Salsa in Ireland

January 2007
I am unable to update this page again until September 2007. For enquiries please contact teachers directly. Thank you.

For an exhaustive and ever changing calendar of classes and events around Ireland go to salsa.Afterhours.ie click on events,then calendar

If you are new to the irish salsa scene, a good way to keep up with things is the irishsalsa mailing list. To subscribe to irishsalsa mailing list send an email to irishsalsa-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
For classes, clubs, events, articles, useful information, discussion, tips etc etc. This list is mainly Dublin-based but is also used by teachers & promoters in other areas.
irishsalsa website

[Upcoming Events]
[List of Congresses] the most comprehensive list ever! - over 50 events all over the world
[links]
[Dance Holidays and Trips to Cuba]
[Dublin and surrounding areas]
[Cork]
[Northern Ireland]
[Limerick and Galway]
[Waterford and Kilkenny]
[Midlands]
[West of Ireland]
[Salsa and Travel Reports]
[Casa Particulares in Cuba]


Upcoming Events

• NEW Dance articles from Josie Neglia's website - how to be an advanced dancer, salsa vs mambo, the benefit of provate lessons, tips for performances ... click here
• Interview with Siobhan click here
• a good lead is hard to find...fact or fiction?
• new link: Dimelo! Records
• Tapas Bar 'HAVANA' 3 Camden Market,  Grantham St, Dublin 8
  recommended by Lonely Planet guide, Time Out, Georgina Campbell/Jameson Guide, Everyman CityMap Guide
  Tel : 01-476 0046
  Website :  click here
• interesting Articles
  www.Tosalsa.com Guide to all your questions!
  Is the best dancer also the best teacher?
  Skills of a dance instructor
  Evaluating an instructor's skill
  How to pick an instructor
  How long will it take to be good dancer?
  Enjoy your growing pains
  Am I ready to progress?
  

Congresses and Events Worldwide

Dublin

• Hilary - Salsa all levels, CardioSalsa, Argentine Tango
  www.danzon.ie Email Hilary
  087 9172939
  
• Richard (DJ) Email Richard
• Robert (DJ)
• Alijan Salsabor.ie
  tel 087 9306707
• Alex - Cuban Salsa - www.cubansalsaireland.com
  
• Anna & Vitor - salsa all levels, Cuban and Crossbody
  www.salsamania-ireland.com
  tel 087-6206372
• www.SteppingOut.ie
  
• Afrimania who run International Dance Academy
  www.salsa.ie email Josh
  tel 087-202 4573
  
• FLORIDITA - new Cuban bar - Cuban bands 7 nights
• Abel
  Enchufla
  087-2358601
  
• Colm 087-9037417
• Tony Fuego, email Tony Fuego
  087-2774560
• Latin Band for hire - LATIN EXPRESS - Email Latin Express
  Tel. +353-1-3855224
  Fax. +353-1-2847072



Radio

• Afro Latin Radio Show
  Dublin City Anna Livia FM, 93.6 FM, Every Thursday 11pm-midnight. tel 01-8652020
• Salsa Radio Show, Salsa pa' ti
  Radio na Life, 106.4 FM Dublin, Every Saturday 7-8pm
  

Cork

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• SalsaIreland
  Classes and Club every Monday and Thursday at The Garda Club, Penrose Wharf
  www.salsaireland.com
  email Kathleen
  
• Classes on Tuesdays/Wednesdays in The Viaduct Inn or Inishannon House Hotel.
  www.salsaireland.com for details
  email Kathleen
  
• Salsa PArty with buffet (8.30pm), 3rd Saturday of every month
  at the VIADUCT INN on the road to Bandon, just beyond Dunnes Stores Wilton.
  20 euro incl food, 10 euro from 9.30 on
  www.salsaireland.com for details
  email Kathleen
  
• LatinoSoul at the Qube Nightclub, 74 Oliver Plunkett St
  Tuesdays and Thursdays. Live Bands. Mambo, Salsa, Samba, Merengue etc
  Free admission before 11.30pm
  

Northern Ireland

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Afterhours click on events and calendar for classes and events


• Salsa-NI
  Salsa-ni
  email Chris
• SalsaBelfast.com
  email Richard
• Salsa in Derry website
• KingofSalsa.co.uk
  email Rahmi
• DanceAddiction.com
• SalsaSpice
  email Alan
• SalsaFresca
  email Mike

Limerick and Galway

Afterhours click on events and calendar for classes and events



Waterford and Kilkenny

Afterhours click on events and calendar for classes and events


• salsanation.net
• www.SteppingOut.ie/01.html
  
• Kilkenny
  salsanation.net
• Waterford
  www.salsa.ie
  

Midlands

Afterhours click on events and calendar for classes and events


• Mullingar www.salsa.ie
  
• Tullamore - Tuesdays www.SteppingOut.ie/01.html
  
• Tullamore - Tuesdays salsanation.net

West of Ireland

Afterhours click on events and calendar for classes and events


• Sligo - Thursdays salsanation.net
• Roscommon - Tuesdays. Salsa Brazil tel 087 7840440
• Westport - Wednesdays. Salsa Brazil tel 087 7840440
• Westport - Thursdays. Salsa Brazil tel 087 7840440
• Ballinrobe - Fridays. Salsa Brazil


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Dance Holidays and Trips to Cuba

Christina in Galway, several times a year, small groups Email Christina
www.salsamania-ireland.com Vitor and Anna, Dublin
Caledonia Languages, reputable dance & language holidays worldwide
MamboCity, London-based
SalsaHols, Dance holidays with Robert Charlemagne
learnBA Tango and Spanish in Buenos Aires


Links

[Ireland] [UK and Europe] [USA and Canada] [Dance Shoes and Clothes] [Videos/DVDs] [Music & Radio]

Ireland
salsa.afterhours.ie All of Ireland
***
www.SalsaIreland.com Cork
***
www.Danzon.ie Hilary, Dublin
Salsabor.ie Alijan, Dublin
www.IrishSalsaCongress.com Every May in Dublin
Enchufla Cuban Salsa in Dublin
www.salsa.ie Dublin. incl salsa, hip hop, jazz, swing, adult ballet etc
***
www.salsamania.ie Vitor and Anna, Limerick & Galway
wwwShallWeDance.ie Galway
***
www.Stepping0ut.ie Around Dublin & Midlands
www.salsanation.net Anthony & Coral, Midlands
www.Irishsalsa.com Salsa Emagazine
www.salsapod.net/ireland Gary, Dublin
www.theclave.com Dublin
***
www.SalsaBelfast.com Belfast
www.Sabroso.co.uk Salsa in Derry
www.Salsa-ni.comNorthern Ireland
DanceNI.com Belfast
www.King Of Salsa Northern Ireland
www.Talksalsa.com Northern Ireland
www.SalsaSpice Northern Ireland

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[Ireland] [UK and Europe] [USA and Canada] [Dance Shoes and Clothes] [Videos/DVDs] [Music & Radio]

UK and Europe
Susana Montero
Latin Dance Academy, London Susana, Mario, Shaan
Mambo City Jean & Robert
Salsatribe also Salsology Emma & Mushi, Manchester
Supermario
Salsachillout, Terry & Yolande
Salsagold, Richard Pierre
LeonRose.com, Leon Rose
Salsa.co.uk, Robert Charlemagne
Salsamafia UK
Clubcubana Pontins weekends
Lati2de, Tammambo & Salsara
UK Congress
Salsa-UK
SalsaFever UK
salsapictures.com Germany
salsa-forum Germany
Salsatecas Germany
Yellow Pages Salsa in Germany Germany
Manuel Mascarell, Spain
Caledonia Languages, dance & language holidays worldwide
Salsasite Norway
Latin Motion, Birmingham
Salsa Dance UK

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[Ireland] [UK and Europe] [USA and Canada] [Dance Shoes and Clothes] [Videos/DVDs] [Music & Radio]

Dance Shoes and Clothes
Heavenly Dance Shoes UK
Dance Shoes - Ballroom in Motion
Dance Shoes Online
Magic Dance Shoes USA
Portdance Portugal
Shoes by Janette USA
Salsa Forum Shop Germany
Excento Clothes & Shoes Holland
Camerino Clothes & Shoes Germany
SiClothing USA
ShowTimeDanceShoes USA. Carries Chrisanne Dancewear, Supadance, International and Freed of London shoes. large selection
danceshoesballroomA wide selection of ballroom dance shoes for competition and social dancing
Supadance UK
Danceworld UK
adadance.com USA
Notably Unique USA
DanceShoeShop UK
Dance-shop.com
Everything Shiny Canada
Rayrose USA
Shoes For Dance USA
Choice London UK
Dancesport Shoes UK
Dancesport Clothes UK
dancewear USA
Tosca Salsa & Dance Fashions USA, good selection, lovely stuff

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[Ireland] [UK and Europe] [USA and Canada] [Dance Shoes and Clothes] [Videos/DVDs] [Music & Radio]

Videos and DVDs
the Clave, moves to download from the website NEW
Salsa UK
Steps 4 Salsa NL, the best selection I have seen
www.dancefreak.com
theSalsashop.net
Salsation
Cultural Explosion
salsa-forum Shop Germany
boogalu
Salsaville
Albert Torres Events

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Music and Radio
Dimelo! Records Sterns.com
Descarga.com
salsa2salsa.com, internet radio show
Musica Boricua
The Puerto Rico Store

