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Search Results for: Bachata

Salsa Dance TV is always present in the best events

Behind the camera and production of Social Dance TV is Kir Korshikov, videographer for Dance Festivals & Events who told us his story

Social Dance TV Logo
Social Dance TV Logo

Social Dance TV is a dance video production company founded in 2014 by Kirill Korshikov, based in Rostov-on-Don, Russia ano with presence all around the world. Their mission is to make the magic moment of dance dialogue part of the social dance community heritage by capturing the flow of partner dancing on video and sharing it worldwide through social media.

Social Dance TV is friendly and fully equipped video production team and social media for dance events. Dancing and dialogue through it between people all over the world is their passion. They travel to the most amazing dance events and share what they see with the rest of the world, rising the interest to what is happening where they are and making people going more and more to the dancefloor where they have been.

Kir Social Dance TV Logo
Kir Social Dance TV Logo

What they do?

Cover all the video tasks – filming the shows, social dancing, making the event’s after movie and production materials

Promote events on their channels – Facebook, Instagram and Youtube

Do promotional videos for dancers, events and live concerts

Do livestream during your events on Facebook and Instagram

Manage social media accounts

Make web design and motion graphics

Write the articles and small texts about the events for promotion

Manage your event because they know how to do it!

Behind the camera, but at the forefront of all this business is a passionate and tireless man who takes care of every detail and every piece of gear. There is nothing Kir Korshikov cannot achieve on Social Dance TV, but … Who is Kirill Korshikov?

Ker Korshikov - Social Dance TV
Ker Korshikov – Social Dance TV

Kirill Korshikov is an entrepreneur and videographer based in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Is known for his work on Shine (2017), Street Dance 2 (2012) and for his project Social Dance TV which became famous among Latin dance community since 2015, this was the first online project that helps people and events to get together and unite the social dance fans all around the world. The innovative approach to the video filming of dances allowed us to see social dances more dynamic, thereby attracting more and more fans to the Latin American culture.

Born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Korshikov studied at the Taganrog Technological Institute of Southern Federal University and graduated in 2012. Kirill was one of the best graduate students of 2012. When Kirill was a student, in 2010 he organized a dance school in the University Student Club, which was popular among students and where dance events were held.

Which later became known as Baila Rico Dance Studio Technical education helped him to set up the finest tools in order to create uniquely video content. Nowadays Kirill goes for broadening the supply for dance event makers and widen the world Social Dance TV map (over 35 countries on it now) in order to make the dancing community strong, varied and united through the videos that he creates. Kirill was a videographer for several movies in Bollywood too.

Know the story behind Social Dance TV

Kirill Korshikov opened the doors of his project to us and told us in an incredible way, the history of Social Dance TV and how he came to form a community that admires him and has made him part of the Social Dance family.

Ker Korshikov - Social Dance TV
Ker Korshikov – Social Dance TV

In this story you will discover how an ordinary Instagram account became a world covering media for the whole wide community of social dancers. Also the story tells how it was made possible to gather tens of thousands of viewers on recent anti-corona-aid live airs. Now, more than ever, Social Dance TV’s feed captures sights of most dancers round the globe as the only way to keep connected during anti-COVID restrictions. These days together with millions of dancers I long for a fine party just for the whole world to see!

Through the last 20 years social dancing not only has changed by way of new fancy moves and styles as it always does, but evolved into a huge global community and cultural industry thanks to social media. Save for local parties, now a whole new world of dance festivals up to 10 000 people with its own icons, maps and mass media offers you best shows, parties till dawn, and a constant news feed. Social dance has become probably more of a life background than it has ever been.

Kir invites us to compare: in 2000, when “Salsa” cult movie came out, “salsa festival” format was in its founding. The biggest events gathered up to 1000 people. Now, after twenty years, around 15 events are held every weekend. Hosting over five thousand people is a tradition for Warsaw Salsa Festival and Croatian Summer Salsa Festival, as an example. And 10 000 people come to Euro Dance Festival in Germany. It’s hard to imagine a place where salsa and bachata festivals are somehow missed.

