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Salsa & Mambo Video Reviews

Nelson Flores

NY Style Mambo Shines

Level: Intermediate

Style: NY on2

Content: In this DVD you will learn some of the most common shines being danced in NY. You will be able to apply these shines to either your social dancing or to a choreography. The shines range from Low Intermediate to Advanced. Nelson illustrates how he goes from one shine to another without doing a basic step in between. The shines include: Four Corners; Reverse Crossover into Susy Q,: Mambo around the Clock: Side basic Cha Cha: Three Point Hide 'n' Kick and Cross Over Hop. This DVD was earlier released on video.

General Comment: As a newcomer to shines you will have the opportunity to learn the basics of mambo shines here as well as some more advanced moves. This means that you can join a group shines class without feeling like a complete idiot! If you have been partner dancing for a while you shouldn't have much trouble picking up the moves as long as you are prepared to put in some time practicing in front of a mirror. The shines are shown from the front and back view with occasional close-ups of the feet. They are shown individually and then put together into a routine without music. Eventually they are put together with music and this is where you get to finally see Nelson shine! It is a shame that the moves were not shown with music throughout the DVD.

Reviewed by Ally - OK

General Comment: Nelson Flores has the rare reputation of being a good performer, a good choreographer and a good teacher too. This is a promising combination for a DVD which displays a solo routine better suited for a show than for the dance floor. I would define the combination as ‘unisex’ since I can imagine both a man and a lady performing it. It is fairly diverse, including not only footwork but also some body work and ideas taken from mambo, jazz, cha cha cha and more traditionally Cuban movements. Nelson thinks ‘big’ when he directs shows (including the now famous Broadway production Latin Madness) but thinks ‘small, informal and friendly’ when it comes to DVDs. As others from his repertoire, this is very much a home made production, with fairly rough editing, but if the routine is what you are after (as you should) then there is all you need to learn it. The routine is taught according to standards: broken down into small sections, shown from the front and back, and put together at the end both with and without music. The DVD is 30 minutes long, including 7 minutes of clips from Nelson shows, at the beginning. BTW, needless to say, it is on 2, NY style.

Reviewed by Fabio - OK