Alien Ramirez: Cuban Dance Methodologies, Connecting with the Music, Secret for Dancers

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The following is a conversation with Alian Ramirez.
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Alian is a world -renowned dance instructor from
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Cuba. She is a 24 -time world Latin dance champion,
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choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance
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USA, and the principal dancer in TV commercials
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for iPad and Macys. Alian has collaborated with
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renowned choreographers Alex De Silva and Alex
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Mangal. She has performed and taught on five
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continents in 65 cities and 45 countries. So
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you grew up in Cuba. Yes. Yes. And you mentioned
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to me before that you started, I think, gymnastics
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when you were four. Yeah. By eleven you were
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six. Yes. So you were active from a very early
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age. How did these experiences shape you and
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how did it help you with your dancing, I guess?
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I guess through the knowledge that I have these
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days, the wisdom, I noticed that the most important
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part of my early activities was the coming into
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the discipline, like having a routine, a constancy
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in the discipline, which is the formula for everything
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in life. And also since it's related to dance,
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it helps me to be more aware of my body, my body
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parts, so more easier for me to... develop the
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movement and easier for me to pick up different
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new styles after. So definitely ballet is one
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of the basic things because it helps you to hold
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yourself, to know your center, to help you to,
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how I can say, especially for Latin dance, that
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we do turns as well. We do sometimes adorns,
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like deeps, drops. For performing, that we do
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tricks, definitely ballet is a good base. And
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gymnastics as well for the tricks. And then since
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I did salsa cabaret, which is one of the divisions
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on competitions and one of the, for a spectacle
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when you do shows, one of the things to help
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it to look wow on your show, really the background
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of gymnastics and ballet really helped me a lot
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to teach these days and also to judge. So knowing
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and watching something, I know what is the problem,
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how to fix it, but thanks to my background as
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well. And of course at executor as well as an
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artist I can do it very fast teach someone very
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fast even sometimes which is I don't I don't
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want to have people Through this trying on the
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dance floor, but even socially I can actually
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do the tricks to without guys expecting It takes
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like what like the drops dips and stuff like
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that. Yes So it jumps and stuff. But of course
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that has to be with experience. The technique
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has to be there and as well the momentum, the
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speed of the music, the frame of the guy and
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the space. Important because sometimes we want
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to do flips, we want to do crazy stuff on the
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dance floor and you can hurt people. Yes, that's
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why I say don't listen to this part and try on
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the dance floor. But I'm talking about how the
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background that I do have helped me for these
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days. And then I telling you all the variations,
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you know, how it helps me. And as well, like
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I mentioned, the discipline, which is the formula
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of everything that is the most for me, the most
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valuable thing. When you started dancing in Cuba,
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you said around 16. When I start doing more professionally,
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yes. Okay, so ballet obviously is dancing, but
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as far as the Latin dance, formally, do you remember
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how old you were when you started? That was around
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10. More with the Latin. Yeah, you were still
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little, but you already had background in athletics,
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plus you started dancing early. Yes. I felt like
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a student going to the dance academy, we call
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Casa de Culturas, which is like a government
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place where you can go and take different lessons.
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They give you an audition to see your skills.
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your rhythm and then depends in your quality
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for example the guitar or piano depends on the
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fingers so they kind of like give you a little
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bit they see your talent and also physically
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who you how you are according for for you to
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begin to be great so they play it they tell you
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i suggest you to be here and there according
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to your body type and stuff like that okay yeah
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Yes, and then they give you a little advice.
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For example, I want to be a ballet dancer professionally.
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And then my body types not to be a ballet dancer.
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or interesting. So they told me you try it will
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be amazing but for you to be the greatest your
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body type is not for that. You will suffer and
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then through the process you might get injured
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a lot so that's why you're not going to get maybe
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you know to be a great ballerina so they told
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me that Latin dance fit me better for my body
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type and stuff. So interesting. I haven't heard
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that before. Look, my fingers, so my toes. This
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one is longer than this one. For ballet, that's
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not good. That's the reason why it's a little
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bit bending because they try. My arms has over
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extension. For ballet, it's supposed to be more
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like an alignment. So for me to be in alignment,
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I have to bring the shoulder very down. But normally,
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if I normally stand it, it's hyper extended.
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That's not good. And some stuff. My butt is too
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big to be a ballerina. It's so detailed. Yes.
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They actually put you on your clothes, like minimum
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clothes, like maybe a bra and then little shorts,
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and they check your body. They see also your
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body type. And then according to that, bless
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your talent. They will tell you, you will be
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great for this or not. Wow, that's interesting.
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That's why people in Cuba are amazing because
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they designate you similar to Tinkerbell, you
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know, when they try to get the... how the talent,
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you know, and then the hammer blow, it start
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like levitating and it gets to her. So pretty
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much that's my culture. They tell you according
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to your talent, to what you like, but also to
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your body type and genetics, you will be great
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for that or not. So that's why a baseball player
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in Cuba is amazing. A dancer is amazing. A musician
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is amazing. Whatever we doing, we are actually
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really great yes because everything is being
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kind of like a plan ahead kind of like I don't
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know if that sounds good or not but well results
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talks and then like I said the doctors are amazing
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teachers are you know everything is according
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to to your talent and they kind of like help
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you to guide you so that way you can approach
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the best and then go to the maximum giving you
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some guidance. Instead of like changing here
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and there, you know, and try to figure it out
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by yourself. Which I think that's good, depends
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on the view of the person. This might sound like
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others manipulated or, you know, I don't know
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how to explain it, dictated. But I guess for
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me, like these days as well, you know, sometimes
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I tell the person, listen, you want to do this
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and that, but... you're not on the level. So
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you might have to do this and this and this to
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make this possible, this trick possible. You
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have to take yoga. You have, you know, I have
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a plan. So but I learned that from from Cuba,
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from the background, instead of be OK, you want
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to do a trick and let's try and then on the process
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with no preparation and no right guidance, you
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injure yourself, you know, and get frustrated
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after. It's kind of like that a little bit. When
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you started dancing, at 10 years old in Cuba.
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Do you remember what they taught specifically?
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Yes. Can you share? Of course, this is what I
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do too because I'm a dance teacher too. So they
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start with the history first. any class, anything,
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they start with the history. Because when you
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know the past, it's easier to adjust and then
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adapt to the present. So when you know a little
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bit of the history, it's easier to comprehend
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why the rhythm has been doing like this, why
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the structure is like this, because geographically,
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for example, the Africans and the West Africa
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is hot. So when you're dancing, most of the time
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you have your feet a little bit more spread and
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parallel to the floor because the movement and
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then the weather. and half for the sample and
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ballroom is more unitized together but you do
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that for African dances for the movement and
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also the weather you get burned between your
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legs you know so you have to have them open so
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when they explain all this to you about weather
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about the meaning of stuff and history as soon
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as you start to try the step right away you get
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a picture in your head so they start with the
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history and then with the rhythm Once you get
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the rhythm in this plane to you, you try to imitate
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that with the palms. Using palms and then after
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that with the foot. And then footwork together
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with the hands. So that creates a developed rhythm.
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actually help you when you have to isolate and
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divide your body and movement from the steps.
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So when you start getting the steps, it's easy
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for you now to develop the step into the in and
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put together the movement on the top of the step
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because you already have these previous exercises.
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try to learn something right away. No explanation,
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no music or rhythm explanation. Just try to do
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the steps. That's why people normally outside
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of Cuba, when they learn on the congresses, the
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steps, they look a little robotic. So they do
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with the steps, but they don't feel the step.
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They're actually not connecting the step with
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the music because the teachers don't explain
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the music. and explain the concept of the history
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so for them to have a picture in their head so
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it's easier. after that to comprehend what they
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have to do instead of just learning patterns.
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Do you know what I'm talking about? And this
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is why this class for this weekend they choose
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the teachers or the promoters choose me to teach
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musicality in the rumba and also Afrofusion because
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it really helps a lot. A lot of the Latin dance
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fundamentals come from Africa from the Afro perspective,
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the Afro essence plus ballroom. But a lot of
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people's missing the essence of the Afro. So
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that's why these days it began to be a little
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like a necessity. So right now you see a lot
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of people taking more interest to take classes
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for Afro or Afrofusion or Afro Mambo or Afro
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Cuban Rumba and stuff like that. Why do you think
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it's not taught here in the States the way it's
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taught in Cuba? I guess because in Cuba is a
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process for example you're not learning just
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in one lesson let's say you want to dance mambo
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or I want to do a choreography on mambo so it's
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a few series of classes that is involved so I
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start first with the history and then then the
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rhythm exercises giving you the basic steps and
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then put together the choreography you pick it
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up the choreography very fast because you know
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already the steps are separated while here is
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more drop classes and for me on these events
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or conventions you have students that you never
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taught them before. In one hour, you have to
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teach something. If I talk about exercises and
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music, they're not going to be learning maybe
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steps. And what happens, they're already expecting
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something. So by demand, you practically either
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see if it's partner work, you teach maybe a warm
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-up for some footwork, and don't go right away
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into the partner work. And sometimes the footwork
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doesn't go with the content of the partner work.
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So it's like a morbid and warm up, but we don't
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see the footwear. connected to the warm up. So
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it's a little bit separated. So it took me long
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for me maybe a year to adjust to the American
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system or the event system because how to make
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a person understanding and then give them what
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they need or what they expect and at the same
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time, take them in my way. So that's why I have
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the methodology that involves the Cuban way and
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the American way very well together. And then
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of course, this is one my brands that's why a
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lot of people says that I'm a great teacher and
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I'm master of masters and stuff like that but
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it's because I try to incorporate both methodologies
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to help people to right away understand from
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the perspective connection with the music either
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I teach the steps but right away try to make
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them understand how to do it with the music the
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different energies in different perspective that
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they can do according to the steps but adjusting
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to the essence of the music. So always I'm teaching
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musicality, always teaching essence, always teaching
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history, always introducing the class with a
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little bit of the history according to what I'm
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going to be teaching so they have a little bit
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ahead. So instead of just right away into the
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steps I always have a little bit five minutes
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introduction so people know what my class is
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going to go, give them the vision and then a
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little bit what is my mission on the class. So
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that introduction helped them to have a perspective.
