dance

Excellence Grant for a Dancing Rising Star

Baila Productions Salsa School is proud to be an active participant in our community by offering a 1000$ donation to the "Fondation du Collège Montmorency". We had the privilege to give this grant to Alexandra Caron for her excellence in the College's dance program. Congrats to all for you hard work! Ilias Benz www.bailaproductions.com

By |2017-02-17T12:15:38-05:00October 26th, 2015|articles|0 Comments

My biggest mistake in dance

When I started dancing it wasn’t long until I started performing on a stage. I don’t know if it’s due to talent or because there weren’t a lot of great male dancers back then. Anyway, I quickly started to enjoy my time on stage. This was truly partly as a result of spending most of my life playing instruments in a music group and putting on shows. I therefore felt at home on a stage. When I started performing, I was rarely satisfied after leaving the stage. I used to criticize myself a lot, thinking it was normal not to feel satisfied in order to continue to improve. At the end of a show, I highlighted every bad moment. In short, I was hammering myself without even noticing it. I then had an experience that changed my perception of things. I had the chance to choreograph and dance a piece with my friend Audrey Gaussiran; to me she was – and still is – one of Montréal’s best salsa dancers. We performed our routine about ten times. As usual, from the very first performance, my old habits kicked back in; I was barely off of the stage that I was already obsessing with what went wrong. Not forgetting, above all, that I was afraid to make mistakes. I went on like this during 8 performances. I knew we had 2 last performances before the end of our collaboration, and something magical happened on the 9th show. Just a few seconds before going on stage I told myself, “I’m very lucky to be dancing with a dancer of that caliber, and this time I’ll be dancing for her”. Well, this is one of the performances I [...]

By |2017-02-17T12:15:38-05:00August 31st, 2015|articles|4 Comments

Her friend had been ditched on the dance floor in the middle of a song!

Once again this week, a student came to see me and told me that her friend had been ditched on the dance floor in the middle of a song. C’mon, fellas! Her friend was humiliated, and she refused to dance for the rest of the night. It’s understandable. Just imagine what she felt like. Of course, she was a beginner and you know as well as I do that a beginner’s self-esteem is fragile. You have no idea how many people I had to comfort after such a situation. It’s a steep mountain to recovery, and sometimes it is simply impossible to climb. It’s a shame that she will never dance again. So, I’d like to send a message to the person who left her hanging on the dance floor: “What gives you the right to take someone and leave them high and dry without the courtesy to even finish a simple song? Why are you so special that you allow yourself the right to deny her valiant effort to dance for the first time with you? Maybe it’s because she would not allow you to show off your best moves to the crowd? Did you forget to ENJOY and share this musical moment? You probably think that not everyone deserves to dance with you, Your Highness. I think you have forgotten the basic rules of courtesy and respect. Since you seem to have missed that one, I invite you to a lesson in ethics on our Latin dance school’s dance floor. Divided into several phases, this class also impacts positively your manners and your relationships with others, and makes you realize your true value. Of course, some people underestimate themselves, but others become big-headed [...]

By |2017-02-08T13:50:22-05:00November 5th, 2014|Non classé|0 Comments

What do you feel when you dance Salsa?

(Transcript) How did Salsa change your life? Salsa changed my life big time actually. I know it sounds dramatic, but it actually did. I had just become single again, and basically I met so many different people in the world of Salsa, especially at Baila Productions. There seems to be a little ambiance that gets generated throughout the classes. The higher you go, the more people you end up meeting and you end up having a totally new circle of friends.  Were you always interested in Salsa? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, the only reason why I got into dancing is that I went on vacation, and there was a whole bunch of people I met there. They all knew how to Salsa dance. They tried to teach me, but unfortunately it didn’t work out too well. Because I saw how much fun they were having, when I got to Montreal, I looked up for Salsa classes in the West-Island. Baila Productions came up. They were registering for the classes that were started in 3 days. So I had to go register and chances are if it would’ve been longer, I would have changed my mind. But, because it was 3 days I was there. What do you feel when you dance Salsa? When I dance, first of all, it gets really hot because dancing is a great form of exercise. It just frees you. If I have a hard day at work or if I have things that stress me out at work or in personal life, when I go dancing, I forget everything. It’s really liberating Final words My name is Alex and I love Salsa. I seriously got into Salsa [...]

By |2017-08-06T19:26:45-04:00October 1st, 2014|Non classé|2 Comments

7 Truths I Would Have Liked to Know When I Started Dancing Salsa

Anyone can learn to dance! How many times have I heard, “I have no talent for dancing” or variations of it such as, “You won’t be able to do anything with me”, “I’m a lost cause”, “I have no rhythm” or “I have two left feet”? After 15 years of teaching many people, I can tell you that I have not seen many people gifted with the talent of dance; however, I have seen various self-conscious students grow into excellent dancers. Thus, the quality you need in order to succeed is not talent, but perseverance as the good dancers are those who practice, week in, week out, for months. In my view, this shows that ANYONE can learn to dance at any age. Of course, some learn faster than others. If they do, they are simply lucky. If you are waiting to be a good dancer before going out, you are delaying your goals. News flash: the best dancers are the ones who go out dancing early in their development. It is a matter of spending the most time on the dance floor because practice makes perfect. Don’t beat yourself up over a few missed steps. It’s counterproductive! Some people have a hard time handling their mistakes and get frustrated whenever they make one. Here is a piece of advice I give my dancers: there are two ways to get to one place. The first one consists of learning a move by beating yourself up over a few mistakes, criticizing yourself relentlessly and losing patience with yourself and with others. However, the second method will allow you to learn the move by staying calm and to pat yourself on the back for each of your [...]

By |2017-08-06T19:26:47-04:00September 3rd, 2014|Non classé|2 Comments

GoPro: Virtual Salsa dancer – First Person View – How it feels to salsa with a great dancer

A while back I was watching videos on Youtube filmed with GoPro Cameras. These cameras are small, light weight and can go where no other camera can. I thought that it would interesting to film a Salsa dancer with a GoPro perspective. With the help of my good friend Audrey Gaussiran we tried to answer the following question : How it feels to salsa with a great dancer. (Filmed in our Laval latin dance studio. Special thanks to www.felixrioux.com for the camera) More Videos on our youtube channel Ilias Director -  Baila Productions More than 1 000 000 views on our  youtube channel Baila Productions Salsa School http://bailaproductions.com/en/ West-Island Dance School: 450-238-1435 13950 Boul.Gouin Ouest Pierrefonds, QC, H8Z 1Y1 Laval Dance School: 450-663-5278 1555 St-Martin EST, Laval, H7G 4R4 À l'intérieur du Complexe Sportif Val-Des-Arbres Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Dance School (Vaudreuil-Soulange Sector) 450-238-1435 Peter-Williamson Chalet (Aumais Park) 300  Cypihot, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 4A7

By |2017-08-06T19:26:47-04:00August 21st, 2014|video|0 Comments

Latin Music Suggestions : Salsa, Merengue, ChaChaCha and Bachata

One of the most common challenges beginner Salsa students meet is the ability to dance to the beat of the music. Not only must they follow the rhythm, but they also have to find the beginning of the musical phrase. In my classes, I often compare music with a conversation that starts and stops. Some pick it up early on, whereas others will need to train their ears. One thing is certain: you are not alone! Here is a list of Latin songs that I play during my classes. The beginning of the musical phrase in these songs is well-punctuated. It is perfect for beginners. You may also read the article Does Latin music sound unfamiliar to your ears?which goes more deeply into perceiving Latin music and listening to it. 1. Yamulemau - Joe Arroyo 2. Acid - Ray Barretto 3. Mademoiselle je vous aime - Haitiando 4. Como Baila Marieta - Orestes Vitalo 5. Sway - Michael Bublé 6. Fragilidad - Milagros Pinera & Sanmera 7. Obsession - Aventura 8. Dimelo - Marc Anthony 9. Vale la Pena - Juan luis Guerra 10. Micalea - La sonora Carruseles Ilias Director (image: The Best Latin Band in town Groovetown) Ilias Director -  Baila Productions More than 1 000 000 views on our  youtube channel Baila Productions Salsa School http://bailaproductions.com/en/ West-Island Dance School: 450-238-1435 13950 Boul.Gouin Ouest Pierrefonds, QC, H8Z 1Y1 Laval Dance School: 450-663-5278 1555 St-Martin EST, Laval, H7G 4R4 À l'intérieur du Complexe Sportif Val-Des-Arbres Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Dance School (Vaudreuil-Soulange Sector) 450-238-1435 Peter-Williamson Chalet (Aumais Park) 300  Cypihot, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 4A7

By |2017-08-06T19:26:46-04:00June 2nd, 2014|articles, Music|0 Comments

A different kind of Salsa Congress

Once again, we've attended the Bromont Salsa Congress put together by Nancy Madison. There were performances, workshops, and nights of open dancing. This event is definitely one that cannot be overlooked by our Salsa dance school. This time around, I animated a musicality and body isolation workshop. In other words, it consists of using all your body parts to express music (well, maybe not all of them!). A Salsa Congress gives us the opportunity to get acquainted with new people and dance the night away. As for me, it's always a great pleasure to meet with my dance peers again with whom I've performed in this great environment. We've put up 2 acts this year: the first, inspired by the movie Zorro, is a mix of Paso Doble, Waltz, and of course Salsa. The second, inspired by the TV show I Dream of Jeannie, is a mix of Salsa, Samba and belly dancing. The audience's reaction to this act was phenomenal. It's always a pleasure to perform in front of such a public. As I mentioned earlier, there is something special going on at this congress in Bromont. Ilias Director -  Baila Productions More than 1 millions views on our  youtube channel Baila Productions Salsa School http://bailaproductions.com/en/ West-Island Dance School: 450-238-1435 13950 Boul.Gouin Ouest Pierrefonds, QC, H8Z 1Y1 Laval Dance School: 450-663-5278 1555 St-Martin EST, Laval, H7G 4R4 À l'intérieur du Complexe Sportif Val-Des-Arbres Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Dance School (Vaudreuil-Soulange Sector) 450-238-1435 Peter-Williamson Chalet (Aumais Park) 300  Cypihot, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 4A7  

By |2017-08-06T19:26:46-04:00May 9th, 2014|articles, video|0 Comments

Does Latin music sound unfamiliar to your ears?

When I took the first steps towards learning Latin dances, I couldn't even distinguish Salsa from Merengue.  Although I spent 20 years playing different instruments, Latin music was unfamiliar to my ears. I'm therefore quite able to understand the rhythm-related problems that my students experience. Before going into further technical details about music, I often tell my students to start by listening to a lot of Latin music. Whether it is at home, at the gym or in the car, you need to immerse yourself in this new musical world in order to train your ears by subjecting them to the new sounds and instruments. Our musical culture in North America is mainly influenced by Pop and Rock. The distinct rhythms often accompanied by regular percussions characterize modern Western music. When we first listen to African or Afro-Cuban music, we are unfamiliar with the instruments used, and even less accustomed to the new different rhythms and musical structures. In other words, before exploring the matter in depth, you need to have a brief glimpse of the dance and accustom your ears to the flow of this wonderful music. Here are some of my favourite songs Spanish Fly from Eric Benét is a smooth and groovy cha-cha with a hint of sweet sauce. A wonderful discovery! Salsa's extensive family tree encompasses Timba that originated in Cuba. It a musical style characterized by growing percussion and drum sounds. The song Cana Quema from Son de Madre will leave you breathless. Simply great to listen to by the pool, the song Como Me Duele Perderte by Gloria Estefan is perfect for beginners, for professionals looking for a slow-paced song to practice, and also for teachers who want a [...]

By |2018-01-24T14:38:42-05:00March 26th, 2014|articles|0 Comments

Advantages of buying latin dance shoes

In this video Sandrina covers the advantages of buying a good pair of latin dance shoes. In a nut-shell dance shoes provide a good compromise between grip and spin. Check out this clip... If you live not too far of the greater Montreal Region check out these places: Ballo http://balloshoes.homestead.com/Index... In Laval: http://www.artisteclaude.com/ Rive-Sud: http://salsastyle.ca Ilias Director -  Baila Productions More than 1 000 000 views on our  youtube channel Baila Productions Salsa School http://bailaproductions.com/en/ West-Island Dance School: 450-238-1435 Laval Dance School: 450-663-5278 Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Dance School (Vaudreuil-Soulange Sector) 450-238-1435  

By |2018-04-03T11:48:49-04:00February 26th, 2014|articles, video|0 Comments
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