Seaon Bristol
– The Perfectionist, the "Stylist".
Attitude, Grace, and Absolute Control on the Dance Floor.
This man’s got it down… leading, OR following!
Interview By Edie, The Salsa FREAK
Seaon (pronounced 'seee - on') was pointed out to me at the 1st Annual International Salsaweb Convention in Washington DC in 1999. He was dancing up a storm with world-famous instructor Nelson Flores of New York. Nelson had told me about him a few months earlier, so I was fascinated to find out who this man was, and especially, watch him dance.
The first thing you notice about Seaon
is his sharpness and refined style.
The second thing you notice, is that his partner is a man.
"It doesn’t matter if the person you’re leading is a man or a woman. If you appreciate the art of dancing in itself, you appreciate a good follower. Seaon is an excellent dancer, leader, and follower. He is easy to lead. He follows very well."
- Joel Guzman – Los Angeles Performer, and Partner with Josie Neglia
"Seaon is a better follower than most woman I’ve danced with."
- Nelson Flores – New York Instructor
"His spins are sharp. He’s very balanced and very well grounded. I actually enjoy dancing with him!"
- Raul Santiago– International Instructor
"I've always felt that Seaon is a truly original, creative and talented Mambero; I'll never forget the pleasure of watching him and Amanda at Bistro, Wild Palm and Copa. They were awesome together, a combination of restraint and sensuality... fascinating.
- Steve Shaw - www.SalsaNewYork.com -
Seaon is one of a kind. He’s one of the smoothest and sharpest followers in the world. His acute awareness and sensitivity to every lead stems from his professional dance training from New York. Formerly with the Razz M Tazz and Eddie Torres Dance Companies, Seaon has now moved to Los Angeles to start his career teaching Mambo "On Two" and starting his own SeaonStylist Dance Company (www.seaonstylist.com). As an instructor, he is excellent - very thorough and patient. The added benefit of taking a class with him is you get to learn both female and male styling!
After winning second place with his partner Jay in front of thousands of screaming Salsa fans at the 1999 Hollywood Bowl Professional Salsa Competition, Seaon has definitely made a mark in Tinsel Town.
Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Seaon Bristol, The Perfectionist, The "Stylist".
Where are you from and where do you live now? (Heritage) I was born in South America in the Country of Guyana. In 1991 my parents decided to move to New York as a means of better living accommodations for my two siblings and myself.
- Where did you go to school, what was your major, and when did you graduate?
- I immigrated to the United States at the age of 15 and attended the Lafayette High School in Brooklyn. I then attended New York University, where I completed a double major in Finance and Information Systems and a minor in Music in October of 1997.
- Why did you choose a career in Information Systems? Did you originally want to be in the Entertainment Industry?
For the past 3 years I’ve accepted my spontaneity for vast career changes, and now consider myself an Artist; by this I am referring to the multiple blessings of talent the Lord as bestowed upon me. As a necessary means, my bills were paid by a position I held as a Computer Graphics Operator/Junior Programmer for the past 4 years. However, I know that even my closest friends of the Salsa Industry are uncertain to what my true aspirations are as an Artist, but they go way beyond just this beautiful dance. Ever since the age of 5 my goal in life was only one thing, and that was to sing. I’ve always focused on this because it was the sole means of my escape (from just anything I suppose). Within the past 4 years I formed my very own Jazz Trio with my voice as the sole instrument. We toured several clubs in the New York Area and even landed a gig with one of my idols Ms. Patti LaBelle. I later discovered that I also possessed a talent for acting. With heavy training and determination I landed a couple of local gigs including an off Broadway production of "Six Degrees of Separation" and a brief appearance on "New York Undercover". Now with my recent discovery of this beautiful dance "Salsa", I definitely plan to entwine the three, and pray that God keeps me under his constant supervision, and guides me in the positive usage of this powerful combination.
- How long have you been a Salsaweb fan?
For quite some time I was unaware of Salsaweb, but being of a non-Latin/Hispanic descent, I wanted to grasp a wider knowledge of Salsa. So through a couple of friends and recommendations I stumbled upon this website and have found its diversity and detailed interpretation of Salsa very interesting.
- How long have you been an instructor?
