This is the second part of the exclusive interview I had with Edie the Salsa Freak on Monday November 26, 2007. The first part can be read here. In this part we also talk about Salsa Ethics.
Sederick: Let’s talk a little bit about ‘Salsa Ethics’. I have a problem with (international) Salsa Dance Instructors teaching ‘non leadable moves’, dance elements which are meant only for show dancing or on stage, and dance techniques which could be dangerous on a fully packed Salsa dance floor. A lot of moves are being thought and taught without the proper security measures or without telling the restrictions to accompany them. As a very well known and respected international Salsa dance teacher you have a lot of power and influence in the international Salsa dance community. I am just a small time dance teacher, so people will not listen to me. Can you do something to change or introduce the use of Salsa Ethics during (international) Salsa dance congresses?
Edie: You can only lead by setting a good example yourself. There is no point in trying to change people. Like women have to know by now: you can NOT change men! So the best thing to do is to dance and act the proper way YOURSELF on the Salsa dance floor. By doing this, you set an example which a lot of people will want to follow. For example: I know a Salsa dance teacher and an awesome dancer (he has one of the best leads worldwide) called Dragos from Romania. He’s humble (he just puts a little announcement of his classes on his site) and he’s partially deaf, but all his students become good dancers after taking his dance classes. Even to me it’s still a mystery how he does it. So he’s the reason a lot of Salsa dance schools in his vicinity are losing clients. He’s just being himself and being also good at what he does.
Another example: When Eddie Torres started teaching his Mambo classes, his studio was next to the Hustle dance studio. In that time the Hustle was big in New York (think about the Saturday Night Fever craze) and the Hustle dancers and teachers were teasing him with his ‘silly Mambo’. But this didn’t discourage him. After the Hustle craze past away most of the Hustle students started taking his Mambo classes. He didn’t change his goals. I don’t even think his goal was to be as great and popular as he is right now. But he persevered and became an icon. You tell me that I have power. But who told me to name myself ‘Salsa Freak’, to slide down a man’s leg, to do this (Edie asked me to put my forehead and nose against hers and proceeded to pull her hair all over my head and left me gasping for some air), to make the most Salsa Dance DVD’s, to make a living by flying all over the world, shake my ass and earn a living doing so… ? Nobody but myself ! So the secret is to keep going and produce: Persistency and Consistency!
Sederick, you have a lots of experience, knowledge, and you move your body better than I do. What you have to do is choose the three things which you want to do the most, and stick to them no matter what. These three things form a pyramid, and as you already know a pyramid is one of the strongest structures in this world. In the past I wanted to travel around the world ( maybe become an airline pilot), write books and dance. Now, because I focused on my goals, I’m a dancer that travels around the world and I’m writing about my adventures! I live my pyramid every day. I live my three dreams every single day that I am alive. I focused only on what makes me feel good. Now magic happens every single day of my life.
Sederick: Edie, this Musicality Bootcamp of yours has been one of the best workshops I have ever experienced since my attending (international) Salsa Dance congresses all across Europe (from 1999 onward). And the rest of the group at the table all agrees with me. I know that Esther and Frenkie did their best to invite as much teachers as possiblycould to attend your Bootcamp. But the majority of them did not come. Did you expect more teachers to attend your Musicality Bootcamp? And are you disappointed in them?
Edie: No! I don’t have any expectations towards other persons. I only have high expectations towards myself ! That’s why I’m very glad when someone does something for me, and I’m never disappointed because I don’t expect anything.
Sederick: I have always been a Musicalist: I was born on the island of Curacao where music and dance form an intricate part of our daily lives. As a child my parents had a band practicing at home, I started dancing different kinds of dances in show teams since 1983, and for ten years (last October I celebrated my 10th anniversary as a Salsa dance teacher) I have been trying to use Musicality during my Salsa dance classes with little success. And our students went on teaching Salsa without paying attention to the music, which in my theory forms 50 % of Salsa dancing. I had some discussions about this on different Salsa forums, and I have been practically branded as being a ‘Don Quichote’, fighting against windmills, because the lot of Salsa dancers are only interested in learning intricate turn patterns, shines, and ‘cool moves’. You can understand how glad I am that someone with a lot of power like yourself is finally making it a priority to teach Salsa dancers all over the world to dance on the music. Do you have any tips on how we can teach our students (and future Salsa dance teachers) to teach Musicality?
Edie: The answer is easy. People have to get my Musicality DVD! I’m not afraid of people copying my work, because that’s one way a lot of people get to know me and my work. I will be producing more Musicality DVD’s as my techniques keep evolving; I can’t, and I won’t stop them from copying my DVD’s. For example: I’ve never sold one DVD in Turkey. But there are about 9000 copies in circulation in that country. It’s like selling drugs: give a free sample, and they will be coming back for more ! On the DVD there are clear instructions on how to master and teach Musicality. This fire will spread like wildfire!
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