[Ireland] [UK and Europe] [USA and Canada] [Dance Shoes and Clothes] [Videos/DVDs] [Music & Radio]

USA & Canada
EddieTorres, NY
Los Rumberos, Francisco Vazquez, LA
Tropical Gem, Italy
Mas Salsa Brava, LA
Joby Brava, Joby Martinez, LA
Nelson Flores & DescargaLatina, NY
Seaon Bristol, LA
SalsaLovers , Miami, Casino Rueda
SantoRico, Thomas Guerrero, NY
Frankie Martinez, NY
Salsation, Orville Small, Toronto

Sabor Magazine
Salsabor Y Cache , LA
Salserosonline , LA
Salserosweb , LA

Other
SalsaNewYork for instructor, class & club listings

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[Ireland] [UK and Europe] [USA and Canada] [Dance Shoes and Clothes] [Videos/DVDs] [Music & Radio]




Salsa and Travel Reports

by Siobhan Mortell
Further Contributions welcome!
Articles
[Los Angeles 1999] by Siobhan
[Toronto 2000] by Siobhan
[New York 2000] by Siobhan
[first competition 2000] by Siobhan
[Cuba 2001] by Siobhan
[New York 2003] by Siobhan
[Dublin 2003] by Siobhan
[Rome 2004] by Rico Sabor
[Styles, Music and good tips] by tunta 2004
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera!] by Niamh Boland 2004

www.Tosalsa.com Guide to all your questions!
Is the best dancer also the best teacher?
Skills of a dance instructor
Evaluating an instructor's skill
How to pick an instructor
How long will it take to be good dancer?
Enjoy your growing pains
Am I ready to progress?

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CUBA REPORT

Contents

Mojitos, Rallydriving, Compliments, Taxis, Caminar al a Cubana, “The Rules”, Buscanovios, Hustling, Salsa, Clothes, Lurve.

This must be the longest it’s taken me yet to ‘do my thang’ and report on my travels, but here is finally a bit of Caribbean summer sun to brighten up the grey Irish February weather. Probably many of you know I was in Cuba for 3 weeks last summer. I had a ball. So if you’re wondering how the above contents could possibly have anything to do with Cuba, read on…



Taxis

All the taxi drivers we met were really friendly and very knowledgeable about all sorts of things. Rudolfo Casanova in Havana was my favourite. He was very charming. One evening he drove us to the fortress to see the cannons being fired. His car was slightly damaged (not a big American car), in that the back door handles were broken and the doors could only be opened from the outside. This enabled him to live up to his name! He saw it as an opportunity to be a gentleman as he had to open the door for all his customers. Mind you, they couldn’t get out if he chose not to! It did of course also prevent people from running off without paying, but I don’t believe this was foremost in his mind.
My next favourite taxi driver was in Santiago de Cuba driving a big American 50’s car like something frm ‘Grease’, white with red trim and fins. I sat in front. And enjoyed the views of the large expansive bonnet, as well as the countryside. He drove us to Santiago’s fortress about 20 minutes outside the city, and agreed to pick us up again in 2 hours’ time. His car had a tape player, but on the way there he had no tapes, at which we expressed a certain disappointment. During his absence though, he went to the trouble of getting one from somewhere, especially for us. For our return journey we rocked to the beat of Los Van Van.



Rallydriving

If you rent a car in Cuba make sure you check that everything works, including the spare tyre and tyre changing equipment. We almost came a cropper with that one. Maps and signposts are sometimes hard to come by, so you will need to develop a sense of intuition in deciding which road is the right one. The other essential thing, and you should do this before you go, is to get yourself a rallydriving certificate. You will need it. Not because of traffic or speeding, but because there are potholes 2 feet deep and 3 feet wide. Avoiding them can be an adventure and the rallydriving practice you do before you go will stand to you.



Road Rage

This does not exist in Cuba. At least I didn’t see any. Maybe partly because the people are very relaxed, but also because there is no traffic except in Havana. At least I didn’t see any. Aside from the potholes, driving was a pleasant experience in Cuba. In the daylight. Whatever you do don’t drive after dark. It is a hazardous affair, especially in smaller towns and villages - there are no streetlights, and nothing that moves has lights either. Bicycles, horses & carriages, dogs, people…



Hustling

However, if road rage doesn’t exist there, hustle rage certainly does. We were particularly prone to it in Santiago de Cuba. You will be hustled by all sorts of people for all sorts of things, particularly soap, pens and dollars. It seemed to me that the only cure for this was to walk with a Cuban friend.



Caminar a la Cubana (walking like a Cuban)

Walking with a Cuban is one thing, walking like a Cuban is quite another. They have a very special walk, a very relaxed saunter with a lot of attitude. You have to see it to appreciate it. I was determined not to leave the country without a certificate for Caminar a la Cubana, from the official school for walking. One of my teachers had two different walks, one for when there were a lot of people around and one for when there weren’t. Cuban macho at its best! Unfortunately, we were so busy swimming and playing cards at the beach that I had no time left to practise. Practising would have been difficult anyway. How can you possibly keep your chin up and look straight ahead when you take your life in your hands walking on very uneven cobbled streets in Trinidad and avoiding the very large and very deep potholes along the Malecón in Havana? (These are potholes you could actually fall into) My artist coach finally gave me 9 out of 10, but only after my sister bought one of his paintings.



The Rules

This is not what you think!!
There are ten rules of tanning. (Courtesy of my sister, essential for sun holidays.)
The first rule is - no tan marks. We broke this on the first day.
The second rule is - moisturize your tan. This was easy to keep.
The third rule is - maintain your tan when you get home.
I don’t know what the other seven are, but my sister must have withheld some essential rules because I didn’t come home with the perfect tan that was my aim. Maybe this isn’t so bad for a Celtic Rose.



Compliments

There was no shortage of these in Cuba, being three beautiful and exotic European women. They are very imaginative people. Some of the stranger ones were “You have a beautiful frame.” This one was paid in English, presumably he meant a lovely figure. Another strange one was “you have fat legs”! At least this is what the dictionary said. I can only assume that extra padding is a definite asset. Or maybe it also means muscular, or shapely…! If anyone is in a position to enlighten me, please do!



Buscanovios

This is a word in two parts:
Verb: buscar - to look for
Noun: novio - boyfriend
This is also not what you think. Look no further. Buscanovios are those little strands of hair that aren’t long enough to reach all the way to your ponytail or hairclip and which hang down in cute feminine curly wisps around your face and emphasize your eyes. They are very handy vehicles for prospective boyfriends to start a conversation by touching them and telling you what beautiful hair you have. We found this out when it was already too late. By the time we knew about the buscanovios, we already had the novios. So ladies, unless you are looking for a boyfriend, don’t forget the hairgrips!



Mojitos

The most refreshing cocktail on earth. It has water, sugar, fresh lime juice, fresh mint leaves and lots of the best Cuban rum. The thing to do is find your favourite bar in your favourite place in Cuba, order one and sit and admire the views (landscape and otherwise), all the while sipping your mojito in the evening sun.



Food

We found the food excellent - plain but really tasty and healthy. We steered clear of state-run restaurants and almost always ate at the houses we were staying in - real home cooking and they are all fabulous cooks. You have to like rice and beans though. I couldn’t get enough, I love them. The choice we generally got was chicken, fish, shrimp or pork with salad, rice/beans and fresh fruit for dessert. They have mangoes there as sweet as kisses. (This is really true!)



Clothes

In Cuba, VPL (Visible Panty Line) is not an issue. Neither is VBL (Visible Bra Line), nor Visible-Almost-Anything-Line. In fact, underwear is outerwear, particularly for women. And the men wear serious hipsters. It’s OK to wear black lacy knickers under light white leggings or to have your bra showing with a low neckline. You just make it part of the outfit. There seemed to be no such thing as “Does my bum/arms/thighs look big in this?” One-piece lycra jumpsuits are in. Coming from an Irish culture where we feel the need to cover up the bad bits, this was quite a revelation.



Salsa

There is dancing everywhere you go. They have salsa in their blood. We saw kids of not more than 4 years old shaking their hips and moving their bodies better and more beautifully than we Irish could ever dream about. (Speak for yourself, you may say…Any Irish person who can move like that has my complete admiration) It was a pleasure to watch. We saw some good Rueda too. Cuban men have very good aim. They sometimes steal kisses between turns when you are least expecting it. We also went to a regular disco. They played a very nice mixture of salsa, merengue, reggae, pop, rap, something called Quisomba and something else called pumpum. The DJs are not averse to playing the same song played three or four times in one night, particularly Los Van Van. Quisomba was simple enough to dance, pumpum however was a different story. If you danced this on a dancefloor anywhere in Ireland, you would certainly cause a scene. And last but not least…



Lurve etc.

There’s a whole lotta lovin’ goin’ on in Cuba. No one is immune to their charms. You cannot avoid it unless you have a will of iron and even then I’m not sure.

Well, that’s it. I’m going back!

Siobhan
7th February 2002
Articles
[Los Angeles 1999]
[Toronto 2000]
[New York 2000]
[first competition 2000]
[Cuba 2001]
[New York 2003]
[Dublin 2003]
[Rome 2004]
[Styles, Music and good tips, by tunta]
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera! by Niamh Boland]

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L.A. SALSA REPORT - An Irish Salsera's Perspective

Ever had a blind date in a strange city with a guy you found on the internet? Ever pinned two $20 bills to your underwear, despite the tightness of your clothes, in case he turned out to be awful and you had to get a taxi home? Ever been instructed to phone/wake up your parents/best friend, no matter how late, to tell them you got home safely?

