Time to reflect on your salsa year 2011...

In 2011 I moved to a new scene and have enjoyed getting to know the salser@s there, although it took a while to find classes that suited me. I've been delighted to find a particular leader who has an absolutely brilliant frame. I can't tell you what a difference it makes.

I had a slight crisis of confidence at the start of the year and lost the desire to dance for a few months which was the longest I've been away from it. But I knew it would come back eventually and now I'm planning lots of events for 2012!
 
Shall I kick off then...?

2011 has been a year of salsa discovery for me. I only started dancing on2 in late February / early March this year, and on1 over the summer. When I started I'd never really ever been dancing before, let alone partner dancing, and I was so intimidated after my first class I almost didn't come back. However I've never been a quitter, and I'm so glad I carried on.

It hasn't been easy, I've had to learn the rudiments of rhythm and timing from scratch. I knew absolutely nothing about music. I was absolutely terrified at the thought of social dancing. However now I consider myself at a very advanced Improver level / wannabe Intermediate. My dancing, though limited, seems to be smooth and flowing, at least on a reasonable night, and most follows of my ability level do seem to generally enjoy dancing with me. All in all, a result.

Learning salsa has been fantastic for me. I've not only got myself a hobby that will keep me fit and healthy late into life, but I've made loads and loads of new friends. My one regret was that I waited until I was in my forties to learn. High points of the year were: the whole year, but in particular finding the courage to social dance at a Congress, and being told by another leader he was following my style (lol)....

I can't thank the team at the Boston (but particularly Jura, who was so patient with me, and Anja, whose foot I trod on), and at City Academy (Magda and Dani K, who gave me the confidence to social dance) enough.:kisskiss:
 
My salsa year was quite chaotic. I thought that I was forming a dance group with someone and 4/5 months into doing it she told me that she just inivited me to participate and that I don't have any ownership on her idea. Same person asked me to teach with her and now at the end has said she no longer wants me to do so in 2012. On the other hand I have started djing on a regular basis and my knowledge of music has grown immensely. The music, my teaching skills, my djing all have improved greatly. I know what I am good at. I can create rueda that flows, and that comes from my feel of movement and music. There aren't many can do that. Many can call rueda but not as many can create flow. I have made many friends in the salsa world.
 
An eventful year...

I moved to a new country just after New Year 2011, and it meant leaving one of the most thriving salsa cities in the world to settle in a small regional town with a small regional scene. The frustration led me to embark on an epic salsa tour, with a congress/weekender/road trip every fortnight or so (http://www.salsaforums.com/showpost.php?p=180531&postcount=140), which was a bit over the top even by my standard :lol: Met loads of new people though, and danced with loads of SFers - 28 new names (http://www.salsaforums.com/showpost.php?p=193625&postcount=791) and many old friends 8)

Then in March the triple whammy of earthquakes, massive tsunami and subsequent nuclear disasters hit Japan (where I lived in 2007-2010) so I decided to do some fundraising through my salsa trips. Many of my dear salsa friends - including many SFers - helped me :notworthy: and I also made new friends through the effort, which raised over £1600.

In the first few months of this year I felt (for the first time) that I was regressing instead of progressing in terms of technique, and out of frustration I started this thread: http://www.salsaforums.com/showthread.php?t=17705 (I'm still looking for more feedback by the way! :)). Based on the feedback I received, I took a couple of privates with teachers I respect and aspire to in order to rework my basic, and they helped me enormously. So looking back now I think I have made some progress in my technique in the second half of the year, although I've still got a lot to work on.

So a bit of an emotional roller coaster of a year, but all in all a good, memorable one :)
 
2011 was the year:

I finally started to transform my local Salsa scene after 3/4 of a year trying to work it out.

I hooked up with the wider Salsa community in Scotland and started to develop a small profile.

I started to DJ again, but this time a great deal more seriously, and even getting paid once or twice :P

I took my own knowledge of the music and its heritage to a new, and more profound level.

I got involved with the Salsa Forums Shines Complilations!

