My Sydney Bachata Festival Experience

On May 21, 2009March 31, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing BugLeave a comment

Leslie Bachatera & Tania / Bachata 4Ever music troupe / At Sydney Bachata Festival

I had some very special dances and experiences at the Sydney International Bachata Festival.

My Friday night started pretty well when the 4Ever boys asked me (!!!) to take a picture with them, not the other way around!

I asked if I could take a picture of the group for my blog but they insisted on having me with them, I got all fuzzy and happy… maybe it is something they do with lots of girls, I don’t care, it worked, I bought the CD straight away even not knowing which of the bachata songs I have in my head are theirs.

Then I found out about the Brazilian food. That made my weekend, from then on, I almost didn’t eat at home to eat there. It was a booth serving traditional savoury Brazilian pastry, delicious chicken and meat kebabs on fresh buns and a few sweets. One of my friends said during the weekend: you are always eating! I was divided between bachata and “coxinha”(a type of chicken croquete).

“Delicious Brazil” Catering for Bachateros / Bachata Festival Dance floor

From the festival, a few more flashbacks come to my mind:

“Delicious Brazil” Catering for Bachateros / Bachata Festival Dance floor

One of the great dances I had was a funny gospel song, it was the last of the night in the smaller room and I had Clement for a dance partner. I have to tell you that these DJs are always busy so it is hard to dance with them but when you do, they enjoy it so much that you fell like you are gliding. This dance was great, the song was beautiful although strange.

Another unique moment was the one I danced with Graeme, the floor was packed and we had to contain every move, we had to move in a very small way and got to be close to the point of laughing at it. It was funny doing mini‐cross body leads, mini spins (no space for turns) and extra small basics. All that repeated with DJ Amit… It seems I was in the mood for DJ‐dances!!!

I had only two dances with the instructors: one was a sensual bachata with Rodney Aquino and to finish the event in style a dance with Juan Bachatero.

Tania dancing with Mahendra, Juan Bachatero and Junaid Jafar (dance partner).

From the festival, a few more flashbacks come to my mind:

I won’t forget the beautiful Leslie, I enjoyed her performances and energy, her skilled, aggressive and quick bachata.

Also the live shows were great.

Dancing a live bachata song with a good dancer is a priceless experience…

I have to thank Mahendra for being my partner while HR King sang for us…

Then I had the privilege to be at the front row to see the 4Ever performance.

Gosh! They can sing… only people really good can sing a capela and these guys did it to make any romantic heart stop. When the instruments kicked in the result was awesome.

All bachateros had these big smiles on their faces, the girls with shinny eyes and a few jumping on stage with them.

Good live music always makes a dancer’s heart sing… we had a ball!

As we all seem to be saying after our extraordinary time at the festival:

“PARA EL MUNDO ENTERO…. YO SOY BACHATERA!”

115 Orble Votes

Public Luv

On May 20, 2009April 2, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing Bug1 Comment

No, it’s not (exactly) what you are thinking…

This is just about people who dance, perform, on stage and make love to the public, and, in a sense, their dance partners as they perform.

I love cheeky dancers, and I’ve been told I am one of them. With pride! I make an effort to be.

Great performers are those that create a special energy with the public, they are so confident with their dancing (and singing) that they interact and put their hearts out to the public.

Not always there is a love affair, usually dance partners are not romantically involved, but for the sake of Latin dancing, specially bachata, and while on stage, and shining for the few minutes their choreo is on, they have to be lovers.

They have to have the energy of lovers, completely in lust for one another, for those seconds. I draw on the energy and love I have for dancing, so the ones that show this peculiarity probably do too.

At the bachata festival I had fun spotting people like that: looking in the eyes of the public, making faces and enjoying the experience, pretending it was the love affair of the century and showing their confidence to the watchers.

