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New York Salsa Congress 2009 Review
Ian and I had the chance to attend the 9th Annual New York International Salsa Congress and we’re still buzzing from it. This was one of the biggest congresses in the world accommodating 4000+ salseros y salseras. The congress started on Wednesday the 2nd till Sunday the 6th PLUS there was a Salsa Cruise on Monday. We made it out for the All Day Saturday and Sunday workshops, performances, and social dances.
The workshops were plentiful! The few that were sure-fire picks included Eddie Torres (of course!), Leon Rose, and Melissa Rosado. There were so many workshops at times it was hard to choose. However we did get a chance to go to a bunch of let’s say “Extracurricular Workshops”. Perhaps Cha-Cha-Cha can be in this category. But specifically we are talking about the Bachata and Samba workshops.
Saturday
We started with Leon Rose’s On2 Partnerwork class. Having taken his class last year at the DC Salsa Congress in 2008 it was a no-brainer that we had to take his class again. His moves are always a little *different* or perhaps intricate, or crazy-ish. The class was a good start to the morning, enthusiastic and high energy. The move includes intricate handholds and requires sharp execution. You can view it below in our NYISC Workshop Gallery. A common problem with moves that are a little tricky is that if you don’t rotate fast enough the students sometimes get stuck with a partner who just doesn’t get it. Our conclusion is that for a group this big it is important to rotate quickly. Spending 10 minutes with one partner who hasn’t grasped it yet doesn’t help either of you.
The next class we tried to go to was Eddie Torres‘ On 2 Partnerwork but it was cancelled due to tech rehearsals. However we did manage to get into Eddie Torres’ On 2 Shines, which was awesome. This was our first ET class and not knowing what to expect we waited with broad smiles and slightly worried eyebrows. Eddie Torres got up on stage rocking an outfit MJ and Elvis would have been proud of. The workshop went on for what seemed like hours with a predominance for Pachanga moves but mostly just shines and shines and shines. It was intense in that it involved a lot of musicality. The videos below are split up into a couple sections which you can view in the Workshop Gallery below. Here is one of the videos.
We also managed to sneak in to the tail end of Mario B’s Partnerwork workshop and learn his move. In his words “You didn’t think a big guy could dance like that.” Our friend Malcolm is a *big* fan of Mario B (not a pun -- well kinda a pun). His moves are always very smooth and he makes complex moves seem effortless. FYI Mario B is hosting the first every New Jersey International Salsa Congress, April 22 -- 25, 2010. Find out more info at www.njisc.com.
The next workshop we jumped on was Tito and Tamara’s Cha Cha. Now we were laden with shines from the last class but we just kept piling them on. The class incorporated some really great footwork but required some dedication and freedom from the basic. I found that what worked the best was to be both relaxed and focused, which seems kinda opposing. We really love ChaChaCha but haven’t had the opportunity to really study it from many instructors. It takes a-whole-nother level of musicality and expression.
The last workshop of the day for us was Young Blood’s Salsa Reggaeton. Definitely a shift in style from what we had just been working on. Most of it incorporated a MJ inspired routine. 
I had fun doing it -- I probably looked ridiculous but whatever :-P
Sunday
On Sunday I went to another Eddie Torres On2 Shine Class which focused (again) heavily on Pachanga. I really like Pachanga, but on the dance floor I seem kinda silly doing it, especially for certain songs. More than that it feels very weird after dancing On 1. From On 2 it seems musical and expressive, On 1 it seems hokey. Either way I’m sure I could come up with some esoteric reasoning behind trying it but it wouldn’t do it justice, just try it -- it’s cool!
When you go to a salsa congress you are hit with a variety of classes that all sound like “the perfect class to go to”. Of course, they are all scheduled at the same time. I was in one of those predicaments (again) at around noon on Sunday. I was trying to decide which of these perfect classes to go to when a lady came up behind me sensing my indecision and told me “GO to the Lady’s Styling class, Amanda’s class is fresh, fun, and very sexy.” My interest was piqued -- Female Styling with Amanda Estilo it is! Having taken so long to decide where to go, by the time I got there the warmup had started. Amanda was telling the girls (and one guy) that she teaches her class a little different than most and does not have a shine prepared to teach. She will make it up as she feels inspired by the music. I was thinking, Oh Boy, this is either going to be really good or really unfortunate. So with an open mind, I was prepared for anything and joined in as she became inspired by the music. In the end I loved the class. Everyone left with their own version of the shine that she created -- a reflection of their individual style.
We met back up and went to Juan Tato Paredes’ Bachata Partnerwork workshop. I used to, long ago, despise Bachata. Mostly from a music point of view because every song is so similar. But it has now grown to an adoration for it brought on by the dance. I love dancing with Katie. As such we opted not to rotate partners. Were I alone (or single 
) then I would have no problem dancing intimately with other people. But when really trying to get the feel of the dance it is important to have a connection with that person. At the clubs I rarely dance bachata with someone I don’t know -- (and if you see otherwise don’t tell katie ).
Our final workshop, since we were invested in extracurricular dances, was Samba with Danielle Lima. The Samba class was a reawakening of spirit with a joyful and purely energetic dance. I (for some reason) am in love with Brazil -- I should at least spell it correctly Brasil! Maybe I just like the idea of Brasil and Samba is right in line with that. But this was not just some free for all nor was it the (uptight?) Samba of the ballroom dance world. The dance was expressive in its rawness but it was also very joyous. Watch the video below of Danielle dancing -- big smile across her face, it just makes you want to dance.
The 2009 NYISC Workshops
The 2009 NYISC Performances
The 2009 NYISC Performances for both nights were fantastic! -- (Even though we were exhausted from the workshops and just wanted to lay down) They were worth it! Check out the playlist below. Make sure to bookmark this page as videos will be added as they become available.
The 2009 NYISC Social Dances
Social dancing (IMO) was a little intimidating. Not because I thought everyone else was better but because there were 4000+ people there. The dichotomy was immediately apparent when I happened to step about a foot away from Katie -- she was snatched up instantly. I on the other hand had to do some searching and pouncing…gentle pouncing.
From the ladies’ point of view the New York Salsa Congress was fantastic! The guys didn’t waste any time finding girls to dance with. I never had to search for a partner; not that I would have had time to as I danced one after another. I had the chance to dance with some really talented salseros and got a feel for a plethora of styles (and swagger ) .
Our first dance was to the right side of the stage -- WAY TOO PACKED! We scurried away and went to the Left Side, which seemed to be populated by a number of On 1 dancers. We had seen this phenomenon at the DC Salsa Congress too. On 1 dancers get pushed or congregate to the Left Side. Either way it was a little more open -- although we were more interested in dancing On 2. The center was pretty good up until Eddie Palmieri started playing. Then it turned into a concert as a good portion of the floor stopped and watched. Which in turn confined the dancers to a smaller area which was more packed. Now, I understand why so many of Nuevotec’s videos feature the more experienced dancers dancing on the carpet. It’s the only place with enough space to do anything. Either way Eddie Palmieri was amazing. Definitely a treat to have such a fantastic salsero play for us salseros.
In the end, the 2009 New York International Salsa Congress was filled with great music, talented instructors, and of course some of the best salsa dancing in the world. It was a pleasure to be a part of it and we can’t wait till next year.
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