INTRODUCTION
Updated: September 23rd, 2008
How It All Started: There are many reasons why any particular person takes up salsa dancing, or any other type of social dancing. The obvious reason is that it's a great way to meet and interact with new people. Salsa is sexy and sensual. It's great exercise. And most importantly, it's fun! The music is thoroughly enjoyable for dancing or listening to. If these aren't reasons enough to motivate you to learn salsa, then I don't know what will. My interest in salsa dancing came primarily from a progressive interest in latin music. By the year 2000, I had been playing flamenco guitar for about four years or so. In fact, flamenco music was the only reason I took up the guitar. Flamenco is intense and passionate -- listening to really good flamenco musicians, you can feel what they feel, and see it in the flamenco dancers' expressions. The music was enticing enough that I wanted to learn it. Before discovering Flamenco, I had listened to just about anything, from classic rock, Retro, Alternative, classical music, etc. But it was from flamenco that my interest in other genres of latin music surfaced. There's just something about the latin rythyms that makes you want to dance. In the late '90s, a few of my friends had taken salsa, and it looked really interesting when they danced. Before that, I did not know what salsa was or that it even existed. Later on, I remember watching a show on the Life Network where some couples, who were trying to spice up their relationship, had started learning salsa dancing. Although I wasn't a dancer at the time, I thought some the moves they were doing were pretty sexy! However, it probably wasn't until I went to the Montreal Jazz Festival with some friends in 1999 (?), where I saw a flamenco guitarist play some hypnotic and explosively energetic salsa songs, that my interest in salsa really surfaced. The music just blew me away! The streets were crowded with people standing and enjoying the music. Some clapped along with the beat, and others swayed back and forth. Near the front of the stage, more and more people started dancing. You could tell that these people knew what they were doing. As I watched, I was quite impressed. Although I didn't have a clue about what they were doing or how they moved, some of them were really entertaining to watch. And, of course, I thought the ladies were so hot! From about that point on, I decided I had to learn how to dance like those people did.
When I came to Vancouver in 2001, I discovered that the city offered a handful of salsa venues and instructors. In Toronto, I really didn't go out much to any club, let alone a salsa club (...although now I wish I had!). In the Vancouver salsa clubs, the people were friendly and there was ample opportunity for learning salsa. Whenever possible, I took the opportunity to learn new patterns and tricks by watching other people, and by taking classes or workshops. At present, I still do!! There are always new things to learn for salsa. It's continually evolving...with new people entering the salsa scene, they bring in their own style, their own innovations, and cultural influences.
In 2007, several of the original Salsa Obsessions team members wanted to get together again and use my choreography. From the team, I had been the only one to continue in the salsa scene. The others were busy with their lives and various interests. We worked long and hard polishing off my old routines. The end result was a very successful year with our shows!! Unfortunately, Salsa Obsessions has disbanded again (...real life tends to get in the way, doesn't it?), but it is possible we will get together sometime. Please check out our shows via the links on the main page. At present, I am busy planning for the next set of classes, as well as practicing the new and wonderful moves I've learned in previous and recent congresses. There's nothing that compares to my passion for salsa, and I've discovered that I'm passionate about teaching salsa too. It is addictive, and I want to share with others who have the desire to learn. And that is why I like salsa. |
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