Salsa dude diary

Hi everyone!

Loudwater, Nov '09

I'm sorry about the delay last week. I upgraded my contacts database only to find it output files in a slightly different format. So, it was back to the drawing board…

I aim to get the Newsletter out on a Wednesday or Thursday. That way I've got the most up-to-date information before the weekend and you have a chance to read it before Friday evening :-)

I've updated the Time and Distance table to include all Club and Party venues where I've got a SatNav reference. Plus, I'm working on the main website.

Meanwhile, back on the dance floor. Ealing last Friday seemed hotter than during the summer.

I spent every other dance standing out. It was the heat I tell you. It's either that or I'm getting old :-)

The full Newsletter can be found here www.davidsugarman.co.uk/news.html.

Posted via email from David's posterous

Hi there!

Patricia & Veronique

Another 6 days out of 7 dancing :-)

It's rather spiffy to have 5 clubs within walking distance. It does mean I can get out, even it's just for half an hour sometimes.

Loudwater last Friday was very busy, I do like it there. It's most busy between 10:30 & 12 and I tend to chat more then before a final push through to 1am :-)

In general, I believe the numbers in the clubs are picking again after a lull in the summer. RISC, Reading and Stoke Poges both have good numbers. As I mentioned last week, Bray Cricket Club is also doing well.

Cancelled parties

Previously I've just removed these parties from the listings. But now I think I'll be a little more pro-active. Rather than just remove the listing and leave people wondering if it's on or off, I'll be attaching a prominent CANCELLED notice. The party will appear in the listings, calendar, news feeds but you'll know it's not running. I hope this helps.

Hello!

At the moment my living room looks like a bomb's hit it as I upgrade my computers :-) I've not been able to process any photos from the clubs and parties for this week so I'll keep things brief.

I did manage to get out dancing 6 days out 7 last week and things are looking good for 7 / 7 this week!

Notable evenings included Bray Cricket Club, La Tasca and the new Bachata evening at Bar Risa.

I hadn't been to Bray for about 2½ years but bumped into a friend who suggested I come back. The numbers are good, the downstairs floor has been completely replaced, the parking is still awkward :-) I plan on trying it regularly.

Sunday night at Bar Risa, Reading had to move to La Tasca for the night. It's a good venue, the floor may be sticky but the place has an intimacy about it.

Bar Risa, Reading also saw the start of the first Bachata only evening in the area. Katerina taught beginners and then a more advanced class. I went along for the dancing after the classes and had an enjoyable time.

Last week I listed a party that had been cancelled. I've been told the organisers only gave a couple of days notice and I certainly wasn't aware of it. I'm sorry if anyone attended based on my listings.

When I looked into it, it became obvious that the organiser had cancelled all their parties at one venue and all their Friday night parties. Previously I've just removed these parties from the listings. But now I think I'll be a little more pro-active.

Rather than just remove the listing and leave people wondering if it's on or off, I'll be attaching a prominent CANCELLED notice. The party will appear in the listings, calendar, news feeds but you'll know it's not running. I hope this helps.

¡Hola!

Bruce & Puja

Last week's Newsletter (here) about why I think clubs are short-changing dancers by running late got a massive positive response.

  Totally agree about clubs running late. I know some clubs where the organisers wait until most people have arrived before they start the lessons - so guess what - it gets gradually later every week. I've been to new clubs on several occasions at exactly the time advertised on the web site - to stand by myself for 45 minutes before anything happens.

And as for classes over-running and eating into the limited dancing time - too right - very common and very annoying. When I have pointed this out to organisers they normally come back with some excuse about "salsa time" - but I notice that this does not seem to apply at the end of the evening - they always finish very promptly when it suits them.  

Djamila & Richard

That was a busy weekend :-)

I drove up to the Park Inn, Heathrow with Puja for the evening, well, early morning of bachata and salsa. The birds were singing when we left, Gotta love the decadence.

I had consistently high quality dances, both salsa and bachata. But for me, while the dancing was great, there wasn't a "buzz" to the evening. One thing I noticed were the DJs mixing the bachata tracks into one another. Just as with salsa, I don't like this. As you get to know the music, I believe many dancers try for a "finish" to the dance. In salsa, I try for a lean or a dip, in bachata I try to end with a wrap. But this goes out the window when the track are mixed.

A warning for the future, car parking at Heathrow is expensive. Some organisers arrange to waive it, others don't. In addition to the £15 entrance there was a £12 parking fee :-(

Saturday was the start of a latin night at La Parada restaurant in Reading.

