my faves

[yippee1999]

Just for fun, here are my fave salsa videos that really inspire me. I actually get EXCITED watching these. I will often just impulsively go to Youtube.com during the middle of my workday, to watch a video or two, and sometimes I get like a jerking reaction in my legs, hips... like I can't control myself from moving! :--)

++++++++++++++++++++++++

I've no idea who this couple is. Never heard of them. But I like the first guy, and the woman, alot!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2q1RgoxIsk8

Here's Eddie. While the woman is obviously good, my eyes are mainly on Eddie. What really strikes me is how elegant and smooth he is... like the Fred Astaire of salsa. Also, his zest for life and salsa really comes through. You can tell he just LOVES what he does. What I also pick up on in this video is... he comes across as a very considerate leader. And when he does his shine routines, yeow!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5eUzpDwoNow

Here are two of my fave Magna videos. I love her shine routines... the way she applies moves to the music!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vY2WJEseblc

http://youtube.com/watch?v=U74RvRyOMAA

Here's Milton Cobo with an unknown-to-me woman. Whoever she is, I LOVE her style!!! It's more laid-back when compared to Magna, but I like this woman's style just as much, but in a different way.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oxmbwuBO_VQ

Frankie with another unknown-to-me woman. She too has a somewhat laid-back style.... it's a rather charming, cute style, and very relaxed. I like her alot!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wFp2GJC9N_I

Frankie with a woman named Nancy... She works her hips, shoulders and neck REAL well!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qdz9qvVXBgg

[Big10]

Here's a little help identifying the dancers in a few of the videos you mentioned:

I've no idea who this couple is. Never heard of them. But I like the first guy, and the woman, alot!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2q1RgoxIsk8 The first guy is Joel Masacote from Boston, who usually performs with his wife, Ana. The woman is Griselle Ponce from New Jersey, who is fairly "famous" (although obviously not to you ;) ) and has produced a number of her own Salsa instruction videos.


Frankie with another unknown-to-me woman. She too has a somewhat laid-back style.... it's a rather charming, cute style, and very relaxed. I like her alot!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wFp2GJC9N_I
The woman is Aisha, who was Frankie Martinez's original main partner when he founded his own dance company. I think Frankie usually uses Lori Perez as his partner when he travels these days, but Aisha is one of my all-time favorite female Salsa dancers to watch. Just like you, I really like her style! :cool:


Here's Eddie. While the woman is obviously good, my eyes are mainly on Eddie.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5eUzpDwoNow Frankie with a woman named Nancy... She works her hips, shoulders and neck REAL well!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qdz9qvVXBgg Since your eyes were mainly on Eddie the first time, I guess you didn't notice that it's the same Nancy (last name Ortiz) in both videos! :lol: She has awesome body movement and styling.

[yippee1999]

Wow, thanks!! Griselle Ponce? Yeah, I know I've seen that name. I think she gives classes at Joe Burgos' sometimes, so I'll def have to check out her classes.

And now ho' up on this Nancy Ortiz....! You are saying that the woman dancing with Eddie (she looks fairly tall) and the woman dancing with Frankie (in the short dress, doing all the head flips, and neck/hip rolls)... that that is one and the same woman? I am in shock! Her style of dance is so different in each, but then, I guess Frankie and Eddie have very different styles, so she was simply applying herself to their styles. Then I must say I am really impressed, that she can so successfully dance in such completely different styles!!

So I take it you don't know who the woman was dancing with Milton Cobo?

Thanks for the info!

[mambonewb]

Here's Milton Cobo with an unknown-to-me woman. Whoever she is, I LOVE her style!!! It's more laid-back when compared to Magna, but I like this woman's style just as much, but in a different way.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oxmbwuBO_VQ

That's Magna he's dancing with. ;)

[yippee1999]

Are you serious or joking? That's Magna? It seems like a very different style than what I'm accustomed to seeing her dance... not as "precise" (and I don't necessarily mean that's a bad thing...). And the woman in the video appears to have a long braid. I've only seen Magna dancing with her hair always up...

[Big10]

And now ho' up on this Nancy Ortiz....! You are saying that the woman dancing with Eddie (she looks fairly tall) and the woman dancing with Frankie (in the short dress, doing all the head flips, and neck/hip rolls)... that that is one and the same woman? I am in shock! Her style of dance is so different in each, but then, I guess Frankie and Eddie have very different styles, so she was simply applying herself to their styles. Then I must say I am really impressed, that she can so successfully dance in such completely different styles!! Yes, definitely the same woman! In the first video, my guess is that Eddie Torres was the headlining performer, so she was basically adhering to his choreography, with just a little bit of her own flair added. In the second video, Nancy was the featured performer at a party for the debut of her website or the opening of a dance studio (I can't remember which reason), so Frankie was giving Nancy room to do more of her own thing. The latter video was discussed on another DF thread some time ago, but I'd have to do a little digging to find it.


So I take it you don't know who the woman was dancing with Milton Cobo? No, I didn't know until mambonewb chimed in.


the woman in the video appears to have a long braid. I've only seen Magna dancing with her hair always up... During one of the days when she appeared here in Houston recently (October 2006), Magna had her hair tied into a couple of braids. See here, for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LZ1sc8Argw

[alemana]

i love nancy ortiz, her dancing is my own personal jesus.

