Search Results for: Latin dance world

Steps Dance Studio Inc.

North America / Canada /  Toronto

Steps Dance Studio

Steps offers a complete curriculum of Salsa, Bachata, Hustle and Latin Dance for all skill levels. Working from a comprehensive dance syllabus designed by Jennifer Aucoin and refined by 20 years of Salsa teaching experience, their professionally trained instructors are patient, dedicated and passionate about their craft. Want you to leave your class and the dancefloor feeling great. The program is designed to allow students to begin anytime! Start any week, even absolute beginners. And come as often as your schedule allows. Steps Dance Studio has classes every night and on weekends, and most levels are offered twice a week or more.

Located just a few minutes walk from Bloor & Wellesley subway stations. 819 Yonge St. 3rd floor. Toronto, ON M4W 2G9 SE corner of Yonge St. & Davenport, north of Bloor St.

Meet Jennifer Aucoin, Founder, Executive Director and Instructor.

A full-time salsa instructor, choreographer and event organizer. She is co-artistic director for Steps Dance Company & co-founder of the Women’s Salsa Retreat. As a trained adjudicator, Jennifer has judged competitions in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Detroit, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. She has also represented Canada on the judging panel for the World Salsa Championships televised on ESPN.

She is on the judging panel for the prestigious Global Salsa Championships at the World Salsa Summit. Jennifer was also the first instructor in Canada to be certified to teach Latin Hustle by the IHDA. Jennifer is the founder and organizer of the annual Canada Salsa & Bachata Congress, an international salsa festival that takes place in Toronto every October.

This 4-day extravaganza, now in its thirteenth year, is the largest salsa event in Canada and features nightly performances by over 60 dance companies from all over the world and daily salsa workshops given by worldrenowned instructors. The Canadian Salsa Championships, part of the Canada Salsa & Bachata Congress weekend, is the largest and most widely recognized Salsa & Bachata competition in Canada.

Classes offered in Steps Dance Studio

Salsa

Salsa Level 1: No previous dance (or salsa) experience required. Start this class at any time. Each class starts with an explanation and review of the basic Salsa step and the timing and rhythm of Salsa music, followed by a new beginner level turn.
Salsa Level 2: Geared to those who are comfortable with the basic Salsa step, basic right and left turns and Cross Body Lead. Build on Level 1 material and learn new turns and combinations, add footwork (i.e. Salsa shines) and reinforce your timing and partnering skills. Learn proper posture, frame, weight transfer and connection.
Salsa Level 3: Cross body lead patterns, traveling turns, back breaks, checks and different hand hold variations will be linked into fun turn pattern combinations. Start developing a flow of motion between the moves that will make you feel good and look good on the dancefloor.
Salsa Level 4: This course will focus on high intermediate level turns and turn pattern combinations, how to maintain balance and connection with your partner while incorporating directional changes & intricate moves, improving musicality, how to remember shines and turn patterns and use them in different combinations, tips on how to be a better leader and follower, adding styling to your dancing – in short, how to be a more complete dancer!
Salsa Level 5: This course focuses on taking your dancing to the next level. Advanced level turn patterns, technique and skill development. Execute double spins, multiple turns and variations, intricate choreography, advanced level syncopations and sexy styling. Adapt and combine your moves to suit the level of your partner.

Bachata

Bachata Level 1: Bachata is a seductive and flirtatious dance that originated in the Dominican Republic and is played in all Salsa nightclubs. Learn the basic Bachata footwork and how to lead and follow some fun and simple Bachata turns and turn pattern combinations.
Bachata Level 2: Learn new turns and turn pattern combinations while focusing on the correct connection, tension and movement of Bachata dancing. Learn body isolation exercises and drills to help make this dance look smooth and sexy.
Bachata Level 3: Learn more intricate and complex Bachata turn pattern combinations. Learn how to execute syncopated Dominican style footwork. Learn body isolation exercises and drills to help you to incorporate the sensuous Bachata body movement needed to make this dance look effortless.
Bachata Level 4: Learn more intricate and sexy Bachata turn patterns. Add syncopated Dominican style footwork into your partner dancing. Learn how to incorporate the sensuous Bachata body movement needed to make this dance look effortless. Refine your leading & following technique in order to build a connection with each dance partner. And much more… For more information about schedules, classes, lessons, workshops and contacts, visit

https://www.stepsdance studio.com/

Sizzling Summer Nights dancer April Connella breaks silence on Orlando Delgado and her career

A while ago, we wrote a story about Sizzling Summer Nights, which is a series of outdoor performances by long-established and emerging orchestras at the Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles. However, we never had the opportunity to talk to any of those involved in the event, but that has changed in the last few days, as we have had the joy of speaking with professional dancer, dance teacher and choreographer April Connella, who will give us details on her career and professional life.

