OpenSourceSalsa Close for Business?

Today I noticed that OpenSourceSalsa (OSS) took down its homepage. For those who did not know them, OSS was a Rueda performance team based in Indianapolis. They were building a good portfolio of public performances and their site was active with information on their upcoming performances and also promoting the activities of their members (dance instruction, salsa parties).

In the last few months I noticed a change with their site - the frequency that they posted new content was almost non-existant. I was told that the group was in need of men, which could have accounted for the stagnation of the group. I have seen this with women who want to perform, but cannot find a man who is willing to practice. I addressed this issue over a year ago in Looking for a few good Salseros.

Last week, I noticed an updated post on OSS’s site advertising their upcoming performance in Anderson, Indiana. I was happy to see the group ramping back up for the summer. I was confused as to why the post did not give any details (exact location and time). I thought it was just an oversight by the webmaster or a private event.

I hope that this is only temporary and that the group is just re-organizing. I know how hard it can be to run a group. It can be very difficult to maintain the motivation level for both the leaders and the members. For now I will keep OSS’s link on SalsaIndy’s homepage in hopes that the site comes back up.

Update: As you can see with the comment below that OSS is still up and running!

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!!

2 weeks ago, IntoSalsa posted information for their second annual salsa competition. Chimere and I competed last year, which was a fun experience. There is a video clip of us that I posted on YouTube and mySpace. There were a few discrepancies that occurred in last year's dance competition (during qualifications and the finals) that did not rub me the right way. I addressed these issues to the promoters and hopefully this year’s competition will be more consistent.

I really like that they have created both a professional and amateur division. One issue that we had last year was the that non-pro dancers did not want to compete against the more advanced level dancers. I really think the pro and amateur division is going to increase participation. Also, the promoter has given the dancers early notice of the competition (about 3 months!). Last year we were given about 2 or 3 weeks, which was very stressful when attempting to put a routine together.

I have decided that I will compete this year. I have learned a great deal from last year’s competition and would like to raise the level of my performance. My dance partner will be Jennifer; a music major from Indiana University. She is an excellent dancer who has a passion for dance. We should make a good team and give Indy a good show.

There is one minor issue, which I will have to overcome. I am recovering from a rotator cuff injury. The pain was gone for awhile, but has returned. I think the reason is because I have stopped all my physical therapy exercise (due to the stress of a new project I have been working on). So if I want to survive the training for the competition, I better get back into the gym.

I would encourage all dancers to go out and find a partner and give the dance competition a try. It is not about winning, but giving it your best and showing off the video clip of your performance to your friends and posting it on your mySpace homepage!

For those who want to compete, but do not know where to start, myself and few other freelance dancers are willing to coach (for a fee) those who plan to compete in the amateur division. Contact information can be found on my salsa lessons page at SalsaIndy.com

See you in the preliminaries!

Guess who is the Star!

During my last night teaching at Salsa@6 a IndyStar photograph stopped by and took some pictures. I was surprise that I got in last Sunday's issue of the Star because the photograph never asked me for my name. I would guess that the other dancers gave him my name. The lovely lady that I am dancing with is Sylvia White. There are also pictures of Roz Wells and Lana Hayes. Anyways, looks like I have another picture to post on my myspace page (please add me as your friend!).

You can find all the pictures in the Star's Multimedia page, just click on the Seen Scene link.

Sorry Chad and Karina!

In a pervious blog post I blogged about the ESPN World Salsa Championships and mention Chad and Karina in this article because of their involvement in the competition and made a few comments and opinions on their involvement. A couple of days ago I got to talk to Chad and Karina and I found out that my opinion was interpreted as a personal attack on them.

The post was never intended as a person attack on Chad and Karina, but after talking to them, I can see how it can be interpreted as such (The wonders of written communications). I feel that stating my personal opinions in my blog is what blogging is all about, but when you have a blog that can touch people personally there are times when messages can be misinterpreted and feelings hurt.

As with any mistake that I make, I will try my best to patch things up. Chad and Karina, I apologize for the opinions that I made, you guys have come a long way and have proven yourselves to be great dancers with potential. You have showed Indianapolis that our small salsa community can accomplish great things.

Salsa and Super Bowl XLI?

First I would like to congratulate the Colts for bringing us a Super Bowl victory! Their victory shows that Indianapolis has great potential of becoming a city that people admire. When I moved to Indianapolis, I viewed it as a startup city looking for its identity. Will this Super Bowl victory help give Indy an identity? Only time will tell. Ok, enough with the introductions, back to the good stuff salsa!

