AL LIQUID SILVER, MIAMI — If you were wondering where Al Liquid Silver has been hiding or why he has not been around the Los Angeles dance floors or stages, well...he was not hiding at all, but living, teaching, and performing his unique style in Miami, Florida. Sadly though, most current LA Salseros/as might even wonder: "Who the heck is Al Liquid Silver?" Yes, the LA Salsa scene has changed a lot and newbies have flooded the dance floor. Moreover, the general dance level has severely declined and people seem to be more into easy-to-dance Bachata than into it-takes-more-skill-and-understanding-of-music Salsa. Well, Al "Liquid Silver" Espinoza is a professional dancer formerly based in Los Angeles who would add hip hop and pop locking to his salsa style. His team's performances were always filled with unique make-up, costumes, sound effects, and choreography. Like many other professional dancers in LA in the first decade of this…

GRANADA SALSA COMPETITION 2012 — The Granada Salsa Club in Alhambra, CA, will be holding their 4th Annual Salsa Competition from June 15th to August 10th. With a total prize purse of $10,000, they are expecting a lot of competitors to want to show what they have and earn a chance at winning some of the cash. The question is, will there be new faces or will it be the same old faces competing for the prize money? It is highly likely that new faces will probably appear in the Amateur competition, but the Pro level competition might consist of the same dancers we are used to seeing across LA in other Pro-level competitions. To register to compete, dancers can call 626-227-2572 or visit www.thegranadala.com. Their website is very confusing and disorganized and lacks a real way to register, so you might be better off just calling. The rules of the the competition can…

ECHO PARK CUBAN FESTIVAL 2012 — Salseros/as in the city of Los Angeles hold wonderful memories of the Echo Park Cuban Festival that used to be held each year in the month of May. What they probably loved the most, though, was that it was a FREE event to attend. Everyone loves to go to FREE events, and in order to show absolutely no support to the event organizers or the event's vendors, they bring in cases of water and packed food for munchies.And then, when an event dies, is cancelled, or postponed, everyone cries and wonders: "why is this event not happening anymore?" And what's worse, they actually tell tales of how they used to take the bus, bring all the water and food they would need, and how it was totally FREE for them to enjoy such "great event."Very sad. So, we are merely speculating here, but was there lack…

GRIZZLY DANCE STUDIO — When Grizzly Hidriago arrived in Los Angeles, it quickly became apparent that a new major player was in town and was here to do great things. Grizzly and his Grizzly Dance Company, and dancers, began winning every major and notable dance competition, showcasing some of the best choreographed routines ever performed on LA dance floors, and imparting a superior level of dance instruction to those students that came to them.It has been one major success after another for Grizzly, and it is all due to his work ethic, his commitment and drive, his honesty, his perseverance, and his amazing ability to successfully lead a serious and professional dance business. Few great dancers around the world can manage a business well; most dancers do not possess the skills to actually manage their money and be prepared when opportunity knocks at their door. On May 1, 2012, after substantial arduous dedication…

SOLDIERS WHO SALSA / JR MARTINEZ — U.S. Army Veteran and Dancing With The Stars Champion J.R. Martinez will be visiting Soldiers Who Salsa this coming weekend at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. At 10:00 AM, Soldiers Who Salsa instructors will be teaching an "Intro to Salsa" class to Wounded Warriors and their families. Then at 11:00 AM, J.R. Martinez will be introduced and will share his amazing journey, including what dance has meant for him. Soldiers Who Salsa (read our last editorial on this amazing organization) is a non-profit organization initially based in San Diego, CA, that uses Salsa dancing as therapy for wounded Military members and their families. They partner up with therapists to teach salsa dance to amputees, brain injury patients, and patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). J.R.'s appearance at this event in Maryland is a grand testimony that goes right in line…

DIA DE SAN JUAN, QUEEN MARY — The 17th Annual Día de San Juan Festival will be taking place on June 17th, 2012, at the Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, CA. This year, the festival will be featuring the Puerto Rican Salsa duo "NG2," formed by Norberto Vélez and Gerardo Rivas, and Puerto Rican Tropical singer/percussionist/dancer sensation "Choco Orta."[ EVENT DETAILS & DRIVING DIRECTIONS ]Other acts that will be performing are Tabaco y Ron, La Bomba Mix, MC Paloma, and Super DJ Robby. Tickets are $25 per person before June 16 and already going on sale via Paypal. For more details on the event, ticket purchases, and special event details, please visit Fiestalegre Promotions, Inc. 

You do not want to miss out on this great event!

ALEX DA SILVA, PATRICK SMITH — Those of you who know my brother Alex, know that he is in prison innocently. But not only did he get 10 years in prison for crimes he did not commit, he was also done wrong in many other ways.People whom he thought were 'friends' turned out to be enemies. While being locked up innocently his so-called friends were stealing from him. He had lots of his cars stolen, among other things. But not only did his so-called 'friends' steal from him, his own attorney, the Lawyer Patrick S. Smith, also stole from him. My brother Alex had to sell his home in North Hollywood and his attorney was supposed to put the money, which was over one hundred thousand dollars, in a trust fund for my brother Alex. But according to Alex, he never got a receipt or anything proving that Patrick Smith…

SALSARANKING.COM — SalsaHook.com is said to be the most popular Salsa website in Los Angeles. Our Google Analytics numbers seem to prove it, along with our Alexa ranking compared to other popular salsa sites based in Los Angeles. But where do we rank globally? 