Back in 2014 social dancing issue representation in social media was rather disjoint: dance schools, festivals and dancers themselves charged their channels with diverse content to appeal to a wider audience based on their activity. So it was pretty hard to get some aggregated content wide and deep enough to explore any distinct topic. Oh, wait! It’s clear now, but then it was OK!

Ker Korshikov - Social Dance TV
Ker Korshikov – Social Dance TV

“While I was totally in that number of newsmakers I had some overlapping background. I had done a lot of filming for many years by then, I took part in shooting several dance movies and made tons of wedding videos and all that, so I had an eye for fine things to shoot. Plus, I am a dancer since the age of 4, so it made no trouble for me to fit the social dance community and to know a good dancer from a bad one.”

And the brighter idea that came to Kirill was to create an Instagram channel with just dancing videos in order to unite visuals like himself, who could spend hours consuming that kind of content. Also it seemed convenient to have one link to send to people who constantly ask “what’s that social dancing you keep talking about?” Thus, on Jan. 13 2015 the Social Dance TV channel was started. In the beginning he aired stirring dancing videos from different sources and of course he started to make his own videos, intending to show the dancers to themselves in the way he could do that, in the way he see them.

“In a half a year it came clear that that my videos had way more engagement, so SDTV became an author’s channel.”

And it also came clear that all dancers needed dance videos as a detached easy-access root of their dance web inquiry. Virally, SDTV became a mandatory part of the subscription of every self-respected social dance community member.

“I mean it, I realized that my Instagram channel actually brought the vast majority of dancers together and I felt how huge it was. When you realize something is huge, don’t deny it. So, I quit filming weddings (for it was too few fine dancing there), widened my channel on YouTube and Facebook and started to work full-time as a social dance event videographer, as SDTV occurred to be a perfect platform for festivals’ post production release.”

Alexandra Mateva and Kir Korshikov
Alexandra Mateva and Kir Korshikov

And it became a fine platform for dancers’ communication thanks to button “show translation”, leaving dance as the main language of the messages.

When Kirill is on the party, he originally think of himself as a dancer, he feel himself a part of the flow. He do what everybody else does, dance and watch. The only difference is he watch through the camera.

 “Watching people dancing is, in my opinion, the best way to observe people. Those who have eyes must see how sincere even the showiest move is. And a couple dance is the most exciting way for people to communicate, being so in-the-moment, so to-each-other and to-the-music, I’m never tired to watch. At last, the most thrilling experience to me is to capture that wonder into a box to show to those who missed it, to make them see what I’ve seen.”

Giusy Chisary and Kir Korshikov
Giusy Chisary and Kir Korshikov

By now SDTV has grown into a production studio with recruited staff to shoot more, to post faster and to film concomitant events. They film up to 50 festivals every year all over the world. They’ve been to 36 countries. Their capacities allow them to support dancers and organizers who work in the dance industry full-time, which is more professional and more uncertain. They promote online classes, do live airs, volunteer for a charity, make trends, and they can confidently name themselves mass media.

“It would be sly to say I never thought it would be this way, but even now it’s sometimes hard to realize how a video dance channel can affect lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”

The issue of the day makes them try harder: in March they shoot a charity festival, all funds of which were donated to COVID relief, they made several on-line classes with famous dancers to gather donations to medical centers.

“Dancers can be surprisingly compassionate, when they’re left with nothing but TV. Social Dance TV.”

Social Dance TV Logo
Social Dance TV Logo

Their goals for the future are to keep aggregating a still rather disjoint massive of social dancing content in the Internet, to shoot even more, to post even faster in order to widen the world Social Dance TV map. And by broadening the supply for dance event makers their aim to enhance the dancing community as a beautiful, strong, varied and united world that we live in through videos that they create.

So, that’s a brief story of how Kir’s passionate startup became a full-time job as a mass media holder.

Social Dance TV have deep roots in the social dance community so they know how to present the dance in a most attractive way and remind everybody how thrilling it is to watch everything with their own eyes.

They help people and events to get together, help the dancers to make their dances to be seen, help the dance world to be united and open minded to every dance style they have.

