With over 90 minutes of beginner instruction, this DVD features Salsa dance lessons from nationally known instructor, choreographer and performer Marlon Silva. Included as a special feature are four music videos with Salsa music from Guaracha.Basic Combinations: Marlon and Suzie Neff demonstrate a push-pull spin, used in many of Marlon's combinations.Basic Spinning Combinations, Part 1: Marlon and Susie continue their instruction with spinning combinations built upon the previously learned shoulder combinations.Basic Spinning Combinations, Part 2: This episode emphasizes rolling your partner in and out, twisting arms, and switching hands, while keeping the same principles you have learned so far.Merengue Dancing, Part 1: Includes beginning steps of Merengue and a history of Merengue.Merengue Dancing, Part 2: Includes some Merengue vocabulary one should know in social situations. Also learn a new trend, Jumping Merengue.

With over 90 minutes of beginner instruction, this DVD features Salsa dance lessons from nationally known instructor, choreographer and performer Marlon Silva. Included as a special feature are four music videos with Salsa music from Guaracha.Basic Steps: Marlon and his partner Suzie Neff, teach the basic steps of salsa dancing in the back-and-forth step.Spinning: Learn the basics of spinning to spin with the right technique every time on the dance floor.Couple Dancing: Marlon and Susie demonstrate dancing as a couple, including the proper technique for hand position, resistance and distance.Leader Techniques: Learn the four leader techniques used to lead combinations the right way.Basic Combinations: Add spice to your Salsa by using all the techniques learned to make your first combination!

Eddie Palmieri is perhaps the most difficult of all Latin artists to sum up in a compilation -- even a 30-track, double-disc set like The Sun of Latin Music, comprised of tracks from the Alegre, Tico, Coco, Intersong, and Fania labels. Compilation producer Ernesto Lechner writes enthusiastically in his liner notes that "this compilation of classic tunes from the '60s, '70s, and '80s only begins to skim the surface of Palmieri's prodigious output. It is meant to act as a comprehensive introduction...." These assertions are both correct. Palmieri has recorded such an astonishing variety of charangas, salsas, Afro-Cuban sons, boleros, and rhumbas, and forged his own ambitious brand of Latin jazz, that he's impossible to peg. But then, what's on display here is the brand -- Palmieri himself. The set begins in 1962 with his "trombanga" (charanga with trombones) band La Perfecta and their debut album of the same name. The theme song is chosen here, and from the ubiquitous clave rhythmic figure and Ismael Quintana's vocals, one can already surmise why this recording is still regarded as vital in the 21st century. The disc moves through various changes with this band through 1967, until he broke up that band and went off on his own. This disc also includes the dance classic "Azúcar," the title track -- and monster club hit -- that offered the real hardcore foundation for salsa in New York, and is regarded as the music's authentic anthem. Palmieri claims in the liner notes that this track was a hit before he ever recorded it -- the dancers would be waiting for it as the set closer in his appearances.Disc one also includes the big changeup in a pair of tunes recorded with Cal Tjader (it was the second of two collaborations from the 1960s -- the other, El Sonido Nuevo: The New Soul Sound on Verve, had Tjader's name listed first). There is the beautiful ballad "We've Loved Before," an interpretation of a tune by Henry Mancini, and "Resemblance," a kicking Latin soul-jazz number. Disc two commences with "Aye Que Rico," a single recorded in 1968 during the boogaloo craze that appeared on the album Champagne. Palmieri was never really a fan of the genre, but this jam is positively infectious, with Quintana on vocals and the mighty Cachao holding down the bass chair. The burning Afro-Cuban salsa of the title track from 1970's Justicia features one of Quintana's finest vocal performances and the smoking percussion of the mighty conguero Chano Pozo. Palmieri's piano solo is pure poetic brutality to boot. Interestingly, this is followed by a whopping three tracks from yet another necessary Palmieri album, Superimposition from the same year. These cuts -- from the smoking heat of Afro-Cuban son on "La Malanga" to the laid-back salsa groove in "Pa Huele" (a cover of a tune by Arsenio Rodríguez) to the sultry Latin jazz number "Ice Cream" -- showcase three entirely different personas of Palmieri. There are a number of cuts from his first breakthrough (to the Anglos) a

SalsaBootCamp.com is a completely online dance school, covering all styles of Salsa Dance, Cha Cha, Bachata and Merengue. Absolutely exceptional, step by step, dance instruction, and dancing videos, take any level of dancer to new heights.