It's not a club, it is a restaurant & bar. It's great to sit around and talk and then have a dance. Maybe a bit disconcerting to have waiters dodging across the floor.

I'll be going back as it made a refreshing change from the club atmosphere.

Hello!

Jennifer

I recently visited a club to dance after the lessons. Arriving on time for 1½ hours of dancing, I was disappointed to sit there, waiting and waiting and waiting. The class finished 30 minutes late.

During that time I was thinking that the cost of dancing had increased from £2 per hour to £3. Yes, I know I over-analyse :-) But that's me, that's why I'm a computer programmer. As soon as the classes finished, people were throwing on coats and leaving.

That's when I realised there were only 6 - 7 advanced women dancers left. I'm thinking that's only 30 minutes of full-on dancing. Trust me, I'm not "getting at" intermediates and beginners, I'm saying I use the appropriate moves to the level of the dancer.

And with only 30 minutes of dancing, my cost per hour has risen to £6. As I was still waiting to pay, I decided to leave.

Clubs that don't run on time are short changing everyone that attends. And they're increasing their chances of failure. Here's my thinking…

Stanley

As I see it, these are the people attending club nights.

1. Dancers who do the lessons and stay all night
2. Dancers who do the lessons and leave immediately
3. Dancers who stay for a couple of dances
4. Dancers who come along just to dance

Clubs that start late increase the cost per hour to every dancer. If you always stay to dance, you'll have less time. If you come just to dance, you'll have less time. Less time dancing equals increased cost. Less value for money.

If you don't stay to dance there's a good reason. You have to get home, you're a parent, whatever. If the club runs late these people will be annoyed or, worse, decide not to come in future.

If you stay for a few dances, running late may make you leave after fewer dances. The fewer dances you have, the less likely you are to come next time. The fewer dancers, the more likely the club will fail.

Running late, clubs run the risk of alienating people.

Whatever you feel about my arguments, I'm pretty sure no-one stopped coming to a club that ran on time.

And I'm pretty sure I won't be going back to the club that overran.

Hi there!

When I started my job, 6 years ago, I was out dancing 4-5 nights a week (oh wait, I still am!).

I started to get some grief from my boss. Not timekeeping but questions about my sexuality :-)

Shuga, Spice Room launch night

Completely inappropriate and, given the manager, pointless in engaging him in an argument.

My solution was not to argue but to put up photos on the padded walls of my cubicle.

Photos of me and the gorgeous ladies of salsa :-)

End of questions.

Hello!

Palenke live

Welcome to the 2nd week of the new-look Newsletter.

Please drop me a line if you know of anyone having problems receiving the emails and I'll see what I can do.

As for why the email problems? Well, no one pays me and I'm trying to do it as cheaply as possible. I recommend a mail service (Constant Contact) for any of the organisers that ask me. But I'd be faced with a monthly bill of $30.

Strictly Salsa, High Wycombe held a good evening with Palenke playing a wide range of tracks. Always professional, Palenke kept the tracks "Dancer friendly" in both length and tempo.

Tracy and John

It was also a night that saw many "old-hands" returning to the floor. Good to see them again.

First Friday, Viva Salsa's party evening at Loudwater was as busy as I've ever seen it. Following their change to the seating area - YAY! - there is more room on the floor.

This month the DJ's were on fire - people were chatting, saying how good they thought the music was!

La Parada

There have been no screams following last week's review the club listings. After removing clubs that no longer appear to be running and some long distance clubs no-one has told me differently.

If you do hear of a club changing, or even shutting, I appreciate you dropping me a line.

The most recent Newsletter should always be available as http://www.davidsugarman.co.uk/news.html.

¡Hola!

Glenn & Allison

My thanks go out to the people who alert me to changes in the clubs. If you spot anything incorrect in these listings, please drop me a line :-)

The good news is that there are more clubs! Two clubs open in Reading, one tonight at Xensations, another at the Irish Club in a couple of weeks. I'm planning on getting along to both, I'll write more after I've been.

I hope I'm being fair in the Newsletter. I try to promote clubs and parties, looking for the good.

When I enjoy myself I'm not backward in coming forward and letting you know. Like Palenke's recent performance at the Jazz Cafe or the party at Medicine.

Sometimes, though, I have to voice an opinion when I don't enjoy something…

And believe me, I didn't enjoy Laith Sami's choreography at a recent show.

If you saw a show where women were slapped, hit, stepped on, choked unconscious with truncheons and finally appear to have their necks broken I'm hoping you'd be outraged.

