Etc.

Call 415 681-8140 with your comments, suggestions, etc.

From "La Manzana", 3/97

"Hot fun in the summertime..."
But wait, it's still winter!? Not in Miami, where the days are in the 70's and you can go out at night without a jacket. My cousin Victoria & I went to Miami in January to check out the dance scene. There's lots of Hustle there (no, not the line dance, the partner dance), however while we in the Bay Area dance Hustle at studio party's, they do their dancing at niteclubs. This was fun for a change, but it was very crowded and I got stepped on several times by the "freestylers". It really makes you appreciate the some of the beautiful dance floors we have here in the Bay Area. At the niteclubs it was either ceramic tile,concrete or dirty-sticky-slippery wood. On the plus side, the Miami dancers have become very good at dancing in small spaces.

There's also lots of Salsa, or to be precise "Casino" and "Casino de Rueda", the latter being sort of a Salsa "Square Dance". On our first night in Miami we went to a Rueda class held in a large banquet hall (tile floor). It was very well organized with three hours of classes- beginning, intermediate, advanced - with each level broken up into 4 different classes. However, all the classes were in the same room, at the same time, all the teachers shouting over each other. Needless to say, our teacher was getting hoarse before the end of the first hour. What I noticed about the "Casino" style (of partnerdancing) was that it was fast, flashy and contained elements of Hustle (& old style "Rope" Hustle), and Lindy Swing. I still prefer the more classic Mambo style, where there's more relating to your partner, and more freedom to play with the music. In Miami the "Rueda" was danced with the follower changing partners inside the circle travelling clockwise. The way I learned it in New York was with the follower travelling counter clockwise.

It was interesting how the Miami Hustle dancers stay very separate from the Salsa or Casino dancers and vice versa. Here in the Bay Area a lot of the Hustle dancers also dance Salsa (and frequent the Salsa niteclubs), although it would be nice to get more Bay Area Salseros to try the Hustle. If you've never seen it or haven't seen it lately (it has evolved a lot since the 70's) come dance with us at the Metronome's monthly Hustle party on April 11th. Come at 7:30 for the beginning Hustle lesson, Raul Ante will be teaching & also hosting the party and he promises to play some Salsas & Merengues too.There are several Hustle classes available throughout the Bay Area and I will also be teaching more Hustle workshops and possibly a weekly class in the fall
Ava Apple

From "La Manzana" 9/96

"Heaven, I'm in heaven..."
...is what you'll be singing if you get a chance to dance with Angel Figueroa, co-owner of Stepping Out Dance Studio in New York. A fabulous dancer and teacher, Angel and his partner, Maria Torres, were in the Bay Area recently to teach a series of workshops and to compete at the "Sapphire Ball" where they came in first place in the rising star American Rhythm category. Besides teaching dance he has worked for the IRS, the Social Security Administration and has even waited tables. I had the pleasure of talking with Angel and found that we have similar ideas about teaching. Here are excerpts from our interview.

Ava Apple: What is your nationality?
Angel Fiqueroa: I'm Puerto Rican, born and raised in New York City in Spanish Harlem. My parents are originally from Puerto Rico.
AA: How long have you been teaching at "Stepping Out" ?
AF: Nine years.
AA: Did you teach dance before that?
AF: No. My background in dance has been ballet, jazz, and modern since I was 14. I've always done partner dancing. My sister taught me all my Latin dancing. She used to sneak me into nightclubs-she and her girlfriends knew the guys at the door and they would let us in. She used to just throw me at her girlfriends and say, "Here, teach him something." There were no numbers or rhythms or whatever, you just knew it. There were no names of steps or anything like that. I
went to State University in Binghamton, NY, where I took up sociology and theatre with a dance emphasis. Then I got a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey Dance School and I went there for about a year. After a while I pretty much gave up on dance as a career - I used to go to auditions and either I wasn't tall enough, black enough, white enough, or short enough, and 'West Side Story" only comes around every 12 years or so.
AA: How did you meet your wife Diane (co-owner of "Stepping Out")?
AF: I was waiting tables at the time. She had opened up her studio in 1985 and periodically she had been telling me, "You should really do this (teach partner dancing). It's a lot of fun." At first I said no but then I started having problems at work so I took her up on the offer.
AA: And now you're co~owner of the studio.
AF: I've been one of the owners for a year and a half now.
AA: You had previously told me you dance (salsa) quick, quick, slow, but you break on the count of two.
AF: If you break on the one or the two it's still quick, quick, slow. Usually if you break on the three you're doing slow, quick, quick. Yes, I can dance on the one, yes I can dance on the two or the three. Sometimes a particular song, for example, feels better dancing on the one instead of the two or the three and vice versa.
AA: That's what I tell my students-listen to the music and decide what count you want to break on. What do you say when people ask, What's the difference between salsa and mambo?
AF: Salsa is what you eat with chips and mambo is what you dance. Salsa is a terminology that was given to Latin music in the early 70's. Mambo is the dance, salsa is the music. I think a lot of people are trying to make it (Salsa) a dance term, and it's not. One of the things that I preach when I teach is that "salsa'' doesn't mean anything-it's not a dance, that's it.
AA: Some teachers teach all flash and no technique, so many students have come to expect a new pattern every week, even when they should still be working on their basics.
AF: The thing that kills me is pattern freaks - not so much how many patterns they do-but let's say if you're dancing on the one, then I expect you to dance on the one for the whole song. They get so caught up in the "pattern, pattern, pattern" thing that when the pattern doesn't work they drift to the next beat. Now a lot of people consider that to be okay and as far as I'm concerned that's not okay. That means you do not know the pattern well enough to stay on the beat. I don't see why there's a need to do all the patterns you know within one song. Eventually people are going to understand that without your basics you just can't do it, it doesn't work. I don't care who you are.

