Promoter
brings Salsa to L.B.'s Queen Mary
By
Cherie Otto
On-line Forty-Niner
In
1994 Luis and Joby Vazquez founded Salsa
Brava, a dance company in Long Beach that
specializes in popular Latin dance forms
such as salsa, mambo, merenque, cha cha
and samba.
Over
the years the salsa troupe gained wide
notoriety and sponsors such as Salsa International
Clothing and Sabor Magazine. They were
even named the best dance company in 2001-2002,
receiving an award.
Salsa
Brava has traveled around the world to
exposing its dancing to other cultures.
The company has performed everywhere from
Chicago, to Singapore. All of the 20 dancers
in the company are involved in competitions,
and several have even come in first place.
The
group has also been on TV shows such as
"The Rosanne Bar Show," and
commercials like Coca-Cola.
Another
sponsor of the company's is a man named
Albert Torres. 12 years ago Torres moved
from New York to Los Angeles and today
he is known all around the world as a
major entertainer and promoter of Latin
dance and music.
He
wanted to bring salsa dancing to Los Angeles
because it was "virgin territory,"
giving him the opportunity to start something
people didn't hear much of.
Club's
he brought to life includes the Sportsman's
Lodge in Studio City, Rudolpho's and the
Salsa Cantina in Culver City.
"People
from Orange County and San Diego said
why don't you bring something South?"
Torres said.
That's
why he established a weekly salsa club
in Long Beach on the deck of the Queen
Mary. Since September 14, salsa dance
lovers have flooded the decks of the ship
every Sunday afternoon to get footloose.
The
afternoon starts off with an hour-long
salsa dance lesson from some of the best
dancers in salsa-- members of Salsa Brava.
Cynthia
Simone, one of the instructors, has worked
with Albert Torres since 1999.
"They
have the dance lessons so people don't
get intimidated," Torres said.
"[We]
picked the Queen Mary because there was
mutual interest with one another,"
Simone said. "It's inviting to families,"
she said. "It was quite successful
the first Sunday."
After
the lesson Johnny Polanco, Conjunto Amistad
and DJ Frank take over the airways, giving
the public something to move their hips
to.
Melissa
Fernandez, a dancer of the salsa dance
troupe, is one of the teachers that show
the public how salsa is done. She was
one out of three that made the cut after
auditioning with 80 other girls in 1999.
"At
first I couldn't pick up anything."
Fernandez said. "I was the slowest
and it took me five months to feel comfortable
with basic steps."
For
those who have never dance before Fernandez's
advises them to get familiar with basic
dance steps, but most of all to just have
fun.
"Students
get all this and have the night free to
do homework." Torres said.
Downtown
Long Beach doesn't offer much in Latin
dancing. Mariposa on Pine Avenue is one
of very few nightspots that offer salsa
dancing on weekends.
"It's
different than Pine Avenue," he said.
"It's about really having fun and
becoming friends for a long time."
By
January 2004, if everything goes well
and the club is successful, the dancing
will leave the deck and be brought inside.
"Then
we'll have the opportunity to bring live
bands from all over." Torres said.
"Salsa
is addicting," Fernandez said.
EVENTS
LISTING
What:
Salsa Sundays
When: 1 p.m. ? 6 p.m. every Sunday
Where: On the Deck of the Queen Mary 1126
Queens Highway Long Beach, Ca
Information: (310) 445-9705
