One of the earliest friends I made in the Salsa circle was Yogesh, I know him as a die hard Salsa aficionado and inspiring teacher & passionate dancer of Salsa.He is a constant reminder to me how life should be easy without any hangups, his dance personifies this attitude, check out this interview with Yogesh, known as YK in the Salsa circle, who i believe is one of the earliest Salsa dancers the city has seen.

• How and when did you get introduced to Salsa? Who were your teachers who helped you hone your dancing Skills?

I was studying in a small university town- iowa city, USA -where i went our dancing and saw this soulful dance which looked like jiving. Though I managed to pick up the steps, i realised that i was quite offbeat. I resolved to learn the dance asap. We had a student who was conducting salsa workshops in the university and I learnt my basics from him- Modei – a mix of Latin and African parents. Hanging out at the local salsa pubs with Latin students helped me add finesse and passion to the steps. Later on i went to learn other forms of Latin ballroom in Washington DC from world champions- Maria and Martin- and was an instructor in their studio there.

• What difference has Salsa made to your life?

Besides making me a more social person Salsa has immersed me in a new culture- that of Latin Americans. This dance has helped me keep fit- physically and mentally. It has won me many friends around the world . I have also been able to help absolute newcomers to learn dancing and this has boosted the confidence of many aspiring salseros. I also learnt Spanish to understand Salsa better.

My students have varied from teenagers to those leading a busy corporate life to senior citizens. It gives me immense pleasure to see someone happy while dancing. And of course salsa has given me an alternate profession- Two Left Feet – a dance group that we started to teach dancing to people who are short of time and want to learn it in a fun and fast manner.

• How long have you been dancing Salsa? which is you “other” favourite Latin dance?

Its been 12 years since I first danced salsa. After that it has literally been a way of life. Brazilian Samba and Argentine tango are my other favorite Latin dances. The fun and footloose Samba is exactly opposite to the passionate and disciplined Tango.. yet they mesmerise the soul and body alike.

• What do you think about the Salsa Parties happening in Mumbai?
  

It is heartening to see more salsa parties in Mumbai after I first started dancing with Devika Shahani at Liquid Lounge in 2002.  Now there are atleast 4-5 places in a week to dance salsa. I look forward to seeing more live music salsa parties and maybe open air parties too.

• How many Salsa congresses in India and around the world have you attended?
  

I have attended one each in Bangalore and Bombay.One of the first things that I do when i travel is to go dancing at a salsa club. i have danced in more than 25 cities across more than 15 countries in the world.  I enjoyed the Salsa congress the most in Amsterdam and Berlin.

• How does your family react to your passion for Salsa? Do they support you?

When I first started to dance, it was an uphill task convincing my parents as the perception of the dance was very negative in India. Over the years they have seen me perform and the dance has also received rave reviews. Now they are proud to inform people about my passion for dancing.

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Q: What do you think is your biggest contribution to dance scene in Mumbai in particular?

ANS: Giving the people in Mumbai to see quality work and an opportunity to see world class Dancers / Teachers from different parts of the World. Keeping Dance alive and taking it to another level to some extent. Not to forget giving people an opportunity to travel around the world and perform too.

Q: Tell us how you manage to run your dance school, when you are virtually travelling all over the world participating is Salsa congresses, isn’t it time you concentrate at home?

ANS: If I get invited across the Globe as an Artist to teach and perform and spread my knowledge, Why not? I am honoured to be one of the few Asians who gets invited across the world every single month to teach at Big Dance Festivals. I feel like a Dance Ambassador of India and this helps me promote India across the World. It helps me put India in the Map.
As far as India is conscerned I give equal importance to my 25 Studios across Delhi, Bombay, Kolkata and Pune. I am happy to have a team who I can trust and are super talented. There is a bigger picture for India which I am working on and people will see it for themselves when time comes.

Q: Why are you promoting other dance forms like hip hop? When clearly you are a Salsa specialist?

ANS: I am a Salsa specialist and thats why I teach Salsa. As a promoter I have the source to get down teachers for other dance forms, so why not promote other dance forms as well? My background in Dance started with Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary and so on. I still love those dance forms, infact for me a dancer needs to be versatile. As a dance promoter its my duty to promote as many dance forms as I can. As a specialist I teach only the forms I excel in.