From "La Manzana" 4/96
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BAY AREA SALSA BAND?
Richard Yee - "One that I like is Avance. They're really connected with the crowd; they give alot of energy to the dancers. Tito Garcia is really good too.''
Marc McGovern - "I like Avance the best. Ialso like Tito Garcia"
Tamar Carson - "Conjunto Cespedes; and I like Candela alot. Candela is great for dancing to.',
Tom Zarembinski - "Avance, also Pepe y su Orquesta''
Vince Rodino - "Avance''
Eli Ateljevich - "Conjunto Cespedes. I used to play trombone with Mara Fox of Conjunto Cespedes."
Norm Largusa - ''They're all good. I love any kind of Salsa music."
Michael Mailet - "I love Conjunto Cespedes. They're the best traditional Afro-Cuban band in the Bay Area. For traditional Salsa Tito Garcia is my favorite."

From "Open Exchange" 1/95

Ava Apple's Dance Etiquette: Social Savvy on the Dance Floor

Take a glimpse into a local dance club on any night and you'll see many confident people moving in perfect time with their partners. A beginning dancer might feel intimidated asking someone to dance - what if I look clumsy? What if my partner gets bored dancing with me? But newcomers should realize that seasoned regulars also experience doubt occasionally. Jan S. looks self-assured on the floor, but she admits to feeling nervous when paired with a more advanced dancer, "I'm embarrassed if my partner is much better than I am and wants to do all these difficult moves. I feel I should get out of his way".

Other people become unnerved by partners who forget their deodorant, wear too much perfume, or by aggressive types who seem to sprout extra hands that are a little too exploratory. After talking to a variety of dancers, one realizes that certain awkward situations are universal for beginners, advanced dancers, and those in-between. What do you do with a partner who is completely off the beat? Or with one who seems unaware that you're bumping off other couples like a pinball? Professional dancer and instructor Ava Apple is sympathetic to these complaints. She has taught dance in the Bay Area for 10 years, competes in dance competitions and keeps up with the local dance scene at the clubs. She believes that tension caused by awkward situations could be eased with the help of some guidelines, "Sometimes a person is unaware that he or she is making the other person uncomfortable. And the other person doesn't know what to do and just suffers silently until the song is over".

After constantly being asked the same questions by students and friends, Ava has compiled a list of tips to help people enjoy their evenings with a minimum of stress. She cautioned that these guidelines are not set in stone: "Remember the important thing is to have fun on the dance floor" .

Always carry breath mints. People forget how close they actually get to their partners. You'll eam everyones appreciation by making sure you're breath is fresh.
Don't feel self-conscious about people watching you. Remember: It's fairly dark at clubs, and people may not even be looking at you. They may just be scanning the rest of the club for a dance partner.
Don't try lifts. Copying the professionals will only get you in trouble. Ava recalls the time a dance partner attempted a fancy move, "He suddenly swooped me off the ground, spun me around, and I kicked another girl on the side of her head" To avoid future concussions, both partners should keep their feet on the floor.
Take extra care to watch for ''traffic". Ava noted, "Some leaders don't watch where they're leading. I've stepped on a lot of feet and bumped into people because my partner wasn't paying attention. Try to tone down your dance style when the floor gets crowded. And followers, if you feel yourself about to step on someone's feet, try to lighten your step to soften the blow."
Don't try to teach your partner on the dance floor unless he or she asks for direction. If your partner doesn't follow a particular pattern, try it again. But don't stop and give directions unless they ask!
Say "No" gracefully. If you don't want to dance when someone asks, say, "No, thank you" politely. If you like, add "maybe later." But try to give everyone at least one chance. It's hard enough to ask someone new to dance, and even harder to be turned down.
About Holding Hands... For those of you with palms that perspire you might consider bringing a handkerchief or small towel with to dry off with. It's a good idea to wash your hands often as cold germs get passed very easily. Thank your partner after dancing. Unless the experience was very unpleasant, i.e., he or she was drunk or aggressive, show some courtesy.
The best dancers don't drink alcohol. Some dance steps are difficult enough to perform when you're sober. Don't complicate matters by filling up on daiquiris before stepping onto the floor.