Well, I have! My visit to Los Angeles this summer was nothing but excitement, a blind date with a nameless Salsero being only one of the high points. There is a huge Salsa scene there with over 50 Salsa clubs and in the region of 100 instructors. So I had plenty of choice! I made it to several classes, three clubs and had a private lesson with Luis Vazquez of Salsa Brava.



BLIND DATE

(at the Sportsmen's Lodge - voted best dancefloor in L.A. - every Friday). Most exciting! Before leaving home I looked up the partner search on Salsaweb. There is a huge selection of LA salseros looking for salsa partners, so I chose one who seemed nice, although it was hard to tell from the minimal comments some of them write. We exchanged Emails and he offered to show me a bit of the LA salsa scene when I was there. (He still seemed nice - so far so good--) Phone calls made me feel much better about going out with a complete stranger in Los Angeles, & we agreed to meet in the Mystery section of a big bookstore near me, and go for coffee first. As it turned out, that never happened, and we just met at the Sportsmen's Lodge. Luckily my date was easy to recognize from the description he gave me, and we had a fantastic night there. He was great company, a real gentleman AND a great dancer. He was very relaxed and just got a real thrill from dancing Salsa the way I do. We were well matched!
Even if that hadn't been the case, you could just sit back and watch the show. And what a show! There was some REALLY SPECTACULAR dancing. My own experience has always been Cuban style salsa and I discovered they dance a bit differently in L.A. style club salsa. Here are my impressions: They do a forward & back basic, they don't usually tap except for ornamental purposes, they dance in a line rather than the circular motion I was used to, they have some spectacular footwork and the ladies do lots of "Ladies' Styling". I found it wasn't too difficult to get used to their style, the ladies' styling does take a bit of practice though.
The band was excellent: Johnny Polanco Y su Conjunto Amistad, a very successful LA salsa band. My date & I danced a lot with each other and with other people and it was great. So that was a successful blind date. Afterwards he drove me home: So all was well and I arrived home safely after a brilliant night.



MAYAN THEATRE CLUB

The next night (Saturday) we went to this huge club: the décor was amazing, all done in a Mayan/Inca theme. Johnny Polanco was playing again so a good night was guaranteed. This club in Downtown L.A. has the tightest security I've seen -- you must pass through a metal detector as you enter, they check your bag and men are frisked. But as a concession all women get in free between 9 and 10pm after the class. They have Josie Neglia teaching there on a Friday night, and Alex da Silva on a Saturday night.
This was another night of fabulous dancing. The band would play half hour sets and then take a break while a DJ played modern dance music, which I found frustrating. For the band's sets though, I didn't sit down at all and must have danced with at least 10 or 15 guys. They just kept on coming - it was wonderful! Some of them were such smooth dancers - they led me into figures, turns and drops that I never knew I could do. Needless to say I went back a second time when the opportunity presented itself. Most of these clubs have a dress code, i.e. no jeans, cords, tennis shoes, guys must wear shirts with collars...but apart from that, as dressy, tight, short, revealing (or not!) as you like.



MONTE CARLO

This club is also in Downtown L.A. It has two dance floors, one Salsa, one regular club. There were lots of good dancers here too, as at almost any LA salsa club, but I found the people a little cliquey -- it was harder to get dances here.



CLASSES

I was lucky enough to attend a class with Laura Canellias at the Sportsmen's Lodge the night of my blind date. It was intermediate level, good footwork, and a nice pattern that wasn't too difficult. There were about 25 at the intermediate, the beginners class (with William Ochoa) that ran simultaneously had at least 80 people!
During my last week I attended an intermediate class with William Ochoa & Erin Stevens in Pasadena. I was very interested in how they dealt with partner changes - a slightly more complicated routine but definitely more conducive to actually meeting and talking to each new partner. It was a very good class, but with numbers like they had (about 50 people), teachers couldn't give any individual attention.
The highlight was definitely a two hour private lesson with Luis Vazquez of Salsa Brava.
He and Joby are both featured in the film Dance with Me. Luis is extremely down-to-earth, very patient & encouraging and a brilliant teacher and dancer. What a pleasure to dance with him! I learned some excellent footwork, general dance technique and some "Ladies Styling" (a completely new experience for me) to spice up my own dancing. He opened up a whole new world & gave me lots of confidence.

Recommendations (i.e. what I was told!):
Sportsmens Lodge is where the 'good' dancers go on Fridays, Bolero on Saturdays.
Mayan is supposed to be very good on Fridays.
Rudolpho's is good on a Saturday. Check all these out at Salsaweb Cityguides for L.A. & Orange County.

Siobhan Mortell
September 1999
Articles
[Los Angeles 1999]
[Toronto 2000]
[New York 2000]
[first competition 2000]
[Cuba 2001]
[New York 2003]
[Dublin 2003]
[Rome 2004]
[Styles, Music and good tips, by tunta]
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera! by Niamh Boland]

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SALSA - EXCITING TIMES IN NEW YORK

A Cork Salsa Dancer in The Big Apple

My name is Siobhan - I recently returned from a holiday in New York, where there was lots of salsa and of course other interesting things , but I'll limit myself to salsa. There was lots of iced kauphy (!), sun, and yummy things from Bruno's Italian Bakery in Greenwich Village where Mr. Settepani wins prizes for the art he creates through his cakes, mousses and pastries.

It was an interesting visit from a salsa perspective. I set myself two challenges and fulfilled both, got to several classes and clubs, learned what it felt like to be in a minority and nearly had a 'New York incident'. Before I go any further, if you are planning a trip to New York, check two websites first. Manny Siverio's Salsaweb NY page and Steve Shaw's SalsaNewYork. They complement eachother and have all the information you need: The lowdown on classes, clubs, teachers, & lots of other events.
http://www.salsaweb.com/ny and http://www.SalsaNewYork.com/



Classes

You may already have heard about dancing 'on 2', which is a New York thing. One of my challenges was to learn to dance on 2. And I did, with the help of classes with Addie Diaz (of Addie-Tude Dance Co.), Maria Torres (wife of Eddie Torres) and Mario Diaz (no Relation to Addie). All three were excellent teachers, and between them I learned about 25 or 30 different shines on 2. Addie Diaz' class is by far the most personal. She has helpers and divides the class into 3 levels, so you can find the one for you. She has a style I just love, pure elegance & femininity, & she is a very patient and encouraging teacher.

I took two private classes in styling, hoping to come away looking like her, but unfortunately that remains an aspiration. I learned a lot from her and totally enjoyed her classes. She is "awesome"!!! as they say in NY. There were about 50 - 60 people at Maria Torres beginners shines class, but I "lucked out" (another NY expression) that night, because every time she did a new shine my row was rotated to the front. It helped a lot. Addie & Maria seem to take things slowly enough, you don't feel you're getting left behind, but you still feel you've learned a lot. Mario Diaz teaches at SOBs every Monday. He was really suave! He goes a bit faster, even though it's a beginner class. His pace suited me fine, but a complete beginner might have had a hard time keeping up.



Clubs

(Tuesday at Copacabana, Monday at SOBs, Wednesday at Nells, Thursday at Bistro Latino) In New York you can be a salsa fanatic like me on the cheap, as most of the clubs are fairly accessible by subway, and taxis aren't that expensive either. Many clubs have special deals like reduced entry if you print out the flyer from their website (Nells), SOBs is FREE Before 7pm, and Copacabana has reduced entry before 8pm or 10pm depending. SOBs and the Copa get some seriously world class bands, so you can actually see people like Celia Cruz, El Canario, & lots of others for very little money. In fact, New York is a dream come true for anyone who loves salsa. However, on a negative note (or maybe not so negative from an Irish point of view!), Copa & SOBs require you to spend a minimum of $10-$12 if you want a table, which isn't hard to do since a cocktail will cost $7.50ish anyway. Otherwise you can't sit down at all unless you have to ask the hostess for a table. So think twice about wearing 3" heels - it might not be the best idea! All four clubs had really good bands: Tito Rojas, Pete Condé Rodriguez, Sonora Ponceña, Tipica Novel, Azucar Negra from Cuba (very polished act indeed).

Coming from Cork and not knowing the NY scene, nor the etiquette (e.g. do the girls also ask the guys to dance?), it was all a bit daunting. The Copacabana was intimidating due to its sheer size, but it is legendary so I had to pay a visit. And it was good. It's harder to stand out there when people don't know you and you are just one in a sea of tanned faces. Being a pale blue-eyed brunette like me helped though! Nells and SOBs were smaller & more intimate. SOBs has great cocktails, I would go there for their Mojitos alone. They gave me my first taste of this fantastic Cuban cocktail - rum, lots of fresh lime chunks and fresh mint leaves, crushed ice, shake it all about and there you have just about the bestest cocktail I've ever tasted.



The Dancing

Good dancers left right and centre, everywhere you go! I learned lots just by watching. A regards dancing on 2, once you have the key, it's EASY PEASY!!! It has quite a different feel to dancing on 1. I'd say about half the guys I danced with danced on 2, the rest on 1 or on 3, but this statistic naturally excludes the very occasional guy who danced on the 1,2,3 and 4 all in space of 10 bars (not much fun). The New Yorkers have a fancy style with lots of unusual (for me) turns & combinations, and almost no dips, but you have to be able to spin like a top to do it well. They seemed to play around with the music and rhythm, which is always fun. I chucked all my styling and concentrated on not straying from the 2.