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just let's do something and then they're not
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ready. I don't know what to expect. I guess that
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introduction really works for my methodology
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and I learned that from my country. I think when
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I hear musicality in history, I can easily grasp
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it in the sense that I conceptually understand
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what this is. But when I hear essence, it's not
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so easy for me to necessarily to understand.
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How would you explain? Yes, the essence. Essence
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is pretty much about the energy that is projecting
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on the song. For example, when we're talking
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about salsa, you hear some songs that the main
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essence is more romantic. So even if you want
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to do afro movement, the afro movement needs
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to be adjusted to the essence. So for example,
00:14:34.360 --> 00:14:37.320
instead of doing palo, which is strong, and the
00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:40.879
music is as a romantica, instead of B. choosing
00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:45.120
palo steps, I might use, for example, movements
00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:48.080
that is more elegua, which is the movements are
00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:51.000
more softer, yes, especially when he pretends
00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:53.779
to clean the road, or for example, movements
00:14:53.779 --> 00:14:56.740
in case that I'm a female, or even in these days,
00:14:57.059 --> 00:14:59.000
we don't have gender, like this is for a man
00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:01.960
and woman. So I can do some oshun stuff, jeng
00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:04.679
manja, which is the energy is more figurative
00:15:04.679 --> 00:15:07.139
to create the connection with the essence of
00:15:07.139 --> 00:15:10.519
the music, the message of the music. the music
00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:13.139
has more happiness, especially in the Montuno.
00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:15.799
Most of the salsas in the meadow on the Montuno
00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:19.139
part is a little bit more happy, yeah? The cowbell
00:15:19.139 --> 00:15:23.799
goes and introduce the energy of being like riding
00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:27.100
a horse. So there I need to develop more of the
00:15:27.100 --> 00:15:30.080
bouncing from the essence of Afro -Cuban. Yes,
00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:34.059
and put that into the song. Yes, and then depends
00:15:34.059 --> 00:15:38.919
on the energy of the song, that bouncing or projection,
00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:43.600
it could be small or medium or large. So I try
00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:45.500
to explain that to the students so they can,
00:15:45.500 --> 00:15:48.100
through the amount, understand the power and
00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:51.019
the essence of the proposal of the music on that
00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:54.220
particular momentum. Not all montunos are very
00:15:54.220 --> 00:15:56.860
excited and the bouncing is fast. So depending
00:15:56.860 --> 00:15:59.659
on the music, it might change the essence. Sometimes,
00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:02.940
like I said, more faster, more medium speed,
00:16:03.220 --> 00:16:05.820
more slower, even though it's the same movement.
00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:10.200
That's what is essence. And people right away
00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:13.200
get it. So in use measurements, small, medium,
00:16:13.299 --> 00:16:15.340
large, everyone knows that because we're wearing
00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:18.460
clothing according to our essence or our measures.
00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:21.679
So pretty much it's the same thing. So the movement
00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:25.440
is going according to the proposal or the essence
00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:29.120
of the music. And then we match that. For example,
00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:32.059
fast footwear. You do fast footwear, you do less
00:16:32.059 --> 00:16:35.289
movement. because the music is fast. The same
00:16:35.289 --> 00:16:38.049
thing, so sometimes the movement also when the
00:16:38.049 --> 00:16:42.230
music is slower is more elongated to create more
00:16:42.230 --> 00:16:45.490
connection to the essence or proposal of the
00:16:45.490 --> 00:16:50.169
music. That's what it means, essence. In order
00:16:50.169 --> 00:16:53.509
for me to create essence or energy of the music
00:16:53.509 --> 00:16:56.690
to go along with the music, what do I need to
00:16:56.690 --> 00:17:00.230
know as a dancer? Well, it is important to know
00:17:00.230 --> 00:17:03.200
a little bit of the history what is salsa or
00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:08.680
what is the rhythm salsa is it looks easy but
00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:11.299
at the same time it's not because the word salsa
00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:14.299
involves different styles some of them are 80
00:17:14.299 --> 00:17:20.140
from cuba el bolero danzon danzonete mambo son
00:17:20.140 --> 00:17:23.400
cha cha cha pachanga guaracha just to mention
00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:27.319
few and also we have the rumba which is in Rumba,
00:17:27.539 --> 00:17:30.700
we have three different styles. Yambu, huawanko,
00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:33.819
and columbia. Most of the food that we do, including
00:17:33.819 --> 00:17:37.319
sushi queues, is from Colombia. So pretty much
00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:42.480
90 % of the content that we do these days is
00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:46.109
being done in Cuba. And the rest is collaborations
00:17:46.109 --> 00:17:49.589
that, or a portation from Puerto Rico, Venezuela,
00:17:50.009 --> 00:17:53.950
Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico. The majority
00:17:53.950 --> 00:17:56.869
of that percentage, what we call salsa, is born,
00:17:57.150 --> 00:18:01.589
or is from, or is being, how I can say, mixed
00:18:01.589 --> 00:18:05.529
in Cuba. It's mixed because it's not pure, that
00:18:05.529 --> 00:18:09.970
we took elements from Afro, and as well from
00:18:09.970 --> 00:18:16.019
Europe. and blended in Cuba, yes? And of course
00:18:16.019 --> 00:18:20.299
these days is worldwide. So we can say that even
00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:22.619
sometimes it's impressive how people that are
00:18:22.619 --> 00:18:25.480
not Latin or even Cubans, they dance better than
00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:28.480
the Cuban people. And they know more about my
00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:32.119
culture than a lot of Cuban people, yeah. And
00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:36.720
anyways, coming back to the concept. So salsa
00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:40.460
has all this, at least I have to have. knowledge
00:18:40.460 --> 00:18:44.059
of all these little basics I don't have to be
00:18:44.059 --> 00:18:48.779
a master but at least to know main basis so when
00:18:48.779 --> 00:18:52.940
the music give me the essence or el son I can
00:18:52.940 --> 00:18:56.759
do some basic sound steps. When the music has
00:18:56.759 --> 00:19:00.599
more mambo feeling, I know the mambo steps. When
00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:03.240
the music has more the Montuno Afro feeling,
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:06.940
I have the basis for it. So that way I can really
00:19:06.940 --> 00:19:10.980
interpretate and try to approach the more I can
00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:14.140
in the right way with the essence of the proposal
00:19:14.140 --> 00:19:17.490
of the music. It's like the weather. In one day,
00:19:17.490 --> 00:19:19.509
sometimes you have three different weather. So
00:19:19.509 --> 00:19:21.130
you have to be prepared maybe with the jacket.
00:19:21.210 --> 00:19:23.789
In the morning, it's cold. Late on, it's hot.
00:19:23.829 --> 00:19:26.849
So what you need to have now, the umbrella. And
00:19:26.849 --> 00:19:29.809
then after that, it's begin to be too hot. You
00:19:29.809 --> 00:19:32.750
have to take your jacket off, yes? And you have
00:19:32.750 --> 00:19:35.049
to have glasses on. You have to have accessories
00:19:35.049 --> 00:19:37.609
to adjust to the weather, to feel comfortable.
00:19:37.849 --> 00:19:40.750
It's just like the same. So our music, our Latin
00:19:40.750 --> 00:19:44.890
music, in one song, sometimes you have different
00:19:44.890 --> 00:19:48.609
matices. or different essence. So you need to
00:19:48.609 --> 00:19:52.430
have a little accessories, which is basics, to
00:19:52.430 --> 00:19:55.630
make the accomplish, you know, and to feel comfortable
00:19:55.630 --> 00:19:58.450
and connected to the to the song or to the essence
00:19:58.450 --> 00:20:02.309
of the song. So, Alena, what you're saying is
00:20:02.309 --> 00:20:08.730
I need to know, number one, a rhythm. Yes. The
00:20:08.730 --> 00:20:11.569
steps. Yes. And I need to know how to express
00:20:11.569 --> 00:20:15.089
that. Yes. So I need to know a lot of steps.
00:20:16.320 --> 00:20:20.059
Definitely, definitely. And that's in order for
00:20:20.059 --> 00:20:23.099
you to express better. This is similar, for example,
00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:26.599
to cinema, in Spanish. In Spanish, because I
00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:30.799
have more vocabulary, yes? How you describe me
00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:42.990
as being wonderful. multiple ways. And the more
00:20:42.990 --> 00:20:47.349
words you have, the more you fulfill my essence.