I found quite a few and every single time I found myself smiling as if they were dancing for me alone…

112 Orble Votes

The Dancing Bag (a checklist)

On April 23, 2009March 31, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing Bug1 Comment

I am performing tomorrow at the Sydney Bachata Festival. All I can think is what I need to pack for the show. I’m creating this checklist…

I’ll be an Angel at Last. That is because the choreo is homage to Lee, the dancer from the UK we lost to an accident recently. And we are angels. To the ones that don’t know, I was supposed to perform at the Sydney Salsa Congress but fractured my arm and couldn’t do it. So now, at last, I’ll be an angel on the stage tomorrow night.

I’m very exited with the weekend because it will be the first time where I’m in an event dedicated entirely to Bachata, last year I was in Brazil at the time when the first festival happened.

Team of performers at Sydney Bachata Festival’s backstage / Tania ready to perform the Angel choreography

So now that I’m packing my performance bag, I thought it would be interesting to share the checklist.

First I go through the performance in my mind, the costume, what I’m wearing.

Then I go through what I have in the bag following my body from top to bottom:

Things in my box and dancing bag:

Hair and Head props, hats, halos, horns, tiaras, etc.
- I have a little carry bag always ready with:
  - Hair gel, or mousse, etc
  - Hair pins (bobby pins) different sizes – according to hair colour
  - Thin hair net for danders
  - Hair brush
  - Hair elastics, different sizes and colours
  - Thin comb with the metal pointy handle
  - Shower Cap
Jewellery if it is the case:
- Earrings
- Necklace
- Rings
- Bracelets
Face & Make‐up: My Make‐up box is a beauty. All organised with all that I could need.
- Foundation
- Corrective
- Eye shadows
- Eye liner black, white & brown
- Mascara
- Shinny:
  - Glitters of different kind
  - Shinny spray
  - Diamonds for make up
- Lipsticks & Gloss
- Fake eye lashes.
- Sponges, cotton balls, cotton pads, cotton sticks, brushers, sponges, special appliers and sticks for make up
- Make up remover and moisturiser to fix make‐up messes
- Transparent nail polish (to fix running stockings)
- Nail polish you are using (to fix your nails if you have a breakage or an accident with your manicure)
- Mini sewing kit – thread with the colour of the costume you are using and the clothes you are wearing for the after party.
- Security Pins of different sizes
- Scissors, box‐cutter, Swiss‐army knife – little addictions to your box that can make it all easier.
- Panty liner and tampons
- Fashion tape – that double sided tape to keep your straps and straps on the right place.
- Wipes
- Facial tissues
- Razor & shaving gel
- Nail files and cuticle’s
- Good sized Mirror protected in case it breaks during the travel
- Remember to pack any special make‐up and props for specific choreographies, like fake vampire teeth, lycra masks, hat pins, tiaras, scar tissue glue, or blue paint, for example
Up close and Personal – VIL (very important list):
- DEODORANT!!! For dancers there is no religion, allergy, personal beliefs that can be put above this simple thing:
  - You do need deodorant or antiperspirant of some kind. Especially for couple dancers this could mean the success or total debacle of your dancing night. If you are not getting too many dances or more refusals than you should think normal, change your deodorant or perfume. Or check your breath.
- Perfume only if you are used to them.
- Breath strips!!! Another essential, carry toothbrush, toothpaste, but for any time and place that you need to be safe in a hurry carry breath strips, mints, chewing gum any kind of breath freshener.
- Carry the emergency extras with you: nail polish for a retouch, a brand new razor, shaving gel, etc. ▪ Girls – remember to arrange to be waxed, shaved, manicured and pedicured as necessity beforehand.
- Shower kit if there is a place for you to refresh in between rehearsals, performances, etc. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, towel.
- A sweat towel is good for everyone.
- Extra dancing shirt or rehearsal’s clothes
- Extra underwear
- Intimate products (For Females) nothing worse than be caught unprepared
- A few plastic bags
- First aid bag:
  - Band‐aids – get the good ones, water resistant, for sportists, the ones that will save your life or your feet.
  - Special pads for blisters – you can get some awesome skin colours healing gel pads for blisters nowadays that would have made my ballet dancer life a lot easier 15 years ago… with these the pain is very bearable if you get any blister and you can dance your night away with very little pain! Woohoo!
  - Bandages
  - Medicine & painkillers – carry medicine that you usually take, always carry something if you have headaches. Never give anyone any medicine they are not used to and never use something you have never used before on a performance night.
Clothes and costumes:
- Dresses
- Shirts
- Pants
- Belts
- Jackets
- Pieces that go over the normal clothes (vests, scarfs, etc.)
- Count how many pieces your costume has, take note of the number and double check that you have all the items before finishing your packing.
- Clothes for after-party

