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Salsa & Mambo Video Reviews

Jazzy Dance Company (Carlos Leon & Azucena Perez)

Everyone Can Salsa, Intermediate/Advanced Turn Patterns

Level: Int-Advanced

Style: On1 & On2

Content: This DVD is chock-full of fun and unique partnerwork combinations sure to make you want to get on the dance floor!

• Illusion Arm Spiral
• Drop It Like It's Hot!
• European Double Jacket
• Tango Twist
• The Coke Turner
• Thread the Needle

With Top-Notch Instruction, Intricate and Fun Combinations, Styling Tips for Ladies, and Exceptional Quality Footage, you're in for a Real Treat!

DVD Features:

• 6 intricate and unique patterns including technique and styling tips for ladies
• 100% Leadable
• Over 50 eight-counts of partnerwork
• Demonstrated On1 and On2
• The best image quality in the market! Filmed in High-Definition
• Music by internationally renowned New York orchestra La Excelencia!
• Filmed at beautiful Copa Bar & Grill
• On1 vs On2 Timing Conversion Table
• Bonus Material

Information provided by the artists

General Comment:This is a nice DVD, well produced, well organised, well danced and, most important, well taught. You will learn 6 turn patterns, each several bars of music long and consequently containing several shorter moves. I find the turn patterns closer to an advanced level than an intermediate one, requiring confident spinning for the lady and quick and precise lead for the guy. The moves are interesting, containing the most recent variations on common salsa elements as well as novel ideas combined in a creative manner. It may not be straightforward to lead these patterns with a not regular partner, but this is advanced level and we may expect this.

From the technical side of things, the turn patterns are first demonstrated with counting on2, then on1, then broken down with attention to both the lady’s and the man’s part and then they are interpreted with music both on2 and on1. Superimposed text shows the name of each move composing the turn pattern during the demonstrations, and I find this is a useful addition. Advanced dancers seeking to increase their repertoire of moves will make the most of this DVD which both technically and content-wise is as good as any from more established international dancers. A very good work

Reviewed by : Fabio from SalsaIsGood - Good

Salsa Grooves (Software - Windows Only)

Level: Beg-Int

Style: On1 & On2

Content: Music is such an integral part of the dance! Salsa Grooves is an interactive software tool that finally makes it easy to teach and
learn how to better understand and connect with the music. This results in quickly improving your timing and musicality!
With Salsa Grooves you can:

• Learn which are the fundamental Salsa rhythms present in every song
• VISUALIZE every rhythm while playing! For most people, SEEing what they are listening to is what makes them quickly understand the relationship between the music and the dance steps
• Play the rhythms of your choice and adjust the tempo! This is very helpful while teaching a class or practicing your moves/footwork/styling on your own
• Understand which rhythms help dancing on 1 and which ones help dancing on 2
• Fine-tune your ears and never feel lost in the music again!
• Learn about phrasing and practice handling the coming in and out of different instruments
• Much more...

Information provided by the artists

General Comment:The SalsaGrooves is not a DVD but it contains some video clips and this gives me an excuse to include it here; I do so with pleasure because it is a real gem. Among so many products out there aimed at improving your timing and understanding of the music this one stands out as one of the best I have ever seen.

It is neither a DVD nor an audio CD, rather it is a computer program which you can purchase on-line or as a CD. You need a computer and it requires to be installed in order to use it, but this is very easy to do, as easy as any other software tool. When you run it, the computer screen shows two bars of music which visualise the main rhythm of different salsa instruments. The main notes or beats of the instruments you choose are highlighted when played and this generates a visual perception of the music while it plays.

This is already useful in itself, but the best still has to come: by simply clicking on a couple of drop-down menus you can change the instruments you want to play, the speed and add voice-over counting. You can even choose what beat you want the voice to count. It is fully interactive and of course the more choice you have the more choices you need to make, but this is very easy to do since the menus are cleverly done. If you are not a technology guru, do not be discouraged by having to interact with a computer, in the SalsaGrooves this requires little effort and I believe it is well worth the effort. Written instructions are added on each screen to instruct you on what to do and what you should pay attention to in the music and some video clips with example of basic steps and styling complete the product. Highly recommended

Reviewed by : Fabio from SalsaIsGood - Recommended