Going to New York: looking for tips

V

viking01

Hi all,

In September (30th August - 9th September) me and my girlfriend will be spending our holiday in New York.

As it so happens, this corresponds nicely with the NYC Salsa Congress *yay!*
Obviously, we'll be attending (either Saturday or Sunday).

Since this will be our first *real* congress and first-time dancing in New York, I'm looking for any tips or pointers you could give me, particularly on:

- The Congress:
I've been dancing on1 for about 3 years and I would consider myself a beginner to intermediate dancer. This is may not be the best way to get started in NY, but I have scheduled some privates in the coming month to get at least some feeling for on2.
Not to set myself up for disappointment, perhaps it may be best not to expect too much. Probably just "sniff up the ambiance" and go home with a bunch of DVD's...

- Dancing in NYC and the NYC "attitude":
Thanks to mambonyc.com, finding out where to dance is not much of a problem. Actually, I'm more concerned with dancers' attitudes.
What would you say are friendliest places or socials?

- Privates in NYC:
If possible, we would like to take some privates while there.
Besides the big names (Torres, Martinez,...) , who would you recommend for beginner on2 privates and what would be the going rate (I realize this may depend on the teacher)?

Any feedback is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Erik
 
Hi viking01

My fiance and I are are going to be at the congress and are in a similar position as you (few years dancing On1), though we are there during the week before the congress and leave the day after. I will also be keen to see what suggestions you get regarding where to dance, etc.
 
Get ready for a culture shock-- you may be a little intimidated by the " latinos ", remember-- its their culture, and you may learn more by watching how they interparate music ( depending on the dancer, of course )
Probably a lot of Descarga . Lot of different styles-- but thats what will make it interesting .
Subway is cheapest transport and will get you about anywhere you need to go . Try to eat in the suburbs ( not manhattan, very expensive ) lots of cafe types .
 
Hola mi gente!
!
I'm off to New York on Saturday! Woot!

My ET2 is very rusty, but I can at least keep time doing fairly simple stuff. I think it will only take a while before it feels more natural - I was leading some stuff I've never done in cha-cha the other day on time, I can feel how close the moment of clarity will be.

I will be looking up Eddie Torres's class on Sunday, and then I'm not sure what else I will be doing. If anyone would be kind enough to meet up & show this 1year of on1 dancer around one or two club nights (can't do the weekend following my arrival :() that would be massively appreciated!

Will attempt to get tickets for the Pre-Congress cruise on the Tuesday night, when I am out there. Otherwise, I fly back Wednesday night an miss the congress :(

Cheers guys... :banana: I'm pretty excited about going out there and doing some really challenging classes and seeing the NYC scene :D (Not to mention the wedding I'm going to :D)
 
Terence2 said:
Get ready for a culture shock-- you may be a little intimidated by the " latinos ", remember-- its their culture, and you may learn more by watching how they interparate music ( depending on the dancer, of course )
Probably a lot of Descarga . Lot of different styles-- but thats what will make it interesting .
Subway is cheapest transport and will get you about anywhere you need to go . Try to eat in the suburbs ( not manhattan, very expensive ) lots of cafe types .
Click to expand...

There will be great dancers from all over the world, including all ethnicities here in the USA. You will see great interpretation from Latinos, Asians, blacks, whites, etc.

Most people will dance On2, no doubt, but there will be some On1 dancers as well. Are you taking any congress workshops because there are several given On1, and the workshops would be a good time to ID the On1 dancers. In addition, there will be people dancing On2 that can dance both.

As far as the music, there will be live bands that tend to play long songs. Hopefully, Choco, the event organizer, will have a talk with the bands ... not likely though, lol. The DJs will play a range of music, depending on who is DJing. You will probably hear a lot of classic salsa because that is what a lot of dancers want to hear.

As far as where to eat, that might depend on where you are staying and your transportation options. The burbs might be cheaper, but the time and effort to get to the burbs, when you're on vacation, might not be worth it. I would look at some of the "cheap eat" websites for ideas. In addition, depending on your likes, there are food chains, pizza parlors, burrito spots, etc. You're in NYC so you might want to try some of the diverse cuisine. If you want to spend less, try eating in the more residential areas of wherever you are located, which is probably a universal practice. It won’t take long to realize that you can get a Red Bull for $2 at the drug store where it would cost $3 at the convenience store or whatever.

The public transportation system is extensive and inexpensive, as mentioned.

As far as privates, I'm not sure who would be best. However, unlike many other places, NYC has a lot of quality instruction at the group level. Perhaps you might want to take some group classes and follow-up with privates if needed. Many of the clubs often start the night with an intro class so if you get their ealry you can meet some of the instructors and talk with them about a private or group class. There will also be a gazillion instructors at the congress who will be teaching privates thoughout the weekend.
 
viking01 said:
- The Congress:
I've been dancing on1 for about 3 years and I would consider myself a beginner to intermediate dancer. This is may not be the best way to get started in NY, but I have scheduled some privates in the coming month to get at least some feeling for on2.
Not to set myself up for disappointment, perhaps it may be best not to expect too much. Probably just "sniff up the ambiance" and go home with a bunch of DVD's...
Click to expand...
See you at the congress! :D

I'll be there with a group from Scotland, and we can all dance on1. I'm sure there will be others who dance/can switch to on1 at the congress since it will not be just the locals who attend.
 
Thanks everyone, much appreciated!

MacMoto, Rundino, see you in NYC! :D
Guess it it won't be easy to hook up with probably 1000s of attendees though... I'll be on the lookout for on1 dancers then.

Anyone with suggestions on clubs and socials (and their ambiance) ?

cheers,
Erik
 
viking01 said:
MacMoto, Rundino, see you in NYC! :D
Guess it it won't be easy to hook up with probably 1000s of attendees though... I'll be on the lookout for on1 dancers then.
Click to expand...
There's a photo of me in the Photo Album section so if you see a girl resembling that, say hello! :)
 
There will be On1 dancers at the congress. but you really should do as much On2 dancing as you can before going to New York.

Saturday is the best congress night the last 3 years I have been.

Definitely go to Jimmy Anton's social on Sunday. There are all different levels of dancers there. It is the best dancing you will get that weekend. Many New Yorkers do not go to the congress but they will be at Jimmy's. There won't be much On1 there. If you are worried about not much On1 dancers, for $12 it is worth it just to go listen to the great music and experience great dancing.

I'm not going this year because I am tierd of shows which make dancing start too late. I just go to NYC at other times for dancing.
 
privates in nyc

I hope this message isn't too late....

If you're looking for beg on2 private lessons, consider Claudine Curry who is an excellent instructor and one of the friendliest salseras in New York. She does give private lessons, although I'm not sure of her schedule this week. You can also check out her group class schedule on her website.

http://www.mambo2chacha.com/

Other instructors that may be lesser-known around the world, but offer good instruction are: Carlos Konig, Jimmy Anton and Winsome Lee. I believe they all offer private lessons.
 
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