[yippee1999]

Interesting. So I guess re: Nancy then, that the routine with Frankie was more "her", and that she was a bit more refined, or had to "hold back a bit", with Eddie. I just couldn't believe it was the same woman.

Thanks Big 10 for the recent videos of Magna. Again, in that one, I think she dances differently.... from the more tight, refined-looking dancing I've seen of her (where her dancing is perhaps somewhat choreographed), and from the video with Milton.

I guess what I'm realizing here is that people's dance style can come across very differently depending on the partner, and whether they are dancing socially with someone they don't know well, versus someone with whom perhaps their dancing is so second nature it's almost a routine, versus an actual performance piece.

Thanks everybody for all the info!

[mambonewb]

Are you serious or joking? That's Magna? It seems like a very different style than what I'm accustomed to seeing her dance... not as "precise" (and I don't necessarily mean that's a bad thing...). And the woman in the video appears to have a long braid. I've only seen Magna dancing with her hair always up...

Seriously. I read a comment on this vidclip somewhere stating it was her.

[anam]

Actually, the girl dancing with Milton is Samantha. She used to be Milton's partner, but she's been slightly off the scene for a while, which is why people are probably having a hard time recognizing her. Much love Sam! Her website: SamanthaErskine.com

[yippee1999]

I just checked out Samantha's site, but unfortunately can't find any videos to compare her dancing to that of the woman in the Cobo video. But from her site it's clear that "yes", she did do some dancing w/the Cobo brothers. And I "knew" that wasn't Magna... (although maybe it's still up for debate by others here??) :--)

Update: Thanks Anam! You were right. I wasted no time, and sent the video to Samantha and told her that I and some fellow salseros were trying to determine if that was her in the video. She replied "yes". I then told her I really loved her style (which she seemed very flattered to hear), and asked if she does privates, to which she also said "yes". So... I'll be arranging something with her in the near future! :--)

[anam]

I just checked out Samantha's site, but unfortunately can't find any videos to compare her dancing to that of the woman in the Cobo video. But from her site it's clear that "yes", she did do some dancing w/the Cobo brothers. And I "knew" that wasn't Magna... (although maybe it's still up for debate by others here??) :--)

Update: Thanks Anam! You were right. I wasted no time, and sent the video to Samantha and told her that I and some fellow salseros were trying to determine if that was her in the video. She replied "yes". I then told her I really loved her style (which she seemed very flattered to hear), and asked if she does privates, to which she also said "yes". So... I'll be arranging something with her in the near future! :--)

No prob! She's a great friend of ours. It's actually quite an old video from a popular video site (Salsaloon.com) that went down a couple years back. I think it got too expensive for the webmasters, at least I believe that's what happened.

Tell her Ana from Masacote says hi ;)

[yippee1999]

OK.... NEW fave!!! Santo Rico video....

To me, these chicks are "dancers' dancers". The costumes are classy, the choreography and music are great.... a bit more creative than most with the whole "gangster" theme... and the women's form is awesome! To me they are a class act!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZSGOr_4cfF8

[alemana]

the shine sequence starting at about 4:20 is interesting and more energetic than the rest, which is a little underwhelming. it's tight and yeah they spin great yadda yadda, but there's too little punch, too little dynamism. the superimposition of the random gangster theme is also forced and a little tired.
cute tops on the girls, though.

[yippee1999]

Maybe what you're saying is the routine lacks some overall flava? I can see that, but then, I'm a sucker for great form. And there were so many little touches I liked.... like how in the beginning the women stand together with their backs to the audiences in that poised-to-dance pose... when the women them came out doing that little flapper type thing.... and the parts when one couple would be dancing, and the other two couples stood in the background in a nice couples-type stance... I just thought there was alot of attention to detail in this routine.

[alemana]

i am so jaded, ignore me :)

[yippee1999]

np. Like I said, I'm big on form. Remember the comment I made to you one time? :--)

[alemana]

no.

[naturallove]

the shine sequence starting at about 4:20 is interesting and more energetic than the rest, which is a little underwhelming. it's tight and yeah they spin great yadda yadda, but there's too little punch, too little dynamism. the superimposition of the random gangster theme is also forced and a little tired.
cute tops on the girls, though.
Agreed on all points. I didn't get how the gansta theme fit in with either song they chose or their choreography. The spins were clean, precise and beautiful, they are amazing dancers but I guess from all that I've heard of Santo Rico, I was left a bit underwhelmed--or maybe unmoved is a better word. Maybe the more I dance, the more I hope that the dance will inspire or touch me in some way--make me think about the music in a way that I never would have.

[alemana]

it was good technically (and that really says something) and a good advertisement for santo rico's strengths as a school and a company. the style is clear and all the women (at least) dance mostly the same way. they look like a unit.

but the more advanced aesthetic and performance skills - not in evidence.

[yippee1999]

Another new "fave".... just saw this one of Frankie. Haven't really seen him dance quite this way before, and this time, he seems a little more into his partner than in other clips I've seen of him.... I really like this performance...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJZ9or09-Y4