So why is OK if the genders are reversed? Where women prison officers hit male inmates? I asked Laith why he thought it was acceptable. His reply was that it's my opinion.

My opinion is that it stank.

As for the rest of show… I'm sorry but my heart sank when I saw the dancers in uniforms. I was thinking "what is the choreographer hiding by playing dress up".

I couldn't make out if the girls were meant to be police or wardens. And if you're going to play Jailhouse Rock, there is only one costume to wear. I've included a hint.

The music was bitty and put together with a sure hand - one that slams doors and runs fingernails down blackboards.

Finally, CELINE DION! What the ****!

I'll go rest in a darkened room now. You're welcome to email me :-)

Hi there!

Stephanie

I had an energetic weekend with 6 - 7 hours dancing thrown in there :-)

On Saturday I went to Salsa Calientita's party at the Royal Holloway students union bar Medicine.

Initially, I wasn't sure of the floor as it was split into two areas with the DJ lurking almost out of sight. But it was fine and I had a great night's dancing.

The girls of Shuga Dance Company were there and they performed their new Chachacha routine. Very enjoyable :-) My not so great video can be seen here.

Peter

If you've ever wondered what use Twitter is, after all, haven't we all :-) then maybe I've an answer.

I've created a salsa TwitterBot. Its job is to "tweet" the salsa parties happening that day and also give advance warning of weekenders etc.

You can follow the TwitterBot at this address - http://twitter.com/SalsaNewsletter

There, isn't technology wonderful :-)

People who've seen this photo on-line and on my camera have commented on how well it catches Lynn and her lovely dress.

Notice the lead is *just* going to circle the top of Lynn's head. Her right hand is in position *if* her partner needs it for a lead. Her elbow is down, not out, and isn't going to hit anyone.

But you know why I was able to get such a good shot? The guy's lead (sorry I don't know your name) was *so* clear, I could read it from where I was standing :-)

Technique Corner

Link to "Technique Corner".

Hello!

I've been making the usual rounds of the clubs over the last week.

Stefanie

Nothing much out of the ordinary to report on though. Good dances in Reading, Maidenhead, Frimley and Stoke Poges but I'm not feeling inspired to write this week :-)

I am listing the *most* number of clubs ever (132) and that's due to new clubs opening rather than just discovering existing clubs. I've also been making a lot of improvements to the Newsletter and I'm testing a new feature behind the scenes - more soon. I do like feedback, so if you've any ideas / suggestions, please drop me a line.

There are many similarities between the dip below and the previous dip in this series.

Zoreh's weight is squarely on her right leg, while her left is neatly bent, not flung out like she's doing the Hokey Pokey. Her hand has a firm grip on the middle of my back and once again, if my hold had failed, she'd be in a position to recover.

The main difference between the two dips comes from my tendency to dip lower, generally, than Tony. So, my left leg is turned out as I dip though my knees rather than my back.

Meanwhile, I wonder if the Hokey Pokey *is* what it's all about…

Dip of the Week!

Link to "Dip of the Week!".

G'day!

Palenke, live at the Jazz Cafe

At very short notice last week, I was able to stop the Newsletter and update it with details of Palenke's gig at the Jazz Cafe, Reading.

Tony updated me on the set times and I was keen to round up some people for Friday's performance, text and emails flying :-)

The Jazz Cafe is an attractive venue, the floor's good and there are smaller areas away from the main floor to play around on or have some privacy. There's lots of parking outside too.

Dawn & Rosa

I thought Palenke were on good form, playing their own music in addition to well-known covers. A big plus was that they played 3 sets. All this for only £5.

While I took some good photos of fellow dancers on the night, I didn't get any good photos of the band. Must try harder!

Unfortunately, because of the late notice I believe, the numbers of guys was quite low. Next time, Tony and myself will work with the organiser to get more publicity of any salsa band.

Hello!

Zoreh & Chunky

It's been suggested that the real reason I enjoyed the show by Encantada last Friday at Berkhamsted had more to do with the booty being shaken in front of my camera :-)

You may think that; I couldn't possibly comment.

Over the weekend I dropped in to the Caversham dance studio to say "hello" to Richard Benn. Richard's teaching at the studio while the owner thinks what to do next. The dance space is great, a huge floor, mirrored wall, good sound.

I'd like to see some certainty in the club's future. It would be a shame not to make full use of this venue.