00:20:48.230 --> 00:20:52.009
Yes, the same thing. So the more you study, the
00:20:52.009 --> 00:20:56.529
more you know, more you can adorn and fulfill
00:20:56.529 --> 00:20:59.490
the essence of the song. Make sense? Some people,
00:20:59.589 --> 00:21:03.069
for example, has just the basic of el son, a
00:21:03.069 --> 00:21:07.279
key. And then they can work with the basic in
00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:09.900
the entire song. In some momentons, they will
00:21:09.900 --> 00:21:12.240
look good. In some momentons, when the music
00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:14.940
changes, if they don't change, it continues with
00:21:14.940 --> 00:21:17.460
the same essence. And that particular momentum
00:21:17.460 --> 00:21:20.640
is an awkward momentum. You may be on the tempo,
00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:22.759
but you're not on the essence and the rhythm
00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:27.319
of the music, in my sense. So you choose to look
00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:31.309
good. once in a while or be impeccable all the
00:21:31.309 --> 00:21:35.109
time so that comes with the sacrifice that sacrifice
00:21:35.109 --> 00:21:37.750
is the study point and then the study points
00:21:37.750 --> 00:21:41.529
also to develop the practice is important so
00:21:41.529 --> 00:21:44.329
it takes years like for example to be a musician
00:21:44.329 --> 00:21:47.230
you could play a couple notes on the guitar right
00:21:47.230 --> 00:21:49.710
away we get a guitar right now and then boom
00:21:49.710 --> 00:21:55.569
we can do two or two three accords yes but to
00:21:55.569 --> 00:22:00.319
be a professional guitar player or even a classical,
00:22:00.420 --> 00:22:03.000
which is more harder, it will take years of your
00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:05.759
practice. It's the same thing. Do you like, do
00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:08.240
you want just a few steps with a few movements
00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:11.460
just to have fun? Is that okay? Yes. But you
00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:14.480
want to get more deeply into and get better,
00:22:14.839 --> 00:22:18.160
be professional. It takes time. It takes developing
00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:20.970
of a study. discipline remember we're talking
00:22:20.970 --> 00:22:22.609
about the discipline that's the most valuable
00:22:22.609 --> 00:22:25.569
thing that I get from my journey the constancy
00:22:25.569 --> 00:22:29.250
that's going to define how great you are and
00:22:29.250 --> 00:22:33.250
then how you can accomplish and to fulfill the
00:22:33.250 --> 00:22:36.569
essence of the music it's not just about I like
00:22:36.569 --> 00:22:39.529
the music and then whatever it's take especially
00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:43.440
two feet to tango and two to tango too. So in
00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:46.039
the same thing here, I asked, I need to understand
00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:50.000
myself, the rhythm, the tempo, but also I have
00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.200
to try to transfer that knowledge to the person
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:56.180
that I'm dancing with and together with the music,
00:22:56.200 --> 00:23:00.019
which is the UPS. So it's a process. What is
00:23:00.019 --> 00:23:04.119
UPS? The music who tells you where to go or how
00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:13.400
to go. Why is it UPS? GPS. Oh, sorry. What are
00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:21.029
we doing today? Essence. I love it. So GPS is
00:23:21.029 --> 00:23:25.990
our music, yes? And then to deliver or to go
00:23:25.990 --> 00:23:29.009
to the final destination successfully, you know?
00:23:29.250 --> 00:23:30.789
We have to listen, that's when you're talking
00:23:30.789 --> 00:23:33.930
about the rhythm. And the rhythm will tell you
00:23:33.930 --> 00:23:36.690
the essence. And then the more you associate
00:23:36.690 --> 00:23:41.410
the rhythm with what type of steps or movement
00:23:41.410 --> 00:23:45.390
you will have to execute, it will help you to
00:23:45.390 --> 00:23:48.569
fulfill the song and also to get more to the
00:23:48.569 --> 00:23:52.150
heart. and soul of the song too. So if I want
00:23:52.150 --> 00:23:54.690
to dance also well, maybe not professionally
00:23:54.690 --> 00:23:58.269
because professionally it takes years of practice
00:23:58.269 --> 00:24:01.069
and people do it full time and it's very difficult,
00:24:01.089 --> 00:24:03.509
right? But if I want to dance it well and if
00:24:03.509 --> 00:24:07.089
I want to express it well, how many styles do
00:24:07.089 --> 00:24:12.000
I need to consider practicing? I guess... The
00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:15.980
basic ones, for example, mostly the popular dances.
00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:19.279
What is those are popular dances? El son, el
00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:24.339
mambo, la pachanga, la guaracha, el cha cha cha,
00:24:24.759 --> 00:24:27.559
a little bit too. That's from the popular size
00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:30.279
of the, and that most of the songs has either
00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:34.140
one of that. But besides that, the essence of
00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:37.259
the energy, because afro help you to breathe
00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:41.609
better. Yes, when you have the foot, more separated
00:24:41.609 --> 00:24:44.130
and you try to, for example, shift your weight
00:24:44.130 --> 00:24:47.089
from one side to another, it involves a little
00:24:47.089 --> 00:24:49.309
bit more like a harmony in the body. When you
00:24:49.309 --> 00:24:52.369
keep it tighter, like more ballroom, the energy
00:24:52.369 --> 00:24:55.470
goes higher and now even so you shift the weight,
00:24:55.789 --> 00:24:58.630
the breath process is more shorter. And I noticed
00:24:58.630 --> 00:25:01.960
that people try to do social dancing to create
00:25:01.960 --> 00:25:06.059
more connection, to relax from the regular stress
00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:10.960
of life. So find out that when you start approaching
00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:15.140
the right way of according to the music and most
00:25:15.140 --> 00:25:18.140
of the songs, like I said, even see they're romantic
00:25:18.140 --> 00:25:21.000
and they start more elegant in the middle, they
00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:23.640
break that elegance and came more into the Afro
00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:27.029
perspective from the Montuno. So see you understand
00:25:27.029 --> 00:25:30.170
that essence of afro is bouncing and breathe
00:25:30.170 --> 00:25:33.450
which is expanding contracting the chest develop
00:25:33.450 --> 00:25:36.529
the breathing from the nose and mouth that will
00:25:36.529 --> 00:25:39.730
help you to really get a good done be a good
00:25:39.730 --> 00:25:42.150
dancer you don't have to be an expert with that
00:25:42.150 --> 00:25:46.849
tool yeah you can be okay and have fun. Yes,
00:25:46.849 --> 00:25:49.410
you don't have to really know a bunch of steps,
00:25:49.829 --> 00:25:52.690
after steps and stuff. Of course, the more you
00:25:52.690 --> 00:25:55.589
know, the more you can express. But with this
00:25:55.589 --> 00:26:00.150
basic essence, you will be fine. Yes, Afro is
00:26:00.150 --> 00:26:06.410
very, very interesting. Just, I guess, style
00:26:06.410 --> 00:26:10.730
and rhythm, just because it's you feel connected
00:26:10.730 --> 00:26:15.390
with the ground when you do it. And it's I think
00:26:15.390 --> 00:26:19.470
it feels good for the body. You know, I guess
00:26:19.470 --> 00:26:23.470
my experience is I need or we need both. And
00:26:23.470 --> 00:26:26.049
then, for example, when you are walking, you're
00:26:26.049 --> 00:26:29.450
standing by when you cleaning for you to clean
00:26:29.450 --> 00:26:33.210
the house or you have to move around. You will
00:26:33.210 --> 00:26:35.210
see that sometimes your energy is up. Sometimes
00:26:35.210 --> 00:26:38.529
you go down to get something. Now, some people
00:26:38.529 --> 00:26:40.910
get up when they go down. Why? Because they don't
00:26:40.910 --> 00:26:43.690
breathe. If I am standing and I have to get something
00:26:43.690 --> 00:26:47.519
and I go It's easier and I have more power, but
00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:49.519
if I just from here try to do the movement, it's
00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:53.220
too drastic. So dance really help you to breathe.
00:26:53.400 --> 00:26:56.900
And then you need that for your life, like for
00:26:56.900 --> 00:27:00.259
any, even to sit, you know, the seat position.
00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:02.420
So you do it drastically. You can get injured
00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:05.440
too. So know how to breathe, which is giving
00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:07.559
you that perspective from the Afro perspective.
00:27:07.619 --> 00:27:11.930
It really help us to have better... how I can
00:27:11.930 --> 00:27:14.890
say, better life in general. That's why we take
00:27:14.890 --> 00:27:17.910
medication, because meditation is a lot of breath
00:27:17.910 --> 00:27:22.349
involved. Yoga is a lot of breath involved too.
00:27:22.730 --> 00:27:26.410
In the Afro, how come these people can be dancing
00:27:26.410 --> 00:27:30.630
Afro in un bembe for four hours, which is bembe
00:27:30.630 --> 00:27:34.829
is a party similar to the social dancing, but
00:27:34.829 --> 00:27:37.529
more for the orichas. And you say, how come they
00:27:37.529 --> 00:27:40.430
can do it? Because they breathe, you feel like
00:27:40.430 --> 00:27:43.259
it's water, but if you try to put in thinking
00:27:43.259 --> 00:27:47.180
the Afro is energetic, is strong, and then is
00:27:47.180 --> 00:27:50.400
contracting and too much masculine energy, you're
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:52.900
not going to get it. You will get actually injured
00:27:52.900 --> 00:27:55.059
and you're not going to relax. You will put more
00:27:55.059 --> 00:27:59.440
stress and frustration, yes, which is as Afro
00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:03.519
is a lot of breathe for the movements involved.
00:28:03.900 --> 00:28:06.420
And when you understand that the essence of what
00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:11.140
is delivered, the Afro perspective, Yes, it rather
00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:13.859
ways it will change the complex of your dancing.
00:28:14.599 --> 00:28:18.299
Yes. So borrow energy higher, more elegant from
00:28:18.299 --> 00:28:21.740
more into your partner instead of before you
00:28:21.740 --> 00:28:24.839
more into the partner and delivering more breathing
00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:27.779
with the bouncing, which is going to help you
00:28:27.779 --> 00:28:30.339
to not to have so much heart impact into your
00:28:30.339 --> 00:28:36.440
joints. And correct me if I'm wrong, but you
00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:39.259
also move your spine quite a bit, right? The
00:28:39.259 --> 00:28:43.559
spine comes with the shift of the way. If I am
00:28:43.559 --> 00:28:46.940
going here towards my partner, come back to my
00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:49.099
center, towards the partner, right away you get
00:28:49.099 --> 00:28:52.940
a moment. Now from that moment you start breathing,
00:28:53.140 --> 00:28:55.400
how you breathe expanding and contracting your
00:28:55.400 --> 00:29:00.119
chest and exhale and that's when the movement
00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:03.190
starts to have more life. Yes, but it's a lot
00:29:03.190 --> 00:29:05.569
of shifting all the way. It's important to have
00:29:05.569 --> 00:29:09.690
conscience about how far, one more time, size
00:29:09.690 --> 00:29:12.910
is a small, medium, large. How farther according
00:29:12.910 --> 00:29:15.109
to the essence of the music. When the music is
00:29:15.109 --> 00:29:18.329
fast, I don't have time to go farther to my partner.
