Monday, June 30, 2008

Paris (1)

I don't have time to write a full report yet (I am actually here to work) but the salsa scene here is brilliant. Saturday night dancing in the open air on the banks of the Seine, and then Le Barrio Latino all Sunday afternoon. It's the best salsa club I've ever been to and the best dancers there are amazing. Pure cross-body style, but I'm thinking of looking for a Cuban club on Tuesday night (I need to get some sleep tonight as I'm giving a presentation tomorrow). I've shot some phone videos which I'll post when I have time. Trying to work out how soon I can come back here...

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Koko Gorilaz

I've been meaning to go to this for weeks but it's hard staying out late midweek. I've been wondering who Sabina was and realised when I got there that I'd had a very enjoyable dance with her in La Tasca a couple of weeks ago.

I didn't really know what to expect (the online videos show what looks like a lot of students appearing to have a good time) but the classes were serious. It turned out to be Ulisse's last night, so he just took the beginners' class before handing over to Misael. I found the improvers, and particularly the intermediate/advanced, to be really useful: funky, cool and authentically Cuban moves. There was a slight language barrier but there was plenty of emphasis on technique and he didn't try to teach too much, concentrating instead on repeating and embedding a small number of moves and looking at how to lead them: in the improvers' class it was setenta and sombrero ochenta y ocho, and the intermediate/advanced class started with sombrero ochenta y ocho and moved on to ventilador, which starts off with a very unusual lead. Patricia enjoyed it too, and reckoned it was the first time she'd been challenged in a class (apart from Andy's Sunday workshops) for a long time.

The only problem I have with going regularly is that it goes on so late! It should be OK over the summer holidays but I can't go regularly when I have to get up early for work the next day. Shame, because I learnt a lot.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Bristol and Cardiff

Interesting if rather worrying explanation from Stevie on Salsajive as to why he's thrown in the towel:
http://www.salsajive.co.uk/salsa-chat/bd_22831.shtm

I hope we're not going to see the same thing happen here. Certainly some of the factors he mentions affect Cardiff as well - such as the proliferation of beginners' and improvers' classes, run by people who have other day jobs,  sometimes in direct competition with established nights.

Looking on the bright side, Andy's Sunday workshops are continuing in July, which suggests that there are a reasonable number of people around who are prepared to pay for serious teaching.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

End of an era

Just heard that Steve West (El Diablito) is calling it a day with his Salsamania events in Bristol. He'll still be Djing for Andy on a Thursday in Cardiff for the foreseeable future. I've had some great nights in his venues and he's been one of the most hard-working promoters around. I assume that the reason he's given up is because of the difficulty of getting and keeping salsa venues because dancers just don't drink enough. Shame.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Friday

Kate's charity salsa party on Friday went very well. It was pretty quiet when I got there but there were plenty of people by the time the free dancing started, including Joanna who's magic to dance with. I wasn't surprised when she told me she learnt from the same teacher as Andy in Oxford. Jukebox, the young hip-hop troupe who were the beneficiaries (the event was aiming to raise money to get them to the world hip-hop championships in Las Vegas) did a very impressive show.

I was in a post-Bruce (Springsteen) daze by the time of Sunday's advanced class, but it was extremely useful. It took me out of my comfort zone (translation: I couldn't do all of it) but I really valued the emphasis on technique, posture and precision. Looks like the workshops won't be running again until the Autumn, so once this series ends I think a private lesson is in order before I forget what I did manage to learn.

I'm giving Kate's class a miss tonight as my knee is still a bit dodgy after Brussels, and I need to make sure it's better for Paris next weekend. I'll give Bar Risa a go for an hour tomorrow night, though.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

¡Sabor!

Big salsa all-dayer at the Wales Millennium Centre on 28th June (click on the link above for booking details), with teachers including Andy and Kate, and Victor Hugo and his band playing in the evening. They are good and very danceable. I'm going to miss it as I'll be on the Eurostar heading to a seminar in Paris. (I'm going a day early with the aim of checking out the salsa in Le Barrio Latino on Sunday afternoon.)

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Brussels etc

I didn't actually get to the You club, which is the Sunday afternoon salsa in Brussels - I slept through it after early starts for work on Saturday and Sunday morning (and checking out the Belgian beer on Saturday night). But I got to La Tentation that night. It's a big warehouse near Place St Catherine. Rubbish floor (tiles, uneven in places), very hot, and a variable standard of dancing - but the music, the sound system and the atmosphere were really good and it was friendly. Unlike my experience in Madrid, here the dancers really engaged with plenty of eye contact and humour. I had a few really exciting dances and left on a high just after midnight as it was winding down. I was tempted to head over to Matonge, the African quarter, to check out the Congolese clubs, but decided - probably wisely - to leave that for my next visit and to round off the night with a glass of Kwak (great beer that comes in a wacky glass) instead.

Kate’s running another charity salsa party at the County Hall Staff Club off Schooner Way. I couldn’t go to the last one but heard very good reports about it. £5 advance, £6.50 on door (Risa this Thursday is your last chance for advance tickets).

Another diary date – Irene is teaching ladies’ styling June 10th and 27th and 4th July in Vitality Fitness Club above Henry’s in Park Place – starts 10am, cost £5 a class.

Finally, don't forget that Barrio Beatz is now weekly from this Thursday.