I just imagine myself dressing the whole ensemble on and see if I remembered all the items.

Leg’s pieces:
- Socks – the right colour please and to have both feet with the same colour is essential!
- Stockings – sheer to waist, it is horrible, to have those stockings with a mark in your thighs showing through your fishnets. Yes, holes marks are visible even on stage. And yes, you can see them on pictures too.
- Panties, for under the stockings (usually G‐string or something that doesn’t mark the body) and for over, if necessary, like the undies or shorts from the costume.
- Piece of stocking to tie your undies if you are doing the Brazilian bikini tie.
- Underwear (panties & bras) adequate to the costume.
- Fishnets
Shoes:
- Official choreo shoes.
- Extra pair of shoes, doesn’t matter if it is old or the wrong colour, choose the closer one to the official shoes and bring it with you for an emergency.
- Pads – nowadays no‐one has to suffer with shoes anymore, in the supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies you can find those pads and stuff that are designed to make any pair of shoes at the very least bearable for its purpose. Discovering the heel gel pads and ball of the feet protection was a big deal for me. Carry your favourites extra pairs in your bag.
- Shoe brush – for Latin dancers it is essential to have suede soles brushed so you don’t have yourself falling on stage.

TIP: Don’t put shabby stuff in your bag, only carry new things, new razors, new nail files, new box cutters, if you need to use anything you will have no stress.

100 Orble Votes

Sydney Carnaval 2009 Hightlights

On March 10, 2009April 2, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing BugLeave a comment

Latin Dance Australia Samba Girls / Friends at the Carnaval Party / Pre-party at my sister’s house

The girls were the highlight. Amy Mills & Sandra Betrus, Samba Queens on Stage at the Carnaval 2009 and the Samba Pro Team from Latin Dance Australia were a vision…

I started the night at my sister’s for what we call “esquenta” which means warming up.

In Brazil it means to start the party early. So, to the best of our abilities, we did as the long tradition dictates… we started with a few drinks. With nine girls and one Irish! (One of the girls was taking the picture…)

There is a tradition that for a Carnaval party, where we gather a group of friends and dress up in grouped costumes. We did pageant winners, each from her home city.

The Carnaval party, was a full house! We danced the whole night.

33 Orble Votes

The Dancing Seduction: Performing

On March 3, 2009April 2, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing BugLeave a comment

Ah, Performing! (sigh) I absolutely love performing.

Since I started it I cannot say exactly why. I’ve been trying to figure it out for a long time.

I love being on stage, feeling special, having all the eyes on me, who cares if I’m at the back and there are another 29 bodies performing?

It is as if it is all about me, that everyone is thinking: oh look how pointed is her left foot!

Anyway, I feel powerful, elated!

The lights, the sounds, the music, the costumes, it all ads up to my heart beating like a rabbit’s; my hairs going up at the back of my neck.

I can’t get enough of the sensation!

I was thinking about the Sydney Salsa Congress, and I realized that performing is like doing the horizontal mambo. Specially Latin dancing. To reach a performance you start with the foreplays, you get to know your partner, how he moves, you show him (or her) your moves.