00:29:18.650 --> 00:29:23.190
I have to keep it smaller to create the fast
00:29:23.190 --> 00:29:25.549
of the speed, but at the same time, the essence
00:29:25.549 --> 00:29:28.190
of the rhythm. Not because it's fast, I will
00:29:28.190 --> 00:29:30.210
take the breath away. And that's what happens
00:29:30.210 --> 00:29:33.470
when the music is fast. what we do, take the,
00:29:33.470 --> 00:29:35.970
cut the breathing and try to keep it more tighter.
00:29:36.029 --> 00:29:38.809
And that's a wrong thing. You need to keep breathing.
00:29:39.170 --> 00:29:44.009
Just the momentum to shift the way is shorter
00:29:44.009 --> 00:29:51.269
in terms of distance. But with the expression
00:29:51.269 --> 00:29:54.069
of, so you said something interesting earlier,
00:29:54.769 --> 00:29:59.759
actually, expressing, for instance, Afro. during
00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:02.460
salsa romantica would be different because the
00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:04.980
music is softer and energy is different so you
00:30:04.980 --> 00:30:07.880
would not go as long you would go maybe more
00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:13.440
compact movements and things like that. Do you
00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:15.700
pay attention to what kind of music is playing
00:30:15.700 --> 00:30:18.680
because would that be wrong to do afro during
00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:22.059
salsa romantica or some other styles or you have
00:30:22.059 --> 00:30:24.740
the opinion that you can incorporate any style
00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:27.299
depending on what it is? For me it goes salsa
00:30:27.299 --> 00:30:30.299
because you can do anything. Now what I don't
00:30:30.299 --> 00:30:33.259
think that could be right is if in on the song
00:30:33.259 --> 00:30:37.319
it's a specific rhythm for an orisha and you
00:30:37.319 --> 00:30:40.480
by mistaking by other orisha it's like a for
00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:43.359
example I always calling you Maria and that's
00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:46.140
not your name first I was not and Maria is enough
00:30:46.140 --> 00:30:48.640
for for your gender it's more feminine and you're
00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:51.500
masculine and second that's not your name instead
00:30:51.500 --> 00:30:53.460
of being by mistake you will take it like an
00:30:53.460 --> 00:30:56.819
offense make sense? The same thing. So see, you
00:30:56.819 --> 00:30:59.940
always or you try to do movement that doesn't
00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:06.619
belong to that particular toke or way to be execute
00:31:06.619 --> 00:31:12.480
or interpretate. So it's been taken as a mistake
00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:15.839
and also like not respectful for the culture,
00:31:16.180 --> 00:31:18.599
it makes sense. But when in salsa, the same thing
00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:21.640
is in bembe, which is the bembe has el requinto
00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:25.599
and you can like mix orichas, the same thing
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:29.339
here. So for salsa you can mix some of the steps
00:31:29.339 --> 00:31:33.779
and actions just as long it has the essence of
00:31:33.779 --> 00:31:38.700
the music, make sense? And also something the
00:31:38.700 --> 00:31:41.880
balance because some people because now Afro
00:31:41.880 --> 00:31:46.079
is people think which is important is a necessity
00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:50.150
people think and is the essential. And what happens,
00:31:50.470 --> 00:31:53.230
everyone now is doing too much afro, too much
00:31:53.230 --> 00:31:55.569
rumba, and they forget about partner work, too.
00:31:55.569 --> 00:31:57.369
That's why I mentioned that it's important for
00:31:57.369 --> 00:32:00.990
me both the elegant part, the ballroom perspective,
00:32:01.170 --> 00:32:05.150
and when the music tells you, do some afro movements.
00:32:05.829 --> 00:32:11.960
Not always try to do afro movement. try to do
00:32:11.960 --> 00:32:15.079
it and forget about the connection with the partner.
00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:20.039
So it's a balance, which is also when it's too
00:32:20.039 --> 00:32:23.740
much partner work and it's not a momentum for
00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:28.079
me as a follower to develop my styling or to
00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:32.900
breathe or to be myself. It's neat. It's like
00:32:32.900 --> 00:32:36.880
a relationship. 24 hours with a person, it could
00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:39.559
be suffocated. So it's good that someone goes
00:32:39.559 --> 00:32:41.799
away for work, the other one stay home or vice
00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:44.880
versa, or both goes away, and they meet at home
00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:47.140
at one point and do some activities together.
00:32:47.380 --> 00:32:49.680
And then I might do some activities with my friend,
00:32:49.799 --> 00:32:53.279
my partner can do it with his own friends. You're
00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:56.440
not always together, so it's not overwhelming.
00:32:56.839 --> 00:32:59.900
It's not the same. you don't want to be too much
00:32:59.900 --> 00:33:02.920
bar network and forget about the movements and
00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:06.440
footwork or to separate it that you barely touch
00:33:06.440 --> 00:33:09.460
her and then do more like a solo just in front
00:33:09.460 --> 00:33:12.519
of her like a showcasing or you know so I guess
00:33:12.519 --> 00:33:15.539
the balance is very important and the balance
00:33:15.539 --> 00:33:18.299
is about what is the history that's why it's
00:33:18.299 --> 00:33:20.519
important to know where this comes from and why
00:33:20.519 --> 00:33:24.359
so afro and then ballroom So that's the history
00:33:24.359 --> 00:33:27.079
of salsa in music and also the way we dance.
00:33:27.599 --> 00:33:30.940
And why I should be just doing borrón and forget
00:33:30.940 --> 00:33:32.839
about the afro and vice versa. How I'm going
00:33:32.839 --> 00:33:35.460
to do just the orichas, the afro, the rumba,
00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:37.660
the footwork and forget about partner work. So
00:33:37.660 --> 00:33:40.519
I guess it's unbalanced. So we have to find a
00:33:40.519 --> 00:33:43.839
nice balance between both to create and represent
00:33:43.839 --> 00:33:46.619
the history of what is involved in the essence
00:33:46.619 --> 00:33:53.000
of salsa. You talked about musicality during
00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:55.619
our Instagram talk. By the way, if you haven't
00:33:55.619 --> 00:33:58.279
seen the Instagram talk, I highly encourage you
00:33:58.279 --> 00:34:00.160
to do that. A lot of great information there.
00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:04.500
But you mentioned expressing different musical
00:34:04.500 --> 00:34:07.559
instruments differently with your body. Did you
00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:10.059
learn that also at that music school where you
00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:13.360
went in Cuba or was it just throughout your career?
00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:17.989
No, no, I learned that in Cuba. Yes, and of course
00:34:17.989 --> 00:34:21.309
develop more deeply through the years and how
00:34:21.309 --> 00:34:24.570
to explain it as well to the years because in
00:34:24.570 --> 00:34:27.730
Cuba the process is more slower. And remember
00:34:27.730 --> 00:34:30.949
here is a lot of drop classes or maybe this weekend
00:34:30.949 --> 00:34:32.969
I'm here teaching people that I never taught
00:34:32.969 --> 00:34:35.510
before and they never see me before. Next week
00:34:35.510 --> 00:34:38.690
I will be in China, the following week in Russia.
00:34:38.969 --> 00:34:42.750
So it's crazy. So I need to be available to find
00:34:42.750 --> 00:34:45.769
a system that I can deliver that information.
00:34:45.769 --> 00:34:51.329
and then be compact. So that is my own methodology,
00:34:51.550 --> 00:34:56.510
using both meds, American or the standard congresses,
00:34:56.650 --> 00:35:00.329
and then the Cuban, so to put something very
00:35:00.329 --> 00:35:04.070
compact and how I can say, approachable, and
00:35:04.070 --> 00:35:06.170
that delivers the information that needs to be
00:35:06.170 --> 00:35:11.710
delivered in a short period of time. With musicality
00:35:11.710 --> 00:35:13.590
in particular, because it was very interesting
00:35:13.590 --> 00:35:16.130
for me to hear your explanation how, I think
00:35:16.130 --> 00:35:18.510
you mentioned drums would be heavier instrument
00:35:18.510 --> 00:35:20.309
and your body would be lower to the ground, I
00:35:20.309 --> 00:35:24.449
think. Exactly. The brass instruments, it's higher
00:35:24.449 --> 00:35:29.730
instruments and you would stand upright. What,
00:35:29.730 --> 00:35:33.090
I guess, either tips or some of the things that
00:35:33.090 --> 00:35:35.510
would be useful for dancers or where can they
00:35:35.510 --> 00:35:37.650
find information like that? Is it something that,
00:35:37.670 --> 00:35:40.329
is there a resource that... we can just go to
00:35:40.329 --> 00:35:43.550
and study that or is it what would be the best
00:35:43.550 --> 00:35:47.489
suggestion? When you study music and you study
00:35:47.489 --> 00:35:52.269
solfeo and then you study the notes and stuff
00:35:52.269 --> 00:35:55.190
you find out for example even from the scale
00:35:55.190 --> 00:35:58.230
do re mi fa each of them it has some different
00:35:58.230 --> 00:36:03.050
power and then it's descending so the music is
00:36:03.050 --> 00:36:06.789
based about that notes and in the note itself
00:36:07.389 --> 00:36:11.489
uh it has lows and higher your movement cannot
00:36:11.489 --> 00:36:14.889
be or flat or could be always low like more afro
00:36:14.889 --> 00:36:17.789
connected to the ground or too high like a ballroom
00:36:17.789 --> 00:36:20.389
that's why it's important to listen to music
00:36:20.389 --> 00:36:23.889
to study music at least the the basics so when
00:36:23.889 --> 00:36:26.550
you understand music because we are translators
00:36:26.550 --> 00:36:29.630
of the music it will really help us right away
00:36:29.630 --> 00:36:32.690
to express the essence of the connection of the
00:36:32.690 --> 00:36:35.510
musicality musicality is not like for example
00:36:36.750 --> 00:36:39.530
and I just try to get the heat at the same time.
