By Edie, The Salsa FREAK
When my dance partner and I planned for this trip, we had no idea what to expect. Aside from my tour of Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, my dance partner and I had already toured major US cities like New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Pittsburgh. However, neither of us had ever been to Chicago. Interestingly enough, we found that most of the larger Salsa scenes are where there are International Airports. That’s why we were fascinated with going to Chicago. They’ve got a HUGE airport, so we had a hunch they HAD to have a HUGE Salsa scene...
UNDERSTATEMENT of the YEAR.
Chicago’s Salsa scene is a Silent Monster, and so far, one of the best kept secrets in the world. Until now, not too many people have known just how incredible the scene is there. You guys don’t realize what you have… awesome clubs, friendly people, and phenomenal dancers. You’re all WAY TOO MODEST.
Our Hosts…
| Cynthia greeted us at the airport with a big smile. Normally when we meet our hosts at airports, trains, or bus stations, we have no idea what they look like. But when we saw Cynthia, without even seeing a photograph, we knew instantly it was her. Cynthia is a beautiful Salsera with a passion for dance. Cynthia is a medical doctor and currently works as an adolescent medical practitioner at County Hospital in Chicago. "I have my day job to finance what I really love to do… which is DANCE!. Cynthia has been dancing most of her life. She’s had professional dance training for the past 20 years, but because of a few leg and foot injuries, she decided to stick to the more relaxing rhythms of Salsa. It was interesting to hear that most of her knee and hip injuries went away once she started dancing Salsa. "It was the ballet turn-out of the feet that was messing up my legs. Salsa cured all that because of it doesn’t’ strain your legs into unnatural positions." She said. Her natural rhythm and uncanny sense of timing is impeccable. |
| . | Alex Heifitz is a Salsero who emigrated here from Russia a few years ago. Alex is a computer programmer, but his true passion lies in dance. When he started dancing, he took ballroom classes, but was terrified to ask a woman to dance at a Salsa club. For two solid years he would just show up at Salsa clubs, have a few beers, and do nothing but watch the great dancers. Finally, he got up enough nerve to ask a woman, and has since become not only one of the best dancers in Chicago, but one of the smoothest leads I’ve ever felt. (not to mention a terrific hustle dancer!) |
We went to two Salsa nightclubs on Thursday night. The first was a good-looking club called the Hot Spot. The inside décor was made up of browns and oranges with big windows that shoot up all the way to the ceiling. It had an Afro-Cuban feeling to it with its brightly colored paintings, statues, and figures. It appeared to be a restaurant/bar with a different floor level for dining right next to the dance area. The entire room had a beautiful wooden floor. There is a separate carpeted room in the back. My dance partner made a comment that if they turned into a dance area with a wooden floor, it would bring in more people, and more dancing! There was a heavy Cuban – sounding band playing that night. We could tell they had a very dedicated following from the dancing and applauds of the audience.
We noticed a ton of Cuban style dancing that night. We’ve come to realize that Cuban Salseros love to dance to "Cuban" music, whereas Puerto Rican Salseros (songs by Oscar De’Leon, Gran Combo, Frankie Ruiz, Tito Puente, etc.) don’t particularly like to dance to pure Cuban music. "Edie, all the dancers are at a different club tonight." Someone told me. "Well, Cubans are dancers." I responded. But just as there are so many different people in this world, there is definitely a difference in the type of music that is played, and the ways and styles that are danced. We found this in New York as well. Entirely different crowds show up to Cuban bands verses Puerto Rican sounding bands. Neither is better than the other, they are simply different sounding, and danced differently.
After the Hot House, Cynthia took us to a club called Ex Caliber. This was an amazing club. It had three dance floors. It almost reminded me of the Mayan in Los Angeles – to a certain extent. The downstairs played house and techno music, and the upstairs played some great slamming Salsa! The dance floor section was made up of three floors. Dancers could dance on two sections of the dance floor. One, where the bar area was, and the other, where the regular dancing was by the band. The base floor, is where the dancers were. Spectators could look down and enjoy watching the dancers from two floors above the regular dance floor. What was interesting about this place was that the band played on the second floor, so they could look down on all the dancers on the first floor. This was nice because the band could be seen from virtually every angle of the dance floor.
That night, we met Jose, Arthur, Dennis, Enrique, Ray, and a ton of other great Salseros. I was quite surprised at how well they danced. I recognized leads from New York, to Miami, to Los Angeles. The Drop-Hand Catch and and Checks from New York, the Sombrero and Besito from Miami, all the different variations of the the Neck Drop and Flips from Los Angeles…
In Chicago, it was all there.
I felt like I was in the "middle" of every style from each coast.
It was absolutely wonderful.
What was more intense, is that ALL OF THE DANCERS THAT ASKED ME TO DANCE could dance beautifully on the One or the Two. They didn’t even blink an eye switching between both beats between songs. I was very, very impressed.
What was most surprising to me, was that when I asked a Two dancer to dance on the One, I was expecting a discussion or argument of some sort. I was expecting that "look" that I often get when I ask if we could dance on a different beat.
Nothing. They just placed me into the most beautiful leads, both on the One and the Two… it didn’t matter!
They didn’t stress out,
They didn’t put up a fuss,
They didn’t give me "that look"….
You, know… the "look"…..
The LOOK,
...like they’ve been weaned on pickles, "Oh Edie, c’mon…! Why are you asking me to dance the Two… I prefer the One…" or visa versa.
