December 3rd, 2014 Written by tb152251 | Comments Off on Team Janelskiy Visits NYC
Tuesday night, Dancing with The Stars contestants, Val Chmerkovskiy and Janel Parrish debuted their spectacular Salsa performance Trio with Keo Motsepe. The ferocious Salsa routine was like no other. Janel looked like a fierce jungle queen. While her backup dancers, Val and Keo made the dance floor look wild and
December 3rd, 2014 Written by tb152251 | Comments Off on Dancing With The Stars Finalist, Val Chmerkovskiy and Janel Parrish In NYC
Video: Dancing with the stars pro dancer, Val Chmerkovskiy and celebrity partner, Janel Parrish debut their spectacular Salsa performance Trio with Keo Motsepe.
November 26, 2014 was a surprising day for millions of New Yorkers, myself included. It was no other than the famous Dancing with the Stars pair, Janel Parrish and Val Chmerkovskiy eating a delicious cheesy pizza slice at Joe’s Pizza located on 150 East 14th Street in New York.
On Dancing with The Stars Season 19: Week 9, Parrish looked like a fierce jungle queen Salsa dancing to “Morning Drums” by Gregor Salto. While backup dancers, Chmerkovskiy and Motsepe made the dance floor look insanely wild. Parrish’s incredible flexibility, splits, Salsa turns, and spins wowed America. The judges were impressed by their chemistry and passion giving them an almost perfect 39 out of 40 score. It is inevitable that the chemistry and passion they share makes them a great pair and my favorite of them all.
When Parrish shared the first photo on Instagram, “JanelParrish: “It’s snowing. We got NYC pizza. It was perfect” I was beyond speechless and could not believe it. It took me a few seconds to get back into my senses when I suddenly thought, “Joe’s Pizza? That’s right by Baruch College!” I quickly jumped out of my seat scaring other students next to me. I did something I had never done in my life. I ran after my favorite dancing stars.
My face had flakes of snow and rain, my bangs were in the way of my eyes, it was cold and windy. I had to keep in mind that I had to overcome the obstacles to reach to my destination. I could see “Joe’s Pizza” sign getting closer and closer. The smile of my face stretched from ear to ear. I glanced up at the big bold red and white signage. I had arrived.
Thankfully, my iPhone had 50% percent of battery left. I excitedly prepared my camera with a chrome filter, fixed my hair, and was ready to walk in. As soon as I push those front doors open, there it was. Empty paper plates on the side table. No Janel. No Val. It was just the pizza guy in his white apron preparing pizza pies. The big smile on my face slowly dropped into a frown. My right eye began to tear. My body began to feel warm again. I walked outside to look around the block. I paced back and forth. Still no Janel or Val. Quite honestly, I felt a bit of a heartbreak.
As I left Joe’s Pizza, I overheard the conversation of two girls, Pamela and Michelle talking about Parrish and Chemerkovskiy. I turned around and asked them, “Were you also here for Janel and Val?”
“Yes! We just missed them.” – They replied.
I was glad to know that I wasn’t the only one feeling such disappointment.
“So did I.” – I said to them.
“By any chance do you know if they’ll be around the city again?” – I asked.
Pamela and Michelle shook their heads. However, they began to let me know about a dancing studio located in Soho that Chmerkovskiy owns along with his older brother Maksim. If this is true, I had to find out for myself.
As destiny didn’t unite my favorite dancing stars and I right in the birthplace of Salsa, I can at least say that I had the greatest pleasure in standing at the very location where they once stood. If the opportunity ever allowed us to meet someday, I would be the happiest girl in the world. Until then, I can only wait and hope.
November 2nd, 2014 Written by tb152251 | Comments Off on The Salsa Lifestyle – Palladium Sundays Grand Opening
“Head high, smile, and good luck everyone. It’s show time.” – Framboyan Dance Team. Dance Sport, located at 22nd West and 34th Street in Manhattan was ready to open their doors to all New Yorkers. It was the Grand Opening of “Palladium Sundays NYC”, an exciting Salsa event that gives Dancers the opportunity to dance and flourish.
This was a special night for all Salseros’ and Salseras’, but especially for Framboyan Dance Team, who were debuting their very first routine. Backstage, you could feel the nerves kicking in as Dancers paced back and forth with much concentration in their minds through their face expressions. Make up, hair, and outfits were beautifully detailed with purple and gold sequins. They were ready to sparkle on in front of a whole crowd.
As soon Framboyan Dance Team stepped out the big stage, they captivated the crowd with Suzy Q’s, spins, cross body leads, and sophisticated turns. The crowd was cheering and shouting out with excitement move after move. You can feel how much energy, thought, and dedication came from every Dancer out there. There was no spec of mistakes for the eye to catch but the glow of their smiles.
Overall everyone’s great performance, I reached out to two of my favorite Dancers from Framboyan Dance Team. I was intrigued by their artwork and wanted to figure out the time and effort that was put in to make such an extraordinary choreography. The first Dancer I had the pleasure speaking with is Andrea Rosado. Andrea Rosado has been Salsa dancing since the age of 18. She is a professional Salsa Dancer who performed in one of the greatest Salsa events of New York, “The New York International Salsa Congress”. I began to compliment her for an amazing show and asked her, “How long did it take the team to come up with this choreography, was it easy?”