Risc, Reading

With the SalsaSplash weekender and a couple of nearby parties, Saturday at Strictly Salsa's High Wycombe band night was quieter than normal. With a new baby, Neill made only a fleeting appearance - more than anyone expected :-)

The band, Sexteto Cafe, sounded good but you know me, give me some vibraphone and I'm happy.

I was disappointed with the performance but it divided the people I talked too, so I won't dwell on it.

Expecting a quiet night at Bar Risa, Reading on Sunday, I came away after one of the best night's dancing I've had there.

I had a fun threesome with Sara and Linda - trying to remember 3some specific moves, and then, suddenly able to alternate reverse and natural turns. Sara turning right followed by Linda turning left followed by Sara turning right again… followed by my head exploding :-)

A die-hard group of good dancers stayed until the end, changing partners during the dance, a couple becoming 2 guys, 1 lady, then 3 guys & 2 ladies, dropping in and out.

I was surprised by a suggestion for the Newsletter and I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. Plus, I had positive feedback about the comments I made about the great technique shown by Jo and Andrew. So now it's time for Dip of the Week!

In this dip, you can see Tony's stance, well braced, feet apart, slight bend in his knees, holding Adrienne at her waist and between her shoulder blades. It's not the "grip of death" but she's not going to fall.

Adrienne's feet are apart and her weight is on her right leg. Her hand is firmly on Tony's shoulder. It's odds on that Tony could remove his hands completely and Adrienne would not fall.

But, it's the extension that makes this dip :-) Right down her toes and her fingers. Ladies, I tell you that your partners DO notice.

Meanwhile, Bruce Lee is being… awesome.

Dip of the Week!

Link to "Dip of the Week!".

Hi There!

La Tasca, Reading

Last Friday I drove over to Berkhamsted Town Hall for the Salsatheque party night. It had been a while, but I'm really pleased to see this venue in use again.

The venue is large and there's an excellent car park around the back. The floor is lovely, give me a wooden floor every time :-)

I was also impressed with the show by Encantada - see the video here. Normally for me, salsa is about connection. Side by side Performances and all-girl groups often leave me cold. But these girls had chemistry with the audience and we loved it.

Last night was the first night of Martha and Jerry's Cuban evenings at La Tasca in Reading.

Martha and Jerry

This was downstairs and I thoroughly recommend it :-) Once again, the floor was fantastic, the venue's ambience was good.

And best of all for me - it's 2 minutes walk away!

The Parties section now links each party to my on-line website where the full details, the links to the organisers and to Facebook can be found. Let me know if you have any comments.

I realise that many people don't understand how to use News feeds (RSS) or Calendar feeds (iCal). So, I've prepared a Netvibes page that collects together all of the information I produce. Click here for David's page.

¡Hola!

I went along to the First Friday party over in Loudwater last week. As I might have mentioned previously it was a trifle hot :-)

Debbie & Michele

But with the changes Rico and Becky have introduced it was one of the best nights ever. The tables have been reduced to a single row, leaving space on the carpet to stand.

This means people aren't standing on the dance floor and there's more room to dance. Rico told me that the numbers were only 15 different from the previous month yet we all had more room to breathe.

People I spoke to all liked the change and also pointed out there was less drink spillage on the edges of the floor. I also note that, with less space to sit, more ladies were standing, looking for a dance.

I've been making further changes to the Newsletter this week.

Lina & Chunky

Firstly, the Newsletter continues to grow and grow. I'm listing 129 clubs and associated parties and the physical size of the email has increased too. So, this week, I'm stripping out most of the links from the email and truncating the information.

The Parties section now links each party to my on-line website where the full details, the links to the organisers and to Facebook can be found. Let me know if you have any comments.

The website pages now utilise two widgets to help link the Newsletter to News feeds and social bookmarking sites. There found at the bottom of each page, in the Resources section.

People have also asked why I'm taking photos of each salsa venue :-) Well I'm going to add them to the site in the future but right now the photo are becoming visible in the Google Maps / Google Earth links I provide. If you're an organiser and have a picture you'd like to add, please get in touch.

Finally, I realise that many people don't understand how to use News feeds (RSS) or Calendar feeds (iCal). So, I've prepared a Netvibes page that collects together all of the information I produce. Click here for David's page.

Hi there!

Karen & Sel

I managed to bork my knee last week, not doing my lunges right while exercising. Then compounded it during a run as part of boxing practice.

Help was on hand, though. My chiropractor was able to fix my ligaments and I was as right as rain. People have wondered how I coped with not dancing salsa for 6 whole days! Do drop me a line if you'd like a recommendation for a chiropractor :-)

Saturdays down at La Fontana, Caversham, Reading is a chilled evening. It's not a busy, packed to the rafters club, it's a bar / restaurant with dancing. I can walk there in 15 minutes, have a drink without worrying, sit and chat.