It doesn’t matter if there is no sexual tension between the two of you, even if it is all about the dancing and only about it; it is still like a date:

You choose the right clothes for the occasion, for dancing they are the ones that don’t slip, that won’t fall at the wrong times, with good sleeves for that choreo, preference for fabrics nice to touch and that don’t make you feel too sweaty. As in a date, you will also choose the right underwear. Girls will pay attention it doesn’t show and doesn’t disturb them to dance.
You will be well groomed, and pay attention about your bodily smells for sure. I love what this guy said to me the other day: dancers have no idea about personal space. So if you have someone invading yours, you will take care of your armpits and breath at their very best. I guarantee girls will shave, wax, use make up, perfume more than if they were going out with Brad Pitt.
You will get all excited about the date, I mean, the training. Dancing is good. Always. Again it’s like bed acrobatics. Even when it’s bad, it’s still better than not having it, therefore, it’s good.

Here I have to add a small alert: if you are training and not having fun, no mater if you are an amateur or professional, something is wrong. It’s time to re‐evaluate it all. Dancing is about loving it, every step of the way.

When you are starting your trainings, you will have to learn the sequence, like a good intercourse you will savour each step, each touch, each detail.

You will feel powerful for being able to do each movement, you will learn to move as one with your partner. If you love dancing, you will rejoice with every turn, you will fly in every trick, you will smile and yes, you will also complain.

Any type of congress of bodies is subjected to a lot of pain, good muscle pain. It happens often on the following day, getting worse on the following of the following day.

A few mishaps, even a fall here and there is expected. The accidental arm that connects where it shouldn’t; accidents happen, both in the bedroom and in the training room.

The number of times you do it doesn’t affect the soreness. Having done it your whole life, doesn’t prepare you enough.

Depending on which part of the choreo you are concentrating on, you will use different muscles and feel them burning later.

It’s like using “That Book” ‐ you know which one, don’t you? The ancient one, full of interesting pictures? Well the use of the book will guarantee sore muscles on the following day.

Choreographies are bound to do the same.

As you get closer to the performance you are doing it. It’s not foreplay anymore. You know what to do and you go for it. You use your full power, you strain every fibre of your body. You become athletic and go all the way.

You let the feelings, emotions, love and devotions take you over.
You leave your body do what it knows to do and let your soul fly, enjoying the moment.

If you get worried about doing something wrong, making mistakes, anxious about your partner’s performance or anything like that, you are concentrating in the wrong part of the business. Like making love, it is not about how it looks, it’s about how it feels.

Then and only then you are in the performance. That, my friends, is the climax. Plain and full Ecstasy, with a capitol letter.

54 Orble Votes

Brazilian Carnaval is not Exactly About Dancing

On February 26, 2009April 2, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing BugLeave a comment

Pre-party at my sister’s place / LDA Samba Carnaval Dancers with Amy Mills / Band at Carnaval party

Brazilian Carnaval parties are happening tonight [26 & 27 Feb 2009] in Manly and Thursday in the City.

Of course there is samba and music and the people that can dance are dancing.

Carnaval in Brazil is about loud, loud, loud music, drums, jumping, having fun, drinking, and making out.

No real dance skills are required, just a total lack of self-contiousness.

If you want to have the night of your life, you must try it out, only being there you will be able to understand how is it that a whole country, 196 million people, stop because of it for over a week.

For more information: check “One Night In Brazil”
Or take samba classes at Latin Dance Australia

See you there!

43 Orble Votes

The Zouk Dossier – the Ascension of this Dance

On February 23, 2009March 30, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing BugLeave a comment

Kadu & Vali / Junaid and Katherine / Alisson dancing Zouk at SSC09

It is so amazing how life sparkles from a thought.

Everything and everyone eventually came from a thought.

It is remarkable to witness the ascension of a new dance style.

When I joined LDA, four years ago, we had one course, one class per week, of four-weeks courses for Lambada. It wasn’t even called Zouk at that time. We had all the levels in one, the crazy and more advanced aficionados mixed with the total beginners. Mr. Amit–DJ Zoubasa-was there from the beginning.

He tells me that he used to carry a lambada/zouk CD with him everywhere he went and beg, literally beg, on his knees, for the salsa DJs in the city to play one song. Just one song! When they did he would dance with the first (and probably only) person he could find that knew any amount of zouk in the room, Wendy Ng.