“It wasn’t easy. It actually took us a little longer than we anticipated. We had at least 2-3 months of practice. – Rosado said.
“Was it easy to cope with the team?” – I asked.
“Yes and no. Everyone’s schedule is just so different so it was hard to find the right time to meet… However, the great thing is that everyone made the effort to sacrifice their free time for the team. It’s great to dance with people who feel the same passion.” – Rosado said.
“ How do you manage to your time from Salsa dancing and your daily life chores?” I asked.
“I do the best that I can. I rush my way left and right. Sleep late sometimes. It makes me feel a little robotic.” –Rosado says with a little laughter.
I noticed that aside from the perks of dancing your heart out, the life of a Salsa Dancer is not as easy as it seems. In fact, it’s a challenge. It requires a lot of time, sleepless nights, and work. And when it’s difficult to find the right time schedules with your team members, it can sometimes be troubling for the team as a whole. “At the end of the day it is all worth it. The time, effort, and dedication we put into made the night happen.” Rosado said.
I also interviewed Luiggi Augusto. He is a college student and previous Salsa Dancer at Lorenz Latin Dance Studio, Glendale. He joined the Framboyan Dance Team wanting to flourish in the Salsa Scene. I began to ask him, “ How is the Salsa dancing life style?”
“Well I think a lot of us can pretty much say that it’s hard and hectic but wonderful.” – Augusto said.
“ What are some of the positives and negatives that you face?” – I asked.
“ The negative is that it is time consuming and unfortunately we don’t get paid for dancing. I think going to school full-time, working, and salsa dancing is tough. The positive is that when you do something you love, it never feels like work.” – Augusto said.
Many may perceive Salsa dancers like Augusto to be big money makers out in Manhattan but in reality, most Salsa Dancers dance for nothing in return. Behind their wonderful performance in the big show at Dance sport, are tough lifestyles. They work, go to school full-time, and rush left and right in hopes to catch up with the time like every New Yorker.
Salsa Dancing is a lifestyle. A lifestyle that is hard to keep up with. Nonetheless, it brings great rewards. Rewards like making people smile from ear to ear when they see the love and passion a Dancer incorporates into the dance floor.
November 2nd, 2014 Written by tb152251 | Comments Off on The Life Of Our Fellow Salseras And Salseros
“Head high, smile, and good luck everyone. It’s show time.” – Framboyan Dance Team. Dance Sport, located at 22nd West and 34th Street in Manhattan was ready to open their doors to all New Yorkers. It was the Grand Opening of “Palladium Sundays NYC”, an exciting Salsa event that gives Dancers the opportunity to dance and flourish.
This was a special night for all Salseros’ and Salseras’, but especially for Framboyan Dance Team, who were debuting their very first routine. Backstage, you could feel the nerves kicking in as Dancers paced back and forth with much concentration in their minds through their face expressions. Make up, hair, and outfits were beautifully detailed with purple and gold sequins. They were ready to sparkle on in front of a whole crowd.
As soon Framboyan Dance Team stepped out the big stage, they captivated the crowd with Suzy Q’s, spins, cross body leads, and sophisticated turns. The crowd was cheering and shouting out with excitement move after move. You can feel how much energy, thought, and dedication came from every Dancer out there. There was no spec of mistakes for the eye to catch but the glow of their smiles.
Overall everyone’s great performance, I reached out to two of my favorite Dancers from Framboyan Dance Team. I was intrigued by their artwork and wanted to figure out the time and effort that was put in to make such an extraordinary choreography. The first Dancer I had the pleasure speaking with is Andrea Rosado. Andrea Rosado has been Salsa dancing since the age of 18. She is a professional Salsa Dancer who performed in one of the greatest Salsa events of New York, “The New York International Salsa Congress”. I began to compliment her for an amazing show and asked her, “How long did it take the team to come up with this choreography, was it easy?”
“It wasn’t easy. It actually took us a little longer than we anticipated. We had at least 2-3 months of practice. – Rosado said.
“Was it easy to cope with the team?” – I asked.
“Yes and no. Everyone’s schedule is just so different so it was hard to find the right time to meet… However, the great thing is that everyone made the effort to sacrifice their free time for the team. It’s great to dance with people who feel the same passion.” – Rosado said.
“ How do you manage to your time from Salsa dancing and your daily life chores?” I asked.
“I do the best that I can. I rush my way left and right. Sleep late sometimes. It makes me feel a little robotic.” –Rosado says with a little laughter.
I noticed that aside from the perks of dancing your heart out, the life of a Salsa Dancer is not as easy as it seems. In fact, it’s a challenge. It requires a lot of time, sleepless nights, and work. And when it’s difficult to find the right time schedules with your team members, it can sometimes be troubling for the team as a whole. “At the end of the day it is all worth it. The time, effort, and dedication we put into made the night happen.” Rosado said.