My second dance challenge was to dance 'successfully' with one of those super good dancers you sometimes see, those really stylish dancers with lots of fancy moves. On previous occasions I have tried to dance with these guys and have only ended up frustrated with myself and with them. But this time I was determined. This challenge was doubly fulfilled - I danced successfully with TWO guys, and I did it not on 1, but on 2 - I was so proud! Neither of the two guys held back - many of them do if they're not sure what level you're at - this can be extremely frustrating as I always feel I have been denied an opportunity to improve. Both of them were able to lead very smoothly, and had very strong clear leads - no ambiguity. It was WONDERFUL. One of them even told me I was very good. I nearly kissed him on the spot. But he was very sexy so that helped. What I learned from dancing with these two guys was to RELAX, slow down, cut the frenetic activity, trust my feet to do the right thing, and trust my partners lead. It was a real treat to be allowed to do this for a change and not be on red alert for the entire dance. I decided I liked dancing on 2.

There were several interesting people that I 'connected' with. I got asked for a date twice, including once in Spanish, which I take as a compliment. One was a guy who played Saxophone for David Byrne's (of Talking Heads) Rei Momo Album tour – this is worth having a listen if you can find it. These days he also plays with the Larry Harlow Orchestra & El Canario among others. He told me the reason why many of the Cuban bands like Azucar Negra are all so unbelievably polished: they all go to music conservatories in Cuba and study to be professional musicians, and professional musicians and dancers are paid by the state there. You learn something new every day! I also met a man from the Spanish language newspaper El Diario, Jennifer from Iowa (I never met anyone from Iowa before!) who was very friendly, Matz who I had a lot of fun with on the dance floor, and Chris and Rachel from Addie Diaz' class.

July 9th was Dominican Day. (This is where merengue comes from) There was a big free open air Merengue concert in Central Park, which I went to but didn't get to, if you can get your head around that. Los Hermanos Rosario & Milly Quezada were playing & one other famous band that I can't remember. Even though I got in to the arena, I left at the wrong time and couldn't get back in. So I had to stand outside with a view of one corner of the stage from behind. This was even more a case of one pale face in a sea of black and brown, but I waved my paper Dominican flag with the best of them! I did get a few smiles & surprised looks though.

Last but not least, something happened which I hope does not turn out to be 'the' experience of my holiday. I left the Copa at about 2am one Thursday and wanted to take a picture of the entrance, as you can't take pictures inside. Suddenly I was a damsel in distress. But before I was even aware of this fact, two extra-super-mega-wonderfulissimo knights in shining armour (beige linen trousers, leather jacket, cool shoes!) came to my rescue and kept me from all harm. The whole ordeal (a derelict high on something & waving a walking cane thought I was taking a picture of him, and wanted the film back) lasted 15 minutes and we had quite a hard time even getting into a taxi without breaking a limb. But we did. All's well that ends well and I got home safely thanks solely to Carlos and his friend. It didn't spoil my holiday but my parents almost fainted when I told them.

So that's it! For another while at least. Below are some of the websites for you to have a look at.
Siobhan
September 2000
[Addie Diaz]
[Addie-Tude]
[Mario Diaz]
[Mambo with Mario]
Eddie Torres
[Eddie Torres website]
[nells]
[SOBs]
[CopaCabana]

Articles
[Los Angeles 1999]
[Toronto 2000]
[New York 2000]
[first competition 2000]
[Cuba 2001]
[New York 2003]
[Dublin 2003]
[Rome 2004]
[Styles, Music and good tips, by tunta]
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera! by Niamh Boland]

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FIRST COMPETITION ABROAD

(and an unexpected development)!

It all happened at very short notice: In August I decided to go salsa festival in London. Looking up the website, a competition was scheduled. A friend in the UK was also going, so we decided to enter. There was very little time to prepare and choreograph a 3 minute piece. All that intensive work and practice. It was very hard work, but also great fun. We went to the festival, learned millions of new moves and got great tips on all sorts of things.

The competition was on the last night of the festival. I went through all my nerves 2 hours ahead, forced a dinner down with difficulty, and couldn't bear to watch the couple that danced before us in case they were spectacularly wonderful and put me off. But then when the time came, I just got out on the floor and strutted my stuff. What a thrill! Although we were not the best dancers in the competition (we had imagination and variety but needed polishing), we were strong on personality and got a really positive audience reaction. What made it for me was not so much the prize (we came third), but the great reception we got.

Because the competition was a heat for a bigger national competition, and only the first and second prizewinners in each heat went through, we thought that was that. But then there was a surprising development: I got a phone call one Tuesday afternoon several weeks later inviting us to the final the following Sunday in London. Talk about no advance warning. We hadn't even danced properly together for a month, but we took the bull by the horns, and off I went to London. I flew over on Saturday midday, and on Saturday night we went out dancing in Salsa Palladium - small and intimate, not intimidating, and great fun. Guys constantly asked me out to dance, including some really good dancers, and it all went really well. My partner and I danced so well (compliments to him for making me look good on the dancefloor!) that - guess what, a wonderfully stylish dancer (well known in London) asked me out to dance. This guy can be a bit elitist about his dance partners; only dancing with amazing dancers, among whose ranks I do not (yet!) count myself. So for him to ask me was quite a thrill and the dance went fine. My partner was very impressed - he thought it looked fantastic. It didn't feel like it did, because I struggled to keep up with all sorts of really fast moves that I had never done before in my life. But it was fun.

On Sunday we checked out of the B&B, took all our bags and went to relax in the sun watching the pigeons on Trafalgar Square. (how interesting!) We tried to go the portrait gallery but couldn't because there was no place to put our bags, and then, after some confusion as to which bus to take, we made our way to the competition venue. My partner and I spent a lot of time together over the weekend, chatting about all sorts of things, deciding where to have breakfast, lunch and dinner, where to go out dancing, dragging suitcases around the streets of London, and being under lots of pressure with this big competition about to happen. But I was only impressed by him - he is very calm, intelligent, interesting, and easy to be with. It was a pleasure.

The competition final on Sunday night was fun, lots of hype, lots of glamour, being in the changing room with all the other couples (80 or so, two couples from each of forty heats all around the UK), women and men scurrying around, preening themselves in front of the huge mirror, women spraying themselves with body glitter and hairspray, guys with cummerbunds, gold and silver dance shoes, debates about who would get through, television and video cameras suddenly there and then gone again, major adrenalin rush, waiting for your number to be called, etc. Exciting!

We were up in the third set of dancers, ten couples on the floor at a time, two minutes only of freestyle to whatever track they played. Thirteen (THIRTEEN!!) adjudicators - oh my god, all flitting around the floor taking a good look at you! Our first dance went really well, we hoped we'd get through and we did. Lucky for us we got a good lively inspiring song, because some of them were slower and a bit blah. It was interesting to see what the general standard was like, and it was quite obvious from the start who was going to get through to the final rounds. Our number was called for the second round but we didn't dance as well this time so that was it for us. However, I prefer to view it as representing home among the top 40 dancers in the UK! Time to relax and enjoy the rest of the night's dancing.

By the time the semifinal (twelve couples I think) came round, the competitors really upped the anti. This was where all the cool, dramatic, BIG moves came out of the hat. Some of them changed costume. It was quite impressive. They all only got 30 seconds freestyle on their own on the dancefloor, then all 12 together, and the same procedure for the 6 finalists. The main rule was no lifts or 'aerials', which I thought was good. I personally find all that a bit too acrobatic for salsa.

Later in the evening there was a demonstration by a Cuban dance troupe. They did a mambo number and a Cuban Rumba number, and boy, they really could move - they could have been made of rubber as far as I was concerned.

I flew home on Monday 7am for a day's work on 45 minutes sleep. (ZZzzzzz!)

It was a fabulous experience and I would do all again tomorrow (even tonight) if someone gave me the opportunity.

Siobhan Mortell
October 2000

[Los Angeles 1999] by Siobhan
[Toronto 2000] by Siobhan
[New York 2000] by Siobhan
[first competition 2000] by Siobhan
[Cuba 2001] by Siobhan
[New York 2003] by Siobhan
[Dublin 2003] by Siobhan
[Rome 2004] by Rico Sabor
[Styles, Music and good tips] by tunta 2004
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera!] by Niamh Boland 2004



Toronto Report

May you all be truly jealous!!

Because here is my account of the 2nd International Salsaweb salsa convention in Toronto in April. (2000) But before that, I must tell you, I saw José Alberto (el Canario) LIVE at COPACABANA (of "Lola" by Barry Manilow fame) in New York. What a thrill. I only found out after that he lives in NY and plays there all the time. But he was really great and it was a thrill even so.

But on to Toronto. I checked in to the not-five-star hotel on Thursday afternoon, shared a room with two other girls, Natalie and Jennifer. We didn't spend much time there though. Well, the whole thing was fantastic, everything it was cracked up to be.

On Thursday evening a bus at 8pm took us to a salsa club in Toronto city. It was a looooong night, we didn’t leave again till 3am, and the music was constantly fast fiery stuff, no down time AT ALL. So we were all whacked. The DJ was good, the place was full of convention people, and no shortage of good dancers. The Question was, could you keep up? I tried my very best! All the instructors who were there had to give a demo, including Susana Montero & 'Super Mario'. I got to meet a few people and danced with lots of guys (no girls!). There was a class beforehand with Toronto's Jennifer Aucoin and Giovanni Torres - a nice routine and a nice piece of styling.



