Search Results for: Son

Orange County (OC) Salsa with Esteban Conde

North America / USA / California

Salsa dance classes in Orange County by Esteban Conde, no partner or experience needed. Weekly and weekend Salsa and Bachata classes at the Costa Mesa dance studio. Salsa classes and dance instruction will give you the tools to learn how to dance salsa in no time.

Photo 1 - Salsa dance classes in Orange County — Photo 1 – Salsa dance classes in Orange County

The goal is to help you go from classes to dancing fast! And you will not only learn how to dance, but make great friends, increase your confidence and add joy to your life. Come give these salsa and bachata classes a try!

Salsa, Bachata, Salsa Parties and Events

Saturday Salsa Class: Every Sat 4:40pm-5:30pm Come and learn how to dance SALSA and have fun! This class teaches the basics and new moves each week. Don’t miss it Beginner level, no partner needed at 2980 Mcclintock way ste a and b, Costa Mesa, 92626. $15

Monday & Thursday Salsa: Class Every Monday and Thursday evening are the nights for Salsa classes. No partner or experience needed. Fun and Friendly atmosphere! Class starts at 8pm. No reservation needed. Each class is $15, with discounted prices for packages and monthly membership options. Come check us out!

Monday and Thursday Bachata Class: OC Salsa Studio, 2980 McClintock way, Costa Mesa. Bachata Class 7-8 every Monday and Thursday, rain or shine. Beginner level class, no partner, registration or experience needed. $15, this class covers basics and steps and specializes for those with 0 experience and new to dancing altogether.

Photo 2 - Salsa dance classes in Orange County — Photo 2 – Salsa dance classes in Orange County

“I’ve always loved latin music and wished I could dance. Deciding to give it a try, i tried a free class with Esteban and crew at OC SALSA. What a pleasant surprise to feel so comfortable and welcome with a group I didn’t know, doing something I had never done. It was fun, great exercise, and I couldn’t wait for the next session. I was hooked because the instructors and atmosphere make it so easy to learn, you get plenty of personal attention, and can learn at your own pace”.

“Nice people, high quality instruction, and very reasonable cost. If you want to try, improve, or perfect latin dance, this is the place for you!” Student Testimonial

OC Salsa at 2980 McClintock way # A & B, Costa Mesa, 92626 2980 McClintock Way, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, EE. UU. Call On: 949-813-0412 [email protected] http://estebanconde.com

John Erban

Europe/ Suiza / Ginebra

John Erban. The International sensation of the Tango Scene

At International Salsa Magazine, we believe that what makes someone special is their passion and love for what they do and bring to others. This is the case with John Erban, the Venezuelan tango dancer and instructor that we had the pleasure to meet this month.

Photo 1: John Erban - Tango — Photo 1: John Erban – Tango

John Erban is based in Geneva, Switzerland. He is preparing his next European tour in order to give Tango classes, shows, festivals and more. With an interesting beginning, this Venezuelan left an engineering career to follow a passion that was growing inside of him:

Dance. The Colombian influence in his family was very important to him to take that step into dance. His beginning was centered in a more Latin/Caribbean style, starting with salsa and Venezuelan folklore.

Photo 2: John Erban - Tango — Photo 2: John Erban – Tango

After many years of mastering these styles, giving shows and performances, John met the style that changed his life, Tango. Thanks to the Tango Caracas Company, this dancer started a career in the Tango scene and in 2006, after only three months of practicing with his partner in that moment, John went to the worldwide Tango Championship in Argentina and the couple could passed to the semi- final, something remarkable for a Venezuelan contestants couple.

Later, in 2007, they made it to the finals and in 2008 the couple took part again of the contest and won the 3rd place.

Photo 3: John Erban - Tango — Photo 3: John Erban – Tango

After that, many doors opened for John in the Tango scene around the world, making a dance tour in TokyoJapan, and different countries of Asia. This was a learning process for John in so many ways, because he had the opportunity to meet so many different cultures, languages, perspectives and, overall, dances.

He returned to Argentina in 2009, this time with the amazing dancer Clarissa Sanchez as his new dancing partner, but it was just until 2011, the year of victory, where they were tied in the first place with a Colombian couple After this, John’s career just got off the ground, working and dancing a lot in Argentina, having tours in United States and Europe.

Photo 4: John Erban - Tango — Photo 4: John Erban – Tango

Currently, John is working by himself in Switzerland, organizing a big Milonga once a month in Geneva, and being invited to jury, perform, Dj and teach in Festivals and other cultural events around the world. In November begins his next European tour, with confirmed countries as France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and the U.K.

Some of his awards

Representative of Venezuela in the 8th. World Tango Summit in Bariloche, Argentina 2009.
Finalist of the 7th World Tango Championship held in Buenos Aires in 2009 in the category of Salon Tango.
3rd place of the 1st World Tango Championship held in Medellín, Colombia in 2011 in the Tango Salon category.
7th place of the 1st World Tango Championship held in Medellín, Colombia in 2011 in the category of Stage Tango.
2nd place of the IX World Tango Championship held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2011 in the Tango Salon category.
5th place of the IX World Tango Championship held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2011 in the Stage Tango category.
BEST FOREIGN COUPLE OF 2011, in the IX World Tango Championship held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2011

But having a lifestyle where you have to travel worldwide makes difficult being near to your family and the ones you love and that is a lesson that John has learned after many years of working hard. “When you travel like this, you have to internalize a state of separation, and it has been very hard for me, but I’m still working on that”.

Nevertheless, John is making all to have his son with him, and being close with his family as much as he can. Future goals for John are continue traveling, working and dancing. He is also working for next year in developing his own clothing line, videoclip production and online tango lessons through his new website.

Photo 5: John Erban - Tango — Photo 5: John Erban – Tango

Travel gives him a great opportunity to learn and see all types of languages and cultures. He also wants to create a dance academy and dance company, in order to make festivals, workshops and more.

John talks about Venezuela, its current situation, Europe, the people he’s helping and more, but the most remarkable and beautiful thing is how passionate he is talking about Tango and dance in general. When you talk with him, the desire of learn to dance starts growing, he’s just inspiring.

When we asked him what is the thing that he loves the most about Tango, he says that is the energy that you want to give and show to others, the energy that you want your partner feel, the sensations, the moves…

He knows that Tango is a very strict style with specific rules and it requires a lot of discipline, but he is innovating the style, giving it his signature and personality, and that is what he wants to develop, a new way of Tango style that could captivate anyone.

Finally he gives us tips for beginners in Tango and in dance in general. “Stay humble, always. Ego is an obstacle that every dancer has to defeat. Also you need to have discipline, learning Tango and every dance is like to learn a new language, you have to practice a lot and put all you effort to achieve your goal”. The best advice from a professional.

Photo 6: John Erban - Tango — Photo 6: John Erban – Tango

John Erban is such and unique person, with so much talent and vibrant personality. To know more about him and his work, check his page https://www.facebook.com/Johnerbantango/ www.johnerbantango.com Instagram y Twitter: @johnerbantango Email: [email protected]

Latin America – October 2017

Latin America / June 2025

DIRECTORY OF NIGHTCLUBS
ARGENTINA	ARUBA	BELIZE
BOLIVIA	BRAZIL	CHILE
COLOMBIA	COSTA RICA	CUBA
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC	ECUADOR	GUATEMALA
MEXICO	PANAMA	PERU
PUERTO RICO	VENEZUELA

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.