I keep trying to imagine what it was not to have where to go and who to dance Zouk with, and only by thinking it got harder to breathe.

Zouk is so addictive I saw a lot of salsa fanatics in the Brazilian room at the congress, most of the pictures I posted were taken in the “Zouk room” as it was safer for my fractured arm to be there than in the packed Salsa party room.

Every year we have more and more choreographies of Zouk in the Latin congresses, there were quite a few in the SSC this year. As a zouk-addict I was happy to see. A lot of friends commented how good it was to find so many good Zouk dancers in one place.

In Sydney what boosted the rise of the style were a few things:

101°C Party – a monthly get together that plays mostly Zouk and Bachata, I was there from the first one, only missing two in more than an year. One when I was in Brazil and one when I got sick. I performed in one too.
Jaime and Liz fell in love with Zouk, and nothing like a professional passion to boost a style.
The two Brisbane Brazilian Bance Congresses of 2008 getting Zouk lovers from all over the country together.

It is a special thrill to be part of the beginning.

I have no idea where Zouk is going, but I know it is growing worldwide and I’m seeing it is going “WOW”!

35 Orble Votes

How to Teach Amazing Dance Workshops

On February 12, 2009November 8, 2024 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing Bug1 Comment

Sydney Salsa Congress Workshops 2009 Jordan & Tatiana

If you are a great dancer, it will help you bringing students to your workshops, but that won’t be the main attraction.

Being a great teacher, that is what will really bring the crowds.

Here are some important tips and skills to consider:

Introduce yourself and any partners on stage with you.
Say and show what you are doing at the beginning of the class; this way everyone knows they are in the right class and what to expect from it.
It is essential to have the ability to break steps down into smaller parts, to know where to step in which count.
Present the leader and the follower steps if you are teaching a couple dance by yourself, or have a partner for the other’s part.
You must know about music and be very good in following rhythm and beats.
Count, follow the count, it doesn’t matter how you count the music as long as you do it in a way the students can follow it with you.
Have a great move ready, well rehearsed and prepared it very well, in advance, with your partner if you have one.
Choose the “size” of the movement according to the amount of time given for the workshop or class, not too long so it has to be cut, not too short so it’s done by the half of the class.
Share, if you have a partner, share the teaching with him or her, share according to the partner’s teaching experience but don’t let him or her be a mute the whole class, it’s disturbing.
Energy. No matter how good is your step, if you are not energetic, students will find it boooooring! You have to speak loudly, give out energy, show you are keen to be there. If you show there is nothing else you rather be doing at that moment, well that will get the people like nothing else. Share your passion for dancing. Johnny Vasquez is a great example, he makes you scream, turn, give yourself wholly to the move and the moment.
Good humour: jokes and good humour are big in making people have a good time anywhere. Dance workshops are part of the “entertainment” business, it means people are expecting to be entertained.
A great example of this was Tony Lara’s Bachata Fun Moves Workshop at the Sydney Salsa Congress 2009. It was a funny thing where the guys trapped the girls hands, made them turn unexpectedly, played pretend-slaps, lots of things that made everyone crack up. But then he decided he needed a “fresh girl”, someone that wasn’t at the workshops to see if the leads worked. And there comes Johnny Vasquez walking calmly. So yes, he was the “fresh girl” following Tony’s traps and tricks and it certainly worked! Great Workshop!
Organization and rotation: very, Very, VERY important:
I have been to great workshops where I got more frustrated the better they got. How is that? If you cannot see the front and teacher, or if you don’t have a partner to dance with, all is lost for you. So, an instructor has to organise the class very well. I would say Jaime is a master in that. No mater how full a class is, he was able to get it done. Tony Lara and Dani were very acknowledged at the SSC 09 for their classes. This is how you do it:
- First is the division in rows.
- Second the constant rotation of those rows. Front to back, back to front, so everyone has a view of the instructors.
- Also, when there are too many students make the people in the front kneel or sit so the ones in the back can see.
- For couple dances, partner rotation is essential. Ask right at the start if there are partners not rotating, make sure they don’t disturb your system. Separate non-rotating partners. This way you will discourage people to be fixing partners as the workshops go by. People that don’t come with fixed partners will get very upset if they dance with less and less partners, specially the good ones, as the class goes on.
- Organise the class in a circle or rows and explain how the rotation will work. Do not let them do it for themselves. It never works well, it creates embarrassing moments, it’s annoying. If you know how it works all stress is taken from it and only fun is left.
- Tell if the ladies or the guys are moving, say who is going where.
- Very, very, important again: Remember to rotate partners often, particularly when the numbers are not even.
Safety – dips, tricks and full house – instil responsibility: You can be a bit alarmist here, better safe than sorrow. Although we usually say it’s always the guys fault when doing more difficult tricks both are equally responsible. Anyway the instructor has to alert to all things that could be dangerous, even if there are no difficult moves but it’s a small place or there are too many dancers.
It’s a leader’s responsibility to be safe, but it’s a followers responsibility, equally, to stop a movement if they feel they are going to get hurt.
Level, level, level – make sure to tell participants which level is the workshop catered for, for higher levels it is worth requesting that only the people with the right level stay. Also it is always possible you will have to adapt according to the level you perceive from the people present.
Leave time for enjoyment at the end – save a few minutes just to let them dance!
Sell your products at the very end. When the class is great, people want to know more about you and what you have to offer. Always. So quickly go over what you have to sell: music, DVDs, congresses, classes, workshops, performances, websites… Be brief but make the offer and tell them where to get it. It is not a bad thing, people crave more information. The ones who don’t want to listen will leave, don’t take it personally. You are offering, the ones who want to buy will listen. Nothing to loose. Five to eight minutes at most.

