Nuevotec Productions

Brooklyn Salsa Gala 2008 Friday 11-14

Allan Tabilas — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:23:40 +0000

Based on the success of the the first gala last year, Arelis Beato of Brooklyn’s Tropical Image Dance Company is throwing the second annual Brooklyn Salsa Gala, Friday, November 14 at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple Grand Ballroom from 8pm - 3am (dress to impress). Arelis has reported that over 500 tickets have been sold, and expects to have over 650 people at the event. In New York, this is definitely the spot to be in. The event also supports Tropical Image kids program, where the dance school supports the local youth.

The event features a large number of New York’s finest performers, including Yamulee, Imagenes de Karisma, Xibicion Santo Rico, Piel Canela. Other groups include Universal Mambo from Orlando, and Otto y su Melao Show from Colombia.

In addition, the gala is also a qualifier for the 2008 World Salsa Championships (which itself has been postponed). Jeremy Almonte and Arelis represented Tropical Image in the semifinals of the on2 division at the 2007 event.

We’ll be there from a media coverage standpoint, as well as SalsaMerengue.TV, a great media/video resource covering the NY Mambo/Salsa scene, with tons of footage of incredible live bands.

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Viva La Salsa Show

Allan Tabilas — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:34:58 +0000

Michael Majesty, an instructor and promoter in the Shreveport, Louisiana area, is putting together what is billed as the “World’s first touring salsa musical”, Viva La Salsa Show. The show’s subtitle is “A Journey Through History.” (Click on the image to the left for a 60 second promo video done by Nuevotec). It follows the history of modern salsa dance from its beginnings - dancing and music from Africa, Cuba, Puerto Rico, through the 50s and 60s with New York’s Palladium era, through LA style dancing, etc. The show features an all star cast of dancers, including Oliver Luda and Luda Kroitor, Junior Alabi and Emily Alabi, Luis Aguilar and Anya Katsevman (1-3-5 in the 2007 World on2 division), Ana and Joel Massicot (Masacote Dancers), Alex Da Silva and Alien Ramirez, Griselle Ponce, Tito Ortos and Tamara Livosi, and Genner Vasquez and Yudi Aguilar (2007 World Cabaret Champions).

Mary Kent, author of the book Salsa Talks (a great history and celebration of salsa music), will be writing the story and Sekou McMiller (from Chicago’s Descarga Caribe) will act as director. The first dates are scheduled for the Strand Theater in Shreveport LA, and the Majestic Theater in Dallas TX, on January 9 & 10, 2009. Visit the official website for more information.

Click on the image below for a video featuring several of the cast members of Viva La Salsa Show.

The promoter, Michael Majesty, interviewed by cast member Griselle Ponce and Nuevotec’s Dimas Mero, at the 2008 New York Salsa Congress.

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Halloween 2008 - Salsa Trick or Treat

Allan Tabilas — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:58:09 +0000

If you had to name a holiday that is as much fun with kids as well as adults, Halloween is right up there with Christmas (at least in the U.S.). On October 31, people of all ages have their excuse to dress up, eat candy, and party with friends. Kids compete with the best costumes, hoping to get bags and bags full of candy. On the adult front, there’s no lack of creativity with the design of costumes out there either. One of my favorites is the beer pong table costume, or the beer pong collective table. Classy?

Salsa studios from the Philadelphia, North and South New Jersey, and New York areas are all throwing their halloween bashes for 2008. Here’s a short list.

Pennsylvania

La Luna Dance Studio, Bensalem, Pa - Friday, 10/24 - Halloween Bring-A-Friend Party - Sonya Elmore, a competitor in our documentary, Salsamentary, is throwing her yearly party in the Philadelphia area. Also, there is a costume contest in 4 categories: Scariest, Best Impersonation, Best Couple and Funniest. $200 in cash prizes ($50 first place per category)

New Jersey

Salsa Fever on2 Dance Academy - Jersey City, NJ - Saturday, 10/25 - 3rd Anniversary and Halloween Party - Mario B’s studio is celebrating their 3rd anniversary, and featuring a performance from Plan B/Project B dancers Bernie Moran and Erica Rambay, who competed in the NJ/NY Salsa Open competition in July, 2008.
Yesenia’s Dance Factory, Union City, NJ - Saturday, 11/1 - Halloween Bash - Yesenia Peralta is throwing her party in North New Jersey, and she’s performing with her brother, Ismael Otero of Caribbean Soul. They are also celebrating Candy Mena’s birthday.
Atrium Dance Studio, Pennsauken, NJ - Saturday, 11/1 - Halloween Party - Barbara Capaldi is famous for throwing Halloween parties at her studio in South Jersey. Here’s a video gallery from the 2006 event.