April at an event — April Connella at one of her dance events

How April became interested in dancing

April started to become interested in everything related to dancing from a young age, but the one who really introduced her in this world is Orlando Delgado, who was a salsa instructor and dancer in Los Angeles. It turns out that in this same city, someone close to Orlando saw April dancing in events by chance and told her to go to Orlando’s studio, meet him and take classes with him to reach her full potential. So she did and the connection between the two was instantaneous and, over time, they became friends and Orlando came to be someone very special in her life.

They became a dance couple, taught classes and did many events together until the untimely passing of Orlando in September 2023 due to a long battle with cancer

Sizzling Summer Nights

April was telling us that it was Orlando they really contacted to participate in Sizzling Summer Nights. One of his students in one of his dance classes, who turned out to be one of the organizers, suggested that both he and April attend these events, since the previous instructors had left, so he was looking for new ones.

Since then about eight years have passed and Sizzling Summer Nights has become one of the biggest salsa and Latin music events of the summer, largely due to the effort made by the talented duo.

Orlando and April in Sizzling Summer Nights — Orlando Delgado and April Connella at the Autry’s Sizzling Summer Nights some years ago

How Orlando’s death affected April

The dancer also confessed to us that Orlando’s loss has affected her personally and professionally, to the degree of saying that, together with him, she has lost a part of herself that feels that she will never be able to recover. Many have asked her why she does not get a new dance partner, but she finds it difficult to do that. She recognizes that there are many good dancers who could fill that spot, but finding someone she has the relationship and emotional connection she had with her previous partner is impossible. You do not get that anywhere else.

However, despite this painful loss, April knows she has to move forward in spite of everything and carry out her projects as hard as it is. In fact, one of those challenges is that April herself also happened to be sick with cancer and is in remission.

To this we must add that one of the things keeps her going is the great passion she feels for what she does and she believes that her profession is a part of her soul she cannot let die too. Not to mention that she has felt the support of the entire salsa community that knew Orlando in life and helped her to continue her work.

April and Chino Espinoza — Chino Espinoza from the group Chino Espinoza Y Los Dueños del Son and April Connella

April’s Feel Da Beat

The dance instructor explained that April’s Feel Da Beat is actually a new version of the previous dance company that was only called Feel Da Beat and was directed by Orlando. After the two meet, they not only become dance partners and best friends, but also business partners.

Then, Orlando was planning to retire at some point due to age, so he wanted his project to be in the hands of someone he could trust and that was April, whom he taught everything he knew so he could delegate what he had built so far to her. When Delgado’s health was already very frail, both he and April discussed the matter of the company and concluded that the best thing to do was to transfer it to her and change its name to April’s Feel Da Beat. After that, it was up to her to handle the project alone and adjust to this new stage without Orlando by her side.

She does not have a big team working for her right now, but she does work with many artists and dancers for the various events in which she performs.

Orlando and his friendship with April — Orlando and April had a strong friendship until the day of his death

Dance. The best of America United in a Single Project

Latin America / Cuba / La Habana

Since the 1950s, a very humorous genre called the casino dance was born in Cuba, a style based on dancing the Cuban music of the moment between couples. This lies in history since the fashion of Mambo and Cha Cha Cha in the most aristocratic clubs and in the fraternal halls of poor blacks of the beautiful island, they danced on Saturdays, Sundays or special parties on specific days, for the moment the rhythms sounded de la Aragon, Chapotin, Orquesta Casino, el Benni, among others, without leaving aside rhythms such as rock and roll, sounds of the time that fought for a space in the fans.

From the mixture and the dance relationship of those attending the clubs is born that change of couples in circular formation called the Rueda de Casino, a name that we will be developing in other editions of the magazine.

In America, especially in the south of this continent, Salsa Casino, as it is called in many places, has managed to lay firm foundations, much more than what is known in Europe or North America, in some countries becoming the reference number 1 of the Salsa dance modality. We have the best example in Venezuela, land of casinos par excellence, where we can add a great hundred dance schools nationwide, without leaving behind how strong it is in Colombia and Peru, among some countries that also use this discipline. as a strong influence on young and old.

It is incredible to see the great differences in styles and forms between the casinos in Europe and those in South America, but always the same concept, joining several couples to enjoy a good timba or a good son.

From the foregoing, the Cubashow Project arises, born with the primary objective of generating a training and development channel for the new generations that venture into the beautiful world of dance, mainly those linked to Cuban Salsa and its roots in popular music or traditional Cuban music, folklore and its Afro tendencies, all in relation to the strong wave of this discipline that is developing in the main capitals of many American countries.

BAILA QUE BAILA AMERICA a concept of union between southern countries to extend the dissemination of Salsa Casino in the continent brings together some of the best instructors from each country with the sole intention of conducting national and international training tours in all trends of the dances of Cuban culture, in this way we obtain from the best exponents classes, seminars, talks, forums, workshops and shows that can be viewed through the social networks of @BailaQueBailaAmerica the different schools, academies or instructors registered to the project.

