SARAH OXLEY, LOS ANGELES SALSA — A few weeks ago I had a chance to go to the Warehouse on a Friday night and I happened to dance with one of the best follows that I have ever had the pleasure of dancing with in Los Angeles. Her name? Sarah Oxley. A truly beautiful girl, it is easy to imagine that guys are just flocking to her on the dance floor and are almost fighting for a chance to dance with her, simply because of her looks. I am always suspect of things like that, as I do not like to be classified as a 'wolf' and am there for the dancing, not anything else. But as I got the opportunity to dance with her that night, wow!, the feeling was amazing! No weight, so light, so much ease of follow; resulting in me being able to interpret to the salsa song so…

SALSA CONGRESSES ARE DYING! — If you are reading this, you are probably wondering: "let's see what this guy has to say about this." Perhaps you are one of those people killing the congresses, or perhaps you are one of those people who are hoping that the truth gets out and maybe those killing the congresses will change their ways for the sake and love of salsa. I have a friend from the UK who tells me that the top things that you want to find at Salsa congresses are the: 1) pool parties, 2) good DJs (or bands...which in his opinion are not really necessary), and 3) top teachers. Admittedly, he also tells me that what is killing congresses is pretty much one thing: TOO MANY SHOWS!!!!!!!!!!!The funny thing is, this goes precisely along the concensus amongst all my salsa friends in Los Angeles and anywhere else. So, who is addicted…

SALSALEGRE ORGANIZATION, LOS ANGELES — Founded in 2007 by Susannah Kloepfer, SALSALEGRE's mission has been, since its conception, to provide music and dance lovers with the great opportunity to rejoice in the celebration of being able to benefit the poorest of the poor when attending a Salsalegre event. 

With that purpose in mind and in heart, Susannah has, year after year, worked arduously to bring together the best musical and dance talent into greatly organized entertainment productions that call LA salsa dancers to dance for a good cause - not just for pleasure. 

Musicians, dancers, dance troupes, venue owners, and even popular Hollywood celebrities have donated what they have to offer for the events organized by Salsalegre, and Angelenos have responded in kind by attending and supporting the cause. Although, more and more support is always welcomed, not just in attendance, but also in donations. 

DONATE…

ALMA DEL BARRIO RADIO 88.9 FM — Alma Del Barrio's coverage range from its Loyola Marymount University (LMU)'s transmitting quarters must have increased in the past few months, because they are truly filling up the airways of Los Angeles with the great Latin music they play.

This past weekend, as I ran some errands in the Westwood/Hollywood area, I could clearly listen to the great selection of songs by Alma Del Barrio 88.9 FM all throughout the morning! 

I recall that many years ago, as soon as you got on the 10 fwy from the 405 fwy and drove east, you lost reception of the 88.9 FM dial. This was tragic for someone like me. 

Nowadays, you could literally maybe throw a mid-day party and use only the music selections transmitted by Alma Del Barrio! Aside from some regular chit-chat by the DJs and a few undanceable…

THE WAREHOUSE FRIDAY SALSA — It does not feel like it was three years ago that Anthony D. Long first began passing out simple made-at-home invitational business cards to friends and acquaintaces for what he simply called: "Salsa at the Marina" at The Warehouse Restaurant. The promotion was low-key and low-budget, but it was very personal and with Anthony's wide network of friends, many quickly planned to attend. 

See Event Listing: The Warehouse Friday Nights

Anthony is an avid musician who had played jazz at The Warehouse in the past, so he knew the management and had a good relationship with the owners. So, when he proposed a 'try-out' salsa night on Fridays (which needed clientele), they agreed only because it was him. 

That first Friday night, nobody could have imagined how many people would show up to see this new salsa venue on the west…

BATTLE OF THE BANDS, STEVENS STEAK HOUSE — Los Angeles will face-off against San Francisco on August 21, 2011, with CHINO ESPINOZA going against GRUPO BAKKAN. 

EVENT INFO: Sunday Nights at Stevens Steak House

Chino Espinoza y los Dueños del Son are veterans of the world famous Stevens Steak House "Battle of the Bands" events, and they've faced off against some of the very best talents in our Latin music community. They are some of the best live acts that L.A. has seen in years, and they have been for long one of the most popular salsa bands in the city. 

Grupo Bakkan of San Francisco are coming down to prove that their talent is at the heights of some of the very best that L.A. has to offer. They have been together since 2000 and their members are from Central America. They offer a new musical…

GRANADA SALSA COMPETITION 2011 — The Granada Nightclub in Alhambra, CA will be holding its 3rd Annual World Salsa Competition in September 2011! 

The competition will start on Saturday, September 10, 2011 and will go on until October 29th, 2011. With a total purse of $10,500 in prizes, it is sure to see a lot of participation from dancers in Los Angeles and maybe some visiting dancers from other cities. 

REGISTER & COMPETITION RULES:

If you would like to register to compete, you can go online at this link. You can also read the competition rules here.

The preliminary rounds will be a popularity contest for dancers who are competing...which means, the couples that get the most applause, regardless of talent, skill, or routine, will go on to the following rounds. But on the following rounds, judges carefully chosen by the club will decide the further fate of…

PCH CLUB SALSA DANCING — One very popular spot for salsa and bachata dancing in Long Beach, CA is the PCH Club. 

Promoted by Astro Alarcon of SalsainLongBeach.com, the club has a very loyal following that dates back to the days of Club Sachi and The Shore, which were promoted at the same location. 

The crowd is young and energetic, the music is always great, the drinks are delicious, and the floor is spacious and nice to dance on. There is plenty of sitting for mingling and getting to know each other, or to take breaks between dances. 