The Nations in Rhythm concert was the kick-off event for Super Bowl XLI. This was a fundraising event for the Young at Art Children's Museum. The concert showcased a variety of world beats. There were also Latin acts that included salsa dancers and musicians! While it was only a small section of showcase, I think it is a major step in the right direction in introducing salsa to the masses. Just having salsa associated with the Super Bowl is priceless!

I found this video clip that highlighted the salsa performances. I did not see the kick-off show and only have this video clip as a reference. I see that there were both salsa and rueda dancers performing. This should put smiles on the faces of OpenSourceSalsa (Indy’s own rueda dance team).

A victory for the Colts, Indianapolis and Salsa!

2006 World Salsa Championship Winners!

Here are the video clips of the 1st place winners for the 2006 ESPN World Salsa Championships. If you are ever interested in performing or competing, why not steal some moves from the best (if you can handle their level).

Chad and Karina (Indianapolis' own cabaret dancers) flew out to San Francisco to compete in the prelims. While they did not qualify for the finals I would like to give them credit for all the time and hard work they put in. In my opinion they were not ready for such a competition, but hopefully they take what they have learned and continue building experience and confidence competing here in the midwest.

People have asked if I was ever going to compete at such a level. This idea has bounced around in my mind for sometime and it would be a fun and exciting to pursue such a level of dancing. Then reality hits and I realize that I currently have a lot going on in my life (my day job, SalsaIndy, freelance IT, teaching/dancing salsa, social life, etc). I would have to put my other activities on hold to focus on performing which I am currently not interested in doing.

Maybe one day, I would change my mind and reprioritize, only time will tell.

Sorry for the rant (I have not blog in a while and had some stuff on my mind) here are the video clips.

1rst place on1 division


1rst place on2 division


1rst place cabaret division


1rst place team division

Video Examples of On1 and On2 Dancing

As most of you already know there are different styles of salsa dancing. In the States the two most popular are On1 and On2 (also referred to as mambo). On1 is danced mainly on the west coast (Los Angeles Style) and On2 is dance mainly on the east coast (New York Style) and everyone in between can go either way. Most of us here in Indianapolis dance On1 if you did not know. To give you a quick and dirty description of the two dances, On1 dance is more flashy and showy while On2 is smoother and focuses more on the social aspect of the dance. While there are many exceptions to the rule, I just wanted to give a brief description of the two.

Here are two video clips comparing both On1 and On2 dancing (from a performance perceptive) to give you a feel of the two dances. Notice that on2 does not rely on tricks and lifts like On1, but more on styling. As I stated before these statements are not hard facts, but generalizations that have many expectations to the rule.

On1 example, Orville & Ana


On2 example, Eddie Torres & Nancy Ortiz

If you are interested in learning more about On1 and On2 dancing check out the Widkipedia definition of salsa dancing.

Music Video: Cachondea - Fruko y sus Tesos

While quality of this 'salsa music video' fell short in many areas such as actually salsa dancing, taste and artistic merit, somehow I was compelled to watch the entire video. Also this was the song that Chimere and myself used during our competition. If this does not get more men to checkout salsa dancing, then I do not know what will!

Cachondea - Fruko y sus Tesos

Update: I had the wrong salsa band listed. Thanks for the comments and phone calls correcting me. For some reason the video is listed as Sonora Carruseles. Honestly I should have caught this because I own music from both groups. This is what I get for blogging late at night after a glass of wine.

SalsaIndy Gets A New Look!

My Indianapolis salsa site has a new look! I would like to give credit to Kristy for the work she put in designing the new layout. Please navigate though the site and tell me what you think. You can either post a comment or just send me an email. I hope you all enjoy the new look and as always I will continue keeping everyone informed of what is going on in Indianapolis' salsa scene. I will also be hosting a website launch party earlier next year, I have not pick a date, but when I do it will be posted on SalsaIndy. Take care and keep dancing!

Saturday Night Salsa Melee!

Sometimes more is better, but when it comes to salsa nights in Indianapolis, more does not always mean better. Take two downtown nightclubs which are less than a 1/2 mile away from each other and host a Salsa night on the same night. This is a recipe for disaster! With winter upon us, the number of dancers coming out has dropped considerably. Wednesday night at the Red Room has been hit the hardest when it comes to dancer attendance.

