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Salsa & Mambo Video Reviews

 

Jorjet and Troy


Shines on2, Vol 1 & 2

Level: Int-Adv

Style: NY

Content: Shines

General Comment: I wish this series had been produced years ago, since I have been looking for something like this for a long time. People living outside NY know that NY style comes with a very long set of shines which are considered 'standard'; Troy in the DVD calls them 'the shines you have to know'. Still, unless you can fly to NY and take classes there, these shines are hard to come by. They are interspersed in a few DVDs, but these DVDs seem always to be fairly stingy in terms of amount of material, and the full repertoire is hard to find. In the series, finally, the collection is made available to poor mortals living outside NY; thanks Troy and Jorjet. There are 46 (!!) shines.. enough to grow old while trying to master them. If you think this is not 'the lot'.. it's because the rest are in Vol 3 and 4 .. Of course, plenty of material implies less time in explaining. Troy vocalises the music count of the shines and give some hints on how to perform them, while Jorjet executes them, first 'raw', then with style. I don't need to add that she is very good at it. You will need to use your remote to view them a few times in order to learn them but aside from that, this is a treasure.

Reviewed by Fabio - Recommended

General Comment: GOLD...Encyclopedia of Latin Dancing :) I am now the proud owner of the salsa, pachanga and cha cha DVDs and parnerwork DVDs by Jorjet and Troy thanks to salsaisgood. Oh thank you salsaisgood! To be able to just pop a DVD in and learn a shine everyday and then practice it so that when you go to a class you can ENJOY yourself and just work on technique and style and partnerwork....I am no longer stuck in BASIC ...WOOHOOO!!!!! I am getting closer to the intermediate level!!! Thank you Thank you! These DVDs were marked as recommended which I figured out was code for EXCELLENT!!! I put my trust on their reviews and I got exactly what I wanted based on those reviews. I LOVE JORJET AND TROY!!! .

Reviewed by Jacqueline Perez - Recommended


Shines on2, Vol 3 & 4

Level: Int-Adv

Style: NY

Content: Shines

General Comment: With the same format as Vol 1 and 2, Troy and Jorjet provide yet more shines; this set is on average more advanced than the first, and gives more space for styling, which Jorjet does not waste. The filming is done from the back while Jorjet faces a mirror. This way you have ample view of both footwork and styling. Of course this is on2 material, modern mambo, and on1 dancers will need to put the work in to convert them, but you were after NY shines, right? Highly recommended, together with Vol 1 and 2.

Reviewed by Fabio - Recommended


Pachanga

Level: Int-Adv

Style: Pachanga

Content: Footwork and styling

General Comment: Until a few years ago Pachanga was a dance that 'old' Latinos used to do and most 'new' dancers had never seen: The generation gap, very likely would have drawn Pachanga into oblivion if not total extinction. Then Eddie Torres started to travel to Congresses again and to teach it. Of course, the dance got an immediate revival and Youtube started to broadcast it everywhere. In fact, Pachanga, though not with that name, had already made in roads into our Salsa dancing since several traditional shines had clear Pachanga inspirations; we simply did not know. Once again Jorjet provides a gem for all of us to enjoy; unlike the Mambo and Cha Cha Cha shines from Jorjet and Troy, this DVD contain full instructions: Jorjet assumes you know how to dance salsa (either on1 or on2) but you have never seen Pachanga. She shows you the basic feel, the body movement, the basic footwork, how to style it, how to combine footwork and body motion and a few basic variations. Demonstrations are given by Jorjet as well as a male dancer and two young students. The explanation is very good, both in English and Spanish, and the pace of the DVD will allow you to follow and practise while you watch. Jorjet's demonstrations of course are 5 star. Another must have. .

Reviewed by Fabio - Recommended


Salsa Essential Part 1 (Troy and Denise)

Level: Beg-Adv

Style:On1, On2

Content: Basic elements, turn patterns

General Comment: The purpose of this double DVD series is to take you from basic steps to an intermediate level via basic moves in NY/LA style as well as to help you to make the further step to an advanced 'frame of mind' by introducing you early on to several variations of the basic moves. This may sound familiar, but the way it is carried out is less so: there a few differences between this DVD and similar products in the market. The one which struck me the most is that a lot of emphasis is placed on moving and walking rather than on dancing on the spot. This may remind you of Cuban salsa, but it is taught for LA or NY style. Keeping the flow of motion makes it easy for Troy and Denise to go straight from basic steps into cross body lead, circumventing several intermediate steps which salsa instructors usually take between the two. Whether this works in real life as smoothly as it looks on the DVD I do not know, but it does look convincing. For example, rather than teaching spot turns, as it is usually done in a salsa class, Troy and Denise introduce right and left turns during the cross body lead. This 'trick' allows them to move next straight into a set of standard moves, including copas, which are largely combinations of cross body leads and turns. It is a nice idea. Both Troy and Denise have in mind not only salsa students but also salsa instructors in their teaching, since they often refer to them pointing out important elements which should not be left out of a salsa class. What comes out of this is not only a possible alternative plan for teachers to organise their classes but also for students who already know the basic elements and want to see them organised in a different fashion.

Another feature which sets this DVD apart from others is that dancing on1 and on2 is introduced straight from the basic steps and throughout all material; the result is a method which is completely versatile to both LA and NY salsa. On2 is taught both with the man stepping forward on2, and stepping forward on6, which Troy calls 'On6'. A very good product, definitely worth a serious look both for students and teachers

Reviewed by Fabio - Recommended


Salsa Essential Part 2 (Troy and Denise)

Level: Beg-Adv

Style:On1, On2

Content: Basic elements, turn patterns

General Comment: With the same method as Part 1, Troy and Denise introduce us to more advanced moves and their variations. Some are standard components of the NY style repertoire, but some variations are fairly unusual and very nice. As mentioned in the review of Part 1, what makes these turn patterns so nice is that they are based on movement and change of directions.. they look nice and they feel even better. Lades can get hints from Denise for the specific foot work and style and teachers can receive hints from Troy for how to best teach the material. Some demonstrations complete the product.

Reviewed by Fabio - Recommended


Cha Cha Cha Shine Review

Level: Int-Adv

Style: Cha Cha Cha

Content: Footwork and styling

General Comment: With exactly the same format as their Review of Shines On2, Jorjet and Troy compile for us a list of 'standard' or 'must know' Cha Cha Cha shines. The 'Review' term in the DVD title means that each shine is shown to counting a few times and then with styling, but not broken down step by step. Still you can see all steps and styling clearly thanks to the suitable camera position. All you are left to do is to use to remote control to learn them. Jorjet is very good at demonstrating, as usual, and Troy provides some useful hints from the background. A must have.

Reviewed by Fabio - Recommended


Bachata essential Vol 1

Level: Beg-Adv

Style: Bachata

Content: Basic elements, Footwork, Turn Patterns.

General Comment: Yes! I like this one.. and it is not surprising that Jorjet and Troy delivered the goods, after all. As in many other beginner Bachata DVDs, it's assumed you have not danced Bachata before, you are taught the basic steps, a few variations and syncopations and a few basic turn patterns. Unlike some other DVDs though, the Dominican flavour is there.. as the improvised style of the demonstrations clearly shows, and as Jorjet's styling convincingly states. It's a short DVD (30 minutes), but don't be put off by that since the teaching is condensed and to the point and the amount of material covered is not much different from other 1-hour long efforts. A very cool and rough soundtrack (Troy, did you write that yourself?) sets the feel for the kind of Bachata you are going to get and if that is for you, you will feel like dancing from the very start.

Reviewed by Fabio - Recommended

 


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