Dance for the Bushfire Appeal

On Friday, the 27th of February instructors of Melbourne are coming together to teach workshops with all monies raised donated to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

Workshops will include Hip Hop, Brazilian Samba, Salsa and Bachata by some of Melbourne's best instructors.

So get all your mates together and dance for the cause! Let’s help out so many others that have lost so much!

*More classes to be announced shortly

Each class will run for 1hr for a donation of $15 or $25/2 classes, $40/3classes and $50/4 classes.

Please bring CASH ONLY on the night as there are no credit facilities, sorry for any inconvenience.

All instructors and parties involved are donating their time!

Studio 1

• 6pm - Bachata moves by Brooke and Sep (Brooklyn Dance) - Beg/Int
• 7pm - Hip Hop by JC Reyes (IUAC) - Beg/Int
• 8pm - Brazilian Samba by Angela - Intro/Beg
• 9pm - Salsa/Shines by Anika and David – Int/Adv

Studio 2

• 6pm - Afro-Cuban Rumba by Manuel (Candela Dance) - Beg/Int
• 7pm - Street Cha Cha by Peter and Annmarie (Melbourne Dance Rhythm) - Beg/Int
  
• 8pm - Salsa turn patterns Jerome and Marie (Bailando) – Beg/Int
• 9pm - Spins by Sharon Pakir (Spin City) - Open

Workshops will be held at Broken Mirror, 2C Staley Street, Brunswick (near the corner of Sydney Rd and Blyth St)

For more information please contact Brooke 0433 680 980 or brooklyndance@hotmail.com

Facebook: Brooklyn Dance

The BURN Collective Performance at the Sydney Salsa Congress 2009

The BURN COLLECTIVE performing at the Sydney Salsa congress!

They got a standing ovation in front of a huge crowd and lots of positive feedback.

The Burn Collective brought together the following dance schools:

IUAC Dance Arts Studio
Bailando Latin Dance
Synergy Salsa
Brooklyn Dance
Melbourne Dance Rhythm

I am glad to see that those dance schools came together to represent Melbourne. The Burn team really made Melbourne proud, since only 4 out of the 30+ international troupes got a standing ovation.

Another Friday night venue: Equinox Bar in the City

Unfortunately, this salsa night has been cancelled.

Salseros, rejoice! Another venue has been added to a growing list of Latin entertainment in Melbourne.

It's Equinox Bar on the corner of Elizabeth and Lt Lonsdale Streets in the City.

Brooke and Sepehr from Brooklyn Dance School will be teaching classes there on Friday nights.

Beginners' class starts at 6:30pm,
Intermediate - at 7:30pm.

After the classes you can shake it to the sounds of the LATIN NIGHT.

Intermediate Salsa Workshop with Brooklyn Dance School and John Gray

Here's a workshop announcement from my friends at

Brooklyn Dance School in conjunction with John Gray are running an Intermediate Salsa Workshop on Sunday, the 23rd of September from 12- 4.30pm.

It is 4.5 hour workshop, during which we will provide you with lunch and light refreshments, and you will learn Performance/Social style lifts, shines and partner work.

A DVD will also be provided with the days lessons and bonus steps.

The Fee for this awesome workshop is $130 per person with a class limit of 20 guys and girls, so book NOW.

Bookings require a $50 deposit or full payment and can be made via Brooke at Lotus Bar on Wednesday nights at 172 Toorak Road, Sth Yarra, John Gray contactable on 0424 180 569 or the Space Dance Studio upstairs, 318 Chapel Street, Prahran.

A 3% surcharge will apply for payment made by cards at the Space.
For any other information please contact Brooke Gittings on 0433 680 980 or email her at brooklyndance@hotmail.com.

No salsa at Lotus this Wednesday, August 29

Brooke from Brooklyn Dance School asked me to spread the news that there will be no salsa at Lotus this Wednesday. The club has been booked for a private function.

The lessons will resume on the following Wednesday.

Foot styling #1 (taught to me by Sepehr)

Perhaps, I should start posting the descriptions of some of the routines and moves that I'm learning from my different teachers, just so that I remember.

I will start with an easy but stylish men's foot styling sequence that Sepehr from Brooklyn Dance School taught me after the class on Friday.

Counts:
1. Tap with the front of the left foot in front and a little to the right of the centre of your body.
2. Tap with the heel of the left foot.
3. Step back to the beginning position.
4. A quick tap with the right foot (front or heel).
5, 6, 7 - A normal step back with the right foot.

My Hectic Salsa Schedule

Over the last week and a half I had something to do with salsa almost every night - is that a sign of extreme dedication or a crazed obsession? Normally, it's 3-4 nights a week. I don't think I will be doing it this much in the future, but it was good to do a "salsa immersion".

Last week:

• Monday - Private lesson with Brooke Gittings from Brooklyn Dance School.
• Tuesday - After my Toastmasters' meeting I stopped by Grosvenor in St Kilda to see if anyone I knew was at the Melbourne Salsa class
• Wednesday - Beginner and Intermediate classes at Lotus (Brooklyn Dance School). I stayed on to practise during the salsa dura they have afterwards. I like the atmosphere, the people at the class and of course the teachers.
• Thursday - Intermediate and Beginner classes at Felix in St Kilda. Cynon (Cy) of Salsita is a great teacher (and a very flirty show-off that is great to watch and take tips from when he's dancing) and his classes were my first. Since I started going to this class four months ago, I got to know my fellow students in this intimate class a lot better.
• Friday - Salsa for Oxfam organised by Brooklyn Dance School and Sassy Young Professionals (specifically a slim and good looking girl Lucy who is a fellow vegetarian)
• Saturday - Copacabana International.
• Sunday - St Kilda Sea Baths. Contrary to my expectations, despite the chilly wind and low temperatures, it was packed with dancers and onlookers.

This week so far:

• Monday - Private lesson with Brooke
• Tuesday - My puppy was in an accident and left his body (anybody who wants an explanation of what I mean by that can contact me on my Yahoo messenger ID listed on the left in my profile).
• Wednesday - Classes and social dancing at Lotus. I really needed to get out of my place and take my mind off the sad thoughts. Ally, a feminine New Zealander, who I met at Copacabana on Friday last week and invited to the class, also turned up and enjoyed it. I had to skip a half of the beginner's class to have my hand re-bandaged with Marie's kind help at the nearby pharmacy.
• Thursday - Classes at Felix with Cy. We are going over the routine he's been teaching us for a couple of months now.
• Friday - Salsa for Oxfam - I danced with Dani who just couldn't stop laughing for some reason. I suspect it had something to do with the James Bond looks I was giving her. Then most of the students, including me, went to the Christmas Salsa Party at Ossobo. Fun was had by all. I met another fellow Toastmaster (I had no idea she did salsa) and danced with her, as well as with Brooke and Samatha (who also goes to Brooke's classes). There were a few floor shows again.