I took Casino seriously, to a point where I am now confident of dancing with any partner and, with sufficient rum, taking part in moderately pitched Rueda :P

---

A summary of 2011 would say it was a universally good year for my life in Salsa. I believe my own dancing has leaped ahead from where it was in 2010. Partly this was rehabilitation from a little while out of the loop, but also more than this.

I've made some great friends, catching up with Blair, Azzey and Sir Dancealot more than regularly on my travels :P

But hey, now there is the SSC to look, immediately, forward to, so in a strange way this will be the culmination of 2011 for me!
 
A difficult year for a dedicated dancer! Kicked off 2011 with a bang - I was in Tokyo and it didn't matter what time I got in the night before, I was going to Caribe or Latino the next night! The Caribe dancers simply speak the same dialect of the same salsa language as I do - it's seamless to dance there. Followed up with the Sydney Salsa Congress which was indescribably awesome :) The Melbourne Latin Festival was also terrific.

Then back to the small scene I had moved to in 2010 (Melbourne). It's tough here. It's SO cliquey, competitive, possessive. I've made some lovely friends, attracted a small posse of regular leads, and happily dance with all comers, but it's tough. It's all about reputation preserving and advancing, and showing who you know...if I didn't consistently ask I'd be sitting down a lot. It's also a follower heavy scene, and turning up out of the blue as a good follow doesn't earn you many friends. However, I can tell I have the grudging respect of some of the established follows now, and am even getting some greeting smiles! It just takes resilience.

Dancing-wise I felt like I was stagnating or regressing. Then I attended the Australian Salsa Classic and realised "No I'm not!" I just needed a good dose of damn good leads to realise "Hey, I am still a good dancer!" Nevertheless, I can't shake my homesickness for my 'hometown', Osaka. I miss it so much. Even though when I visit I can't dance too much, as I've been so incredibly busy in the last several years I couldn't attend lessons and I couldn't learn on2 (Osaka is on2 Town). I just hang out and dance with the Los Valientes crowd, who can do everything. I love those guys :) Osaka is so friendly and inclusive, and Kyoto and Kobe are right there with more salsa, with good train connections.

I'll see what I can find this year, keep attending Melbourne parties with a smile and a positive attitude, ignore the snobs if I can, and get to Sydney as much as possible! Despite several circumstances tying me to Australia, however, I can't see myself living there beyond about 2 more years. The isolation gets to me and I miss my core of salsa friends in Japan...Right now, looking forward enormously to the Sydney Congress! Please ask me to dance if you see me there, you know I'll always accept :D
 
I rediscovered salsa. I took a break from my other websites to focus on my Latin music site (SeaLatin). I really enjoyed researching the stories behind Bilongo/Mandinga and Maria Lionza and want to cover as much ground as I can before I have to get back to work on my other sites.

azana said:
It's tough here. It's SO cliquely, competitive, possessive.
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That was my first salsa lesson. ;)
 
In January 2011 - I was almost too afraid to social dance, I had terrible rythm, no timing, no love of salsa music and floundered from one lesson to another. One year on, I have decent timing, good body movement and styling, a smooth clear lead that is often complimented, comfortably choreograph complex moves on the fly, more moves than i can use in a song, the bare emergings of musicality and the growing realisation that in fact Im barely scratching the surface of salsa. I now appreciate and love complex salsa music which cries out to be expressed. This time next year I will be one of the top 10 leads in my local scene. 2011 you have been emotional :)
 
TwoLeftFeet said:
One year on, I have decent timing, good body movement and styling, a smooth clear lead that is often complimented, comfortably choreograph complex moves on the fly, more moves than i can use in a song, the bare emergings of musicality and the growing realisation that in fact Im barely scratching the surface of salsa.
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This is precisely where I would like to be by the end of THIS year....
 