00:36:39.889 --> 00:36:43.119
It's how you do it. It's that. pa is low and
00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:47.340
then the pa is arriba is higher I cannot go pa
00:36:47.340 --> 00:36:50.139
pa because it's like what I'm doing it doesn't
00:36:50.139 --> 00:36:53.519
go with the essence of the note it's not hitting
00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:55.760
the notes like a singer try to sing it doesn't
00:36:55.760 --> 00:37:02.300
get to the heart of the note it's half away it's
00:37:02.300 --> 00:37:06.380
like the same with the dancers if I do the musicality
00:37:06.380 --> 00:37:08.739
with the wrong essence with the wrong energy
00:37:08.739 --> 00:37:13.820
with the wrong feeling it's not going to really
00:37:13.820 --> 00:37:16.440
be appreciated by the audience. It makes sense?
00:37:16.860 --> 00:37:18.940
That's why it's important to study music a little
00:37:18.940 --> 00:37:23.239
bit, too. For me, it's how you receive the waves.
00:37:23.860 --> 00:37:26.099
The sound is through the waves that we're receiving
00:37:26.099 --> 00:37:28.800
through your ears and goes to the brain. So,
00:37:28.800 --> 00:37:34.599
for example, if I hear... a note that is low,
00:37:35.079 --> 00:37:38.059
I need to do something that is low. It doesn't
00:37:38.059 --> 00:37:40.360
matter what it is, if it's a footwork, or it's
00:37:40.360 --> 00:37:43.219
a movement, yes, or if it's a trick. I cannot
00:37:43.219 --> 00:37:45.780
go high, do something high when the low is low.
00:37:46.300 --> 00:37:48.860
So that doesn't make sense. So that way is the
00:37:48.860 --> 00:37:51.539
explanation about, for example, the drum. Most
00:37:51.539 --> 00:37:53.480
of the tap that we're doing with the drum is
00:37:53.480 --> 00:37:56.099
from the center below. If it's a wind instrument
00:37:56.099 --> 00:37:58.260
like the trumpet, it's from the center of your
00:37:58.260 --> 00:38:02.019
body. to up, to create more elongation and at
00:38:02.019 --> 00:38:06.500
the same time more height. Yes, so little by
00:38:06.500 --> 00:38:09.559
little through the, that's more musicality classes.
00:38:09.659 --> 00:38:12.500
When I teach musicality, I teach people, you
00:38:12.500 --> 00:38:15.619
know, the instruments, wings instruments separated
00:38:15.619 --> 00:38:19.559
from the core, from the keyboard and stuff, and
00:38:19.559 --> 00:38:23.159
explain the characteristics. of each instrument.
00:38:23.340 --> 00:38:25.440
It's like a person, you know? Sometimes you could
00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:28.699
be melancholic, you can be choleric, you can
00:38:28.699 --> 00:38:32.420
be phlegmatic, you know? You have all these chapters,
00:38:32.639 --> 00:38:38.099
but one or two are the most notable in the way
00:38:38.099 --> 00:38:41.320
that you are, you know? Or your body type or
00:38:41.320 --> 00:38:45.119
your blood type too. All that interferes in how
00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:48.500
you have perception of life and how you project.
00:38:48.599 --> 00:38:52.179
And sometimes Through a study, what is genetically
00:38:52.179 --> 00:38:56.059
your problem or your good, you can actually kind
00:38:56.059 --> 00:38:59.000
of like a watch brain yourself and try to go
00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:01.679
against your own nature to be better. It's like
00:39:01.679 --> 00:39:05.039
the same thing. So if my background is more European
00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:07.420
and I have more ballroom, I have to study more
00:39:07.420 --> 00:39:09.800
the Afro. But it's not because I'm ballroom,
00:39:09.800 --> 00:39:12.079
I always want to do everything standing. Or because
00:39:12.079 --> 00:39:14.300
I have the Afro influence from the Latin Caribbean
00:39:14.300 --> 00:39:17.920
culture, I will be always down. I have to adjust
00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:21.360
because music has both. Some instrument that
00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:23.860
they're coming from classical music and also
00:39:23.860 --> 00:39:26.219
instrument that more percussion from the Afro
00:39:26.219 --> 00:39:29.199
perspective. So that's why South is complicated
00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.440
a little bit. to jazz because has these two words
00:39:32.440 --> 00:39:35.780
put it together so now depends on the momentum
00:39:35.780 --> 00:39:39.039
I have to adjust in my movement need to be according
00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:42.260
to that note if it's low note it's a high note
00:39:42.260 --> 00:39:47.300
and that creates more musicality and more connection
00:39:47.300 --> 00:39:51.940
and more essence too. Just one thing helps with
00:39:51.940 --> 00:39:55.380
another. Yes, but that's not something like you
00:39:55.380 --> 00:39:58.059
were saying. That's something that requires extensive
00:39:58.059 --> 00:40:01.599
study and understanding of not just steps. Yes.
00:40:02.900 --> 00:40:05.579
For example, I hear an interview about Terry,
00:40:05.960 --> 00:40:07.880
explaining about music and what he said. Oh,
00:40:07.980 --> 00:40:11.179
you posted it. You talk about musicality with
00:40:11.179 --> 00:40:15.320
one of the videos. He was there, it was Omar
00:40:15.320 --> 00:40:18.309
from Tropical Jam and some others. But Terry
00:40:18.309 --> 00:40:22.449
says, I listen to salsa a lot. Because what happens
00:40:22.449 --> 00:40:25.670
when you listen to something, your ears, similar
00:40:25.670 --> 00:40:29.170
to speaking, the more you listen in English,
00:40:29.829 --> 00:40:34.269
songs and movies, see you're not naturally a
00:40:34.269 --> 00:40:37.530
native American, you start picking up better.
00:40:37.869 --> 00:40:40.489
At least if you don't know how to say it, you
00:40:40.489 --> 00:40:43.809
understand. And that's the first point. So for
00:40:43.809 --> 00:40:46.550
the student, the more they take lessons, the
00:40:46.550 --> 00:40:49.849
more they listen to a specific rhythm, in this
00:40:49.849 --> 00:40:54.989
case salsa, with different salsas, because in
00:40:54.989 --> 00:40:57.469
salsa it's not just one way. We have Salsadura,
00:40:57.670 --> 00:41:00.530
we have Mambo Jazz, we have Salsa Romantica,
00:41:00.610 --> 00:41:03.929
we have Sones, and all that's still salsa. Yeah,
00:41:03.929 --> 00:41:07.269
the more I listen, I start recognizing the differences.
00:41:07.340 --> 00:41:10.260
between un son montuno, a un son tradicional,
00:41:10.679 --> 00:41:14.780
a un mambo yatin jazz, o un mambo cubano, o un
00:41:14.780 --> 00:41:20.420
mambo mexicano, o una guajira from cha -cha -cha,
00:41:20.480 --> 00:41:23.659
or from bugaloo, which is different. The more
00:41:23.659 --> 00:41:27.719
I study and the more I listen, the more associated
00:41:27.719 --> 00:41:32.199
I will be with these rhythms. You want to begin
00:41:32.199 --> 00:41:36.300
to be a millionaire, you have to go to a congress
00:41:36.300 --> 00:41:41.380
or conference to help you to develop your first
00:41:41.380 --> 00:41:45.599
million. And then you have to go to some preparation
00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:48.480
and you have to go through some process. The
00:41:48.480 --> 00:41:50.860
same thing here. You want to be a good dancer,
00:41:51.039 --> 00:41:53.179
doesn't matter if it's not professionally. You
00:41:53.179 --> 00:41:56.659
have to do some researches, some study, dedicate
00:41:56.659 --> 00:41:59.500
time, quality time, like everything. Everything
00:41:59.500 --> 00:42:02.679
is the same. Discipline and constancy and you
00:42:02.679 --> 00:42:04.780
will see results. No matter what you want to
00:42:04.780 --> 00:42:07.239
take your journey professionally or just for
00:42:07.239 --> 00:42:11.139
fun Yeah, no, this is very interesting because
00:42:11.139 --> 00:42:14.260
this is definitely makes me think about all the
00:42:14.260 --> 00:42:18.239
other parts that involved in it which I think
00:42:18.239 --> 00:42:23.079
you went deeper into the You know the different
00:42:23.079 --> 00:42:25.300
concepts that you got to be able to understand
00:42:25.300 --> 00:42:27.820
to put it together because I haven't necessarily
00:42:27.820 --> 00:42:31.809
thought about the notes You know, I thought about
00:42:31.809 --> 00:42:34.550
expression before and how to express in different
00:42:34.550 --> 00:42:37.150
rhythms, but I haven't thought like higher note
00:42:37.150 --> 00:42:39.949
or lower. Yes, because we are nice dancing to
00:42:39.949 --> 00:42:42.010
music, we need to have a little bit of this.