New York (check Steve Shaw’s SalsaNewYork.com for more Halloween events)

Salsa Salsa Dance Studio, Brooklyn, NY - Friday, 10/24 - 3rd Annual Halloween Social - Marcus Gonzalez and his studio are throwing their party at their Park Slope location in Brooklyn, NY. Look for performances from Shani Girls, Bajari De Yamulee and Latin Fever Dynasty.
Yamulee Dance Studio, Bronx, NY - Friday, 10/24 - Annual Halloween Social - Osmar Perrones and his company are hosting their event in their Bronx, NY location with a performance by Luis Aguilar and Anya Katsevman.
MamboFateegz, New York, NY - Friday, 10/31 - 3rd Annual Halloween Party - Choco of MamboFateegz and the NY Salsa Congress is doing his Halloween party at the Dance New York Studio in Midtown Manhattan.

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2008 World Salsa Championships Postponed

Allan Tabilas — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:17:37 +0000

First held in Las Vegas in 2005, the World Salsa Championships has successfully built its reputation as the place for the world’s best dancers in the on1, on2, cabaret, and team divisions. The Salsa Seven (led by Albert Torres and Rob Beiner) have developed relationships with ESPN and Disney to bring our favorite dance to both national and international markets. Stars such as Oliver Pineda and Luda Kroitor, and Abel Pena and Zulmara Torres have built their names with competitions like the World Salsa Championships, Mayan Championships, and the Puerto Rico Open. Last year, Colombia’s finest dancers swept the team division (1st and 2nd place led by Luis “El Mulato” Hernandez), and won the cabaret division in Orlando, Florida. Our own documentary, Salsamentary, followed three couples at the 2006 World Salsa Championships in the on1 (Darlin Garcia and Kathleen Eccleston), on2 (Taiti Walter and Cristel Beijkirch), and cabaret division (Sonya Elmore and Victor Colon).

We were surprised to learn that the 2008 event, originally scheduled for December 3-6 in Orlando, was postponed. Currently there is no date formally announced. According to members at Salsaforums.com, Albert Torres announced the postponement at the Canada Salsa Congress in Toronto in mid October. Apparently the remaining qualifiers are still scheduled for November (Brooklyn Salsa Festival and Acapulco Salsa Congress). Members at Salserosweb have also posted about this very topic. With less than six weeks left, we can only imagine that many people, competitors and spectactors alike, had already made plans to attend the competition. Hopefully a new date is announced soon, even if moves to 2009.

Here is the official statement from the organization’s website:

The Salsa Seven Inc. regrets to announce that “4th Annual World Salsa Championships at Disney’s Walt World Resort” scheduled for December 3-6, 2008, has been postponed. The Salsa Seven and Disney Special Programs are discussing plans for re-scheduling this extraordinary world-class competition.

The Salsa Seven Inc. and Disney, hope to announce the new dates for the “4th Annual World Salsa Championships at the Walt Disney World Resort” as soon as possible. All involved understand this is a disappointing announcement for the dancers and salseros involved in the competition. We recognize the personal and financial sacrifices you have made in preparation for the World Salsa Championships and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

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Eddie Palmieri on Salsa-Central

Allan Tabilas — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:27:48 +0000

Our friends Steve and Mel C at Salsa-Central had a chance to do an extensive interview with the legendary musician, Eddie Palmieri. The musician spoke at great length about his history in the music business, with his latin jazz and salsa bands and peers like Tito Puente. Some of Eddie’s most famous hits include “Palo Pa’ Rumba” and “La Malanga”. Mel C actually interviewed Eddie for Nuevotec at an event in New York in late August at Club LQ, but we were not permitted to post footage. Eddie Jr., where’s the tape?

A brief excerpt from the interview - “… In my opinion, the latin music has the most complicated and exciting rhythmical patterns. That’s why you can’t just sit down in your chair, you gotta get up, you gotta get up, and we got to get you to dance… if you’re really into it, that’s what makes it so unique.”

Here is a brief snippet of his biography from his website.