Friday

Got up way too early for my body. I only went to one class that afternoon as I was getting a sore throat and went to bed from 3-6 while all the others learned fancy footwork and stuff. I had to save myself for a gruelling 6 hours on Saturday! It worked too. Pedro Gomez was excellent, one of the best teachers there in fact. He and Josie Neglia. Blueberry Pie (my all American favourite at the local diner) for dinner. In the evening Los Hermanos Moreno provided the music. Well, the dancing was to die for. It made me want to chuck it all in but I changed my mind again! Several of the instructors were out dancing again, always surrounded by a big ring of spectators. The dance floor was so huge though that it didn't upset the dancers. They were Wow, it's something to aspire to I suppose. There were seven dance performances that night: Caribbean Soul Dancers (Ismael Otero), Young Ambition (a NY youth group - stole the show, really talented), The Heartbreak Boys, Mambo Mamas (3 BIG Women but they could dance), SalsaLovers doing Casino Rueda, and more. Unfortunately I can't remember who. I got lots of good dances again, lots of practice at following properly, and lots of good stuff on video - Rueda, man with 2 women, 2 guys together (better than most guy/girl couples). The fashion & style was great - female I mean. The guys were mostly rather unimaginative (sorry guys!) in dark trousers & shirt/Tshirt. The women were much better (sorry again guys!) - all turned out (incl. me) in short skirts, skirts slit up to the hip, beads, fringes, sequins, heels, lycra, and lots of long curly dark tresses.



Saturday

Workshops began at 11.00. I went to Addie Rodriguez (wife of Angel, both of RazzMTazz) for ladies' styling, Pedro Gomez, Seaon Bristol, Addie Diaz. Addie R. has a really brash in-your-face style, lots of big, sexy movements. She taught a couple of little solo moves for women, and some exercises for practising body movement. Seaon Bristol, the 50-spins-at-a-time-man gave a brilliant class on spinning & body control - useful exercises to do at home, and good tips on how not to fall over & break your neck. Although I reckon at least half the people at the class didn't need any help at all. The exercises, once you practise them, give you lots more stability for spinning. I'm aiming for 25 first, then maybe 50 after that! Addie Diaz of Addie-tude (NY) did a styling class too. What a contrast. Her style is so unbelievably feminine & subtle, but so sensuous too. We got 4 little footwork routines with arms and hips to show off with addie-tude (!) on the dance floor. Her class was a real treat. More Blueberry pie for dessert - I just can't get enough.

In the evening: more performances: Addie-Tude (a 3 woman routine, really polished and nice), Young Ambition again with a different number, Caribbean Soul Dancers again with the same number but it was just as exciting, RazzMTazz (very disappointing), Josie Neglia and Joel de Guzman (she did a flip from the neck dip position - it comes with a health warning though, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!!) DC Salseros (Ricardo & Elba's troupe). I have it all on video - maybe a video party might be in order sometime. Sonora Carruseles were supposed to play that night but there were some immigration problems, so we had Los Hermanos Moreno a second night instead. Once again the dancing was spectacular - I have never seen anything like it. The funniest thing is, everyone I danced with asked me if I would like to dance to the 1 or the 2. I felt like I was in restaurant: red or white? Chips or potatoes? The One or the Two?



Sunday

Workshops again after yet another Huge Buffet Breakfast with a plate of fresh fruit, bacon & eggs, toast, croissants, OJ and horrible weak dishwatery coffee. Josie Neglia & Joel gave 2 excellent classes. One was styling while partnering (what most of us need I think) - how to stroke your partner's cheek as you pass by and shimmy up & down his torso. An interesting way to meet new people. Hmmmm! The second class we got two really nice moves. Most of us spent the afternoon in bed, and we were bussed to another club at 7pm. It was really nice, right out on the water, on stilts. Competitions began at 8.30 - amateur, semi pro and Pro. All couples first danced simultaneously on the stage in a 'comparison dance', then each couple separately to their chosen music for 3 minutes. The standard was impressive. But they never slowed down. Spin spin turn dip turn dip spin spin spin dip flip, spin…..You get the idea. But who am I to criticize? They did have good choreography, well fitted to the music.

Afterwards we danced the night away on a circular dance floor that rotated when it wasn't supposed to - quite disorienting. I finally plucked up all my courage and asked 3 instructors and the Toronto champion to dance. Pat on the Back for Me! They were all very gracious, thank goodness. Seaon Bristol didn't do anything interesting, Ismael Otero and Joel de Guzman did (what a pleasure) and my dance with the Toronto champion was interrupted by a rotating dance floor. At midnight there was to be a 'surprise'. Some surprise!! More like give all the cityguides a heart attack. There were fireworks (nice) and free champagne (very nice), but the real surprise was that all the Salsaweb Cityguides (including moi) had to get up on stage and dance. Oh-My-GOD! In front of at least 300 people, with a stranger. Louis St. Clair saved my life. I am eternally indebted to him. He danced with me and the Cambridge cityguide together. BIG sigh of relief.

We all clambered on a bus at 1.30 and headed home.

So it was excellent, the best way to meet new friends, get fit and kill your feet all at the same time in only one weekend.

Siobhan
Spring 2000

[Los Angeles 1999] by Siobhan
[Toronto 2000] by Siobhan
[New York 2000] by Siobhan
[first competition 2000] by Siobhan
[Cuba 2001] by Siobhan
[New York 2003] by Siobhan
[Dublin 2003] by Siobhan
[Rome 2004] by Rico Sabor
[Styles, Music and good tips] by tunta 2004
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera!] by Niamh Boland 2004

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Dublin 2003

IRISH SALSA CONGRESS, DUBLIN, May 2003

click here for Irish Salsa Congress website

What a FABULOUS weekend. And thanks to my sister for letting me stay without really ‘visiting’ (I think she was bit shocked). I had so much fun at it, and despite being slightly under the weather I risked my health to go to as many classes as is physically possible, then massaged my feet, snoozed for an hour and danced with as many people as is physically possible. Classes were really good, shows were too, ... and of course anyone who knowingly missed the no.1 salsa/mambo dancer in the world, Frankie Martinez, is certifiably insane. What a performer, and what a dancer.

There was a very good line-up of Irish and international teachers. The teachers that I went to were all great: Cyldra (NL), Salsation (Canada), Iris de Brito, Brian van der Kust (NL), Terry & Yolande (UK), Frankie Martinez (NY), and DJ Henry Knowles (NY). All were pros, who really know their stuff and can teach it too. The nighttimes were great, lots of good dancers, people from other places, new faces, and good to see lots of familiar faces too. It was a very friendly festival (maybe because it was on ‘home ground’) and there was a really good atmosphere the whole way through. And Henry Knowles was there: dancing vibes par excellence, and he is dishy!

I hadn’t planned to enter the competition but ended up doing so anyway. (I’m an adrenalin junkie) I danced with this guy on Friday night, who had such a lovely lead and cool moves and gorgeous body movement and thought I'd see if he might enter. He said yes. He was a sweetheart: Very gentle and gentlemanly. (take note guys!) We decided to do no practice (we had no time anyway so that would have been a non starter) and went for the heat on Saturday afternoon. We were supposed to pay entry fee of €20 each, which was high, given that competitions are entertaining and attract people and bring in money. On enquiry we were allowed in for free. So off we went. Six couples, three on the floor at a time for about two minutes, then each couple individually for about one minute. We relaxed & danced much better the second time, and I had so much fun. And we got through to the next round, for the next heat on Sunday afternoon. Then we were told we had to pay to go on. But no discounts were forthcoming, even for us consummate hagglers (not!) so we didn't do the next round.

The competition was really only for 2nd and 3rd place. A highly trained ballroom couple had entered and they won hands down. It was clear from the start, no one else came near. All the ‘club salsa’ competitors were excellent and highly entertaining, there was some heartfelt and original (and HOT) dancing, it was most enjoyable.

The ambassador of Mexico came to see the shows & present prizes, and he looked unbelievably bored the entire time! The MC did a good job and kept the talking to a minimum when he got his hands on the microphone. We dancers (of which he is also one) usually prefer to get down to the real business of dancing, and some MCs occasionally tend towards over-chattiness. But this was not the case. As usual I made a point of asking all the instructors to dance, and danced with all but two of the men, including some mambo ‘on 2’, and led a couple of the women teachers too. They were all extremely obliging, even a certain male dancer. I had vowed before that I would never again ask him, but I broke down because I was following so well. He managed not to look bored silly and guess what, he even smiled. Miracles do happen. I think my favourite was Orville from Salsation. He really looked like he was having a ball dancing (and why wouldn't he be?!) and it was a real pleasure to dance with him.

The shows were all really good. E4:24 had some lovely style and did a funky routine to non salsa music (nice change). Frankie Martinez was totally linked with the audience, he wouldn’t let us stop clapping or cheering for his entire number and he really reacted to us spectators, you could see he got a thrill. He had great music and really hit the mood of each little bit of it in his dancing. His body played the music really. What a treat. Iris de Brito is made of rubber. That’s all I can say about her - amazing. Salsation were so full of energy and I thought they were very original, especially in all the different ways they hit the breaks. I got lots of ideas.

I was trying to hit the breaks and listen to the music more and anticipate those breaks. I really got into the swing and danced very well. Frankie came down at about 12.30am at the end of the party on Sunday and literally the girls queued up to dance with him. When I finally gathered the courage, he told me so nicely that he would get to me, three girls were queued up to dance with him!!! However, Henry Knowles didn’t oblige, it was way past bedtime, the music finished before my turn and my feet and body were protesting anyway.