The two clubs that I referring to are the Cozy hosted by DJ Taz and supported by SalsaIndy (hey, that’s me!) and the Vault hosted by the VIP Crew and IntoSalsa. For me as a dancer, this really sucks! Why? Simply because I would prefer to have all my favorite dancers at the same venue. More options of who we can dance with is better than having limited options. Both venues have a good dance floor, safe environment and good music selection. Because there is no hard deciding factor as to which venue is better, loyalty plays an important role. Followers of Taz go to the Cozy and followers of IntoSalsa go to the Vault. There is nothing wrong with loyalty being the deciding point, both Taz and IntoSalsa have worked very hard to develop such relationships in the community.

What happened to the good old days of IntoSalsa Night with Taz spinning everyone’s favorite salsa and international beats at a small Italian restaurant called Il Gargano? Back then going out to dance was about having fun, not having to be loyal or compelled to support someone. This and the drama that has been created have put a bitter taste in my month and have tainted my perception of salsa dancing in Indianapolis.

The solution is simple, someone should back down! We need to look past our self interests and do what is good for the Latin dance community. Competition is good, but the tactics that are being used have gotten out of hand and need to stop. What happened to unity that was the topic of Yang's (IntoSalsa) last article?

I will not post what I have heard and seen, because it is hard to separate fact from rumor. Feel free to post your thoughts on what has been going on and what should be done to bring peace back to our salsa community.

I wish for the good old days to be back again.

Update Cortisone Injections

Here is an update on the cortisone injections I was planning on getting for my knees. My doctor did not give me the option of getting the cortisone injections, but another treatment option with a product called Supartz.

Here is an some information I found about this product.

Hyalgan or Supartz are lubricating material originally used in the knee. They are used in other joints of the body today as they have shown promise in the knee joint. The primary goal is 5 injections given at weekly intervals for calming of the swelling and pain in the joint and added lubrication of the joint. The Foot and Ankle Institute doctors were and are among the first to use this treatment in the foot and ankle after promising results in the knee were noted. Refernce: Foot & Ankle Institute

My doctor was not able to do the injections during my office visit because they needed to see if my insurance will cover it. I was supposed to get a call back from my doctor last week on weather or not my insurance will cover it. It might be a good thing that I am force to wait because I am now having second thoughts.

I decided to give natural supplements another tried. I went to GNC and spent a small fortune on knee supplements. Even if my insurance covers the treatment, I might hold off on it for a few more weeks. There is no right or wrong answers when it comes to health and well being issues like this. In the end you have to do what you feel is right and hope for a good outcome.

Thanks to everyone who posted to my previous blog in regards to this and also to my friends over at Dance Forums who also provided some helpful advice and guidance.

4 Nights of Intense Dancing!

Two weeks ago, I told myself that I should take it easy for a couple of weeks to give my poor knees a rest. As always, I did the total opposite! This week was fanatic! I survived four (yes four) nights of intense, no holds barred dancing. What can I say, life is about simple obsessions and salsa is one of them.

Thursday Night @ the Jazz Kitchen
I will openly admit that I am not a big fan of the Jazz Kitchen. While the music selection is good, their floor gets way too crowded and serious salsa dancers tend to avoid this venue. But this night we managed to have a very good time. Sonja (my dancer partner) and I arrived at the Jazz Kitchen early. Cynthia was finishing up the free salsa lesson and the DJ started to play the music. When you get to JK early, there is more then enough room for you and your partner to give the spectators a good show. It only took an hour before the dancers began to flow in and crowd the dance floor. The floor was crowded at times, but it did not get overly crowed as it does during the summer months. For the first time, I was involved in salsa foursome! Two other Salseros and myself were dancing with Sonja during the same song. Overall a good night.

Friday Night @ Adobo Grill
This is where you will find me on most Friday nights. Either myself or Ryan teaches the free dance lesson before the start of the night. Salsa dancers love this venue with their hardwood floor and no reggaeton music in the rotation. We managed to pull off another salsa foursome, this time with Drea. I wonder which salsera will be next?

Saturday @ The Cozy
I was taking it easy at the Cozy because I had taught a private lesson an hour beforehand. It was a costume party, but I decided not to dress up. I did wear my 4 pocket Mexican shirt; if I'd had a Mexican hat, I could have pulled it off as a costume. Congratulations to Roberto in his dancing grammas costume for winning the costume contest!

Sunday @ Syndicate (Cincinnati)
Our friends at Midwestern Latino hosted a party at the Syndicate with Puerto Rican Power as the headliner band. Son del Caribe from Cincinnati was also there and gave an outstanding performance. I will not bore you with boring details about the night other then that the live music of both bands were fantastic. Here is a video clip of Diana (KamaSalsa Instructor) and myself doing some social dancing during that night. Not too bad for only dancing together one time before and on carpet.

Diana and Marques Salsa Dancing