Professional dance teams are structured based on their local projections, the work they do within each of their countries. An event of great proportions is expected for the month of June where we will be able to have the best instructors from all over South America together in a high caliber event, we just have to be attentive to social networks and future reports of this great magazine to join us. to this casual wave.

San Tropez Dance School

North America / USA

Taking dance lessons is a most pleasant experience at The Dance Center. The teaching team is currently made of several dedicated dance instructors. To them, being a teacher means more than just making you a good dancer. It means making your learning experience fun, stimulating and motivating.

Not just anybody can be a Dance Center teacher. The instructors are chosen not just for their dancing prowess, but also for their personality and teaching skills. They train continuously to acquire the most efficient teaching methods and the latest dance moves.

Although each of them has specific strengths and specialties, all of the Dance Center teachers are qualified to teach more than a dozen different dance styles, from Salsa to Swing, and from Cha-cha to Argentine Tango.

San Tropez Dance School - Social — San Tropez Dance School – Social

Teamwork is very important for the Dance Center instructors. They all work with the same teaching system, so when you take a lesson with any of them you will benefit from their collective experience and from the diversity of their personalities.

The instructors come from many different parts of the world and their experience is as diverse as their talent. All of them have extensive dance backgrounds and some of them have experience coaching sports, teaching music and even aerobics.

Lessons are provided in a variety of languages including English, French and Spanish.

Don’t miss everything San Tropez has to offer every week. And for more information about upcoming events, visit http://www.latindance.net

Ladies Styling Choreography Tuesdays – 8pm Hip Hop Choreography Thursday – 7pm Mens Styling Choreo Tuesday – 7pm Salsa – Bachata Choreo every Wednesday -7pm Kizomba Choreography Fridays – 8pm.

Habana Style. Dance Company “Where dancing is a pleasure”

North America / USA / Las Vegas

Habana Style

Founded by a professional dancer and choreographer, Yody Iznaga in 2001, to offer people who are passionate about latincaribbean and cuban music a place where they could learn such exotic dance styles and express themselves in dance body movements as its main objective. Habana Style Dance Company is one of the very few dance schools in LAS VEGAS which offer its public a complete portfolio with about 15 different latin-caribbean dance styles with an objective to enable the students to feel identified with what they are looking for in specific.

Yody Iznaga professional dancer and choreographer born in Cuba and educated through the authentic Cuban technique of modern dance created by the professor Eduardo Rivero Walker at a professional company Teatro de la Danza del Caribe (Theater of Caribbean Dance). Yody Iznaga knows to perfection about 15 different dance styles. He dances on TV channels and big and famous stages known in the world of salsa. Yody has choreographed and danced for artists like Marc Anthony, Victor Manuelle, La India, Maelo Ruiz, and others. https://habana.style

Habana Style - Social Photo 1 — Habana Style – Social Photo 1

Dance Classes at Habana Style Dance Company

Private lessons Private lessons represent the most accurate, effective and the fastest way to learn or master any dance style of your choice; since you can choose exactly what you would like to learn and the areas you need to improve. The dance studio is reserved only and exclusively for you and the instructor for the time of your scheduled session. This is also why you can fully enjoy and exploit the most out of the instructor’s time and attention which are completely yours during the private lesson.

Workshops Workshops are special dance classes taught by certified professionals with the main objective to develop and improve special dance abilities and to acquire original movements of a specific dance style. Members of Habana Style Dance Company learn through an authentic technique created by the dancer & choreographer Yody Iznaga. This authentic method focuses also on clean movements while it is easy to understand and acquire due to the high and professional level of teaching methodology typical for Habana Style.

Group Classes Group classes are designed for people who want to learn in an entertaining way how to dance and at the same time to meet people and to connect to people who have the same dance objective.

The classes are structured so that also people without a partner can participate in and enjoy the group classes. Students keep on rotating which allows them to improve their commands necessary for social dance. The group classes are designed to create a friendly environment and increase trust among participant; students are greatly encouraged to practice and demonstrate the knowledge acquired in the group classes on the dance floor at our social dance nights.

Habana Style - Social Photo 2 — Habana Style – Social Photo 2

Benefits of Dancing with Habana Style Dance Company

Habana Style Dance Company offers various benefits to its members while dancing Latin-Caribbean dances at the dance studio. Preparing and encouraging students to enjoy social dances anywhere in the world. On their way toward this goal, students have loads of fun, relieve stress, exercise, meet people with the same dance objective, and have constant participation in social events.

Members of Habana Style Dance School learn through an authentic technique created by the dancer & choreographer Yody Iznaga. This authentic method focuses also on clean movements while it is easy to understand and acquire due to the high and professional level of teaching methodology typical for Habana Style Dance Company.

Last but not least, Habana Style Dance School offers its members to join teams where they reach a very high level of dance including exotic movements within the social and professional dance through a long path of practices. What could be more beautiful and uniquely identifying than the exotic mixture of Salsa with Afro-Cuban rhythms and Cuban rumba within popular and social dances?