20 Orble Votes

My Congress Dance Recklessness

On February 11, 2009March 29, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing BugLeave a comment

To resist temptation is one of the hardest things in life.

Dancing is for me Huuuge temptation. Broken arm or not; Fractured bone or not.

There was so much I could take but by Saturday I had to give in a little bit. In a safe way but still… resisting dancing was not one of them.

As soon as I got to the first party of the Congress, still on Thursday night, I saw this guy, I looked at him and felt total empathy. I just said:

‘My friend! Let me take a picture for my blog!’

I don’t think I had seen him before… the immediate rapport was due to his clutches and a visible damaged leg.

Talking to him he told me he was still going for surgery… my thoughts go to you friend, hoping all goes well.

The instant friends Ms. Broken Arm & Mr. Broken Leg at SSC09

‘Rugby accident.’ He said.

‘Fell off a horse.’ I answered.

And we kept meeting around the parties (literally walking on the border of the dance floors) the rest of the congress…

If you could only go to the Congress to watch, I bet you wouldn’t resist as well.

I have a thing for finding empty places to dance at. Have done my fair share of performances for invisible public and imaginary admirers.

I was perusing the Brazilian Room party on Saturday night at the congress when I found out that the room was actually a huge space limited by a curtain. Behind it I found a half-dark place with a huuuuuuge wooden, perfect floor, and not a sole person around. As it was just separated from the main floor by cloth the music leaked through it in the same intensity and even a bit of the party lights. The song was one of Mafie Zouker’s and it was going through me directly into my soul.

I took off my shoes and barefooted I began dancing without even realising I was doing it… moving around the floor, spinning, letting the rhythm guide me, letting the beats beat my heart, letting the tears roll… of the sheer emotion I was experiencing. One of those magical, inspired occurrences of a lifetime, that sensation will stay with me forever. I can still close my eyes and feel the dance floor under me and the sensation hugging my body.

I stopped only when I saw someone watching me. I chatted with him for a bit, near the door, until a security guard was a bit rude and scurried us away from there. Anyway, I was already happy.
But got even happier when my friend J.C. saved my congress by dancing one music with me. We went to the front of the room where I wouldn’t risk bumping my hurt arm into anyone and did a “one hand” dance. Fortunately my good arm is the right one and that’s the one most of the zouk leads come from.

