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Edie,
The
Salsa
Freak!!
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Interview of Rene Gueits
By Edie, The Salsa FREAK
I have had the honor of knowing Rene Gueits for two years now, and never had I met a man with more energy, passion, and enthusiasm for Salsa. From watching him teach with laughter and energy, it’s obvious he’s doing what he loves, and loves what he’s doing.
Rene Gueits created and developed what is known today as Miami’s Salsa Lovers Dance Studios, now the largest Salsa dance schools the world has ever known. Presently surpassing over 28,000 students, Rene Gueits has become a legend in Miami’s history.
His new Casino Rueda Beginner through Advanced video series teaches the rest of the world the Universal Standards for Rueda calls, and is reaching Salseros spanning the globe. Rene Gueits is quickly becoming an International legend.
Many of his former students have now moved on and started schools of their own, paying him the highest of compliments by imitating his style, and teaching excellence. None have come close however, to the sheer masses of students, and the Master Instructor himself. Once you’ve taken one of Rene’s classes, you’re hooked.
His talents go beyond Salsa to other forms of dance like… Tango! We were all surprised last year when his dance team came to Washington DC for the International Salsaweb Convention, and performed part of their routine to a Tango! It was fabulous!
We’re all very much looking forward to having Rene as one of the International Instructors at this year’s International Salsaweb Convention.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are very proud to introduce to you Mr. Rene Gueits!
Where are you originally from?
I’m originally from Miami with Cuban/P.R. dissent.
How long have you lived in Miami?
My whole life
Do you do anything else besides teach and dance for a living? (Hobbies, website, etc…)
I enjoy reading and watching films.
How old were you when you became interested in dance?
I was around 9 yrs. old when I first started dancing.
Who were your mentors / instructor(s) when you first started dancing?
Didio Barrera, Jorge Nel and Chantal Liquier are professional dancers and instructors whom first gave me the skills to teach and dance.
What got you interested in teaching? Who encouraged you?
When I started teaching ballroom part-time I enjoyed it so much that I decided to teach for a living, and honestly my students have encouraged me and continue encouraging me throughout the years.
What other forms of dance or types of dances do you teach?
Argentine tango, Hustle, all International Ballroom dances.
Tell us a little bit about your style and methods of teaching.
My main focus is to make my class feel comfortable with me and the idea of dancing in front of people.
Who are some of your favorite dance partners, peers, and mentors?
This would be a long list since there are many people whom I look up to but some of those people are my instructors who teach thousands of students weekly and love every moment of it.
Tell us a little about your teaching schedule. Where do you teach, and how often?
Well, right now I am only teaching about 15-20 hours a week at our Miami southwest location even though I sometimes rotate through out our 3 locations.
What was the toughest thing about starting to teach in Miami?
Getting the public to understand that our method was a very simple and quick way to learn “Miami Salsa”.
Where would you like to go teach, that you haven’t gone to yet?
Japan
How is Casino style dancing in Miami different than that of Cuba?
Miami’s casino dancing has some disco style too it where as Cuban dancing is more from the waist down.
It’s now the year 2000. How many students have now gone through your classes?
Our database currently shows 28,617 that students have passed through our schools.
Do you take any other type of external training, like Ballroom? I still take some jazz, ballroom and modern dance to keep in shape
What does your schedule look like for the year 2000?
The year 2000 has started out great for us and we’re looking forward to future growth.
Tell us about your Dance Company. You guys were GREAT last year at the Convention in DC. What do you have in store for us this year?
We try to keep our dancers interested in fresh routines and different dances, this years performance is another surprise.
Do you see the LA style and New York style slowly influencing the Miami style, and visa versa?
Yes, I think that with the salsa conventions we’ve had the opportunity to pick up on each others style of dancing, and that’s what dancing is all about.
What do you find most satisfying about teaching?
Boosting up the self-esteem of my students, and allowing them to reach a confident level where they become more social.
One thing that impresses me about you is the amount of turn patterns you know for Casino Rueda. What is the maximum number of measures a single turn pattern can take?
There’s no count limit but there are some turns that have up to 60 measures.
How big do your classes usually get? Describe them for us. (number of instructors, hours, number of people, system of teaching)
We have 3 locations which run simultaneously. Our Southwest and Hialeah group classes which run for four hours with approx. 3 to 4 hundred students, 6 instructors and a total of 9 dance levels. At our private studio we have about 13-20 private lessons daily, each school follows the exact same formatted syllabus which I created.
How many teachers do you have total?
28 certified instructors.
You have a specific teaching syllabus that you follow. What qualifies a beginner to move on to the next level, and who usually makes that decision?
Once a student as mastered the combinations required from that level, one of our certified instructors will pass them on to the next higher level.
Where do you get all your teaching material?
From my past experiences and training in the dance world.
What are your future plans for dancing and teaching?
I never speak about my newest ideas, I like to keep them a surprise.
I recently wrote an article about “the spaghetti arms” rule for Salseras visiting Miami. Has this changed at all?
Not at all. Remember to dance what we call the “ Cuban salsa” a women must relax her arms in order for the man to be able to lead properly.
What parts of the world have you sold your new video series to?
Thanks to Salsaweb; Japan, Holland, Alaska, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Paris, Israel, Germany, Australia and United States.
I understand you are coming out with a new video series. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
We are in production of our Master Level and One-on-One Combination video series which consist of our more advanced turns.
Before your Casino Rueda video series hit the market in 1999, it was difficult for people from out of town to join in on Miami’s Rueda Circles at clubs without taking a class. This often alienated visiting Salseros from all over the world. Do you feel that your videos have helped others throughout the world understand those calls now?
I have spoken to a few out-of-towners who have told me that our videos is one of the best they have seen, and that it has helped them understand the style and moves being used in Miami’s nightclubs. I hope it will continue to help salseros all over the world so they can feel capable of joining in any Casino/Rueda they see.
If you had to live your life all over again, what would you have done differently?
I have done and said things that I have later regretted I guess this is part of being human but I have always tried to be compassionate and caring to people. I try to go out of my way to help anyone in need. I don’t think I would really change anything in my life everything that I have been through I see it as part of the person I am today. God has blessed me with a good family great friends and students and a career I truly enjoy, teaching.
If you had the opportunity to sit yourself down, and have a conversation with your “self”, what type of advice would you give “Rene Gueits”?
It’s impossible to accomplish everything in one day. As long as you remain focused, it’ll all get done in due time. (Nino…Que Viva La Salsa!)