When a local radio station announces a contest for a dance marathon, the beautiful and talented Lupita becomes the desired partner for all the male dancers in town. Unfortunately, Lupita's old and violently jealous ex-boyfriend, about to be released from prison, has vowed to kill whoever she picks as her new partner. Maribel Guardia, a former Miss Costa Rica and one of the biggest music and film stars in Mexico stars as Lupita. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.

With Al Rojo Vivo, Danny Rojo again demonstrates why he is one of the most romantic salsa vocalists. The album has a few dance numbers but the tunes that make the greatest impact are the ballads, which showcase his rich voice at its most seductive. ~ Terry Jenkins, All Music GuidePerformers: Félix Inzua - Tamboura, Vocals (Background); Rafael de Jesus - Horn; Marc Quiñones - Bongos, Campana, Drums (Kettle), Guiro, Kettle Drums, Maracas, Tamboura, Tumbadora; Lisandro Arias - Drums, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals (Background); Lucho Cueto - Keyboards; Bob Franceschini - Flute, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor); Ramón Sánchez - Keyboards; Pablo Santaella - Trombone

Putumayo's bread and butter lies in Latin releases, and as they get bigger they also seem to get better at picking out a proper variety that can meld together into a coherent compilation while still retaining the ideal of being particularly worldly. Here, they do it again with an omnipresent groove. The pieces here clump pretty closely around the Cuban styles, but the bands are as far flung as one would expect from Putumayo. The album opens with a slick number from Raul Paz, a Cuban living in Paris. Senegalese son follows quickly, performed flawlessly. Soon these are followed by a contemporary version of a boogaloo (with hints of Rob Thomas perhaps?), a proper old-school salsa, and some updated timba (from Sweden, no less). The first departure from straightforward Cuban sounds doesn't come until midway through the album, with the addition of a soukous motive mixed into a strong salsa from Ricardo Lemvo (and largely in Lingala!). Right after that though, the departures from Cuba becomes stronger, with los Pinguos, who slyly convert a bit of Argentine folk into reggae, and then into a more Cuban sound. The album finishes with a collection of more contemporary versions -- NG la Banda plays some more timba, Yerba Buena updates the New York sound a bit, and Brooklyn Funk Essentials incorporate whatever they like. It's a nice album overall. The parts don't always make sense separately, but they fit together stylistically into a journey of Cuban music paradoxically more separable into time frames than into geographical frames. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide

Let's Dance Salsa: Beginning Lessons 1Basic Steps: Learn the basic steps of salsa dancing in the back-and-forth step.Spinning: Learn the basics of spinning.Couple Dancing: Marlon Silva and Suzie Neff demonstrate dancing as a couple, including the proper technique for hand position, resistance and distance.Leader Techniques: Learn the four leader techniques used to lead combinations the right way.Basic Combinations: Add spice to your Salsa by using all the techniques learned to make your first combination!Let's Dance Salsa: Beginning Lessons 2Basic Combinations: Marlon and Suzie demonstrate a push-pull spin, used in many of Marlon's combinations.Basic Spinning Combinations, Part 1: Spinning combinations built upon the previously learned shoulder combinations.Basic Spinning Combinations, Part 2: This episode emphasizes rolling your partner in and out, twisting arms, and switching hands, while keeping the same principles you have learned so far.Merengue Dancing, Part 1: Includes beginning steps of Merengue and a history of Merengue.Merengue Dancing, Part 2: Includes some Merengue vocabulary one should know in social situations.Let's Dance Salsa: Intermediate LessonsStretching Techniques: Stretching techniques for dancing. Prevent injury, increase flexibility, have fun and look great.Cape Combinations: Movement in these Cape Combinations involves a salsa lock where partners stand abreast and lock arms behind each other's necks.The Vine: The Vine is an intricate mixture of combinations from previous episodes.The Tunnel: A technique called The Tunnel involves spinning, locking your partner in front of you and switching hands over your heads to form a tunnel.Merengue Pretzel: This unique combination which lights up the dance floor with intricate moves combining skills learned in previous lessons of Let's Dance Salsa.Merengue Combinations: Learn new Merengue combinations with plenty of ducks and spins. Includes both the classical European position and trendy Jumping Merengue style. Learn to signal your partner and use hand positions that will prevent injury.Let's Dance Salsa: Advanced and Expert CombinationsSquare Dance: Learn the Square Dance, a technique used in competitions to measure the dance floor. If you lose the beat, the Square Dance is a good way to get it back.Knee: Learn a flashy technique called The Knee. The leader crouches on one knee and leads the follower back and forth. Leaders jump back up, catch the follower's hand and continue dancing.Dip Essentials: Learn dip essentials for salsa. A move where the leader wraps his arms around his partner's back to give her confidence and balance. This is the safest way to dip without injury.Dip Variations: Learn some variations to spice up your dips, including Neck Combinations and Tango Dips.Leader's Blender: Mix it up with The Blender technique, a complex sp