Q: Can you tell our readers 5 reasons they shouldn’t miss the Ist bachata festival?

ANS:

1: Its the 1st Bachata Festival in India
2: An opportunity to learn different Dance forms from well known International Instructors like Dom, Marion, Vanessa, James and so on.
3: Its cheap as compared to other Congresses around the world.
4: An opportunity for people to perform and participate on a plat form like this
5: Its time to increase your vision as a dancer or as a choreogrpaher.

Q:  Whats your vision about the festivals, are we going to have a Salsa festival also, or you are sticking to bachata festival?

ANS: The Festivals I organize in India are the Salsa India Festival, Delhi Salsa Get Away, Goa Salsa Festival and Bachata Festival in India. These festivals will keep happeninig along side other Big Salsa Congresses I co-organize and promte like Turkey International Salsa Congress, Salsa Cruise Asia, Dance Cruise Asia, Berlin Salsa Congress, Rome Salsa Festival, Bologna Salsa Festival and so on.
It looks easy to organize such festivals but only I know and those who do similar events know how difficult it is to organize just one such event, specially when we have no sponsors.

I promice this. As long as my passion remains I will keep doing such festivals and keep giving people in India to see, learn and interact with the best in the field of dance without having to leave India for it.

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SaSaSalsaaaaa is profiling some dancing sensations outside mumbai, lets check out Vive la Salsa from Calcutta.I have seen them performing at India International Festival at bangalore and they are really beautiful on the stage.Amazing choreography is what you can expect.

Founded by Aditya and Raghvendra Upadhya, Vive la Salsa (VLS) has been operating since May 2005 with a view to building a community of Latin Dance enthusiasts in Eastern India. We aim to advocate both the dance and music forms of Salsa and other Latin American dances through classes, workshops and demonstrations, as well as social events, for both adults and children.

n Oct 2005, Aditya introduced Salsa to the city of Kolkata for the 1st time, and after initial workshops, the 1st classes in Kolkata were begun at Solace, a premier wellness centre in Sunny Park, Ballygunge.

Apart from teaching through regular classes and workshops VLS has taken part in salsa festivals around the country and the world, competed, performed , organized non-dancing events, demos and salsa parties.

VLS teaches Latin Nightclub Dances, namely Salsa (on1 & on2), Rueda, Merengue, Bachata & Cha Cha (on2 only) . We also teach Afro-Cuban (Los Orishas) & Afro-Cuban Rumba.

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About the Author

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As a part of the new series, every month I intend to do one interview with one of the leading Salsa Instructors, we could do with a bit of a perspective from the instructors point of view, here is kick starting this series with the celebrity Salsa Instructor Sandip Soparrkar.

Q- How can you describe yourself? A dancer/choreographer/instructor/celeb? Can you elaborate on the same?

A- i am a dance teacher and a choreographer… coz i feel that dance is an art and its learnt over a period of time… instructor are ment for things which are not subjects… and teachers are for subjects and dance is surely a subject… that needs dedication and devotion..

Q – We are very interested in the styles of latin dancing you teach, particularly Salsa? Where & whom have you learned Salsa from?

A – i have done my training as a dance teacher from.. ballroom dance training school, bonn, germany… its an ISTD institute… salsa was one of my special subjects along with the greek dance the zorba…

Q – As per my records, you teach at only at 2/3 locations while other instructors have 7/8 minimum location, is teaching dance your only vocation, or what is the reason you have not opened more centres like say Shiamak Davar?

A- yr information is old… we have many branches in mumbai… chowpatty, worli, prabhadevi, bandra, santacruz, andheri, goregaon and navi mumbai… apart from mumbai we have classes in two place in pune (koregaon park and MG road), a’bad, surat, h’bad and an international branch in kathmandu… we are not opening our next branch in delhi from feb…

Q – Your students have always complained that you are very strict while teaching. Is this kind of high handed behaviour necessary?

A- ha ha now thats funny… i do not think we are strict at all.. we teach dance… coz we feel that… dance is fun but at the same time its serious fun… it is an art form that needs to develop respect in india and has not reached that level yet… in indian classic classes the respect for dance and the form is tremendous… so why not for western forms too… indian must look at western form not just as a hobby and a thing for spending time…but an art that will develop then as a human being…

Q – As per my knowledge you are essentially a ballroom dancer, who also teaches Salsa, many people who have watched your students perform Salsa, complain that the style is very ballroomised? (if that can be term).So the question is, do you focus more on teaching Ballroom that Salsa?