Magical moments of events be captured and saved forever by them. Everybody around the world see those brilliant moments of dance. Social Dance TV and Kirill Korshikov contribute to make the Social Dance more and more popular… They do what they love.

Follow Social Dance TV on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube! This community covers more than 600 thousand people with a common passion: Social Dance

The 5 most famous Latin music DJs in USA

Latin music is characterized by its incomparable rhythm. Those who have Latin blood vibrate when listening to songs that remind them of their roots. However, Latinos are not the only ones who enjoy them, audiences of all ages and nationalities end up trying to dance to the tune of salsa, merengue or bossa nova.

Its growth has been increasing over the years and more and more Latino artists are performing on large stages; Important events in the United States and become the favorites of non-Hispanic people.

For this reason, it is very common to listen to these types of songs in different bars and clubs. Some DJs based in the US have wanted to enhance their roots and, even when they dabble in other genres, they are still famous for their Latin mixes .

Famous DJs of Latin music

DJ Deorro

Erick Orrosquieta, is a DJ and music producer, born in California but to Mexican parents. It is characterized by its inclination towards electro house. However, it does not neglect the Latin music sets. To his credit he has pieces such as “Bailar” with Elvis Crespo, where he did not hesitate to place his personal stamp.

Dj Deorro
Dj Deorro

He is working on a new album where he plans to gather more Latin songs and songs in Spanish. Even when he tours different countries, he always plays in his native USA again.

“I want to grab the sounds we used to hear when we were little, cumbia, merengue, mariachi, everything, in order to give them new music”

DJ Louie Vega

Luis Ferdinand Vega Jr. is an American with Puerto Rican roots. His uncle was nothing more and nothing less than the famous singer Héctor Lavoe. Little Louie Vega, as he is also known, grew up surrounded by Latin music. For this reason, his training and his passion for music of this style have always been noticed.

Dj Louie Vega
Dj Louie Vega

He is one of those artists who enjoy each show and immerse themselves in what they do. Dj Louie had his beginnings at parties in the Bronx and has not neglected his Hispanic side. Making different Latin mixes that he does not stop taking advantage of in many of his presentations. One of his most requested songs is “My people by Héctor Lavoe”. He has also participated in songs with a tropical rhythm like “Starring” with Roberto Roena and performed live with the accompaniment of different percussionists.

“Music comes from our hearts and we try to express it. We don’t look at the others, we just follow what we think is our path, ”  he told ­estaybullshit.com.

DJ Buddha

Dj Buddha
Dj Buddha

Urals Vargas, born in the United States, is a renowned DJ, songwriter, producer and music publisher who has earned a good place in the industry. Recognized for including Latin music and dancehall among his mixes. He is one of the critics’ favorites and remains in constant innovation. DJ Buddha has an album called “Ultra Latino” that contains some of his most requested Latin tracks. In addition, it has countless tracks produced, remixed or written that today belong to renowned Latino artists.

“For me, success has been not putting myself alone in a genre because I make electronic music, … and yet, I have also made songs in the Latin market,” he said in an interview with Deyanira Martínez.

DJ Alex Sensation

Dj Alex Sensation
Dj Alex Sensation

He is a Colombian who grew up in the United States and from an early age began mixing at nightclubs. He also worked at the station La Mega 97.9 Fm, walking through different musical genres but not forgetting where he came from.

“I grew up listening to salsa and cumbia because of my roots. One of the fi­rst clubs where he played on the weekends was a Dominican club. There, I learned about the Dominican culture Bachata, Merengue, typical merengue when I was still very young. I made many Dominican friends and fell in love with their culture. I mix everything under that genre,” he commented for an interview.

He is considered a very valuable artist for music. In fact, he has participated in different festivals, parades in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and has been awarded the ACE, an award from the Association of American Entertainment Critics.