Sara & Dave

I find it's good to mix up the venues I go to. Sometimes very busy clubs further afield, sometimes a more local club. It's similar to music and dance styles to my mind. Too much specialism is a dead-end.

I plan on heading over to Loudwater tomorrow night for their First Friday party.

There are two things you should know about the Loudwater parties. One: They're really hot. And two: They're really hot. Now I realise that, technically speaking, that's only one point; but I thought it was such a big one, it was worth mentioning twice.

Hi everybody!

Cha cha cha

I've had an excellent week of salsa, here are some highlights…

Robert Charlemagne was at High Wycombe last week, teaching Cha cha cha and salsa.

I don't seem to have my Cha cha cha head on right at the mo and struggled :-( However, I really enjoyed the salsa routine, taking three different moves out of it. Two in particular are similar to existing moves I use. So that makes them easy to remember.

That's great for me as I'm a paid up member of the "Most Moves Wins" club. I hear there are other clubs such as the "Not many moves but a lovely dancer" and "Why is he looking at the ceiling". But for me it's More Moves.

3some with Lindsey & Abi

Friday night down at Ealing was good fun. Not at busy as some nights due to the Pakefield weekender and a party at Vauxhall. That meant it was a little cooler with more room.

I'm still searching for the last half hour as it disappeared in a dancing haze.

Debbie's dropped me a line about an on-line salsa radio station. This one actually works for me, so I thought I'd list it :-)

I mentioned about a really good Latin radio station (Radio Salseros) that a friend has set up - take a look (and listen) to the link.

After asking about advertising on the web site (not this email) I've now added Google Ads to the web pages at www.davidsugarman.co.uk. Hopefully, any revenue will help pay for hosting and software.

Hello!

Sarah and Tony

Last Friday I went to Candente Salsa's Bachata evening.

Dan and Bex taught a good Bachata lesson, catering for all levels. It was also Sarah's birthday. So, there was cake (tasty!) and a birthday dance. Every guy in the place took a turn in spinning Sarah around to one of her favourite tracks.

Finally, here's a video of Dan and Bex, possibly the last time they'll be performing this routine as they've started work on the next one.

The Newsletter and the web site continued to be updated. I've added Facebook links into the Music page and I've now started including Facebook Pages in addition to the Groups. My site is found here www.davidsugarman.co.uk.

Hi there!

Loudwater, June

I've had two brilliant nights dancing in the last few days.

Loudwater was great again. I know I say it every time but I do like the venue, the floor and the teas & coffees at midnight :-)

Yes, it's the hottest venue in the area. Yes, it's busy. It also gets a high standard of dancer attending.

And the other venue I enjoyed this week was the Polish Social club in Stoke Poges. I managed to get along there after my boxing and circuit training and had a night that left me grinning during every dance.

All at sea

On Saturday though, I was fortunate enough to go sailing with Joe, Fritha, Sukhy and Michelle.

For me it was a great day training but the unexpected Reggaeton lessons from Fritha and Michelle were so funny.

So, just to embarrass Fritha, here's a video of her and Joe bachata-ing on deck!

More changes to the on-line Newsletter. I've added consistent menus to every page and made sure you can see all of the features. I've also tested the site with IE, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. My site is found here www.davidsugarman.co.uk.

Hello All!

Adrienne and Sheila

I love it when the temperature goes up :-) I know the clubs are hotter but that adds to the atmosphere. I like to see a sheen on people, it means they're trying.

And, given that salsa attire is wonderful anyway, the ladies look even better…

Speaking of temperatures, I broke out the ¾shorts for the first evening's dance this year. Those, plus a short sleeved shirt are enough to keep me cool.

Hello Boys!

However on Tuesday I had cause to regret the change away from trousers / jeans when I came home with a 2" scrape down my ankle from a pair of heels. Sorry to my partner for the "f"ing and blinding when I was caught by another couple.

I've been making further changes to the Newsletter. I've improved the use of icons in the Newsletter and have collapsed the email addresses into a simple icon on the web site. And I've tested the web site / Newsletter with IE, Firefox, Chrome and Safari.

Do check your club is on tonight. The European elections mean at least one venue is being used as a Polling Station.

Also, there is no advanced class at Jongleurs, Reading this Sunday.

Shoe of the Week!

Link to "Shoe of the Week!".