Earl Rush
CEO and founder of Stuckonsalsa
... No Links Defined ...
|
| rueda salsa congress |
 |
The Salsa Rueda Congress in Miami:
A Unique Experience!
By Barbara Bernstein
DanceInTime.com
The first time I visited Miami and went to a Salsa Club, I had the distinct impression that everyone there was speaking some special "dance language," that I knew. In Miami, Salsa dancers do mainly Casino style moves, so anyone with Casino Rueda training will feel right at home. It was thrilling to see Rueda steps used extensively by virtually all of the Salseros.
On my first night at a Miami club many years ago, I spotted Henry Herrera dancing. Watching him with his partner about blew my mind and rocked my world. I'd never seen anything like it! He appeared to drop down and land on one knee; he swung his leg over his arm that was holding his partner's hand. And he did many other acrobatic maneuvers! He seemed totally wired---it was beyond awesome.
Back home, I described what I'd seen and immediately there was talk about a group of us going to Miami together. Since then, visits to Miami for advanced training have become common by serious Rueda dancers.
And a great time to visit Miami, when lots of top dancers are assembled, is during the fall Salsa Rueda Congress run by Henry and Billy Fajardo. (Billy is an exhibition Salsa and Hustle dancer). The Rueda Congress has a distinctly different feel than the (strictly) Salsa Congresses I've gone to. I suppose that is to be expected. Rueda dancers are all members of some group. At the Congress, these groups connect with each other, which is very different from the more individualistic atmosphere at a Salsa Congress.
One thing about Rueda dancers: They need each other. They make friends in groups and travel in packs. If you want to dance Salsa at a nightclub, all you need is one partner. If you want to make a Rueda circle, you need to pull together a bunch of Casineros.
It is a joy every year at the Congress to dance with scores of Rueda dancers in huge circles, while listening to the calls being blended in all sorts of ways. Many new ideas fill the weekend. The Rueda Competitions include fascinating and original ways to present the dance. Groups do all sorts of formations and choreographies----facing outside the circle, creating lines and diagonals---you name it. And of course, there were many workshops including all levels of Rueda, from beginner to advanced.
The Rueda teachers resemble super energetic cheerleaders. They speak loudly and at a frenetic pace, as though they are always yelling out the calls, even when they are just explaining a move! And they keep it up for the whole hour. To say these are lively classes would be an understatement. Being in a class with other Rueda dancers from all over the world, learning together, and following these energetic directions was quite a high. The two giants of Casino Rueda, Rene Gueits of Salsa Lovers Dance Studio and Henry Herrera of Salsa Racing Dance Studio, are generally on hand running classes; and there is dancing, dance talk, and Rueda circles swirling around the entire weekend.
The open dancing at this Congress is laden with Ruedas that anyone can hop into. I joined a group (as a follower) once that was primarily from Salsa Lovers Studio. They danced fast and sharp, doing some extremely complicated moves that were wonderful! I've also joined circles started by the ladies' group out of San Francisco (see the photo below). The women-only Ruedas make quite a splash at the Congress, dancing with energy, poise, and style. I have a ladies' team myself, so I have a soft spot in my heart for "all-women Ruedas."
The World Amateur Rueda Championship Competition is another highlight of the Congress. I had been asked months before the first Congress to be one of the judges, and then I judged again the next year as well. The first year's judging turned out to be a more exciting experience than I'd expected, as there were a couple of irregularities that the judges were asked to rule on.
What happened was that in an effort to make the contest strong, the organizers were encouraging groups to enter, and one large team said they would break into two groups to help out. Everyone seemed happy to do whatever would strengthen the event, which was commendable. But after the initial round, when both of those subgroups made it to the finals, they felt that they should be able to present a choreography they'd been working on that required their entire group. Other groups were doing really nice choreographies and they didn't want to be penalized for being helpful. The judges concurred unanimously that this should be allowed.
There was another small glitch regarding who was allowed to participate that was handled with openness and grace, and was promptly resolved to everyone's satisfaction. Billy Fajardo did a fine job of running all the details of the contest and dealing with everything that came up.
As a judge, it isn't easy distinguishing between so many strong contestants. There was both a Salsa competition and a Rueda competition. All participants deserve to be commended for putting together their routines and making an effort to contribute to the Congress. The producers of the event made a video, so anyone who wants to see these shows or the workshops can buy a copy from Henry at SalsaRacing.com.
Information on this Congress which has become an annual event is available on the SalsaRacing.com website in case anyone is interested!
Above: You go girls! This is the all women's team that won the Rueda competition at the Rueda Congress in Miami, 11/05
A seriously big Rueda circle at the Rueda Congress!
****************************************************************************
Barb Bernstein teaches Casino Rueda in the Washington D.C. area. For information on classes, visit: http://danceintime.com/classes.htm.
|
| |