A – yes i am essentailly a Ballroom and Latin dance teacher… I learnt salsa as a special subject… to me salsa is a great mix of different forms and cultures too… many studios teach salsa with lot of hip hop and jazz mixed too… their salsa is not termed as hip hopish salsa… so why is what i teach called ballroomish….

Q – I have heard you don’t like to mingle with students from other dance schools, so your parties are closed? Can we expect some big event from your Studio which will set the bench mark for other dance schools?

A- you have lot of wrong informations about our studio… our stuido parties are always open to all.. many other studio people and many other siders who arenot a part of any studio and are just dance lovers … do come for our gathering… every yr we celebrate the international dance day in a big way… where all my students, troup dancers, celebrity students and me.. we all dance..

thanks
regards
sandip soparrkar

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Samir Pasad is one of the guy I admire in the Salsa circle. He is a unassuming guy who looks more like a stock broker(may be he is), and suddenly changes into a fabulous graceful Salsa dancer on the dance floor. He bears no allegiance to any  salsa club, and can be seen at most of the “happening’ Salsa Parties and Festival.Here is a short Interview with Samir Prasad.

How and when did you get introduced to Salsa?
I had gone to ‘Starters & More’ for their Dance Club nite where I saw Ashwin Mushran dancing Salsa in 2003. He had just moved down from UK. From the moment I saw him dancing, I wanted to learn salsa. I was learning Ballroom from Sandip Soparrkar at that time. Sandip was not keen on teaching salsa at that time. So I joined Ashwin’s classes.

And how were you inspired you to continue dancing? And how many more years would you be dancing Salsa?
There is something unique about Latin music which has inspired me to continue dancing. Initially there were just few places which played Latin music. It started from ‘Starters & More’ and then there was ‘Liquid Lounge’ and ‘Trafalgar Chowk’. We used to look forward to Latin themed events. Salsa is very addictive. It’s like a drug. Once you get hooked, there is no looking back. It just grows on you. The driving beat of the music makes you want to move. When you dance with your partner and make a connection, this dance can turn passionate and sensual in a sexy way. How many more years… May be for ever…
Who do you think one should look out for in the Mumbai Salsa scene and a brilliant dancer?
Kaytee Namgyal and Avan Mehta

How long have you been dancing Salsa and which is you other favorite Latin dance?
I have been dancing salsa for almost 6 years. Other favourite Latin dance is Bachata, and Cha Cha.

What difference has Salsa made to your life?
It has made me overcome my shyness and made me much more confident. Salsa has given a new platform to make friends and network. Salsa parties are a great way to socialize and release stress. Salsa is like meditation. Whenever I travel for work or pleasure, I keep evenings free for going to local salsa clubs. I have been to salsa clubs in Kuala Lampur, Singapore, Dubai, Chicago, San Francisco and New York

Tell us something about your profession?
I was into Commodity Futures before. I met my current business partner Avinash (HAS juice bar) at Kaytee’s salsa class. HAS juice bar is India’s 1st juice bar chain specializing in fresh juices and smoothies. I am also planning to get into Health Food.

What do you think about the Salsa Parties happening in Mumbai? For e.g. Zenzi , Rio.

Dragonfly was great. It has a huge dance floor. But unfortunately it has closed down. Zenzi is most happening but too crowded these days. Zenzi Mills is better. Bohemia was good. Rio is ok. Not been to H2O.

How many congresses in India and around the world have you attended?
Two Salsa India Festivals, Mumbai 2007 and Delhi 2005. Salsa Weekender in Goa 2008. Washington DC Salsa Congress 2006.
How would you rate the Salsa India Congress (by Salsa India) and the India International Salsa Congress (by lvds)?
I have not been for any of India International Salsa Congress (by lvds). Salsa India Festivals have been great. Missed the last one in Mumbai.