00:42:42.349 --> 00:42:44.269
It's the same thing, for example, in terms of
00:42:44.269 --> 00:42:47.090
tempo, the tempo we think is for salsa, quick,
00:42:47.190 --> 00:42:51.250
slow, quick, slow for rhythm. And then, but in
00:42:51.250 --> 00:42:54.070
this not always it will be like that. Sometimes
00:42:54.070 --> 00:42:56.789
it's reverse, slow, quick, quick. And sometimes
00:42:56.789 --> 00:42:58.530
it's quick, quick, quick, quick, quick because
00:42:58.530 --> 00:43:02.010
you have notes, for example. las negras the black
00:43:02.010 --> 00:43:07.050
is one tempo one two three four una blanca which
00:43:07.050 --> 00:43:10.590
is round that has four tempos yes and then for
00:43:10.590 --> 00:43:14.809
example it takes you one two three four to accomplish
00:43:14.809 --> 00:43:18.210
the whole the note when you see the symbol for
00:43:18.210 --> 00:43:21.750
example if I am let's say dancing to a white
00:43:21.750 --> 00:43:25.510
and una blanca I have to do the movement in four
00:43:25.510 --> 00:43:28.630
counts one two three four that will be una blanca
00:43:29.070 --> 00:43:33.090
negra that will be one tempo one two three four
00:43:33.090 --> 00:43:36.130
so if the music has symbols and symbols represents
00:43:36.130 --> 00:43:39.730
tempo my basics cannot be always the same rhythm
00:43:39.730 --> 00:43:42.289
or the same tempo sometimes could be changing
00:43:42.289 --> 00:43:45.769
yes and this is the reason why some instruments
00:43:45.769 --> 00:43:49.489
you dance always on two other ones you need to
00:43:49.489 --> 00:43:52.550
dance always on tempo or on one or you have other
00:43:52.550 --> 00:43:55.090
ones that there could be for example la clave
00:43:55.090 --> 00:43:59.170
in two tempos Yes? So, when you understand music,
00:43:59.289 --> 00:44:01.710
it's easy for you to understand the characteristic
00:44:01.710 --> 00:44:05.110
of the instrument. Yes, like I know that you're
00:44:05.110 --> 00:44:10.409
choleric. Choleric people are good for being
00:44:10.409 --> 00:44:13.329
representatives or directors, you know, presidents.
00:44:14.090 --> 00:44:17.170
Choleric? Yes. What do you mean? This is a type
00:44:17.170 --> 00:44:20.710
of characteristic of us. You have the melancholic
00:44:20.710 --> 00:44:27.030
person. You have choleric people. Flematics.
00:44:27.670 --> 00:44:34.929
This is more psychology. For example, to be a
00:44:34.929 --> 00:44:38.750
good teacher, you need to know what type of characteristic
00:44:38.750 --> 00:44:41.110
is your student so you can develop the message
00:44:41.110 --> 00:44:44.170
according to that. So that calls mythology, which
00:44:44.170 --> 00:44:46.849
is part of psychology. And the same thing happens
00:44:46.849 --> 00:44:50.050
with the instruments. Some instruments are more
00:44:50.050 --> 00:44:52.929
explosive while the other ones are more peaceful.
00:44:53.349 --> 00:44:56.010
It's similar to people, because who plays the
00:44:56.010 --> 00:44:58.639
instrument? Who creates music? people. When you
00:44:58.639 --> 00:45:01.460
understand people psychologically, you understand
00:45:01.460 --> 00:45:04.019
the perspective of the musician. When you understand
00:45:04.019 --> 00:45:07.179
the people, the music, and then you create better
00:45:07.179 --> 00:45:09.980
essence and you can explain that to people now
00:45:09.980 --> 00:45:13.360
as a teacher. It's a process. So we have to study
00:45:13.360 --> 00:45:18.900
psychology too. In order to be great teachers
00:45:18.900 --> 00:45:24.079
and then how I can say develop and then how I
00:45:24.079 --> 00:45:28.550
can say to be not just an artist but a figure,
00:45:28.849 --> 00:45:32.510
public figure, and then approach the most and
00:45:32.510 --> 00:45:35.610
go to the heart of each person. It's not just
00:45:35.610 --> 00:45:39.389
magic, it's also a study, like psychology. We
00:45:39.389 --> 00:45:41.750
have to study psychology to then solve it. Yes,
00:45:42.030 --> 00:45:50.190
not but to be great and yes. Am I going to be
00:45:50.190 --> 00:45:53.969
able to determine somebody's mood right on the
00:45:53.969 --> 00:45:57.440
spot? You know, like when we're dancing? Definitely,
00:45:57.659 --> 00:46:00.739
yes, according to the characteristics. Yes. So
00:46:00.739 --> 00:46:03.960
for example, melancholic people are more, they
00:46:03.960 --> 00:46:06.659
breathe more and they are more empath, they have
00:46:06.659 --> 00:46:10.000
more empathy. The quadratic people is more about
00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:13.500
their ego and themselves. And most of the directors,
00:46:13.860 --> 00:46:16.440
especially if they are either masculine or feminine,
00:46:16.760 --> 00:46:18.980
they have to have some type of ego, sometimes
00:46:18.980 --> 00:46:23.170
a strong or masculine energy. Yes, and that comes
00:46:23.170 --> 00:46:25.849
from the choleric perspective. So we need to
00:46:25.849 --> 00:46:28.309
have all these characteristics, or we do have
00:46:28.309 --> 00:46:31.630
it, but we don't know when to use it. And then
00:46:31.630 --> 00:46:34.610
exactly happens with the connection with the
00:46:34.610 --> 00:46:37.329
partner and also the connection with the musics.
00:46:37.710 --> 00:46:40.269
So musics are very strong, like salsa dura, it
00:46:40.269 --> 00:46:43.230
could be a choleric person, very like, yeah.
00:46:43.730 --> 00:46:46.469
While for example, salsa romanta is more melancholic.
00:46:46.670 --> 00:46:49.829
Yes, that make you, some salsa románticas make
00:46:49.829 --> 00:46:54.590
you cry. So melancholic people are very, everything
00:46:54.590 --> 00:46:57.730
is, they get very personal and they get touched
00:46:57.730 --> 00:46:59.849
by that and then it's easier for them to cry.
00:47:00.469 --> 00:47:02.989
Yes? Nothing makes me cry because I don't speak
00:47:02.989 --> 00:47:08.389
Spanish. That sounds good. They can be talking
00:47:08.389 --> 00:47:10.929
about the love story of their life and I'm just
00:47:10.929 --> 00:47:18.719
doing my... That's a good one. But yes, yes.
00:47:19.059 --> 00:47:24.619
The more you understand these aspects, especially
00:47:24.619 --> 00:47:28.920
to adjust and connect with the person, it's easier
00:47:28.920 --> 00:47:31.940
to understand. Just by the whole of a person
00:47:31.940 --> 00:47:34.099
or watching the person's steps or the way they're
00:47:34.099 --> 00:47:38.760
stepping, I can tell how this person is in their
00:47:38.760 --> 00:47:43.199
personal lives. I have to really pay attention
00:47:43.199 --> 00:47:46.940
to my steps. I have to make them better. Yes.
00:47:47.019 --> 00:47:49.480
And of course, if I want to teach the person,
00:47:49.500 --> 00:47:52.360
remember that as a teacher, you're also a therapy.
00:47:52.800 --> 00:47:56.039
And dance, besides an art, is a therapy. If a
00:47:56.039 --> 00:48:00.739
sport is an art, it's acting. You now have to
00:48:00.739 --> 00:48:02.820
know music. So for me, it's the more complete
00:48:02.820 --> 00:48:07.150
thing in the world. Because music is music and
00:48:07.150 --> 00:48:10.989
is therapy, that's it. Sport is sport and could
00:48:10.989 --> 00:48:14.250
be also therapy. But dancing involves acting,
00:48:14.550 --> 00:48:18.889
involves psychology, involves musicality, involves
00:48:18.889 --> 00:48:22.989
connection with the partner, involves rhythm.
00:48:24.269 --> 00:48:30.409
It's complete. What did I get into? Into an unstoppable
00:48:30.409 --> 00:48:34.809
word. So this is endless. I'm telling you, I
00:48:34.809 --> 00:48:37.889
thought because I'm Cuban and 80 % of this thing
00:48:37.889 --> 00:48:41.469
is coming from Cuba, I thought, oh, I got this.
00:48:41.769 --> 00:48:45.050
And the more deeply I get, the more I need to
00:48:45.050 --> 00:48:50.050
study and the more I need to approach. And to
00:48:50.050 --> 00:48:53.710
keep what I have, it also takes the constancy
00:48:53.710 --> 00:48:56.750
and the discipline. And then to keep growing
00:48:56.750 --> 00:49:01.440
as a person. to have a legacy and to be an inspiration
00:49:01.440 --> 00:49:05.780
for others, that it takes a personal study. Like
00:49:05.780 --> 00:49:08.019
that's why I'm talking about psychology. I'm
00:49:08.019 --> 00:49:10.920
talking about all these things. Also a way to
00:49:10.920 --> 00:49:14.599
speak in front of other people. How tone, how
00:49:14.599 --> 00:49:18.340
you're using your tone of voice. And that also
00:49:18.340 --> 00:49:20.960
has to be with the way you express. And the expression
00:49:20.960 --> 00:49:23.780
has to be, one more time, connection. And then
00:49:23.780 --> 00:49:26.300
connection on the bottom line, that's what everyone's
00:49:26.300 --> 00:49:30.909
looking for. So the singer also can connect with
00:49:30.909 --> 00:49:33.769
the tone of voice and give you the essence how
00:49:33.769 --> 00:49:36.349
the movement should be instead of being like,
00:49:36.610 --> 00:49:38.909
you know, it's not just about me being powerful
00:49:38.909 --> 00:49:42.349
and then strong, it's about what the music is
00:49:42.349 --> 00:49:44.940
telling you that momentum. And then the more
00:49:44.940 --> 00:49:47.340
you know, the better you can express. But of
00:49:47.340 --> 00:49:50.139
course, you will see it's a process. It's not
00:49:50.139 --> 00:49:53.079
like people want to run away and run. And this
00:49:53.079 --> 00:49:54.940
is what's happening these days in the society.