When we danced one song on the One, and the other song on the Two, The Chicago Salseros smiled the same, danced the same, and they didn’t get confused and fall all over their feet. It was… wonderful... and so refreshing being able to follow virtually every lead they placed me in, whether it was the One or the Two. It was like dancing with Raul! Raul doesn’t care which beat he’s on, just as long as he gets his FIX dancing.
On Friday night Raul and I did a performance at a club called Club 720. This is another dual-level club that had Salsa both on the first and second floors. There was DJ music being played downstairs, and a Salsa band that played upstairs. Miguel, a local instructor in the area was playing some awesome Salsa music. I just loved the music mix there. It reminded me a lot of Los Angeles. There’s a TON more "Salsa" played then Merengue here in Chicago – which is fabulous for the true hard-core Salsero.
At World events like the International Salsaweb Conventions and Salsa Congresses, there are never any Merengues played. In fact, at the International Salsaweb Convention in Washington D.C., Domingo Quinones started to play "Suava Mente", and literally got "Boo’d" by ALL the Salseros in the audience. He stopped immediately, and played Salsa the rest of the evening.
Admit it. If you’re a TRUE, hard-core Salsero, you just plain love Salsa more than Merengue. You probably started dancing to Merengue because it was easier, but after a while, the rhythms of Salsa just took over your body and soul, and you realized you liked… LOVED Salsa so much more! Now, you enjoy Merengues for the breaks it gives you, to go to the bathroom, maybe practice a few Salsa moves, give you a breather… all that. Merengues truly make you realize just how much you adore Salsa music.
During the day on Saturday, we went to Chicago’s annual "Taste of Chicago". We couldn’t have picked a more perfect time to come to Chicago. For two weekends, in Chicago's Central park, were restaurant booths, mimes, bands, and a myriad of entertainment venues. The food and entertainment was terrific.
Thanks to Miguel, Raul and I got to do a small "Hollywood Salsa, LA Style " demonstration at the Salsa entertainment section of the park. We were filmed and appeared on the news that night. It was a lot of fun, and honor to show the locals of Chicago how we dance Hollywood style in Los Angeles.
On Saturday night, we went to a beautiful club called Club Intas. Again, this was another dual-leveled club where Salseros can enjoy dancing both on the first and second floors. This club was one of the more elegant clubs we’ve been to. The first floor was reserved for the Salsa band, and the second floor had strictly Salsa DJ music. The second floor had a beautiful VIP lounge where guests could sit and talk, away from the loud sounds of the music in the other room. I felt it was VERY appropriate for couples to wear a dress, suit and tie there. There could have been a few more fans and/or ventilation in the room, but overall, it was a very nice atmosphere.
| Ralph Lebit is one of the most seasoned and experienced Salseros in the world. "Ralphie" is 91 years old. He's been dancing Mambo, Cha Cha, Merengue, Swing, Tango, Fox Trot, Waltz, and all the other ballroom dances for the past 75 years. He used to work as an instructor at Arthur Murray Dance Studios in Chicago. Ralphie goes out four nights a week. I had a BALL dancing with him. He's a great dancer, and a bundle of joy. All the Salseros of Chicago know and love Ralphie. The locals tell me that Ralphie always manages to dance with the most beautiful and BEST Salseras... We love you Ralphie!!! |
Sunday night was our favorite night. We had the most fun we’ve had in MONTHS! We went to the Presidential Towers hotel, where we met up with a group called Cultural Expression. They dance Mambo in the restaurant/lobby every Sunday night. The music is fabulous, "Old School, traditional New York Mambo" and the dancers are great!
These folks are a bunch of Mambo "Two" dancers that reminded me of the dancers and the spirit of the Palladium days in New York. They were some of the nicest and most fun-loving people we’ve ever met in our entire lives. About eighty percent of them danced on the Two, but surprisingly, two dancers put me into a FOUR lead! I discovered, that when you dance with an experienced "Four" dancer, it’s so easy, you just follow right into his lead. It’s an absolutely wonderful feeling, because as the woman, you don’t have to "THINK" about anything but having a great time (which is how it should be ladies).
Cultural Expression, is a multicultural group that celebrates the state of well-being through music, form and dance. The group was organized by Saladeen Alamin and his beautiful wife, Rosita. It is made up of a group of Mambo dancers that have gotten together every week for years. Many of them wear beautiful traditional African outfits, and clothing from the Palladium days. The proceeds of the club go to help children with Aids.
The dancers’ enthusiasm and spirit is what made the club that night. Everyone seemed to be the best of friends, and welcomed Raul and I with big smiles and open arms. They asked us to give a performance, of which we did, this time all on the Two (we normally perform on the One).
The most fun was doing a quasi-performance with Gloria and Salladein. Raul and I ended up in a Casino Rueda formation with them. About halfway through the song, Raul grabbed Salladein (the man) and started partner dancing together with him! I grabbed Gloria and started to lead her, then put into a great dip… the crowd went wild! We had a blast dancing with everyone.
As I said before, what was great about this club was the people, and how incredibly friendly and polite they were. Every single guy that asked me to dance, had already previously asked Raul just minutes before, "Is it OK if I dance with your lady?"
Wow. What class.
Normally, guys just grab you, and could really care less if your fiancé, boyfriend, or husband knows or not.
The Salseros of Chicago love to dance. It’s very clear, that it’s their passion. They consider their dancing an art form, something that one has to really work hard to perfect. They respect the work that is put into it, and most of all, respect each other. One thing I can definitely vouch for, is that the Salseros of Chicago truly appreciate great dancing, because they themselves, are great dancers.