I also interviewed Luiggi Augusto. He is a college student and previous Salsa Dancer at Lorenz Latin Dance Studio, Glendale. He joined the Framboyan Dance Team wanting to flourish in the Salsa Scene. I began to ask him, “ How is the Salsa dancing life style?”
“Well I think a lot of us can pretty much say that it’s hard and hectic but wonderful.” – Augusto said.
“ What are some of the positives and negatives that you face?” – I asked.
“ The negative is that it is time consuming and unfortunately we don’t get paid for dancing. I think going to school full-time, working, and salsa dancing is tough. The positive is that when you do something you love, it never feels like work.” – Augusto said.
Many may perceive Salsa dancers like Augusto to be big money makers out in Manhattan but in reality, most Salsa Dancers dance for nothing in return. Behind their wonderful performance in the big show at Dance sport, are tough lifestyles. They work, go to school full-time, and rush left and right in hopes to catch up with the time like every New Yorker.
Salsa Dancing is a lifestyle. A lifestyle that is hard to keep up with. Nonetheless, it brings great rewards. Rewards like making people smile from ear to ear when they see the love and passion a Dancer incorporates into the dancefloor.
October 22nd, 2014 Written by tb152251 | Comments Off on Salsa Socials On A Friday Night – Lorenz Latin Dance Studio
VIDEO: Interview with Joel Guzman. A beginner student at Lorenz Latin Dance Studio, Manhattan explains his motive and passion for Salsa Dancing.
Salsa does not only captivate New Yorkers attention by their physical appearance or hearing, but it also has the powerful effect to reel you in mentally and emotionally.
At the Lorenz Latin Dance Studio in Manhattan one recent Friday night, dancers spun and twirled to the beat of the Salsa music. The women wore their sparkly satin high heel Burju shoes. The men comfortably dressed in plain fitted t-shirts and pants. The disco lights flashed all over the dance floor: Up, down, left and right, capturing every hip and leg Salsa styling movements. Dancers maneuvered their way through the dance floor as best as they could. Mirrors on the wall reflected many of Salseros’ and Saleras’ passionate face and body expressions. It was fascinating to view how they poured their heart, body, and soul into a world they can escape to.
It was a good time to enjoy Salsa dancing in one of the greatest well-known Salsa dance studios of New York. New Yorkers are fascinated by the sensuous and sultry Salsa dancing, music, and scene. When you acquaint yourself with it, its mixture of exotic Latin dance movements, beats, and rhythms mesmerizes you. In a city that is so diverse, people of all ages, ethnicities, and races come together to experience the wonders of Salsa. That is, building a social network, having a good time, boosting happiness, relieving stress, or even being a better dancer, and much more. Salsa does not only captivate New Yorkers attention by their physical appearance or hearing, but it also has the powerful effect to reel you in mentally and emotionally.
I had the pleasure to interview Joel Guzman, a beginner student that started taking Salsa lessons at Lorenz Latin Dance Studio, Manhattan 2 months ago. When I sat by the benches to take a break at socials night, I noticed the curiosity and enthusiasm in his face with learning Salsa. I definitely had to ask away, “Why the interest?”
“I knew “kitchen Salsa” as Guzman would say. I officially decided to take the step when I went to Atlantic City. Everyone knew what they were doing and I didn’t know a damn thing. “ Guzman said. “That was it. I did a few turns. She saw that I didn’t know what I was doing and she walked away. I went back that weekend and asked Jose when is his next class.”
It was interesting to learn that the reason behind Guzman joining the Salsa world was to become a better dancer. He shared with me that the woman’s rejection and his lack of skills on the dance floor led him to spontaneously sign up. Knowing “Kitchen Salsa” as he says, is not the same as knowing “Salsa On 2”. The difference between these two styles is that “Kitchen Salsa” has no structure or rules on the dance floor as which the other does. He mentions that he wants to come in to a club one day and show off more than just the basic Salsa skills and enjoy a good time doing so.
Another reason that people want to start Salsa dancing is a desire to overcome fears. Carlos Hervias is an advanced student at Lorenz Latin Dance Studio, Glendale. At socials night, I witnessed how busy he was on the dance floor. At every fast and slow paced song, he was not afraid to ask the ladies out. Nor would the ladies reject his offer. Now you’re probably thinking, “of course, he is an advance student… “ Do you really think that it is? When I asked him the following: “Did you always dance?”
“No, no, no. Actually I never danced before. Not even in family parties or anything like that. I would always run away when family members tried to ask me out to dance.” – Hervias said.
I was shocked. I don’t think anyone could believe that the person in front of me had a fear of dancing just a couple of years ago. Salsa proves that anyone can overcome them. He continues, “I was a little intimidated and I was scared, but once you learn a little Salsa, you gain confidence and that helps you a lot’’ He said. It is amazing to see how Salsa brings out the best side of people.
As you see New Yorkers, Salsa makes great wonders. Everyone on that dance floor is there for the same purpose as you: To discover the pleasures of Salsa. And if you ever stand behind that studio door one night hesitating to walk in, just remember: Acquaint with the spice!
