Training Team Audition Day!

So, the day has finally come and gone. We got to the studio relatively early to make sure everything was in order. We set up the studio and the auditions began.

Some social dancing before starting

practicing turn patterns

more social dancing

Eymar and Melissa dancing away

Johnny "outstanding"

More auditioning

Little bit of Kissimmee in the house

turn patterns

the judges Pablo, Ralph and Me!

Adrianna always smiling

Johnny and Jennyfer

Jhency and Pete learning the turn pattern

the pressure lol

shines (and yes I have a jacket on, it was cold in there)

Ralph teaching shines

guys shines

ladies shines

more dancing

"the circle"

Everyone at the end of auditions!

We had a great turn out. I couldn't be more pleased with the team we chose. I am excited and looking forward to this new season. Our practices start tomorrow so stay tuned for videos and pictures of our new season.

Auditions are almost here!

This Saturday we will be having our Salsa Heat Training Team Auditions. I'm looking forward to whats in store for this season! Ralph and I have mapped out the whole season (as much as possible) and are ready to get into the swing of things. We were on a little "break" recently what with me having a wicked bout of the stomach flu. Whew! that was a horrible weekend. I'm just now emerging into the routine of things but my energy level and health is lacking. Hopefully with a little more rest, I'll be up and running tomorrow! 


We just hammered out the final judge sheets for Ralph and I (and Mike "the boss"). We are ready to go with our sign in sheets, audition process and we even have people lined up to video record and take pictures. I'm really hoping for a good turnout. We want to have a great season for the congress for sure! 


Keep checking back with us to follow along our little Salsa Heat adventures! Until Saturday....more class pictures and videos hopefully to come.
R&R

Two weeks till the Training Team Auditions

We are down to the last two weeks before having our training team auditions. We are under the gun to try to get as much choreography done as possible and organize the team schedule for the new season. We had a meeting on Saturday to nail down all the things we need to improve for the new team. I really do hope that this season there will be a significant difference in how its run. Its part of my character to be more organized but I also want to have a new level of creativity.

Doing choreography and running teams isn't as easy as one might think. Its a lot of pressure to reinvent choreography time after time. Its also not easy dealing with a team of many different personalities. Its crazy when the season is over and you have gotten to know these people in a whole new light. You see flaws, you see wonderful qualities and you also see sides of people that you may not want to see all the time. That applies to everyone though. No one is perfect of course, but being a team director is like wearing the hat of a director, a choreographer, a businessman, a therapist and a politician. You have to be in control of a group of different personalities. You have to teach them how to dance and do it well. You have to financially organize the team and make sure everything is running accordingly and paid on time. You have to counsel people that are going through rough times or partners that aren't getting along. You also have to make sure that everyone is happy across the board (which is almost impossible, but you have to try anyway).

Its a lot to take in each season. But on the other hand, its another dynamic when the team is full of energy, there is lots of laughter, hard work and joy in the mix. Friendships are formed, relationships with people are formed (some lasting a lifetime) and respect is also earned from both ends. Its a beautiful thing. Of course, at the end of all of this, you get to see them perform and all that hard work pays off. All the highs and lows are forgotten and all that is left is this wonderful performance that to many is like a great rush of adrenaline. A feeling like no other they say. Anyway, as this week progresses, we will finish up as much as possible and the season will almost be upon us. Until then.....

Backstage after the Training Team Performance

The Team (minus a few couples)

The ladies

La Casa de Puerto Rico

playing a little bit of dominoes

Its tradition at this point

Denis and his wife Iris ;o)

Johnny representing Dominican Republic

Irv came out to support

That is Ralph's suspicious look lol

The gentlemen

pretty girls

Peter came out to support us....how sweet

showing love

So we arrived in time after class, to be able to finally see the Training Team perform. The crowd was mostly "older people" so to speak. Not a huge amount of people there but still a fun performance for the team regardless. We went backstage and there were domino tables back there so, of course, the guys decided it was appropriate to throw a game or two in there while they were at it. It was pretty funny. We stood around taking pictures, then after wards they went out onto the dance floor to social dance a bit. I think the team giggled a little while they performed because it was a crowd of MUCH OLDER people lol. It was one for the books for sure! hahaha....A few students and former team members came out to watch them perform. That was pretty sweet of them. Its always nice to have support during performances. Big thanks to Denis Quinones who had them come out to perform. The more performances, the better. Well......onto the next step. Auditions!!! January 29th!

Training Team Performance Tonight

Tonight Ralph and I are headed to teach in Clermont. After class we have to meet up with our Training Team who will be performing at La Casa de Puerto Rico. We had practice last night to brush up on the routine since we have been on hiatus until the new season starts after auditions. It was nice seeing everyone again since the holidays. We practice, we sat around talking about the new season coming up and also catching up with whats been going on with everyone since the holidays. We noticed there were two major injuries that took place over the holidays up until today. One of our dancers broke her nose pretty bad and I of course took a tumble through the ceiling of my moms garage. I have quite a nasty bruise on the back of my knee. Ok, I realize your probably thinking "how did you manage to fall through a ceiling"? Well, I was in my mom's attic putting away Christmas decorations and lost my footing off one of the beams of wood and pow! My right leg fell right through the sheet rock and there I was dangling through the ceiling. My mom was terrified that I was going to continue going straight through. Of course afterward, my mom said "awe man, I should have taken a picture of you through the ceiling to post on Facebook". Wow hahaha....glad it was amusing enough for my mom to want the world to see me dangling through the ceiling. Needless to say, I'm ok. I was sore all over because of how I was stuck and also how I caught myself. But nothing a few days of limping and rest won't cure.

Tonight we are going to see the team perform again. They are all excited to perform again (which is nice cause they are going to perform over and over and over again lol). Check back on my blog later for pictures of the performance and hopefully a video or two.

Videos from Maitland classes

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Little bit of Maitland classes

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Maitland salsa pictures

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Maitland class pictures continued

Salsa classes in our Maitland location

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Rueda!!

Some of our Maitland Students

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Students at our Maitland location

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Maitland salsa classes

I wanted to write a few things real quick about our Maitland classes. However, I figured a little interview here and there with students or just videos of the classes as we teach will be sufficient. I will post videos up later today so check back with me to see what the salsa life is like each week in each location.

More private lessons at the studio

So quiet here before all the classes start

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Noelly talking about our classes in Clermont

Ralph's advanced class

Clermont Classes Beginner 2

Clermont Salsa Classes

Ralph and his advanced class

Future training team member right there ;o)

She's been taking class in Clermont for yeaaaaaaars!

More students

These are students at our Clermont location. Class was fun as usual and of course, there is never a dull moment in Clermont lol. We are quite the funny bunch over there. Needless to say...we love our Clermont students!