Here's the gossip:
Henry Knowles is gorgeous.
The competition music was a bit fast, no one (not even pros) could possibly dance their best. (They should have asked me!)
Even the taxi drivers and waitresses were lovely.
I am inspired again.

So you can see I had a good time. More please in 2004!
Siobhan
May 2003

[Los Angeles 1999] by Siobhan
[Toronto 2000] by Siobhan
[New York 2000] by Siobhan
[first competition 2000] by Siobhan
[Cuba 2001] by Siobhan
[New York 2003] by Siobhan
[Dublin 2003] by Siobhan
[Rome 2004] by Rico Sabor
[Styles, Music and good tips] by tunta 2004
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera!] by Niamh Boland 2004

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New York 2003

Salsa, Mambo, sun, heat, shopping, cinnamon rolls, Tommy Hilfiger

What have all these got in common?

Actually nothing, except you can find them in New York!

I spent the first week of the 2-week holiday in Boston and Cape Cod for a family reunion which was lovely. Unfortunately I got a sore throat on my very first day there, which progressed into a cold, and that stayed with me for the entire holiday. This was difficult because in America they only have small thin scratchy 2-ply tissues. On the positive side though, they do have good cinnamon rolls, fried clams and Dunkin Donuts.

After a week I went down to New York and stepped off the train into 30° heat – fantastic!

The daytimes were quite relaxed. First thing on the agenda was always iced coffee at Bruno’s Italian Café. Also spent about 1½ hours sitting on a bench outside the Ralph Lauren shop in Soho one afternoon, opposite the Tommy Hilfiger Shop and next to ‘Anthropology’ (another expensive one), lapping up the kind compliment I was paid by someone passing by about how gorgeous I am (really!) We watched people walking in and out, drivers of cars waiting for their possibly mafioso employers (really) who spoke very accented English mixed with Italian and talked down their mobiles in very long animated exchanges. Their very carefully dressed wives (Calvin Klein Jeans, designer casual top, matching stilettos) emerged from expensive shops complete with about 10 bags from DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Karen Millen and of course the obligatory little white specially groomed poodle on a leash. They all then carefully got into the spotlessly clean and shiny car with darkened windows and drove off, still conducting heated exchanges down the phone. These are the people who can afford penthouse apartments with roof gardens. What A Different World.

It was impossible not to get stuck into salsa straight away. There is such a huge choice of teachers in all areas of NY, and http://www.salsanewyork.com was a great help for their visitors guide to salsa in NY (including current weather!). They have a list of reviewed and not-yet-reviewed instructors, so you can choose your instructor, area, night of the week, etc. They also have a calendar of events, which is updated regularly and gives you reviews of all the clubs & socials, and tells you who is playing where and when.

For those of you who haven’t been doing salsa for long, New York is one of the world centers for salsa/mambo. They dance ‘on 2’ which is a slightly different basic step and style of dance.

My first salsa date was a private lesson with the wonderful and dishy Frankie Martinez. http://www.abakuadancers.com He can move his body to beat the bunch and has a beautiful style of dance so I was hoping I could learn some of his tricks. He is completely different to all the other salsa/mambo dancers I have seen. We did a lot of individual stuff and then some partner work. He was very encouraging. I arrived a bit early at Fazil’s Dance Studio near Times Square and was certainly kept entertained. The place is a museum. It’s an ancient building, the studio on the 2nd and 3rd floor. It’s falling to bits, with autographed yellowed photos on the wall of tap dance stars from the 40s and 50s thanking Faizal for his help etc. They also had an old black dial payphone with an equally antique ring tone from God knows when. The room we were in had an ancient dusty falling-to-bits upright piano, and an antique Singer sewing machine worked by pedal. You could imagine a pianist playing to the ballet classes and a seamstress making costumes for a show. No air conditioning of course, just open windows to let in the 30° heat and make us sweat even more. There was music of all sorts coming from other rooms – belly dance/eastern, tap/cabaret, the people after us were ballet dancers (tutu and all). It was another world.

Then I had a horrible tasteless greasy pizza slice from someplace that advertised itself as the best pizza in New York. I beg to differ and won’t give you the address!

At 7.30 that night I went to Eddie & Maria Torres http://www.eddietorres.com on Tuesday night (advanced). They did a shines warm-up, nothing too difficult or challenging, and then 1½ hours of partner work. There were too many men, hence more for us women, and all of them were stylish dancers and smooth clean leaders. If only we could entice a couple of them to Cork. The move we were taught wasn’t that difficult for the women, no multiple spins for a change. The men had much more to worry about as there was lots of complicated arm work. It was a lovely flowy figure though. Most of the guys were very nice, but it was my first night dancing on 2 for quite a while. It is actually a bit intimidating to come from Cork and suddenly find yourself dancing with stylish New York mambo dancers, and in fact a couple of them had tendencies towards prima-donna-type behaviour and were not very friendly when I missed a spin.

Not yet exhausted or dehydrated or sweaty enough after 4 hours of class, I then went back for more to the (air conditioned) Copacabana where Sonora Carruseles were playing. The Copa has moved from its former location (57th St) to a bigger location about 20 blocks south on 34th Street and 11 Ave. It is now HUGE with two floors (salsa upstairs, R&B, dance etc downstairs), enormous dance floors and lots of seating. They have a dress code and an age restriction i.e. ladies 21+, guys 25+. Sonora Carruseles were fantastic. I missed their first set and in the second they were just as energetic as I know them to be.

The dancing was good, but it can be harder to meet people when you’re on your own in such a huge place. They had some professionals dancing on 3 small stages around the dance floor who were really fantastic. The women did solo styling for 3 tracks in a row (wow) and the men weren’t half bad either.

Next on the Salsa list was a body movement & isolations class with Frankie Martinez. http://www.abakuadancers.com Talk about Dorksville. I mean I felt like a complete dork, Frankie and his dancers looked like they had been doing this stuff since they were two. They probably have. The beauty of their movement was incredible, fluid, gorgeous. Off with me afterwards to Nell’s for more dancing. This was small enough to be friendly, and I even bumped into someone from London who I’ve met a few times at salsa weekends in UK. It was a good night dancing and watching everyone dance and (great timing), just I was thinking about going home exhausted, a guy charmed me with compliments on my dancing and persuaded me for one more dance. He was very gracious with my wobbly spins (I love guys like him), and disappointed I wouldn’t be around on Sunday afternoon to go to Jimmy Anton’s Social which is apparently THE place to go for dancing in NY.

Thursday night was set aside for a meal with an old friend, lots of margueritas and a Japanese meal and lots of laughs. Friday was ‘total shopping day.’ Dehydration set in later on but 2 bottles of Gatorade and a couple of litres of water took care of that. It didn’t help that I was still determined to do a class and then got lost on the way from the class to the Social afterwards.

The best dancing of the week was at the Social that night. http://www.djelrumbero.com It was very friendly, with shows and great dancing and music. I had a ball, hardly sat down all night except to gulp down more water, and really got into the swing of dancing on 2.

Summary
I love America because they have the best fresh cherries and Dunkin Donuts!
The thing I missed most was Kleenex Balsam Mansize tissues.
The juiciest hamburgers are on 3rd Ave and 12th St. (Blue Nine Burgers), and on Nantucket Island off Cape Cod in ‘Brotherhood of Thieves’.
The only good coffee I found was unfortunately Starbucks. Everything else was dishwater.
The dancers in NY are extremely creative.
Abakuá are amazing.

Siobhan Mortell
September 2003

[Los Angeles 1999] by Siobhan
[Toronto 2000] by Siobhan
[New York 2000] by Siobhan
[first competition 2000] by Siobhan
[Cuba 2001] by Siobhan
[New York 2003] by Siobhan
[Dublin 2003] by Siobhan
[Rome 2004] by Rico Sabor
[Styles, Music and good tips] by tunta 2004
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera!] by Niamh Boland 2004

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Rome 2004

by Rico Sabor

People who know me fairly well would know that I either love things passionately, or hate things intensely - there is no in-between. So this recap of the Rome Salsa Congress will list good points and bad points. You can make up your own mind at the end.

GOOD: Imagine three buildings each the size of an aircraft hangar arranged into an 'L' shape. In the foot of the 'L' is a venue with seating for a thousand odd people. For two nights they are treated to a series of performances from the best salsa, mambo, rumba and folkloric dancers and dance troupes in the world. Sightlines are good and a huge video screen halfway down the house caters for those sitting (and standing) at the back. Among the acts performing are:
- Mambo Dance King Eddie Torres (who is later presented with a lifetime service award in an emotional episode which sees some of the salsa hard-men get all misty-eyed)
- Leon Rose & Susana Montero (UK)
- Laith & Candice (UK)
- the Jala Jala Dancers
- Nelson Flores
- Al & Edie
- Tropical Gem
- Frankie Martinez
- Johnny Vasquez (the madman)

Suffice to say it was a real constellation of the world's salsa and mambo acts with more than 20 different shows on each of the nights. And after the shows finish the room is turned into a massive salsa dance club. And that's just for starters.