As posted in the Fera de Cali and Tips: Getting Dances threads: a return trip to La Feria 2012 is a must. Now that I know the "lay of the land" it'll be easier to plan and get the most euphoria, "allegria" and expression of "sentirlo".
The year started out pretty well and ended on an awesome note: December 30/31 2011 at 3am at Canchas Panamericanas in Cali Colombia with La Sonora Poncena playing is going to rank up there with June 15 1999. Back then I had danced all I had and the band had more. The journey for more began. December 31 2011 I finally felt like it all came together: the music, the setting, the people, the flow, the movement and the response. One of those awesome moments that only happen once and then we keep searching for it over and over.
 
For me 2011, more precisely its second half (starting with the Hamburg Congress, I'd say), was probably the most significant salsa time within the past 4-5 years. After somewhat of a baby break, a huge "salsa depression", not dancing at all for awhile and later dancing only occasionally I finally started to go out dancing more regularly, which, obviously, brought a huge change in everything: my following became better again, I don't feel like I'm about to break down after one song, I do not need half of the night anymore just to remember how this entire game works, and, most importantly, I met a lot of "new" and rediscovered many "old" people so going out is much more fun in general.
Dancingwise I don't think I am back at the level where I used to be which is somewhat frustrating sometimes (I used to dance about every day for something like two and a half years when I started, so that level will be hard to reach anyway) but I am starting to work on it - now that I rediscovered my motivation I also know what I would like to work on and what I'd like to achieve, and that's a huge step taking into consideration that just about a year ago I was still contemplating to quit salsa altogether. Now that I regained my mojo and found a more positive approach to this whole thing I am looking forward to the upcoming salsa year and what it may bring along!
 
Hi,

2011 was a fantastic year for me, salsa-wise. :D

In the first two months I had finally broken out of beginner's hell, after taking classes for 2 years. Looking back, I think why my signficant improvement happened then, rather than earlier, later or never, was:

  • (i) A group of fellow students had moved up to the next level, leaving just a few people in my class; so the instructor could spend more time with each of us,
  • (ii) There was more men than ladies, so the instructor, during practice, had to be a follower. This was a first for me - up to that point the instructor had always played the leaders part.
  • (iii) I started to take a second weekly class with a different school.

I cannot overemphasise the contribution of (ii) to my rapid improvement - when I was dancing with the instructor she was able to identify and correct the faults which were blocking my progress. For the instructor, I would guess that actually dancing with the student gives a much clearer appreciation of their faults than just watching them.

(Perhaps this is a factor why beginner followers improve faster than beginner leaders - the followers always have the advantage of dancing with the instructor?).

Around mid-year, I was getting grumpy because my improvement had slowed down, and I couldn't understand why my social dancing wasn't at the same standard as my class work. A question to these Forums soon provided excellent advice (thank you all again) - basically, I just had to get out there and do a lot more social dancing.

Just dance, dance, dance. It's surprising that, even for a clunk like me, the rough edges are smoothed out, timing is clearer, confidence improves.

Wow, it's been a big year for my dancing - and the difference from where I started the year to where I am now - the question now is can I continue improving into the new year?


Best wishes for 2012,
Regards,
HalfMan
 
At the start of 2011:
-I was rubbish
-I thought I was rather good
-I didn't really notice/care what my partner was feeling

A year later:
-I am much improved
-I think I am rubbish
-I try to ensure people enjoy dancing with me

Now I know I'm really just at the beginning of what is possible, it's actually kinda a fun and inspiring place to be.

This year I learnt on2, and also really got into Mambo music - both made my dancing and musicality better, but I got a bit snobby about what I like & dislike.
I joined SF, which has been interesting and amusing, and I've met some great people as a result.
I decided I am not a fan of the angst and dramas of being part of a scene.
I learnt I have better nights when I travel to different events/cities, I like dancing with new people and the possibility of finding that magic.

My fave nights have been at abakua, pexava and tnt@theboston.

I still remember my fave dancer of the year.
 