If you are in the area and would like to do some great salsa and bachata dancing on a Monday or Thursday night, PCH Club is a great option for you. 

On Mondays, the club mainly plays Salsa, but you will get to enjoy a good variety…

WHITTIER RADISSON SALSA 2011 — Every Friday during the summer starting at 6:30 PM, a mini-festival of summer and poolside Live Salsa music and dancing takes place at the Radisson Hotel in Whittier, CA. 

It isn't Cancún or Cabo, but it surely comes close in that the atmosphere is tropical, festive, and resort-like. 

[ See Event Details: WHITTIER RADISSON SALSA ]

Known as the Summer Live Salsa Series and commonly organized by C201 Entertainment, the weekly events take place every year from around the beginning of May until the end of September. There is NO COVER CHARGE and parking is easy to find around the area, if the hotel is full by the time you arrive. 

From 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, Live Salsa Music and dancing takes place right at the poolside of the hotel, and the lounge is also open in case you'd rather…

PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL, QUEEN MARY — The BoricuaFest at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, is one of the most highly anticipated Puerto Rican Festivals in Southern California. This year, the festival will take place on Sunday, August 14, 2011. 

[ SEE EVENT FULL DETAILS ]

The BoricuaFest, which is on its 5th year running, is produced byFiestabuena Promotions and is proudly sponsored by important names like Ford Motors, Hollywood Music Television, Latino 96.3 FM, Liborio Markets, The Auto Club (AAA), and many more. 

Tickets are selling for a limited time at $20, and will soon climb to $25, when bought online or at one of their participating ticket locations (see listings). The price will be $30 at the door on the day of the event. Teens 13+ will pay $15 on the day of the event, and Seniors 55+ with proper ID will pay $15 on the…

SSH SALSA TEAM COMPETITION — Grizzly Dance Company took 1st place at the 2011 Stevens Steak House Salsa Team Competition held on July 24, 2011 at the world famous and only Stevens Steak House. 

In a face-off of L.A. Style salsa dancing at this 2nd Annual SSH salsa team competition, the Grizzly Dance Company (directed by Grizzly Hidriago) went up against teams like: LA Fusion Dance Company (directed by Zulmara Torres), Amicitia Dance Company (directed by Junior and Emily Alabi), and Prodigy Dance Company. 

All teams showcased great talent and skill, but at the end of the night only one could be the winner. Amicitia Dance Company, by just 1 point in the scoreboard, took second place in the competition. Third and fourth places were not announced. 

Stevens Steak House, a true mecca of LA salsa dancing, once again put together a great competition that allowed Los Angeles…

AFRO CUBAN DANCE CLASS — Kati Hernández is a native of Cuba and an Afro-Cuban Dance Master who teaches different levels of Afro-Cuban dance in Los Angeles. This is a treat for our Los Angeles dance scene and one that, I personally feel, should be taken advantage by all salsa and dance afficionados who wish to improve their control on body mobility, sabor, and style. 

[ AFRO CUBAN DANCE CLASSES: SEE FULL CLASS LISTINGS HERE ]

Kati teaches at Live Arts Los Angeles (LALA) near the area of Echo Park, and at Universal Dance Designs Studio near the Miracle Mile in Los Angeles, CA.

Her classes are taught with LIVE DRUMMING according to Cuban costumes and are a great experience for anyone who has never seen anything like this. I truly recommend you go if you have an interest in Afro-Cuban! 

The reason why I recommend Afro-Cuban to salsa dancers…

ADRIAN & ANITA SALSA — The names Anita Santos Rubin and Adrián Rodríguez might be completely foreign and unknown to, even, 'hardcore' salsa dancers in Los Angeles. But to thousands around the world, mainly in Europe, Australia, and Asia, the names Adrián and Anita are as well-known as Jennifer López and Marc Anthony are to us here in LA (notice I didn't dare compare them to any local salsero couple). 

In LA we fail to realize how much talent is out there and how much more advanced they are in skill, creativity, speed, cleanliness, showmanship, and execution.

LA is said to have been once at the top of the world when it came to Salsa dancing. We had the best of the best right inside our clubs and people would come from all over the world to our LA Salsa Congress to see "us" dance. Now, LA is…

LAURA LUU, SALSA INTOCABLE — Laura Luu, founder and director of Salsa Intocable Dance Company, has been a key player and has contributed tremendously to the growth and spur of the salsa dancing scene in the city of Long Beach, CA - a city on the outskirts of Los Angeles and part of the LA Salsa scene. 

With all the diversity that exists in the city of Los Angeles when it comes to salsa dancing, 'Salsa Intocable Dance Company (SIDC)' is surely a name that you come across very often in the LA salsa scene. The company is fairly new, founded in 2008, but it has grown rapidly and currently has over 40 dancers training and performing routines in their Pro/Am team, Semi-pro team, Professional team, and Ladies' team.

Its growing membership surely makes SIDC an important part of the current Los Angeles Salsa Scene, and with…

LA CUBAFEST, Cuban Music Festival — When I was a kid (about 11 or so), my dad and one my uncles convinced each other that if they put together an event with punta music from a famous Hondurean group, in this one town where they loved punta, that they could possible triple or quadruple their investment in one single night! So, they did. I had a job that night, as a security guard of some sort... It was exciting! I heard radio commercials on the way to the venue, the stage was ready, the place was huge, and it seemed everyone knew about the event! Around 11 PM or 12 AM, I realized that perhaps the 5 people on the dance floor would be the only ones to ever show up to the concert? It was sad.

The next morning we find out that another town was having another…