- Well I have been teaching for about 2 years, so I guess I should consider myself an instructor (even though this word has a much deeper meaning to me than just teaching). How exactly did I get involved in Salsa I really don’t know. I don’t speak Spanish and definitely cannot understand it, so I guess the eclectic rhythm and unison of the instruments are what my adrenaline feeds off of. I was always interested in the elegance and finesse of the dance and was determined to learn. I never thought however, that I would ever be so comfortable at this, and definitely never imagined that I would ever be teaching.
- When did you start dancing, and what type of dancing was it?
- Because of my Modern, Ballet and heavy Jazz training, the switch to Salsa and the style in which I chose to express it came quite naturally. When I decided to start learning Salsa I was led to the Razz M’ Tazz Dance Company. Contrary to popular belief, this dance company is superb in its interpretation of the foundation of this dance, and the technical training I obtained has far surpassed the credibility this Dance Company receives. I then decided to take this training and apply it to my very own interpretation of the dance. This was where hours of standing in front of the mirror paid off. For several months to follow I decided that I would not only form compound and eclectic movements on the dance floor, but be extremely explicit with my style. I especially remember…….prior to learning this dance, all my male peer dancers had pretty much the same kind of secure movement. I, on the other hand, started to use my entire body as part of my style…by this, I mean the hip rolls, the shoulder shakes, the side triplets, and definitely the full body waves. I received so many harsh criticisms about this, but being the persistent person I am, I continued with my style nonetheless, and the women loved it. The most important thing was that the women enjoyed dancing with me, because I was not solely interested in turning them on every beat, but I started to play with the dance. Now whenever I go dancing I look at the same guys and smile because it may not be on every bar, but every 6 bars or so, you know what I’ll see?…..the hip rolls, the shoulder shakes, the side triplets, and definitely the full waves…my, how dancing has changed.
- How long did it take you to feel comfortable partner dancing as the leader?
- I still do not feel comfortable as a leader…..or a dancer for that matter. I feel quite secure with the way I dance, but comfortable?….I don’t think I will ever be. I am a perfectionist and I think that once I have reached a level of comfort, I would have completed everything there is to learn, and I don’t want to ever stop learning. I have goals and dreams of this dance far surpassed what many dancers may see me do now and consider good. I still have a lot to learn.
- What made you decide to become a great follower as well?
- Being able to follow at the level that I do was definitely not an intended decision. I did want to learn how to follow; as a matter of fact I was following for a year and a half before I even learned how to lead (can you imagine?) I guess in the back of my mind I honestly thought that learning how to follow will definitely help me with my precision in leading, and besides I just enjoyed following. Angel Rodriguez of Razz M’ Tazz told me after about a year; he said if I wanted to teach for the company that I would have to learn how to lead (made sense didn’t it?) That then introduced a whole new challenge for me. I understood how important it was to feel comfortable when following, and my aim was to satisfy this comfort in very way possible when leading. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing, for the technique and understanding of how important it is to be precise in a man’s lead, is definitely expressed through the compliments I still receive from followers.
- Why do you think people love to watch you dance as a follower?
- Wow! You have no idea how much controversy evolved around me following in the nightclubs in New York. I guess its something that many people just can’t understand. Sometimes I’m so scared to follow in public, because I know that when I do get up to dance; dancing with pride I will. By this I mean I will follow with dignity, style and definitely my interpretation of the "female role." I get so many horrible stares and nasty vocabulary, especially from the men, but the women on the other hand have always given me a much better response.…they like it! This is still painful for me however, even though I have somewhat overcome it. It still hurts when I get the derogatory comments, especially when they come from fellow dancers. You would think that they (the dancers) of all people, would know and understand how important it is to express your feeling for this wonderful dance we share, regardless of which role you play or who you dance with. They’re now beginning to warm up however….little by little the ones that once made fun of me following, are now usually the first to ask me to dance…go figure (smile).
- My plans now are very simple. Reside here in Los Angeles and start my own company. Having my own group of dancers and performing my very own choreography has been my dream for a while now. I, however, have now decided where I want my foundation to be, and am attacking it with full force.
- Do you have any concerns now that you are here in Los Angeles?
- Not really. I know what I want, and what’s mine by divine right…will come to me by divine order.
- How do your family and friends feel about your move?
