Training for the World Salsa Summit 2019

salsero.dance said:
It looks better than the video in your first post. It still has some recognizable masculine elements.
Yet you are choosing to compete and be judged against a standard. You really think the people watching you don't think the dance has to look a certain way?

We've all seen Frankie dance. You say you feel salsa music the way he does, fine, you dance for your own well being and I can respect that. Just don't make the mistake of thinking you're impressing anyone with this style.
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Yes, I am choosing to compete, and I'm fully aware that there is a standard.

Which is one of my main drives and motivations to compete.

If you're not impressed, that's ok...

Like I said everyone has their own styles and preferences.

I don't expect anyone to like how I dance.

If they do...

Great...

If they don't...

cool.

I'm staying true to what moves me and makes me happy.

I really appreciate your feedback.

I'm aware of the situation, so I know what I have to face.

In any case, it will still be worth the effort, and training.
 
Hervin said:
I just put the video above to make a point... It was some random freestyle, and I didn't like how it looked.

In terms of the dance looking a particular way...

Wether that would be "powerful displacement", or "masculine", or "feminine"

We all have our tastes and preferences...

I don't think the dance "has to look a certain way"

I believe it all depends on how your feeling and what you want to communicate. That's just my opinion.

I believe dance is a tool for expression like any other. And the body mechanics are just like a instrument player practicing scales...

The point of the music is not scales, it's to communicate, to express...

Music don't have to sound "powerful" all the time... Or any particular way for that matter.

Same with dance.

I believe for a dancer to be great he/she is able to use the skills and tools of a dancer to be able to express him/herself honestly.

It's a big journey and it takes a lot of skills to do that.

It's easier just to learn how to look powerful and learn some explosive/flashy moves and tricks... than achieving what I'm talking about here...

In any case...

Here is a clip of me doing something faster and more powerful...


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I would Love to see you doing YOUR thing on the dance floor!

-But when you compete in Salsa, you dance Salsa!
 
I just saw snippets of the other competitors.

You are right up there and to me there is no clear cut person who stands out. Some won't like your style, others will find it a breath of fresh air. I am in the latter category and I thoroughly enjoyed watching your performance. Also, great choice in music! It really suited your style of dancing.

We have to remember that everybody is a copy of someone else. What's important is that you execute what you know well and do your thing.

Bravo! It is very nice that you came here to document your journey as someone who has decided to take their art to the competitive stage.
 
Congratulations on the performance, Hervin! And as far as social dancing is concerned, a search of "hervin salsa" on YouTube will pull up several examples, many of which are on Hervin's own YouTube channel "Hervin Alvarez".
 
Observer(JB) said:
Congratulations on the performance, Hervin! And as far as social dancing is concerned, a search of "hervin salsa" on YouTube will pull up several examples, many of which are on Hervin's own YouTube channel "Hervin Alvarez".
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Thanks, I didn't figure out that there is private and business channel. Or they're both both. :D
Also curiously there is guy in Budapest who dances very similarly; just more footwork. Even these funny slippers.
 
I liked your style and music selection as well. Does remind me of Frankie a lot, but since he is your teacher and inspiration, that is not surprising. Your routine was different from the rest and refreshing. I liked how you choreographed expressing the music. Of seven or so of your competitors I watched, none did as good job as you in dancing to the music.

I saw some of the performances before and after you. Yours stood out for me. The prior two to you for example, I wouldn't be able to tell whether they were dancing to salsa music or hip-hop or something else. If muted the sound I wouldn't know what they were competing in.

I also thought the four or five performances before you and the two after you, were doing kind of same thing and predictable.

No offense, but salsa solo dancing is not a place for ballet or floor gymnastics. That is how I felt watching some of the other competitors.
 
Chris_Yannick said:
I just saw snippets of the other competitors.

You are right up there and to me there is no clear cut person who stands out. Some won't like your style, others will find it a breath of fresh air. I am in the latter category and I thoroughly enjoyed watching your performance. Also, great choice in music! It really suited your style of dancing.

We have to remember that everybody is a copy of someone else. What's important is that you execute what you know well and do your thing.

Bravo! It is very nice that you came here to document your journey as someone who has decided to take their art to the competitive stage.
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Offbeat said:
I liked your style and music selection as well. Does remind me of Frankie a lot, but since he is your teacher and inspiration, that is not surprising. Your routine was different from the rest and refreshing. I liked how you choreographed expressing the music. Of seven or so of your competitors I watched, none did as good job as you in dancing to the music.

I saw some of the performances before and after you. Yours stood out for me. The prior two to you for example, I wouldn't be able to tell whether they were dancing to salsa music or hip-hop or something else. If muted the sound I wouldn't know what they were competing in.

I also thought the four or five performances before you and the two after you, were doing kind of same thing and predictable.

No offense, but salsa solo dancing is not a place for ballet or floor gymnastics. That is how I felt watching some of the other competitors.
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You guys are awesome, thank you so much for the support. I really appreciate it.

Sadly I didn't even make it through the first round...

I honestly didn't do my best, as I felt really intimidated and alienated by the "crowd". It wasn't a neutral crowd of spectators. It was a crowd made up of solely other teams and competitors. So, when someone with a big team came up they had a group of 20 people (their teammates) cheering for them....

When I came out and as I performed it was DEAD SILENT, with a lot of people looking away... I wasn't prepared for that, so I felt awkward, and it threw me off my game (You can see in my choreography that I tumbled and lost balance like 2 or 3 times).

I didn't go there expecting to win, but I didn't think I would be flat out rejected.

I wanted to try out something new and see what would happen.

In my opinion, there were other people who did really good, but watching the replay and seeing the people who made it... I think I should have at least advanced to the next round.

I felt like if I didn't wear the glitter and had a choreography with flips, and moving around the stage (just for the sake of occupying space, as I don't think it added to the choreography) I wasn't going to be accepted.

My style is not for everyone and I understand that. I'm not going to change it just because I wasn't accepted in that competition.

Here is a short video I made yesterday... Enjoy!


And for anyone who wants to see the replay of my choreography, here it is...

 
Hervin said:
And for anyone who wants to see the replay of my choreography, here it is...

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You titled your video "First Place," that's not cool. I know you meant it as a joke but, I feel it's dishonest and unfair to the person who will end up winning. Small potatoes and nit-picking, I know, but hey, you posted it on here and I certainly would not have seen it if you hadn't posted it on this forum, so it's fair game for commentary.

Before I say anything, you're a lot better than I am and I wouldn't compete solo, so had to get that out of the way.

Anyway, you have talent because imitating Frankie is not easy at all. The problem with borrowing his style and even wardrobe, is we're comparing you to him, and that's tough for anyone. If we want 100% Frankie, then we'd rather just watch Frankie. Unless you grow to do a better version of him. Whereas if you had different supplementary styles, that would be helpful, because anyone who does anything remotely like Frankie is already unusual, and there would be no direct comparison to you except bits and pieces.

You're unusual because you appear more comfortable, fluid and balanced dancing slow than fast, which is usually the opposite in most other dancers. I wonder if you'll incorporate other styles, I think you could be on to something if you do.

You repeated moves several times in the performance, that's not usually a good idea. You also had moves that are usually meant for big 'drops' that seemed out of place musically in your piece.

But otherwise, I think you'll look back on this first time and see how you can modify your game plan. Dance is humbling that way, but hopefully you keep going. Like I said you're a talented guy so it'll be cool to see how things change now.
 
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