00:49:55.219 --> 00:49:57.900
We are learning to have everything immediately.
00:49:57.980 --> 00:50:00.719
It's like we are gods. Yes, we just have a word
00:50:00.719 --> 00:50:03.119
and run away. In this case, a clip on the phone
00:50:03.119 --> 00:50:07.260
and you get it if you have the money. But through
00:50:07.260 --> 00:50:09.760
dancing you learn that sometimes you have to
00:50:09.760 --> 00:50:13.940
procrastinate. You have to have a... You have
00:50:13.940 --> 00:50:17.239
to wait to see the result of the process. Yes.
00:50:17.400 --> 00:50:20.539
And that's why it's mentally one of the best
00:50:20.539 --> 00:50:24.079
things right now in like a therapy as well. When
00:50:24.079 --> 00:50:26.019
you're connecting with the person, dancing with
00:50:26.019 --> 00:50:28.980
the person holding hands, you know, all this
00:50:28.980 --> 00:50:31.800
energy from all my reflections of my hands is
00:50:31.800 --> 00:50:34.539
connecting to you. Second, I'm passing my entire
00:50:34.539 --> 00:50:36.280
life to you and you're passing your entire life
00:50:36.280 --> 00:50:39.280
to me for two minutes. And then all the five
00:50:39.280 --> 00:50:43.219
senses are involved. My ears, my eyes, my smell,
00:50:43.500 --> 00:50:46.039
everything is connected with you. So it creates
00:50:46.030 --> 00:50:51.409
a very nice communication and a very nice way
00:50:51.409 --> 00:50:55.170
to, how I can say, to express for two minutes
00:50:55.170 --> 00:50:57.309
with one person. And then we are learning through
00:50:57.309 --> 00:50:59.289
each other how we're expressing and connecting
00:50:59.289 --> 00:51:02.110
with the music, yes? Sometimes, for example,
00:51:02.170 --> 00:51:04.150
dancing with people who doesn't have too much
00:51:04.150 --> 00:51:07.269
technique, I learn how to compensate what they're
00:51:07.269 --> 00:51:10.150
missing. So it's made me more strong as a follower.
00:51:10.670 --> 00:51:13.409
And at the same time, I want to express myself,
00:51:13.550 --> 00:51:16.860
but you don't give me what I need. how I can
00:51:16.860 --> 00:51:20.079
find a way to do what I want without affecting
00:51:20.079 --> 00:51:23.320
you. That took me years to develop psychology,
00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:26.800
this and that, to help me to approach my goals.
00:51:28.159 --> 00:51:31.639
It's a process, but it's been successfully well.
00:51:31.940 --> 00:51:36.480
And then I had the methodology. to kind of deliver
00:51:36.480 --> 00:51:39.179
that message to others and that's my biggest
00:51:39.179 --> 00:51:42.320
mission here for the Latin community. Through
00:51:42.320 --> 00:51:45.239
my experience, through my frustrations, through
00:51:45.239 --> 00:51:48.579
my success, put that as a resume together to
00:51:48.579 --> 00:51:51.219
be available to share with people so they can
00:51:51.219 --> 00:51:55.739
be their best in any level or any goal what they
00:51:55.739 --> 00:51:58.880
want for their dancing either just for social
00:51:58.880 --> 00:52:02.960
or professionally or for performing or to be
00:52:04.230 --> 00:52:08.889
a professional competitor as well. Yes, so that's
00:52:08.889 --> 00:52:11.550
why I'm a mentor, but it takes years, you know,
00:52:11.750 --> 00:52:16.050
of study and then discipline and constancy to
00:52:16.050 --> 00:52:19.590
be or to go or to do something good. Normally,
00:52:19.789 --> 00:52:23.030
for example, to get to know an instrument and
00:52:23.030 --> 00:52:27.070
play good, it takes four to five years of a study
00:52:27.070 --> 00:52:32.019
at least for... three days a week for four hours.
00:52:32.199 --> 00:52:35.280
So that would be maybe 12 hours a week minimum.
00:52:35.960 --> 00:52:40.000
To really develop in four years to be a professional,
00:52:40.280 --> 00:52:42.760
to do good. And sometimes you would take one
00:52:42.760 --> 00:52:45.119
lesson and you want to become to be Alian Ramirez.
00:52:45.280 --> 00:52:47.280
When I've been dancing since four and I want
00:52:47.280 --> 00:52:51.599
to save my age because I will say people that
00:52:51.599 --> 00:52:55.519
I look young, yes, but I'm not that young. Yeah,
00:52:55.780 --> 00:52:59.260
so yeah, we need to have more patience and be
00:52:59.260 --> 00:53:03.320
more constant as well. Because we want the secret,
00:53:03.380 --> 00:53:06.679
the formula. Yes, but the formula for everyone,
00:53:06.800 --> 00:53:10.260
it's not like I'm injecting you my talent or
00:53:10.260 --> 00:53:13.199
my knowledge. I can give you the tools, I give
00:53:13.199 --> 00:53:17.119
you tips, but it's according to your own effort,
00:53:17.460 --> 00:53:19.900
how far you can go. It's not about the teacher,
00:53:20.019 --> 00:53:23.019
it's more for me, the student. I think I have
00:53:23.019 --> 00:53:26.130
the secret. I know you do. I figured it out.
00:53:26.590 --> 00:53:32.469
Great. Tell me. The secret is not to look for
00:53:32.469 --> 00:53:35.849
a particular outcome, but it's to dance. Exactly.
00:53:36.789 --> 00:53:39.349
That's the secret. You want to have fun, you
00:53:39.349 --> 00:53:43.349
want to connect, dance. And with the dance, the
00:53:43.349 --> 00:53:46.869
own dancing, it will tell you where to go and
00:53:46.869 --> 00:53:51.090
what you need. It's like the momentum is telling
00:53:51.090 --> 00:53:53.969
you, okay, now you're ready to move on to here.
00:53:53.969 --> 00:53:57.409
You need to do this. Definitely. So the dancing
00:53:57.409 --> 00:53:59.349
part is the first part. You don't have to be
00:53:59.349 --> 00:54:01.849
perfect. And this is advice for everyone. You
00:54:01.849 --> 00:54:04.949
don't want to wait to be perfect to do something.
00:54:05.690 --> 00:54:09.050
The first step is to try it. And little by little,
00:54:09.230 --> 00:54:12.389
you will see and the time will tell you and what
00:54:12.389 --> 00:54:14.769
you need to reinforce and how to get better or
00:54:14.769 --> 00:54:18.769
what you need to do to get better. Yeah, this
00:54:18.769 --> 00:54:21.130
is more of a journey. This is not a destination
00:54:21.130 --> 00:54:23.550
and exactly like you said a lot of people may
00:54:23.550 --> 00:54:26.750
be Treating it as destination because they saw
00:54:26.750 --> 00:54:30.050
somebody on YouTube somebody who's been dancing
00:54:30.050 --> 00:54:34.210
for many decades who've been working at that
00:54:34.210 --> 00:54:37.909
craft and you know gaining little understanding
00:54:37.909 --> 00:54:41.409
every month or every year, but they want that
00:54:41.409 --> 00:54:43.630
they don't understand that that takes that amount
00:54:43.630 --> 00:54:47.119
of time to Yes, and let me tell you something.
00:54:47.400 --> 00:54:50.539
I guess these days it's easier and even you can,
00:54:50.820 --> 00:54:53.800
for example, what it took me maybe 30 years,
00:54:53.840 --> 00:54:56.260
maybe you can get it in five years. Why? Because
00:54:56.260 --> 00:54:59.780
with this evolution of technology and information
00:54:59.780 --> 00:55:02.500
that we are supposed to, we have a lot of good
00:55:02.500 --> 00:55:06.039
valuable material that before long time ago we
00:55:06.039 --> 00:55:09.639
didn't have it. Maybe one, in the entire world,
00:55:10.179 --> 00:55:14.059
one event a month. or one event in the entire
00:55:14.059 --> 00:55:17.960
world for a year. So right now, in the same weekend,
00:55:18.280 --> 00:55:20.380
10 or 15 events is happening at the same time
00:55:20.380 --> 00:55:24.559
all around the world. So we are always spread
00:55:24.559 --> 00:55:27.940
around teaching and taking lessons. What I'm
00:55:27.940 --> 00:55:32.300
trying to say is like, take advantage. of the
00:55:32.300 --> 00:55:36.360
momentum. You have a lot of good information
00:55:36.360 --> 00:55:40.260
and people who have to go through a long process
00:55:40.260 --> 00:55:43.219
to get to where they are right now, you can get
00:55:43.219 --> 00:55:46.130
it in shorter time. But it depends on, one more
00:55:46.130 --> 00:55:49.469
time, what you want when you're dancing or your
00:55:49.469 --> 00:55:51.750
journey, how far you want to go. Do you want
00:55:51.750 --> 00:55:54.090
to just be a professor or you want to be a master
00:55:54.090 --> 00:55:57.630
or a doctor, you know? So the more you want to
00:55:57.630 --> 00:55:59.289
approach, the more you have to study. The same
00:55:59.289 --> 00:56:01.730
thing here. You want to be a doctor, you have
00:56:01.730 --> 00:56:04.409
to go through a process, too. You have to study,
00:56:04.489 --> 00:56:09.050
you have to develop, you know? So it depends.