Eddie Palmieri, known for his charismatic power and bold innovative drive, has a musical career that spans over 50 years as a bandleader of Salsa and Latin Jazz orchestras. With a discography that includes 36 titles, Mr. Palmieri has been awarded Nine Grammy Awards. He received his first Grammy Award in 1975 for his release The Sun of Latin Music, which is often considered the most historic, as it was the first time Latin Music was recognized by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS)

Please click on the image below to go to Salsa Central’s interview with Eddie Palmieri. In addition, Baila Society’s Daniel Enskat also interviewed Eddie Palmieri for MamboNYC.com.

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Estilo Dance Studio - A Tribute to La Lupe and Celia Cruz

Allan Tabilas — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:33:46 +0000

Where would the dance be without music? Continuing its theme of highlighting musical artists, Estilo Dance Studio in Philadelphia and South (New) Jersey held their Fall Student Showcase on September 6, honoring legendary vocalists La Lupe and Celia Cruz. The staff at the studio, including founder Michael Andino, and instructors Darlin Garcia, Irina Pistolet, Uriel Garcia, Elizabeth Becerra, and George Dennis, choreographed routines for several student groups, all to music inspired by salsa royalty. (In the Spring of 2008, Estilo’s Student Showcase was a tribute to Hector Lavoe). We enjoyed the student and professional performances (including Darlin and Irina, and Cultural Explosion’s Juan Calderon and Christina Piedra, the interludes on La Lupe and Celia, and the social dancing!

To hear some of La Lupe’s music, go to the La Lupe page at Last.fm or iMeem, including her mostly English version of Fever, and the complete Spanish version, Fiebre. To hear some of Celia’s music, go to the Celia Cruz page at Last.fm or iMeem, which feature tracks such as Quimbara and El Rey del Timbal (Tito Puente).

Below is a short preview performance of the Finale, featuring all the student groups! (Sorry, we do not have a timeframe for the video gallery/dvd yet). Click on the image or click here.

In one of the more lighthearted moments of the night, Philly’s very own DJ La Clave closed the night with some crazy music, because there’s more music than just salsa out there (honestly). Watch the video below with salsa dancers gone country (Cotton Eyed Joe, thanks Zoe).

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Salsadelphia - A new Philadelphia area Salsa Directory

Allan Tabilas — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:01:37 +0000

Are you in the Philly area and wondering where to go for a night of salsa dancing (or even classes)? For Philadelphia and South (New) Jersey salseros, Tom Boutell has just launched a new site called Salsadelphia. As a Linux and web developer, Tom has broken down his directory into event types (classes, DJs, clubs, studios, bands), musical genres, locations, and venues. And as a local Philadelphia resident, he’s broken down the clubs and studios location with maps and transporation directions with Septa/Patco buses, subway, rail trains, and more.

Here are some other Philly area salsa resource listings:

Salsa In The City - Stephen Choo Quan and Cindy Torruelas have put together their local list of events from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburbs, North and South Jersey, and Delaware for the past 4 years.

Seen on Salsa Scene - Wilford Shamlin, a writer with The Courier Post (a South Jersey newspaper), posts on various salsa topics in his blog. He has a weekly post called “Weekday guide to salsa scene”, where he lists the different venues that are hosting salsa nights.

PhillySalseros - This was one of the original Philly salsa websites by DJ David Ortiz, aka “El Viaje”, who plays a three hour salsa radio set at 90.1FM on Saturday nights. The site is kept up to date from an events perspective; However David is a musical goldmine, and has content on many musicians and artists.

Below are some New York / North (New) Jersey area salsa resource listings:

Salsa New York - Produced by Steve Shaw, SalsaNewYork’s NY/NJ events calendar is the first thing we hit up. They have a large directory of dancers, instructors, and performers, along with content on the technique of dancing and music.

MamboNYC - This is online hub and community for mambo dancers in the New York area. Produced by Waygee Ho, they have a great calendar (similar to Salsa New York), video performances, forums, and original interviews series (by Jazz Bianchi) with dancers such as Magna Gopal, Ahtoy Wonpat-Borja, and Duplessey Monic-Walker.

JerseySalsa - The site lists events and local club parties from New Jersey area dancers, and specializes in photography event coverage, brought to you by salseros Johann and Angela.