It was a strange dance, I lead myself a bit, turned to the wrong sides, had to stop now and then, when someone came anywhere near my elbow. But despite all that, it was an amazing thing. I needed that one dance so badly I just closed my eyes and enjoyed it to its full extent. Those two songs were my personal highlights in the congress.

Jaime Jesus and Tania with Capoeira Brasil at SSC09

Oh! And the picture with the pretty boys for Capoeira Brasil!

39 Orble Votes

Still About What Makes a Choreo Great

On February 9, 2009March 30, 2023 By taniacreationsIn Orble Post, The Dancing BugLeave a comment

LDA Pro Team training at the SSC 09

Kim and Alex, Dave and Zoe joined forces and performed a show together. It was striking! A show with moves, tricks, dips and magic that kept the public in love with the routine from beginning to end.

On the other hand, technique and pure dance beauty, will enthral everyone in the same way,

I’m still sighting when I think of Jordan and Tatiana.

Some people don’t need theme, costumes, don’t need props, some don’t even need music, only their dance enthralls the viewer.

Especially for couple dancing two things will show clearly on stage:

How much training they had;
How many times they performed the choreo.

Remember that the longer partners have been dancing together, usually, the better the connection is. It’s better to avoid partnering people up last minute, or making changes in partners just before a big performance.

The best show moves are the ones you don’t see either coming or going. The transitions have to be smooth as… It is great to perform something new for the first time at a big event but the following performances on stage are usually much better than the first one. It’s sometimes worth performing at a small event before going to a large event. It’s about the confidence you get.

The amount of training taken before the big day will show in how clean the choreo is. The smaller the group on stage, the cleaner the choreo and movements have to be.

Cleanliness is more important that speed of movements. Some dancers think that if it fast, it is good, and everyone will only think about how fast the routine is. Wrong, the faster it is the cleaner it has to be, every movement has to be perfect, every arm has to stretch it fully, if they are to be stretched. Half movements ruin a routine.

The clean, fast, routine usually appears slower than it is, because good dancers make it look fast but easy.

I was once in a doctor near my ballet school straight after training and I was all flushed, sweaty, tired.

An old lady looked at me and asked what I was doing.

‘I just finished my Ballet class’ I answered.

‘How come? It looks so easy and light and soft?’ She asked me back.

That is the trick. Make it look easy, and light, even if it is fast.

One detail that has to be taken in consideration in a routine is a scenic technique: where do you want the public to focus,

Do you want the attention of the viewer to be divided or not?

For example, in Jaime & Liz’s choreo all I could see was Jaime’s spotted boxer. If they were not sooo good I would be able to focus on something else. I still laugh every time I think of those boxers.

If you want complete attention to a particular part of of the performance, remember to make everything else completely still. If you want people to be overwhelmed in their senses move all elements in different directions.

Novelty is the last thing I can think of as important in a choreo, but it’s one of the first the public will notice.

IUAC from Melbourne gave me the shivers with a start in slow motion they used. Not that it is something never used before but it was different from all else and gave such a great effect to the choreo.

That is how much they have trained: until they dropped!

Last year we performed a “zoukaton” routine at the congress, a fast zouk to reggaeton music.

It was different, sexy and oh! so much fun, we then took it to Brisbane’s Brazilian Congress. Jaime’s creation may have influenced others a bit as we have seen a few other zouk routines to reggaeton this year.

I had a few people coming to me to say a lot of nice things about the choreo and how different it was.

This congress he came up with a routine that was exceptional again. This time it was for LDA Pro Team. Half zouk, half salsa shines. I simply loved it. The costume was beautiful, and things were happening everywhere, all the time, making the most of the divided attention thing. The zouk was heartfelt, using the music fully, with tricks and dips and changing partners, the shines was so clean and good I couldn’t take my eyes off them. I’m bias but who cares, I loved it!

That was in my opinion a great example of a work of art!

Summarizing, the elements to consider on a choreography are: