Baila Productions Salsa School Dancing in support of Faith and Light, a movement in support of families having members with intellectual disabilities - Dinner and Dance fundraiser! This is a great cause and this event is organized by outstanding people. We like to support charitable events in our community. Feel free to contact us with a request
1. Listen before you speak Something I heard once in a Frankie Martinez Salsa class that I took… this goes a long way if you try your best to be sensitive to your partner. Feel out how she reacts, how she does her basics, what level she is… before starting your moves. 2. Candles are better than fireworks Don’t be too concerned with the amount of moves you can pull off, what your dance partner really wants is a smooth and cool dance. I often hear ladies say " he almost ripped me apart doing tons of moves more than anything else". So remember, small precisely led simple moves go a long way. 3. Don’t get discouraged after your first no We all go through this.. we walk up to a girl and she turns us down… we all handle rejection differently… some are more sensitive than others but not to worry… keep the big picture in sight : you love salsa dancing then keep on going to socials and ask away… It’s not a sprint it’s a marathon! 4. We are not saving the world Don’t take yourself too seriously.. at some point you’ll get real good and a bunch of ladies will want to dance with you… so keep your head in check… its not brain surgery and were not saving the world. It’s just dance… 5. Smile As simple as it sounds, many dancers don’t do it because they are shy, nervous maybe or worse snobs…not smiling almost always gives bad vibes to your partner… she might think that you’re not enjoying the dance... therefore you should always have a bit of eye contact and a smile… this relaxes your partner and [...]
For me a great dance teacher is someone who studies teaching like a science… do things that work to assist your students get through and find solutions. The art of teaching becomes very complex when you think about all the different kinds of personalities out there and all the kinds of ways of learning. Teaching is a mind set, a vocation. You have to do it with passion. I always said that for me Salsa is just the vehicle. I could be teaching pottery classes with the same passion and energy. I always try to find for my students the shortest path to their learning challenges without giving them the solution all cooked up ready to go. I try to understand how their brain works. Also one main aspect in our school is that we approach teaching as a feel good science. Our goal is to make you feel good while you learn a couple of salsa dance moves. No need to be an olympic athlete ;) I always attend to students learning frustrations with care, compassion and jokes. To make sure the brain is well aligned I make certain that the person feels good first then I transfer the knowledge… working like that is way more demanding but way more effective because people have fun while learning and therefore continue to love Latin dances longer. Ultimately, I believe that a brain learns faster when there’s fun and smiles rather than whips and frowns. And on that note, I salute every teacher from every field for their passion and dedication in making people move forward. Ilias Benz Baila Productions Director West-Island - Laval - Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue (Photo Jerry Joseph)
Q: What do I do with the styling that I learn? A: There are two large styling categories: the first one is based on the learning of general moves. This can translate into a short choreography or simply into studying the moves alone in front of a mirror. The second category consists of dancing in couples. For instance, we explore different variations of the Cross Body Lead. We put the arm movements into context. We usually start with the first category and proceed with the second one. Q: Why should I buy dance shoes? A: Dance shoes are lighter than common shoes. They provide women’s ankles with better support. The sole is often made of suede which helps the dancer turn. You may purchase a brush to scrape the suede sole in order to stick a bit to the floor or to slide better. Q: What is the footwork for? A: The footwork, commonly referred to as shines, originates from New York, more specifically from Eddie Torres. On the one hand, learning Shines aims to improve your style. On the other hand, it contributes to your balance and to your body’s memory. A further objective is to perform the steps with your partner on the dance floor without leading. At first, you use the footwork seen in class, but as you get more comfortable, your start improvising.
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 [...]
Some understand and respect your invisible personal borders, but others will almost step over you while salsa dancing. You will feel comfortable dancing close to some dancers whereas you will need a professional distance with others. What happens if you want to dance at a reasonable distance, but your partner does not seem to share your views? Watch this video for an easy rule of thumb called “Les hommes aux intentions douteuses”. Also check out the clip produced by Dance Dojo titled Dance is a conversation not a fight. Ilias Director www.bailaproductions.com Check out our Youtube channel with more than 300 videos
(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 [...]
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 [...]
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
I would like to thank and recognize the dancers of both our dance troops for always following me and my eccentric ideas for choreographies. I don't come up with these acts all by myself. I would like to thank Julie Lamarche, a recently retired salsa choreographer with whom I have collaborated for over 5 years in order to put up acts for the amateur troop. Here's the Semi-pro troop's last choreography. It is a mix of belly dancing, Salsa and Samba, looking back to an old TV show that left its mark on my childhood. Without the exceptional contribution of Audrey Gaussiran this choreography would not have been possible. Those who know her are aware that she's a well-rounded dancer. This performance was filmed at our event DiverDanse 6. 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