- My Mom’s a little sad that I’ve left, even though she won’t admit it, (love ya Mom!) and my friends have already wished me the best.
- Yep! Tour the world expressing what God wants me to do, and right now I think its dance. If this isn’t my line of work…he’ll let me know.
- How did you become involved with the Eddie Torres Dance Company?
- There had come a point in my dance life when I thought I needed a change from Razz M’ Tazz and try to adopt a different interpretation of Salsa! I’ve always heard of Eddie Torres and what beautiful dancers he’d created, so I eagerly decided to attend a few classes. After my first class, I had already formed an observation of his counseling. Eddie Torres is simply an all-around Divo. Superb in skill and personality, and simply an electrifying and natural creator. I knew instantly that I wanted to be involved in his dance somehow, but didn’t feel like I was quite ready. I needed work!
- Did you have to try out? What is the process?
- Eddie Torres has one of the best eyes for undeveloped or aspiring talent. After seeing me dance for the fist time, he was somewhat impressed and immediately asked me to become an Eddie Torres Jammer. This meant a great deal to me, and I realized that if I wanted to perform, there was an enormous amount of meticulous training involved. The exact process in which he chooses his dancers I am unaware of. I do know that if dancing Salsa is your flava, there’s a lot Mr. Eddie Torres has to offer.
- What is your favorite part about being a (dancer, instructor & choreographer)?
- The act of self-expression and individualism means the most to me when I do any of the above. As a dancer I aspire to reach deeper within, and excavate all of those hidden emotions to find either a turn pattern of an eclectic footwork combination, then demonstrate it. As an instructor, precision matters the most to me. The technique of how well you execute a step or turn pattern is mainly my emphasis. As a choreographer, combining the two is the first step in displaying a choreographed sequence. Understanding the orchestration of the music is the other.
- What kind of advice would you give aspiring dancers?
- Let your interpretation of this dance be heavily demonstrated not only in your body movement while performing, but even before you step onto the dance floor. I know that with all the competition and negativity, it sometimes becomes difficult to keep a calm disposition, but such an attitude is necessary in order to succeed in anything – not just dance. Remember, the only people you have to challenge or prove anything to is yourself and God; and he already knows who you are, so just try to meet his expectations. Elegance and finesse shows beautiful control in Salsa, and in addition to the two, try always to remain humble. Below is a quote that a wise man once told me:
"Your professionalism and knowledge as a dancer need not to be proven; if you’re cream, you’ll float to the top."…Eddie Torres.
- Last question. If you could take yourself out of your body, and sit yourself down to have a one-on-one conversation with your "self", what kind of advice would you give "you"?
Edie, you sure know how to ask these questions don’t you? I’ve had a variety of comments and questions thrown my way, but non-of them have made me giggle the way this one has.
I guess this I what I would say to myself…
"You can’t please, or satisfy everyone’s expectations of you. We all have the same amount of time on Earth…"One Lifetime!" Make the best of yours, and above all…..to thine own self be true."
In closing, I would like to extend a warn thank you to a few people that have assisted in molding me as a dancer. Eddie & Maria Torres, Angel & Addie Rodriguez, Jose Morales (Ché) and Amanda Moncion (Amanda Stylist). Many thanks to those who have assisted in my development. Jay Ruiz, Frankie Martinez, Jason DeJesus, Patrick Morris and Jai Catalano. I also want to add that this interview was truly a wonderful and absolutely fabulous experience for me. I feel so blessed and honored to know that people of such high caliber and admiration of this dance have actually taken the time to either watch me dance, or invite me to such a warm setting. My goal as an Artist, is to bring an all-around flava, with emphasis solely on Technique & Style to future dancers. I am honored that I was chosen as a vessel of this artistic dance, to share my knowledge and my interpretation with you. I hope that my words have in some way reached a deeper part of your dance world, but if it hasn’t, well…..I hope that it at least made you think. I want to especially thank Edie (the Salsa FREAK) for her love and immediate support, and if no one has yet told you, let me be the first….keep on doing what you’re doing, and I pray that the power of the Almighty rest, remain and abide with you always. Peace & Blessings…
- Seaon Stylist.
Sean Bristol can be reached at seaonstylist@salsaweb.com or found at http://www.seaonstylist.com Phone: (213) 280-4798
