Ballroom lessons and so she starting bringing me along. I watched and loved it even more! I starting taking over my mom’s private les-sons and performing locally in studio shows. I knew this was it for me.

Ritmo Bello: Recently you’ve gained some great exposure from your work in the Gatorade G2 commercial with Serena Williams. How did you become involved in this project with Gatorade?

Serena Cuevas: They contacted me actually. It was a surprise and I did not believe it at first but one call and email after another, then a competi-tion in LA and before I knew it, I won the ‘Search for the Next Serena’ for the G2 campaign competition! It was unreal and amazing at the same time.

Ritmo Bello: In your opinion, what’s the best aspect of being a salsa dancer in San Diego today?

Serena Cuevas: The diversity! All the dance companies specialize in some-thing different and there is so much opportunity to grow! Students have a ton of choices for clubs, teams, shows, training, etc. Very cool.

Ritmo Bello: What do you like the most about being a professional salsa dancer?

Serena Cuevas: I love loving what I do. Performing is by far my favorite feeling, but training dancers and see-ing the progression is unbelievable!

Ritmo Bello: Serena Cuevas on behalf of the San Diego salsa community thank you for all you do to promote salsa dancing!

Serena Cuevas: Thank you for sup-porting us! Salsa lives on because of how much we all contribute.

Interview with Dance Director

SERENA CUEVAS

Need a BOOST before dance class?Here are some snacks that pack a punch to keep you energized throughout your workout:

l A small bowl of cereal with a banana l 3/4 cup of yogurt with 1/2 cup berries l 1 bagel with non-hydrogenate peanut butter l 1/2 cup trail mix l An English muffin with nut butter and honey l A smoothie made with milk or juice, fresh or frozen fruit, and wheat germ or flaxmeal l 3-4 fig cookies or a low fat granola bar