This year I learned on2, and refined all the rest (lead, movement, spins, ...). I listened to an incredible quantity of music and love it so much. Old school dura is so nice...
I discovered the London scene and met lots of cool people such as Olamalam and MacMoto. Olamalam is such a great friend!!
Now that I moved in Sydney, I'm starting to know people the scene becomes more fun. As my level and experience continuously grow, I find I'm able to enjoy more dances with everyone, the best and the not so good. Experience helps finding what is nice even if she has following/balance/whatever issues :)

It was a very positive year for me and salsa.
 
MacMoto said:
The year is almost over so it's time to look back... What was your salsa year like? What have you achieved? What was/were the high point(s) of the year for you?
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Overall, I consider it to have been a good Salsa year. One of the most important changes is that I made the deliberate decision to cut back on my Salsa dancing and Salsa-related commitments. I still have a lot of involvement in Salsa, but it was getting overwhelming.

By not social dancing as often, though, I found even more enjoyment in each dance, perhaps because each night of dancing became more special. I don't get as many compliments (for reasons that I may speculate in a separate thread), but the compliments that I do get have been extremely flattering and heartwarming. :)

I declared a "semi-retirement" from my studio's performance group during the spring, although I did wind up getting involved in a few small performances during the rest of the year. I'm hoping that I'm not needed in any performances in 2012, so that my only public display outside of social dancing will be in whatever Salsa Forums compilation might be produced. ;)

I feel like I'm continuing to make improvements as an instructor, and seeing some very pleasing results from students in my group classes and private lessons. I was also happy to help a couple put together their wedding dance and teach the choreography for the quinceanera of a friend's daughter. Those were some challenging yet very rewarding experiences.

I made great improvements in my Bachata dancing during 2011, which I think has translated into being a more musical Salsa dancer as well. I also experienced a "breakthrough" in my On2 dancing, finding it much more natural for me to break forward on the second beat, rather than stepping back ET2 style. Either way, I'll still be a predominantly On 1 dancer for life, though. :cool:

Finally, I've continued to expand my horizons within Salsa music, constantly searching for new sounds and unique artists. I'm occasionally responsible for putting together the music at my studio's socials, and dancers seem to be responding positively to the musical choices that I bring them.
 
Moved to a new city, went to loads (by my standards) of European congresses, and in so doing reconnected with old friends and got to know so many dancers who all have now become good friends and a massive support network in a sometimes-foreign place. My life of dance has become so much more enriched because of these lovely people. :)

MacMoto said:
Then in March the triple whammy of earthquakes, massive tsunami and subsequent nuclear disasters hit Japan (where I lived in 2007-2010) so I decided to do some fundraising through my salsa trips. Many of my dear salsa friends - including many SFers - helped me :notworthy: and I also made new friends through the effort, which raised over £1600.
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And was so very proud of you for starting this project Mac! :)
 
2011 has been a bit of a Salsa Trial:
Started very well 2011 from a personal point of view. Had a brilliant time at Scottish Congress. Found a new favourite dancer in Mechteld (of Brian & Mechteld, Holland) and also Morgans Spicey Rum :-)

Middle of the year was a massive low for me in that my dance/teaching partner of 6 years(I taught her from a novice) and very close friend had to drop off the scene totally due to family commitments. It was like losing an arm :-(

Had an excellent time at the Salsa-Central weekender topped off with being asked to teach and DJ there this year :-) http://www.salsacentralweekend.co.uk/

The year ended on a low/high. I underwent surgery on a longstanding ankle injury so have missed the last month or so dancing. :-( but fingers crossed will sort the problem.

The year as a whole in the UK the scene, especially in the Midlands/North seems to be well and truely hit by the rescession. Class numbers falling, venues closing. It's really difficult getting a quality night of dancing at the moment. There's still loads of "Latin nights" where theres a wide mix of music but few quality Salsa nights. :-(

On the up side ankle is doing really well and I'm looking forward to a full on 2012.
As soon as the ankle is up to speed I'm going to take a leaf out of Macs book and hit the weekend trail. Want to attend at least 7 or 8 weekenders Mar - Dec. Plus got the Scottish Congress in a couple of weeks time to look forward to - plenty of Rum drinking to be had :-)
 
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