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8th Annual New York Salsa Congress

Allan Tabilas — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:27:30 +0000

It’s the end of August, and we’re nearing labor day weekend in the U.S. So you know what that means? The 8th Annual New York Congress is on! Officially starting on Thursday is a weekend packed with workshops, performances, live music, social dancing, and much more! Choco (John Knight) and his staff are veterans of the congreso game, continuing the legacy started with the late David Melendez. Choco cannot stop the hustle, it’s that simple. From what we understand, Saturday night at the 2007 event had over 6,000 attendees alone! (The ballroom for the performances was completely full!). And Sunday (2007) was packed with music headliners, performances, and the 1st annual New York Salsa Dance Championships, won by Kelvin Hernandez and Licelott Maldonado. If you want to watch last year’s competition, head over to iMambo.tv. The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc, or HITN, streamed the 2008 Puerto Rico World Championships. They are a sponsor of the 2008 NY Congress as well. (we have not confirmed that they are streaming video this weekend).

Some of the performers scheduled for the 2009 event include Eddie Torres, Dancesport All Stars, Karisma, Yamulee, Hacha y Machete, Juan Matos and Candy Mena, Baila Society, Jayson Molina y su Rompecabezas, and Santo Rico. Sunday’s 2nd annual New York Salsa Championships will send qualifiers to the 2008 World Salsa Championships. Currently the New York Hilton is sold out, and possibly the partner hotels as well.

We should be at the event on Saturday and Sunday night. So please say hi!

Choco interview (talks about his first NY Congress in 2007) with Nick Padin, George Dennis, Yesenia Peralta, and Griselle Ponce

Social dance 2007 - Betto Herrera from North Carolina’s Mambo Dinamico and Melissa Pabon from Enixe / Art in Motion.

Social dance 2007 - Marco Ferrigno from Italy and Nancy from Los Angeles.

Edie the Salsa Freak, Beto Rojas, Chayanne Rojas, Syra, and Nancy - LA Salseros talk about the 2007 NY Salsa Congress

Below is an “old” video from 2004 at the home of the NY Congress, the Hilton Hotel. The Hilton at 1335 Avenue of America has one of the largest ballrooms in Manhattan. So we captured the dance floor on Saturday night in 2004, with infrared night vision. Click on the image to see the video.

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Shaka Brown and the 4th annual 2008 Washington DC Salsa Congress

Allan Tabilas — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:40:58 +0000

Salsa aficionados on the East Coast get ready! Shaka Brown and his staff are bringing tons of artists, DJs, and instructors to Arlington, Virginia for the 4th annual Washington DC Salsa Congress from August 15-17. Scheduled artists include Junior and Emily, Al Espinoza and Karla Espinoza, Leon Rose and Noemi, Lee Rios and Maria Falcon, Art in Motion, and ClaveKazi.

This public service announcement was brought to you by the fine staff at the Washington DC Salsa Congress, with Shaka Brown, Yesenia Peralta, and Dany Joshua.

Interview - Shaka Brown

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A Gozar - An Introduction to Salsa Dancing & the Unlikely Salsero

Allan Tabilas — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:04:39 +0000

Has salsa dancing captured your imagination? Have you been bit by the salsa bug? Los Angeles area filmmaker Kate Thomas is addicted to the dance, and she created a short documentary about her passion. The short is called A Gozar (To Enjoy): An Introduction to Salsa Dancing, and is about 10 minutes in length. Kate talks about (what you know already) about salsa dance, that it is incredibly fun and exciting, and it’s unlike anything seen in nightlife. You may know your partner on the dance floor, but it doesn’t matter. You connect with each other through the music. The documentary is handy for people who haven’t given much thought to dancing — show it to your friends.

We found this documentary through Don Baarn’s blog, The Unlikely Salsero (who is also an interview subject in the short). Using his experience as a percussionist and musician, Don is able to weave together his fundamental understanding of music with technical aspects of the dance. He has some interesting observations on the social and psychological aspects of dancing as well. In order to expand his own horizons, he took hip-hop classes with dancer Sho-Tyme, and found himself way over his head. Here’s a brief excerpt of dancers going too far above their level, with a general human observation:

Most people dislike being called a beginner as an adult, even if that’s their current status. Many guys prefer struggling in the intermediate or advanced classes rather than be caught dead in the beginner class. For many, it’s simply uncool to be at the novice level, and they can’t wait to “move on,” even if that means skipping some fundamentals. They purchase “advanced” DVDs when they are far from mastering the lower level DVDs from the same instructor.

As someone famous for taking classes over his head, I’ve seen some great progress and been frustrated at points. I highly recommend you attend some classes above your level, even if you sit out part of the class and watch. Being around great dancers can inspire or depress you, depending on your personality and goals; but either way, it’s good to see what you’ll be like in a few years if you put in the effort.

We encourage everyone to read his blog for his deep insight in dance and music. Tell him Nuevotec sent you.

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