00:56:09.289 --> 00:56:12.489
But the most important part is to connect, have
00:56:12.489 --> 00:56:17.619
fun. Dance and then little by little you can
00:56:17.619 --> 00:56:21.340
figure it out on the on the road on the trying
00:56:21.340 --> 00:56:24.079
If you want to be part of the dance team or you
00:56:24.079 --> 00:56:26.019
want to compete or you just want to have fun
00:56:26.019 --> 00:56:28.219
in the social floor You want to get better on
00:56:28.219 --> 00:56:30.860
the social dancing? You want to become a teacher?
00:56:31.019 --> 00:56:34.059
You want to become to be for example a DJ little
00:56:34.059 --> 00:56:36.739
by little you start figuring it out Yes, but
00:56:36.739 --> 00:56:40.860
like you said the most important part is to dance
00:56:40.860 --> 00:56:44.550
even by yourself I love sometimes to dance on
00:56:44.550 --> 00:56:47.090
the corner by myself. It's not possible too much
00:56:47.090 --> 00:56:53.110
for me because people ask me to dance. It's like
00:56:53.110 --> 00:56:58.909
I wear a mask and not even like that. But definitely
00:56:58.909 --> 00:57:02.409
to enjoy yourself to dance. Yes. Maybe that's
00:57:02.409 --> 00:57:04.510
why I also like to do solos because it's one
00:57:04.510 --> 00:57:07.730
way to express myself in a different way too.
00:57:08.110 --> 00:57:10.449
But definitely the most important part, the formula
00:57:10.449 --> 00:57:17.679
is that. Try it. I can talk with you forever,
00:57:17.880 --> 00:57:20.820
but I want to be respectful of your time. Where
00:57:20.820 --> 00:57:24.619
people can find you online and also where can
00:57:24.619 --> 00:57:28.039
people train with you online or in person? Well,
00:57:28.199 --> 00:57:30.519
in person is a little harder because I travel
00:57:30.519 --> 00:57:33.440
too much and I don't have a specific dance school.
00:57:34.099 --> 00:57:38.099
yet, maybe on the future. And then online, I
00:57:38.099 --> 00:57:40.820
teach just private lessons, but they can get
00:57:40.820 --> 00:57:43.679
into my social media and send me a message and
00:57:43.679 --> 00:57:46.300
we can communicate through there. Since I travel
00:57:46.300 --> 00:57:50.710
so much, I need momentum. to grow remember the
00:57:50.710 --> 00:57:53.550
psychology this and that so it's not just for
00:57:53.550 --> 00:57:56.869
me it's not just about dancing dancing I do also
00:57:56.869 --> 00:57:59.590
have other studies and stuff so practically I
00:57:59.590 --> 00:58:02.809
need momentum for myself at least one day plus
00:58:02.809 --> 00:58:07.090
also I am my own manager so I have to deal with
00:58:07.090 --> 00:58:09.590
responding messages social media and everything
00:58:09.590 --> 00:58:12.369
so it's practically when they have one or two
00:58:12.369 --> 00:58:14.829
days I'm busy already doing all the stuff so
00:58:14.829 --> 00:58:18.050
that's the reason why I don't have like a regular
00:58:17.900 --> 00:58:21.800
class weekend set either on internet or live
00:58:21.800 --> 00:58:26.179
yes because it's crazy and I need some momentum
00:58:26.179 --> 00:58:31.619
to recharge my battery but as far as online do
00:58:31.619 --> 00:58:33.599
you have website or you prefer Instagram social
00:58:33.599 --> 00:58:38.000
media yes could be Instagram one of the the best
00:58:38.000 --> 00:58:41.300
ways I guess I use more or be more in Instagram
00:58:41.960 --> 00:58:44.960
And for people who will be watching it on YouTube
00:58:44.960 --> 00:58:47.400
or other platforms, where they can find you on
00:58:47.400 --> 00:58:52.780
Instagram? Alien, A -L -I -E -N, R, Ramirez.
00:58:54.260 --> 00:58:57.360
Thank you so much. So you want to add in closing?
00:58:58.320 --> 00:59:01.420
I guess we covered up a lot of stuff in resume.
00:59:04.219 --> 00:59:08.480
For me, for the person or the value of the person
00:59:08.480 --> 00:59:12.090
is the way they are, the essence of themselves
00:59:12.090 --> 00:59:15.269
and their knowledge. I guess I really admire
00:59:15.269 --> 00:59:20.329
someone for what they know and that knowledge,
00:59:20.489 --> 00:59:22.750
how they express it too, the way they express
00:59:22.750 --> 00:59:29.460
it. I guess that's how I can say. the great of
00:59:29.460 --> 00:59:31.619
the person, you know, the more, you know, and
00:59:31.619 --> 00:59:33.679
also what you do with that knowledge to make
00:59:33.679 --> 00:59:35.860
a difference in the life of other people. And
00:59:35.860 --> 00:59:38.599
that's the legacy of the person. If not, why
00:59:38.599 --> 00:59:40.880
do why we exist? You know, what is the purpose?
00:59:40.960 --> 00:59:43.559
It's important to find out what is the purpose
00:59:43.559 --> 00:59:47.230
of your life according to where you are. Yes,
00:59:47.670 --> 00:59:50.829
even see you just clean floors your purpose is
00:59:50.829 --> 00:59:53.389
to not having germs on the floor of the person
00:59:53.389 --> 00:59:56.010
that's going to be in that room You know and
00:59:56.010 --> 00:59:58.630
then do it with your with love and then from
00:59:58.630 --> 01:00:01.789
there beautiful thing is happening. Not everyone
01:00:01.789 --> 01:00:06.210
can be a president or you know so you have to
01:00:06.210 --> 01:00:10.150
be with your essence and be loved, feel loved,
01:00:10.809 --> 01:00:14.150
have love to others to receive it back no matter
01:00:14.150 --> 01:00:17.469
what and what situation of your life yes and
01:00:17.469 --> 01:00:19.630
then so you want to escape from the regular life
01:00:19.630 --> 01:00:23.010
and then find a community find a family latin
01:00:23.010 --> 01:00:26.190
dance is all over the place we have latin dance
01:00:26.190 --> 01:00:29.949
in the five continents always want every night
01:00:29.949 --> 01:00:32.929
and so in every place is something Latin movement
01:00:32.929 --> 01:00:35.590
happening so so you're traveling and you feel
01:00:35.590 --> 01:00:38.050
alone and you want to go have fun and have a
01:00:38.050 --> 01:00:41.949
family you can see in a website or in Google
01:00:41.949 --> 01:00:45.369
and you will find a place that you can be so
01:00:45.369 --> 01:00:49.010
our Latin community has the open arms for all
01:00:49.010 --> 01:00:52.510
cultures all religions I notice it when I travel
01:00:52.510 --> 01:00:54.969
that I've been in places where congresses that
01:00:54.969 --> 01:00:57.809
they have 70 different nationalities personalities
01:00:57.809 --> 01:01:02.010
in one place. Different Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists,
01:01:02.369 --> 01:01:05.329
Christians, all types of religions dancing to
01:01:05.329 --> 01:01:08.949
each other. Maybe people who have problems between
01:01:08.949 --> 01:01:11.530
their countries, but it doesn't matter in that
01:01:11.530 --> 01:01:13.929
momentum they're connected. Israeli people dancing
01:01:13.929 --> 01:01:17.030
with Assyrians, and you know, stuff like that.
01:01:17.050 --> 01:01:19.630
You don't see that nowhere in the world. So our
01:01:19.630 --> 01:01:22.909
Latin community really brings love, brings peace.
01:01:23.639 --> 01:01:27.260
beings' stability for people to get out from
01:01:27.260 --> 01:01:30.159
their problems. So this is my advice to you,
01:01:30.179 --> 01:01:33.940
whatever you are, have your essence, be loved,
01:01:34.460 --> 01:01:37.420
do love or give love. And of course, if you want
01:01:37.420 --> 01:01:40.260
to escape, this is your medicine right now, the
01:01:40.260 --> 01:01:42.820
Latin dance, that will help you. And also we
01:01:42.820 --> 01:01:46.440
have the open hands for you to try it and to
01:01:46.440 --> 01:01:50.269
welcome into our family. Thank you so much for
01:01:50.269 --> 01:01:52.829
your time. Thank you. My pleasure. Sorry for
01:01:52.829 --> 01:01:55.349
my English. You know, guys, I'm Cuban and my
01:01:55.349 --> 01:01:58.170
first language is Spanish. So and I'm a little
01:01:58.170 --> 01:02:01.449
tired. You can see on my eyes from work. So my
01:02:01.449 --> 01:02:06.269
English is a little bit off. But yes, thank you
01:02:06.269 --> 01:02:08.699
for the patience. Thank you so much for your
01:02:08.699 --> 01:02:10.719
wisdom, for your knowledge and perspective. Thank
01:02:10.719 --> 01:02:12.119
you. It was great chatting with you. Thank you
01:02:12.119 --> 01:02:14.239
so much. Thank you so much for the opportunity.
01:02:14.340 --> 01:02:16.559
For the second time, the opportunity. Really
01:02:16.559 --> 01:02:19.059
appreciate what you're doing. And all this interview
01:02:19.059 --> 01:02:22.179
is not just, I guess, for Latin community, but
01:02:22.179 --> 01:02:25.300
also for people who in the platform, you know,
01:02:25.619 --> 01:02:27.920
and then they get inspired, get inspired. And
01:02:27.920 --> 01:02:30.820
like I said, through these videos and these interviews,
01:02:31.280 --> 01:02:33.980
they get curious and they actually try our Latin
01:02:33.980 --> 01:02:36.760
culture. And little by little, it's more members.
01:02:36.809 --> 01:02:40.590
to our big family, world family. Keep dancing,
01:02:40.789 --> 01:02:40.969
everyone.