Welcome to Smooth Dance Moves Online Dance Learning Centre! We are proud to offer a wealth instructional video downloads for Salsa, Zouk and Gafieira Samba, each displaying basic steps that to get you started. Learn and practice at home!

SalsaBootCamp.com is a completely online dance school, covering all styles of Salsa Dance, Cha Cha, Bachata and Merengue. Absolutely exceptional, step by step, dance instruction, and dancing videos, take any level of dancer to new heights. Dance videos

Advanced and Expert Combinations features essential salsa combinations, unavailable anywhere else, by renowned dance instructor and choreographer Marlon Silva.Square Dance: Learn the Square Dance, a technique used in competitions to measure the dance floor. If you lose the beat, the Square Dance is a good way to get it back.Knee: Learn a flashy technique called The Knee. The leader crouches on one knee and leads the follower back and forth. Leaders jump back up, catch the follower's hand and continue dancing.Dip Essentials: Learn dip essentials for salsa. A move where the leader wraps his arms around his partner's back to give her confidence and balance. This is the safest way to dip without injury.Dip Variations: Learn some variations to spice up your dips, including Neck Combinations and Tango Dips.Leader's Blender: Mix it up with The Blender technique, a complex spinning maneuver that requires total control in the spins of both followers and leaders. The resulting motion resembles a blender.Follower's Blender: Now that the leaders have learned The Blender, the followers need to know their role. Both leaders and followers must exhibit total control in their spins.Reverse: Learn how to reverse any combination, including how to change hand positions that enable the leader to switch from a counterclockwise to a clockwise rotation. Several different combination reversals are illustrated.

After spending years out of the spotlight in virtual obscurity, Juan Formell and his trend-setting group, Los Van Van, stepped boldly back onto center stage with their 2003 release, En el Malecon de la Habana. With a number of live records to their credit, Los Van Van have always wanted for a record that truly captured their vibrant, electrifying live performance. Often due to low-budget fidelity, Los Van Van live records tend to lack punch and sparkle. This edition, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the Contemporary Tropical category, sounds clear and precise, allowing the listener to appreciate the exquisitely tight performance. The pre-timba innovations on the traditional salsa style that made Los Van Van Cuba's most popular dance band are all out in force, including Changuito's use of both timbales and drum set, Cesar Pedroso's brilliant arranging technique, plenty of hip-hop and disco influence, and their trademark percussion breakdown sections. For modern listeners, the recording quality and use of synthesized sounds has made Los Van Van a difficult listen from time to time. En el Malecon de la Habana offers a fresh, unfettered chance to hear these stylistic pioneers, swinging as hard today as they did in 1980. Maybe harder. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music GuidePerformers: Samuel Formell - Mezcla; Manuel Labarrera - Tumbadora; Hugo Morejon - Organo, Sintetizador, Trombone; Ernesto Nodarse - Mezcla; Juan Formell - Bajo Sexto, Campana, Drums, Timbales, Vocals; Juliol Noroña - Guiro; Roberto "Guayacán" Hernández - Conga, Vocals; Alvaro Collado - Trombone; Pedro Fajardo - Violin; Irving Frontela - Violin; Boris Luna - Keyboards; Edmondo