In the other two 'hangars' are a dedicated massive dance area (wooden parkay floor) with a stage at one end where Cuba's current best salsa band, Manolito Y Su Trabuco will perform from late 'til 4am; and three sub-venues playing merengue, hip-hop and various latin. Before Manolito take to the stage the world's best salsa DJs (Henry Knowles, and others from Italy, Cuba and France) crank out an incendiary cocktail of very new (as in stuff I don't have, yet) and classic salsa for the delectation of the two thousand or so dancing punters. All together I put the total number there on each night (Friday and Saturday) at four thousand. I could expect some members of the Dublin contingent - Peri, Sandra, El Salsero LLL and my designated dancer/driver to dispute this.

During the day, workshops in everything from Cuban to LA to Puerto Rican to NY Mambo to Rumba to Mens' and Ladies' Styling to Rueda, from Beginner to Advanced are hosted by the world's best, i.e. the same big names from the night-time shows. Anyone who's been to a Johnny Vasquez workshop will know what an edge-of-the-seat blast this can be.

Worth noting about the workshops:
1. Italian women, when not wearing skimpy or tight ensembles (preferably both) for the night-time events, turn themselves out for the day-time workshops in FULL NIGHT MAKE-UP, with sunglasses, often pushed up over the forehead into their lustrous hair . The uniform is tight and skimpy - leggings with the brand "Dimensione Danza" printed on the shapely bum, leg warmers (a la 'Fame') and high heeled dance pumps or dance sneakers. Perhaps a jumper tied around the waist so as to create some anticipation (on my part anyway) about the hips.
2. The Ladies' Styling workshop is quite the show, especially for those of us men who opt (prudently) to skip the Mens' Styling (happening at the same time) and find a perch on the sidelines of this orgy of fashion and female movement.
3. My travelling companion, the Designated Dancer/Driver who has more than a passing knowledge of things medical swears that your one teaching the Ladies' Styling workshop was moving her (beautifully exposed) back in ways that were not anatomically possible. I saw this myself and it was indeed rather snake-like. I think Dublin needs someone who is a full-time, life-long professional dancer and preferably contortionist / fitness pro (and an invertebrate) as well to come and teach Ladies' Styling because there is simply no comparison.
4. Although not advertised in the advance publicity Pedro Gomez was added to the class lineup on the first day, Friday of the Congress. But for a hastily penned A4 sign "Pedro Gomez workshop down this back alley, behind that trailer, next to the Port-O-Let" this wonderful instructor would have gone all but unnoticed. Who knows? Maybe he did, the Dublin gang were still registering when it was going on so we missed it. But I guess he must be somewhat used to not getting the kinds of crowds his calibre deserves, the known exception in our recent memories being, of course Trabolgan in East Cork all those salsa years ago.

Now, imagine getting all this salsa - Thursday to Sunday, three days of workshops, the night-time shows, music, the band, in a fantastic huge dedicated latin venue (the Pala Cavacchi) - for €130 (€120, if booked well in advance).

Better still, imagine this: the night-time events only, i.e. the stage shows by the world's best, the band, Manolito Y Su Trabuco (who were indeed the real thing), the fantastic music and dancing, (the fashion show), the chance to watch, dance and hob-nob with the salsa stars, cost only €10.30 (!) in advance, €12 (!!!) at the door. There were HUNDREDS (of mostly young people) queueing at the numerous entrances to the Pala Cavacchi on Friday and Saturday even into the early morning.

Where in Dublin can you find this kind of salsa value? What does €12 get you here?

A meal for two comprising two courses (especially seafood for which they really drag the nets in) and half bottle of wine costs like ... €17.50 (!). You almost feel guilty for escaping on a full stomach poorer by ... €25. with tip.

For its salsa content and value for money (especially compared to the slop we get in Dublin) l highly recommend the Rome Salsa World Congress. For the lovely venue too it delivers what you want.

Thinking of getting in some sightseeing in Rome. Well set aside a non-congress day for that and ... spend it in bed. If you want to actually SEE the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps pick up a few postcards at the airport on your way home. These pictures will show said attractions with most of the crowds of people airbrushed out - if you visit in person you'll find them infested, covered with tourists (particularly coach-loads of French and Spanish teenagers) like ants on cake. It will not be possible to actually SEE even ONE Spanish Step. It WILL be possible though to buy a Bob Marley or Justin Timberlake poster, or a soap bubble gun or a 'Roman' scarf from one of the distinctly non-Italian looking guys selling trinkets at these locations.

Thinking of going to the Rome Salsa World Congress next year? Well, the Rome Salsa World Congress is not IN Rome. That's not all bad - it's actually in a suburb /town just south of Rome called Ciampino, which is GOOD because that's the 'town' where the airport to which Ryanair flies is located. That's handy because it means that you can avoid Rome altogether and just limit your stay to Ciampino. Well, actually the Congress is not IN Ciampino either - it's about 1 km outside the town limits in an industrial wasteland appropriately called 'Zona Industriale'. The closest hotel is right at the town limit; all other hotels (two, I think) are in the middle of 'town'; all hotels are overbooked and hot water runs out at about 9am, i.e. shortly after you are fortunate to get the cappucino and sponge cake (no fry-up, sorry) breakfast. Buses are rare in the Zona Industriale and a one-way taxi ride anywhere is likely to set you back €40 to €60 (!). The meter is only turned on only at the END of your journey and, SURPRISE "Seicento"! Oh, and the 1km stretch of road that links the 'Last Chance Hotel' to the Pala Cavacchi is unlit, with no hard shoulder, and encroaching bushes and mud for one to contend with. Salseros with no transport must brave walking on the solid white line along the edge of a dark country road (AGAINST the flow of traffic, if they want to live) dressed to the nines with Italian (i.e., close-shave, Grand Prix type) drivers blowing past them at high speed. EVERYONE drives to the salsa congress. NO ONE walks. So when in Rome...

Yes, after a total of 17miles' walking (to and from the congress, around drab Ciampino, the mountains of Grottaferrata - grotty ferrets, Rome, etc.) the Designated Dancer/Driver and I hired a car to make the congress more accessible (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS). With this new-found freedom we ... decamped to a lovely hotel in the idyllic mountain town of Frascati, the wine-growing region just south of Rome, and from our base just 8km from the Salsa Congress, proceeded to visit Castel Gandolfo in the mountains where John Paul II has his summer pile, gaze upon mountain lakes, eat lots of seafood and Chinese (?) and sample the local plonk (very nice and fruity). The congress seemed a distant memory as we embarked on a sightseeing holiday in our hair-dryer powered Daewoo Matiz. There's nothing I like better that to be driven around the country-side (couldn't live there though) in a clean car by a clean woman.

If salseros do decide to hire a car for their stay in ... Lazio, it is IMPOSSIBLE to find a parking spot within a mile of the venue (the Pala Cavacchi) anyway - which means parking in Ciampino and walking the dangerous unlit country road with the mad drivers, etc. but with the added condition of having the road made even narrower by cars parked in the bushes on both sides creating a metal gauntlet for the 1km or so leading to the venue.

For the location of said venue, and critically, lack of decent food in that venue for hungry salseros trapped there attending a day of workshops I would say do you homework before going. A stop at the local Tesco wouldn't go amiss either on your way to the workshops.

So that's salsa in Rome.
April 2004

[Los Angeles 1999] by Siobhan
[Toronto 2000] by Siobhan
[New York 2000] by Siobhan
[first competition 2000] by Siobhan
[Cuba 2001] by Siobhan
[New York 2003] by Siobhan
[Dublin 2003] by Siobhan
[Rome 2004] by Rico Sabor
[Styles, Music and good tips] by tunta 2004
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera!] by Niamh Boland 2004

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From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsero!

by Niamh Boland

Hi.
My first glimpse at the world of salsa was in the Latino Café on the Champs Elysée early last year. Mojito in hand, I would gape in awe at the dance floor, having to politely refuse any invitations to dance out of sheer terror(!) I swore there and then that I simply had to learn. Back in Dublin, the opportunity arose to take a 10-week beginner course starting February this year. About the third or fourth week, I took the next step and braved a club. When I woke up the next morning, I was counting threes as I walked – I couldn't sit still – my brother told me I looked like that crazy religious lady who dances about on O'Connell St. Bless her.

I wanted to sample what the different clubs had to offer and I was amazed at how different an experience each one was – each positive in their own way. Everyone has their favourites however, and I certainly have mine. [I like the one where the music is incomparable and the atmosphere is warmest (not to mention the distinct abundance of men – a rare thing for any Dublin club – salsa or otherwise!).]

The passion people have for salsa in Dublin is infectious. Never have I had the privilege of meeting so many diverse and interesting people under one roof. I want to thank everyone involved in bringing salsa to us Dubliners – your passion for the music and dance is inspiring and I only wish I had discovered it sooner! Sunday night has now become my little escape from the increasingly predictable Dublin nightlife scene – to a balmy evening elsewhere... ;o) Thank you too to my fellow Picante-rs [Salsa Picante] who are patient enough to dance with me as I learn (it is no mean feat, I can tell you – with my leaden arms and inherent clumsiness! I am working on it though!).