What do you think about Mumbai Salsa Meetup? Do you think Iam doing a good job by reviewing dance school and instructors ? Any suggestions on how to make the community and the Sa Sa Salsaaaa website better?
It’s a good platform to interact with other salsa enthusiasts. You are doing great. Don’t get to see you at Salsa Parties of late. Some of your reviews have been spot on.

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I call Haansa “the quintessential Salsera ” ,the reason is I don’t know any female committed so much to Salsa dancing, I have always been fascinatedby how she makes to most of the Salsa do, nothing deters her, if she is not feeling good or no matter how far she has to drive to the venue, she always manages it with a smile. So here is a short interview with her, and a small tribute this fabulous human and Salsera from Mumbai Salsa Meetup.

How and when did you get introduced to Salsa?

Hmmm…it’s the best gift I gave to myself in 2006….For a very long time I was wanting to learn SALSA,but didn’t know where..until I saw a classified in some newspaper…KIRAN SHRIYAN’ workshop n classes…..since then till today……I M THERE….

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And how were you inspired you to continue dancing? And how many more years  would you be dancing Salsa?

For me it’s a continuous learning process….I always feel I m a beginner and I have to learn more….its never ending thirst….

I would dancing as long my feet are dancing…….old n gold couple….

Who do you think one should look out for in the Mumbai Salsa scene and a brilliant dancer?

In last 4 years a lot has changed…..initially it was only zenzi,bandra….but now there are salsa nites happening every alternate day..which is great.But still a long way to go …..we need salsa enthusiast salseros…who can and would love to evolve it more….its a small but growing community…..

Every guru is great.

How long have you been dancing Salsa and which is you other favorite latin dance?

Phew!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn’t realize how time flies…….its been close to 3 years…..n counting…..ohhh…all Latin dance are just cool…what you need is a super cool partner…..BACHATA,ZOUK……lambada…..

What difference has Salsa made to your life?

WELL…..hmmmmmmmmmm…….As I have always mentioned…Salsa makes me feel like a beautiful woman…it just completes me….…but salsa makes me forget my blues once I am on floor….its my medicine.

Tell us something about your profession?

I am an actor….doing films n television….

1.Page 3

2.Tom,Dick and Harry

3.Money hai toh honey hai

4.Backwaters- English film directed by Jag mundhra

Now..some more projects……

What do you think about the Salsa Parties happening in Mumbai? For eg. Zenzi , Rio , and dragonfly?

Zenzi- gets too crowded….but still it’s the oldest and crème de la crème of salsa is there…

Rio- is good again..great spot for beginners to polish themselves……

Zenzi Mills- better dance floor…..no poles in between……good crowd…Great music by Kaytee,Derek, ashwin

How many congresses in India and around the world have you attended?

Dubai salsa festival 2006 and 2007

Paris salsa festival 2007

2006,2007,2008 in Bombay organized by Kaytee

2007,2008 –salsa congress organized by Lourd Vijay

How would you rate the Salsa India Congress(by Salsa India) and the India International Salsa Congress(by lvds)?

There is no comparison…..both are good…..

What do you think about Mumbai Salsa Meetup? Do you think Iam doing a good job by reviewing dance school  and instructors ? Any suggestions on how to make the community and the Sa Sa Salsaaaa website better?

Ohhh need you ask that?You are doin a fabulous job in promoting salsa…people from all over the world comes to know where and when salsa is happening in Mumbai…….

The community has to be more enthu n dedicated and may be a bit aggressive.New people should be more into it as we were when we started….remember…

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The sweethearts of Salsa, Richard Thaloor and Sneha Kapoor on “India Got Talent”

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This is a new section called “Celebrities in Salsa” where I plan to hunt for celebrities doing Salsa.

To start with here is Pooja Bedi with Hanif Hilal.

Hanif  is a professional Latin American ballroom trainer,and was part of Jhalak Dikhlaja, Nach Baliye 3,

Pooja Bedi, ofcourse needs no introduction.

Check out this video of Pooja and Hanif doing a bit of Salsa!

 

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Suman is very passionate about dance and Salsa in particular, her enthusiasm is contagious, unfortunately she is not seen much on the floor, but her support has been quite vital for the Mumbai Salsa meetup, so she is framed on Sa Sa Salsaaaaa as a “ Salsa Addict”

Here is quick interview with Suman and her views about Salsa in mumbai particularly.

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