Category: Dance
Performance Videos (salsa & bachata) from Nueva Ola’s First Brooklyn Bash Social (NYC)
Anyone who’s known me for a while knows that I’m not particularly fond of heading out to Brooklyn. Don’t get me wrong, it has nothing to do with the borough itself, or with the masses of hipsters roaming its streets. The simple fact is that even though both are a part of NYC, traveling from ...
Dancing to Live Salsa Music in NY: Featuring Frankie Vasquez at Monique’s Lounge 108 (NYC)
When going out salsa dancing in NY, you’ll occasionally get the following question: “So, what type of salsa club are we going to?” Though one salsa club is the same as any other salsa club for most people, there’s a delineation in NY between clubs/socials that have “trained” dancers, and those who’ve primarily learned in the ...
Photoshoot with Argentinian Bachata Champions Marcelo and Julieta
I recently had the opportunity to do a photoshoot with the Argentinian bachata champions Marcelo Alcaraz and Julieta Ibañez. One of the aspects I love about shooting elite level dancers is that they have such an acute awareness of their bodies, and generally have years of experience emoting feelings through facial expressions and subtle gestures. Qualities ...
Performance Videos from the NY Salsa Competition Team Fundraiser (Updated 2/10/15 with video from the 2015 World Salsa Summit Champions)
*Updated 2/10/15* I was originally unable to post this video as the team had requested not to have their routine uploaded online due to it being their new competition piece. Now that the 2015 World Salsa Summit competition is complete, I am proudly able to present the video of the routine that won them their ...
Performance Videos and Photos from La Fuerza’s Ugly Sweater Holiday Party
Thx to all who came out to celebrate with the La Fuerza fam! 🙂 Fausto & Isabel La Fuerza Ladies Gifted Souls NYC MDN Dancers Formula F Descarga Latina Santo Rico Tumbao Alma NYC La Fuerza Brava To see all the pictures from the event, check out: facebook.com/mapes24photography
Performing at Island Touch’s 6th Year Anniversary Party (Las Chicas Locas, NYC)
Maybe it’s because I now have a set timeline that’s leading towards the end of my stay in New York, but I find that I’m becoming more reflective regarding all the amazing experiences I’ve had while living in the City. In as much as I’ll eternally be grateful to those that I’ve shared the stage with over the ...
My Experience Performing with Luis Vargas at Madison Square Garden
It’s been a few months now since the event, and just the memory of it still feels unreal…good thing I like to take pics. 🙂 Given the historic relevance of the Garden, I’m sure you can understand, why this Korean-Canadian-Californian living as a New York transplant was having a hard time registering the fact that he’d be performing ...
La Fuerza’s Performance at Pura Vida’s 3rd Year Anniversary Party (NYC)
It’s been over 3 years now since I started performing for a dance company, and have been blessed to have met some really awesome individuals within the NY dance community. One of the first group of contemporaries in the bachata world that I had the pleasure of getting to know was Pura Vida Dance Company. F&F and Pura Vida Dance Companies, backstage at the ...
Restaurant Review: Guantanamera Restaurant (Hell’s Kitchen, NYC)
While on vacation, I will often look for experiences that help me understand and define the character of the city that I’m visiting. After living in New York for over 10 yrs, I realize that I definitely take the City for granted and have not delved into finding its heartbeat as much as I would ...
An Introductory Look at What Goes Down at a Latin Dance (Bachata, Salsa) Festival: with La Fuerza Dance Company
Have y’all seen those “What they think I do vs what I actually do” memes? Well, I thought I’d give my readers, and my friends who aren’t a part of the latin dance scene, a behind the scenes look at a weekend in the life of a traveling dance company. Here’s a quick look at La Fuerza Dance Company’s recent trip to the 3rd Annual Upstate ...
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