Well, SalsaRanking.com is a website that shows the ranks of salsa websites around the world. While it itself has very low traffic rankings, the information it provides can be valuable to many salseros/as around the world.All you have to do is submit your domain and they will gather the info on your website and post it in their ranking files. Pretty simple and cool idea...which will also generate a backlink to your site, which is nice.  [ SEE OUR WORLD RANKING IN ALEXA.COM ]Certainly, being that websites like SalsaPower.com and SalsaForums.com have been in business 3-4 times more years than SalsaHook.com has been on the web, it is logical…

WILLIAM LEVY, KATHERINE JENKINS, DWTS — William Levy finally got his Salsa on last night in Dancing With The Stars, and it was pretty okay considering he probably had to unlearn a lot of the style he probably has from his heritage, and learn combinations, timing, patterns, and even some small tricks. I think a partner like Chelsie Hightower would've been perfect for William in DWTS, but it's all about maintaining an average in looks amongst all couples, so I guess she was given to that other kid...whoever he is.Cheryl Burke is okay and let's not forget she did win twice and has come in second and third position a few times, but she is just not a partner that makes William shine on the dance floor. She brings the average way down, so, since I know that if this was a real competition those two would never be dancing together,…

WILLIAM LEVY, SALSA DANCE — William Levy has been shopping around for a platform on which to market his brand in Hollywood and the American market, and Dancing With The Stars needs more Latin viewers. Great move! William is no fool, and knew that making anytihng out of the rumors with J-Lo last year was a bad PR move for him, because she is simply not a very attractive woman in Latin standards...and we just continue to be puzzled why the American market is so in love with her. Good going William! Jennifer Lopez is ucky...ugh. Anyway, so, why is this on SalsaHook.com? Well, because when William gets to dance the hot Salsa or Cha Cha Cha, he will be raved by critics, judges, and viewers either in a good or bad way!Of course, such a hot Latin sensation must be a great Latin dancers, right? Of course he has to be…

COSTA RICA SALSA CONGRESS 2012 — The 2nd Costa Rica Salsa Congress is set to take place from March 23rd to the 25th, and promises to be another great success, as the first congress was in 2010 when Johnny Vazquez and other great international dancers and instructors headlined the event. Organized by Salsa en Linea Costa Rica (Billy Corado's production), this event closely rivals the paradise-like attractions of the Puerto Rico Salsa Congress, as Costa Rica is well-known for having world renowned exotic locales that also offer comfort, luxury, and great environment. The event is being held at the extremely luxurious Ramada Plaza Herradura Hotel (website), which is only about 3 miles away from the Juan Santamaria International Airport, and features 229 rooms, exotic orchid breeding gardens, butterfly farms, amazing panoramic views, golf course and tennis courts access, 3 outdoor pools, 5 jacuzzis, 3 restaurants, and an elegant bar and…

SALSA DANCING, HUSTLER CASINO — Los Angeles has a brand new hot spot to go salsa dancing on Monday nights. And with FREE parking, FREE entrance, and FREE dance lessons, it is sure to attract a crowd! 

The Hustler Casino in Gardena, CA, right off the 110 Freeway on Redondo Beach Blvd, is opening the doors of its sexy Blackjack Lounge to hot and steamy Salsa dancing, which will add to an already hip and happening venue. [ SEE FULL EVENT DETAILS HERE ]This is a venue that once was talked about amongst salsa friends, as a possible great spot for salsa dancing, and it is great to see that it is now featuring a night for our LA salsa community.The Blackjack Lounge features a great ambience and will be filled with the best salsa tunes from a live DJ all evening, has a great dance floor, and will also feature food and drink specials for…

VICTOR CRUZ, NFL, GIANTS — If you are a fan of the National Football League and you like Salsa dancing, you might've noticed the hype around Victor Cruz, a Giants receiver who could very well be responsible for the Giants winning streaks and them winning the ultimate NFL prize: the Super Bowl. I thought about writing about Victor Cruz halfway through the season, but I restrained myself after he scored that humiliating 99 yard touchdown against the Jets, the team I like to root for. I was very upset at Victor Cruz for that and did not want to give him any hype on here. Now, if you know anything about football, then you'll know that that touchdown was pretty much the turning point for the Giants in the season, and they began to climb to the point of becoming world champions. It seemed that with Cruz, the Giants had found a…

ALEX DA SILVA TRIAL SENTENCE 2012 — Today, the Alex Da Silva trial story that has captured the attention of the worldwide Salsa community finally culminated as the long-awaited sentencing hearing finally took place.Alex Da Silva, 43, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of one count of rape and one count of assault with intent to commit rape. Two remaining charges were dismissed during the trial in 2011, as the jury deadlocked on them. — All alleged victims were his former students. Additionally, Alex Da Silva was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Given time served since his initial arrest in 2009, his sentencing is probably worth 7 years, of which he has to serve a minimum of 80% according to California law. Some even believe that even less time will be served given the overcrowding of California prisons.Judge Kennedy, who sentenced Alex…

GRIZZLY DANCE COMPANY 2012 — This is a great opportunity for latin dancers to be trained in the style of Grizzly Hidriago and become better dancers on the floor, perform, compete, be under the spotlight, and win. The auditions will take place on February 4th, 2012 at 3 PM in the afternoon at the Gold's Gym in Hawthorne, CA. Come along and bring your friends with you. This is a chance to join one of the most recognized and awarded dance teams in Los Angeles. (CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL EVENT DETAILS & GET DRIVING DIRECTIONS). The age groups being auditioned start at 5 years old! Children will get a wonderful opportunity to enhance their talents and discover new skills, build self-confidence, and do something that will bring them lots of joy. There will be different dance troupes formed from the auditions according to the age groups available, Don't miss this…