Author Archives: Salsa Kings

On this episode, Andres is accompanied by Mari Martinez to talk about self-awareness and knowing who you are. Who are you? There is nothing more fun or effortless than being yourself, so the best way to have a blast on the dance floor is to do that. Too many dancers try too hard to emulate other dancers, try to copy their heroes rather than excel at that. You’ll never be better at being someone else than they already are, but nobody is going to be as good at being you as you are. The biggest way to be the best at dancing is to make it easier, to make it feel more natural. That’s best accomplished by being able to feel comfortable in your own skin. You’ll also have more fun by not being so self-conscious. 

This is, of course, a podcast about salsa dancing, but Andres has been on other podcasts as well. In this episode, Andres shares an interview by Wilson Alvarez of Miami Business with him and his own experience in learning to dance. It all started when another man danced with Andres’ girlfriend in high school. Motivation can come from all sorts of places, and the need to impress your girl is no different. This is what lit the fire for Andres to finally start learning how to dance. The things that start your careers, huh? That being a motivator was far from something that diminished dance for Andres, however. Far from it, it made him realize the value of being able to share such an artistic experience with his partner.

Are you thirsty? You need the juice to get your dance going. Andres talks about how he himself never got himself a playlist of his favorite music: the thing that gets you the juice, that pumps you up for your performance. Andres asks you to, if you haven’t already, to make a list like this for yourself. Once you listen to these songs, you should try and connect to them, to see what emotions these songs instill in you, the kind of energy -the juice- it gives you. Many of you have probably already done that, but when you listen to this music do you have to work to connect to the music or do you feel connected to it immediately?

This week, Andres will answer a very important question with guest Raphael Valle: Why dance? Why choose dance rather than art or writing or any of the other forms of art there? Raphael’s story explains precisely why he decided to take this path. A teacher of dance at UV Latin Dance Academy, Raphael has been dancing since he was a child. He teaches all sorts of dance for any who want a wide variety of salsa dances.

This week, Andres is back by popular demand and today he’ll be discussing give or take, particularly in terms of energy. Is it being given or taken? It’s important to remember that as much as dance is an art form, it’s also a hobby and pastime where the important thing is to have fun and for your dance partner to have fun. On the dance floor, the desire should be to give, to offer energy through your dance that will be transferred not just to your partner, but to the other people on the dance floor as well. This isn’t just consideration. On a psychological as well as even physical level, being an emotional giver will result in a more satisfying time for you as well.