DJ Cristhian Terán

Dj Cristhian Terán
Dj Cristhian Terán

This is a Venezuelan who has positioned herself in the city of the sun. Its proposal is based on Latin rhythms and is the favorite of most nightclubs. He has a history that has accompanied her since its inception in Venezuela. Caramelos de Cianuro, Chyno, Nacho and Guaco are some of the artists from her country with whom she has shared the stage. However, he has also managed to rub shoulders with singers such as Maluma, Alexis and Fido and Arcangel. Cristhian is one of the DJs who has managed to get the most out of the Latin genres and keep them present in the United States. His music is usually heard in the different clubs in Miami.

” Latin music “, a legacy that does not go out

Musical genres have been part of the citizen’s common life for more than fifty years. In principle, it originated to differentiate religious music from other styles. Starting the great variety of musical genres that we know today. The term “Latin music” was born in the United States to refer to the rhythms from Latin America.

This is due to the large number of groups that emerged in the 1950s. It sought to differentiate African American music from Latin American ones. From now on, different rhythms belonging to this category have come off, such as: salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, bossa nova, among others.

Long live Latin music!

Salsa, merengue and bachata, to name just a few, have become the flag of most Latinos; inside and outside their borders they dance, sing and teach others to move with that particular “son”. It is a rhythm that prints passion and a lot of dedication. The music industry is part of the history of this genre. Those who have managed to belong to their ranks have been immortalized through their songs. This movement has been on the rise, making those who were born in Latin American lands proud and accommodating documentaries and movies. Everyone wants to tell a story around Latin music!

5 movies you can’t miss

Films have become a window into the past and what we do not live but would like to recreate. In the case of music, there have been many themes that have been exposed. For this reason, we wanted to compile some of the best ones. You will love their content and you will want to see them immediately. Make your notes!

El Cantante, 2006

Movie - The Singer, 2006

The Singer, 2006

Héctor Lavoe is a Puerto Rican legend. A singer, composer and musical producer with a voice and talent what catapulted him as the greatest salsa performer in history. The film starring the also Puerto Rican Marc Anthony describes Lavoe’s life from his teenage years. The singer, as he is fondly remembered, traveled to New York City at just 16 years old.

Against his father’s will, he decided to go after his dreams. In the scenes we can see how he is part of a musical group and perform in a bar, he meets Eddie (Manny Pérez), Willie Colón (John Ortiz) and gets his first contract with a record label.

However, you will also get to know the darker side of Héctor Lavoe who went through drug and alcohol problems. Héctor meets and falls in love with Puchi (Jennifer López), mother of his son and a very important character in the film. Puchi accompanies him on this path of constant ups and downs until little by little his life begins to change.

They lose their son Tito, as a result of an accident with Héctor’s weapon, and he is definitely not the same again. A story that shows us the success of an artist, his talent and dedication, without neglecting his bad habits that led to his death.

Dance with Me, 1998

Dance With me - Img

Dance With me – 1998

A film in which rhythm and romance will run through your veins. Chayanne and Vanessa Williams play a dance couple who meet in the middle of a great coincidence. Rafael Infante (Chayanne) loses his mother and decides to travel from Cuba to Texas to meet his father, the owner of a dance school.

When she gets to see him, she doesn’t know how to tell him the truth and prefers to apply for a job as a cleaning assistant. However, they realize how great a dancer he is and he begins to have participation in the academy. In the scenes we will be able to see how they get together through dance and enjoy the Latin rhythms. A fun film that should be among your weekend selection. Enjoy it!

Cuban Fury, 2014

Image of Cuban Fury 2014

Cuban Fury 2014

It tells us a story of love, self-improvement, improvement of self-esteem and, of course, salsa. Bruce Garrett (Nick Frost) is attracted to his boss Julia (Rashida Jones) and wants to conquer her through dancing. Garret had qualities for salsa but during his teens he was intimidated and put it aside.

Today, he wants to regain that rhythm, overcoming self-esteem issues and personal fears. For the character it is not easy to leave behind those events that marked his life. However, you must put aside self-pity and allow the dance to define everything. Will it have good results? Find out for yourself!

Ciudad Delirio, 2014

4- City of Delirium 2014

City of Delirium 2014

Cali, Colombia becomes the setting for an adventure full of dance and new experiences. Javier (Julian Villagrán) is a Spaniard who travels to Colombia for work and cannot help but fall in love with its people, customs and women. He meets Angie (Carolina Ramírez) a Colombian who owns a dance school. Their encounters are marked by the music and dancers that characterize this city. Javier ends up learning to dance salsa and guess what? Become an expert!

If you want to know more, find it now!

Shine, 2017

Shine 2017 - Latin music
Shine 2017 – Latin music

Shine tells us about two Puerto Rican brothers Ralphi Matas (Jorge Burgos) and Junior (Gilbert Saldivar) who have separated due to bad experiences and after a few years, they meet again. Between them, an even greater distance is created when they are on opposite sides of the fight for the gentrification of the area where they grew up.

The dance and cultural roots are present throughout the film, with Uncle Julio (Nelson Gonzales) trying to unite them again. Drama, dance and romance take sides in Shine, a very common story among Latinos in the United States who struggle not to let their principles die.

Latin music is life, it gives color, improves mood and is part of a cultural legacy that will continue to be maintained through the years. Every day new exponents of the genre appear and this will continue to happen over the years. So be it!

Influence of Latin Music in Europe and Vice Versa

 

European union 

 

When we refer to any Latin element that has been influential at the European continent or vice versa, it is almost inevitable that we think back to the Discovery of the Americas on the part of Christopher Columbus.

It was about this time when various instruments present in cumbia and salsa started to be used. No wonder we attach so much importance to this event, as this is how Spanish and the Portuguese arrived in the so-called New World. It is no coincidence that these languages are the protagonists of these rhythms at this time.

While it is true that Europe gave its languages to Latin music, we cannot fail to mention that the African slave trade played a major role in this context. Its beats and drums closely tied to religious ceremonies were inspirational for salsa, bachata and samba and African-American music, in which the famous Jazz may be included.

Neither can we leave out the fact that many pre-Colombian civilizations created many types of percussion music instruments, which are very present in Andean music and its very traditional flute-like sounds.

 What has led Latin American music to become so popular in recent times?

There is no denying that Latin music has achieved a tremendous global reach in recent years, but things were not always like this. In the past, it was ballads of love with heartbreaking lyrics that dominated this market and its primary target audience was female.

With the passing of years, this reality radically changed. We can see it in the emergence of an encouraging number of commercial songs and very simple to dance like La Macarena by Los Del Rio, Livin La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin, A Dios Le Pido by Juanes, among others. These pieces of theme music were the ones that broke the barrier of traditional radio in due course.

Later, hip hop and R&B gave origin to other urban rhythms that took hold of everyone’s attention

Bongos
Bongos

 

Latin music for some time now

That mode of nightclubs of Latin origin that have been inaugurated  the length and breadth of the old continent is nothing new. What is new though is the type of attendees received in these places in recent years. There’s a very large audience of all ages who show real interest in rhythms whose language they don’t even know, but they do not seem to care at all. In fact, this peculiarity seems to give an extra touch of excitement to the point. They see Latin music as an array of sounds and rhythms that may not understand, but that simply cannot stop dancing them.

When making a comparison of the monotonous pop style with this recent wave of Latino artists that have been conquering hearts throughout the world, it is evident that things are different now and did not seem to go back to the way they were. What is true is that traditional styles have been overthrown surprisingly.

It is not a secret that singers such as Shakira or Ricky Martin became immensely popular in the late nineties and the early 200All Posts0s, but now things go much further. We are saying that there is a very important number of musicians in these genres that have drawn the attention of all audiences of all ages and countries.

Further, there is a lot of Americans who have appropriated these styles and the Spanish language to give a lot of freshness to their musical projects. A telling example is the Canadian Justin Bieber who has worked with Luis Fonsi and other artists from Latin America, giving as a result a fan base that became interested in these genres and the Spanish language.

It looks like musical lyrics no longer need to be in English to reach all corners of the globe and make everyone dance. In fact, many people look for this type of music to enjoy it, even if they understand little to nothing about it.

Orchestra Latin music playing in the roads
Orchestra Latin music playing in the roads

What can we deduce from all this?

After having analysed all these data, we can say that Latin music is a very rich and intense mix of a cluster of cultures that were linked up between them until we find the heterogeneity that we see today. Undeniably, this whole process of miscegenation between so many rhythms would not have been possible under the influence of pre-Columbian, African and European culture. However, the same can be said in the opposite case.

Yes, this also occurs in the contrary case. Europeans’s musical tastes are no longer those of a few decades ago. Nowadays, there are many adults and young people who cannot stop dancing when they listen to certain salsa or merengue songs that have gone across all possible borders.

In short, we are talking about a continuous feedback loop between both cultures that keeps going until now. No musical rhythm is completely pure and Latin rhythms are the perfect example.

Image source 1: http://nuevacaravana.blogspot.com/2010/08/bongo.html

Image source 2: https://presencia.unah.edu.hn/noticias/los-origenes-de-la-musica-y-la-identidad-en-america-latina-4-de-4/

Image source 3: https://www.correo.ca/2015/07/willie-colon-la-clave-es-la-experimentacion/

Image source 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH_3h43nGf4

 

Anya Katsevman: “You have the dream, I have the tools”

USA - New York - New York

When we refer to Anya Katsevman, the first word that comes to mind is: passion! And that is the only way we could explain that a woman has so much strength, dedication and dedication in different facets of her life.

Anya Katsevman is not only a dancer and choreographer, but also a motivational coach and dream builder. In addition, it has its own line of dance dresses and costumes. An unstoppable woman!

Anya Katsevman by Franklin Liranzo
Anya Katsevman Courtesy of Franklin Liranzo

A native of Kiev, Ukraine, Anya and her family immigrated to the United States when she was 8 years old. She is the younger sister of award-winning Latin dancer Eugene Katsevman. She lives in New York.

She also holds numerous titles in salsa. Among them, she is a two-time World Champion as well as the San Francisco International Salsa Congress and New York Salsa Congress Champion.

Anya Katsevman dancing
Anya Katsevman dancing

Anya Katsevman is a maker of champions

This is precisely the distinctive mark of Anya Katsevman , that ability to make each dancer, each artist, each dreamer discover in himself his potential to succeed, his style and make the most of his abilities.

She believes that “the art of dance requires much physical ability, exposure and practice. The art of dance is also developing your own voice and getting to know the artist behind the athlete that makes the dancer”

A wonderful career

“Queen of Salsa” Anya Katsevman is a two-time World Salsa Champion, coach and choreographer to more than a dozen world champions, noted costume designer, respected salsa congress circuit judge and advocate for international Latin dance who has transformed the sport during her more than 25-year career.

Anya Katsevman
Anya Katsevman

Renowned for her unique coaching methods, Anya’s style blends multiple cultures and dance forms: her eastern European upbringing and the appreciation for Latin dance culture that she developed in the United States; and her ballroom and salsa backgrounds. She demands rigor, discipline and excellence, and uses her understanding of anatomy, physiology and movement while encouraging freedom of expression to turn her students into the top dancers in the world.

Anya trains and choreographs for “Dancing with the Stars Costa Rica” principal dancer Lucia Jimenez (2020 World Bachata, Chacha and Salsa Champion), “America’s Got Talent” stars Harold Rancano and Regan Hirose (9-time World Bachata Champions), the Huracan Dance Company (2019 World Team Salsa Champions), the stars of Quebec’s 
Revolucion Adriano Leropoli and Samantha Scali (2017 World Salsa Champions), principal dancers in Carmen to Havana and Back Isabelle Freiberger and Hunter Houde and the USA World Games Olympic salsa team.

Always successful and sharing her knowledge

As a competitor and performer, Anya has won more than 20 world titles including the 2009 and 2010 Salsa World Championships. She is also the 2008 North American Salsa Champion, a two-time San Francisco Open Salsa Champion, two-time New York Congress Salsa Champion, Puerto Rico Open Salsa Champion and La Classique Du Quebec Champion. Anya has starred in touring shows “Burn the Floor ” on Broadway and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars, in addition to numerous other television productions, stage shows, movies, and showcases in the U.S. She has performed with El Gran Combo, Gilberto Santa Rosa and “The Mambo King” Eddie Torres, and for President Barack Obama.

Anya Katsevman - dancers
Anya Katsevman – dancers

Anya is an ambassador for salsa, helping to expand its popularity worldwide. She believes connection is one of the most important aspects of the human experience, and dance is the best medium to explore how we connect with each other and ourselves. Anya has expanded her dance instruction to include GoDeeper, which she co-founded in 2019 to provide monthly movement classes, individual coaching sessions, and group workshops to promote professional growth and self discovery.

Meet this talented woman

International Salsa Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing Anya recently and invites you to learn a little more about this magnificent artist.

International Salsa Magazine (ISM): How did you discover your passion for Latin Dance?

Anya Katsevman (AK): My brother is a professional ballroom dancer

I started to dance ballroom in 1995 following his footsteps  I competed in the international Latin category world wide  in 2007 I was teaching in a dance studio in Manhattan and they did a lot of salsa  that’s where I was introduced to social dancing  I fell in love with the idea that dance is accessible to all people and doesn’t have to be competitive  from there my love for salsa turned in to a career choice  I decided to study Latin social dance and became a two time world salsa champion  for me it was a passion to spread the beauty of dance through teaching as much as performing that did the trick.

ISM: Have you had any obstacle in your professional life? How could you overcome them?

AK: I think when your career is long enough you will probably have many obstacles to overcome  and your passion for your craft and the reason you do it is usually stronger than the obstacle in front of you that gives you the drive to overcome it  it is hard to narrow specifics down because I’ve had so many  my competitive dance partner lived 3000 miles away from me when we won the worlds in 2010 and I just made the commitment to work hard and travel pick up the slack where needed and get the job done regardless I think that was the formula in every struggle.

ISM: What is the achievement that has made you most proud?

AK: I am most proud of all of my students accomplishments  I am of course extremely proud and honored to be a world champion but for me the pleasure of having developed other world champion’s especially those who started learning from me from scratch makes me extremely proud beyond all measures I am also very proud of how individual and independent all of my students are  the variety and diversity of their dancing makes me really happy.

ISM: In the path of entrepreneurship, how did you manage to find the strategy to grow your business? What are the skills you consider an entrepreneur must have to achieve success?

AK: Honestly I believe success comes from genuine passion and desire  it is easy for us to study a successful person after the fact and say which moves appeared strategic but I believe who ever is on their way working toward that goal should do it because they are passionate about each step not because of the end result  my business grows because I am committed to my craft and doing it at my best capacity.

I am genuinely passionate about my dance quality  my students growth and the subjects I am teaching  I study the Industry I watch for what’s missing I ask what contribution would be of most value this doesn’t feel like hard work to me  it is my passion my genuine interest and the rest flows  when I feel I am doing something strategic or because it’s good for my brand or etc it doesn’t flow the same way feels forced and isn’t as successful so I try to only go with my own flow current interest and most passionate desires.

ISM: Could you give us some advice to maintain discipline, even in complex situations?

AK: Absolutely  discipline is hard for anyone when it feels needed and forced so I always try to flip the mindset  if I have to do something I’m bored of or am avoiding because it’s hard or tedious I always find something to be excited about instead whether it is dreaming of what the task will do for me  or adding something Sensory I enjoy to the task like my favorite sounds smells or visuals or including a friend in the process.

If you focus on what you do like about it it’s much easier to do it. Also discipline is really only hard at first pretty quickly it becomes a habit so if you put more disciplined things in to practice it will all feel like a habitual part of your day and you’ll start to enjoy it and feeling accomplished.

ISM: What would you say to all those young dancers who want to achieve a dream?

AK: They do come true!!!!!

Dream more!!!! Everything is possible  want it bad enough to work for it but don’t be afraid to dream those wild dreams if it wasn’t possible you wouldn’t have had the dream in the first place.

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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.