Niamh.
April 2004
email Niamh

[Los Angeles 1999] by Siobhan
[Toronto 2000] by Siobhan
[New York 2000] by Siobhan
[first competition 2000] by Siobhan
[Cuba 2001] by Siobhan
[New York 2003] by Siobhan
[Dublin 2003] by Siobhan
[Rome 2004] by Rico Sabor
[Styles, Music and good tips] by tunta 2004
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera!] by Niamh Boland 2004

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Styles, Music and good tips

by Tunta
May 2004

Dear Robert and All,

Robert's asking of the question (in his previous e-mail, subject: Niamh and Rico) that is the subject of this e-mail has opened a Pandora's box - an opportunity for me to add my two-cents on the local scene, the dance, the dancers, the music, and the instructors... For those of you that don't know me in one way or another, I have been flitting about the salsa scene for five years now... Initially, I fulfilled my appetite with the local scene, but in the last 2-3 years, I have ventured abroad (the UK, NL, AUS, and most recently the US) to be further enlightened...
____________

Each club in Dublin (and indeed, the world over) has it's own virtues and also, things that could be done better. One has the best dance floor, another, the best organisation, another the best music (although this is obviously tempered by choice), atmosphere, staff, etc. etc. - all of these factors contribute to the popularity ratings of a club... What I haven't seen in ANY of the clubs here, is a stark difference in the STYLE of salsa dancing. Is this a reflection on what is being taught/how it is being taught/who is doing the teaching? Perhaps. Can we do a lot, considering LOCAL resources, do change this? Perhaps not. (But perhaps not is not the same as definitely not...)

What do I mean by STYLE of salsa dancing? I mean STYLE in terms of GENRE. Salsa's roots are African. From Africa, salsa has migrated and evolved into the salsa that we dance today, with distinct influences from Cuba, New York, Los Angeles. Geography is the MAIN classification system that we use today (the other being the emphasis of the steps - either on 1 or on 2)

CUBAN salsa - danced as a couple, the basic step is danced with a tap, there is a dominant male lead, danced in circular fashion, much emphasis on sensual body movement for the women and fluid machismo for the male... Afro-Cuban is the popular term to describe traditional 'moves' such as mambo, rumba (guaguanco, columbia, yambu), salsa suelta, etc. Rueda is a sub-faction of cuban style, where a number of couples dance in a wheel and all the women get passed around after a particular move is called and executed. Shines are not AT ALL typical in this style.

NEW YORK salsa - this is largely unseen/unpractised in Ireland to date - mainly because few people teach it, and because we haven't had much international exposure to this style... At the moment, NY style is HOT. It is the new craze... Other terms to describe the NY style are 'Mambo' or 'On 2'. On 2 refers to the accent of the basic step... 2 and 6 are the main accents (as opposed to 1 and 5 while dancing on the one, as most of us do here in IRL) . NY salsa is also danced as a couple, but there is a large emphasis on shines (solo footwork)... The basic step is floaty - like walking. The lead is obviously from the male, but there is no 'dominance' - both the male and the female are given ample opportunity to 'look good'... Danced in straight lines... There is much scope for multiple spins... Very jazzy and funky and soulful... The moves are slick - think of the latin jazz/funk craze of the 1950s... NY style has that old school elegance, skill and charm... It differs from on 1 or LA style mainly in that there is more time to execute moves within a bar. Music - think Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, etc. - the old timers.

LA salsa - this is what most of us do here in Ireland... LA style is danced on the 1 (accents on 1 and 5), danced as a couple, much scope for solo shines... LA style is Loud - it's hollywood, it's look at me, it's complicated turn patterns... It can be over-kill because the aim is to impress with a multitude of moves.. It is more brash compared to NY style... Music - think 'big band' salsa...
_________

Despite there being a big difference between all of these styles, there is much overlap in the 'moves' - turn patterns and shines, but they must be fine-tuned and tweaked a bit to fit in with the genre... THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT DEFINES A DANCE STYLE IS THE MUSIC.

Music is the mother, dance is the child. Dance COMES from music. When the dance is expressed irrespective of the music, it looks 'off'. This is very evident in Dublin... Of course you can dance LA style to NY music - but it doesn't LOOK as good as dancing NY style to NY music. I don't think that people here have been taught to appreciate this...

Recognising music is something that should be taught to beginners/improvers in my opinion. At an advanced stage, it looks odd when the moves don't match the music. The point of salsa should not be to get in as many moves as possible, one after another... The MUSIC must dictate what comes next - it is important to recognise the breaks, to recognise WHEN is an appropriate TIME to break into a shine, break for a dip, when to execute multiple spins... Partly, these things must be felt by the individual and can only be taught to a certain extent, but I think that instructors should define these things to their beginner/improver clientele such that when their level of dance improves, they can adjust their personal style accordingly.

Another thing - we can learn moves incessantly. But, not all moves suit all bodies. A move is just a move without any style. Dancing salsa is not about turn patterns and keeping time - it is about using the body. I'm not saying that everything should move all at the same time, but there must be an awareness of bodily-control... It shouldn't LOOK controlled, but it must BE controlled. Practising moves in front of a mirror - shines or otherwise, is recommended. Something that looks great on the instructor or another learner may not look so good on you... SO, change it! As long as something keeps the time and doesn't cause injury to you/your partner, there is no steadfast rule saying that it can't be changed...
____________

I am no salsa Guru... But, I've reached a stage, a plateau, where I don't feel as if I can learn much from the local scene, and hence I have been to international events/congresses to SEE what else is out there. THIS is where I learned to appreciate the finer points of style, differentiating between music... Getting private lessons from international instructors is also VERY helpful at ANY stage of learning to dance salsa because it allows correction of things that could be done better and also of individualised suggestions on what could be added to one's dance repertoire.

The Irish Salsa Congress will be a FANTASTIC opportunity to do this. You will be spoilt for choice in terms of international talent - spend the cash on even one private lesson with an instructor that WOWs you, and you won't regret it.

I have noticed in the past that people do not respond well to international teachers (in Dublin) who are brought in to teach workshops etc. UNLESS it is an event like a congress. When you don't avail of opportunities like that, you really are missing out. On a world scale, the standard of irish salsa is not great, and it is because we don't get the exposure that our UK counterparts, or our Italian counterparts do... But then, when the opportunity presents, we don't seem to support the promoters who take the pains of organising these workshops...
____________

As a finishing note - I am an avid salsera - I have an insatiable appetite for it. I am not a teacher because I cannot make a regular time commitment. Despite having danced for longer than many in this country, there is still HEAPS for me to learn. I go abroad to get my fix because I don't get it here... TIME is not an indicator of how good a dancer one is or one should be... TIME has nothing to do with it. You have to evolve - learn the nitty gritty, be obsessed with style, be obsessed with trying new things - open your mind and broaden your horizons - the local salsa club is perfect for a weekly session, but there is SO MUCH MORE out there. Enjoy the local whole-heartedly, but do NOT be bowled over by it, because the truth is, we don't even scratch the surface over here...
_____________

I hope I have not offended anyone with this e-mail - it was not aimed at any one person/organisation in particular, and it was not meant to degrade local efforts. But, I do feel that the crowd here is ill-informed about salsa at large, and although the events have gotten bigger and there are more instructors now on the local scene, let us acknowledge that there is a poverty of dancers who progress to the advanced stage, and we can only progress when appropriately led... I hope this has been somewhat informative.

Regards,

Tunta/Tilottama/'Lady T'/or just T.

[Los Angeles 1999] by Siobhan
[Toronto 2000] by Siobhan
[New York 2000] by Siobhan
[first competition 2000] by Siobhan
[Cuba 2001] by Siobhan
[New York 2003] by Siobhan
[Dublin 2003] by Siobhan
[Rome 2004] by Rico Sabor
[Styles, Music and good tips] by tunta 2004
[From Neophyte to Aspiring Salsera!] by Niamh Boland 2004

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Casas Particulares in Cuba

for hotel bookings in Havana (and worldwide) this is a good wedsite: bookings.net

Casas Particulares (private houses / B & B)
So far, these are only houses where I have stayed / know the people / have been recommended. If you have any good addresses you wish to add email me

Baracoa
Lourdes Balga
Malecon #72
021-43218
waterfront, air conditioning, great food

Nelida Sevila Leiva
Flor Crombet # 265a
Tel 021-4 32 18
own apartment with view of ocean, separate entrance

Rafael Navarro Gallardo
Felix Ruenes #29
% Coroneles Galano y Cespedes
021-43441
Very friendly

Andres Cruzata Rigores
Wilber Galano #23
% Abel Diaz y Ramon Lopez Pena
tel 021-43317 / 43442
own apartment

Villa Haydee
Malecon # 43a alto, near 'La Rusa'
tel 021-43750
own apartment, waterfront

MariaElena Suarez
Abel Diaz #49
% Ruber Lopez y Wilder Galano
tel 021-45327
own apartment, separate entrance

William Montoya
Marti # 287
% Glicerio Blanco y Abel Diaz
tel 021-42798
beautiful colonial house

Santiago de Cuba
Adria Guerra Gomez
Sagarra #435
%Pio Rosado y Porfirio Valiente
022-629577
great food, central

Teresa Gomez Diaz
Barnada # 319 (altos)
% San German y Trinidad
653973
central, own apartment, great view

Raida Mojena Mojena
Ave Garzon #277, Esq.M, Apt 5
Reparto Sueno
Tel 627965

Dr. Javier Berdion
Corona #564 apt A
% Aguilera y Enramadas
tel 622955
central

Holguin
Casa Lizett
Angel Guerra # 109
% Maceo y Martires
(0)24-432154
own fridge and sitting room

Idalmis Garcia Figueroa
Parque #4
% Coliseo y Segunda
Rpto Peralta

Trinidad
Hostal Mayra y Rolando
c/ Piro Guinart (Boca) # 36
% A Cardenas y Pedro Zerquera
Trinidad
tel 0419-3706

Nancy Cuellar Hernandez
Clemente Pereira #202
% Piro Guinart y Fidel Claro
Trinidad
tel (0)419-370