Salsa Information

Here are some Guidelines for Mambo DJs. These guidelines represent the opinions, criticisms and suggestions of several hundred New York City On 2 mambo dancers and several mambo DJ's who I have spoken with over the many years I have been going to Latin clubs and mambo socials. They represent a consensus of what kind of music selection and DJ technique works best for our New York City On 2 way of dancing. Let me emphasize: These opinions only represent New York City On 2 mambo dancers who go to an event and want to dance song after song , although many salsa dancers who dance with other timings and styles will probably enjoy these music selections. They do not represent the opinions of On 2 dancers who only dance a few songs and spend the rest of the evening sitting around & talking or watching. And they do not represent any other types of people at a salsa club or event such as dancers on other timings or non-dancers such as spectators, music listeners, socializers, bar flies, DJs, musicians, promoters, drinkers, critics or anyone else. Only New York City On 2 mambo dancers who dance a lot are being represented here.

See our Directory of Mambo DJs below. Also see our list of Good Salsa Songs .

New York City On 2 mambo dancers usually prefer classic salsa music with a strong danceable rhythm. The word "classic" does not mean "old"; it refers to a certain classic style of salsa music. The rhythm structure is based on either the 2/3 or 3/2 son clave, and the sound is one very much associated with Puerto Rican, Dominican or NewYorican bands, such as El Gran Combo, Jose Alberto "El Canario", Oscar D'Leon, Ismael Rivera and the like. This is not to say that bands with other backgrounds or from other locations do not play songs that fit our way of dancing. Some of our favorite dance songs come from bands whose roots are far from New York, but it is only when those songs have this "classic New York sound & rhythm" that they are compatible with our On 2 dance timing and style. See History & Evolution of our Music.

We do not generally like to dance to what is called "Latin jazz" nor most of the salsa heard on pop Latin radio stations such as La Mega in NYC, salsa which is referred to as "pop", "commercial" or "romantica" (unless it has a really strong groove).

While there are many DJs out there playing Latin music, unfortunately a lot of them play the more commercial "pop" or "radio" salsa along with merengue, rock en Español, and house music. Some DJs destroy portions of the original songs by repeating or "looping" certain sections, and by "mixing" two songs together at their ends & beginnings, all of which destroys the natural rhythm and count, and isn't conducive to our way of dancing. Other DJs play a large percentage of salsa songs which have a different rhythm & sound style than what goes best with our On 2 timing & way of moving, such as "Cuban", charanga, Latin jazz salsa, salsa romantica, bomba, plena or antique salsa. Please note: some of these music styles do work with our On 2 style. Again, it has to do with the rhythm structure.

Guidelines For DJ's - Here are some guidelines for DJ's if they want to please the majority of On 2 "New York style" mambo social dancers:

1. Play For The Dancers - Remember: you are playing music for serious dancers to dance to. We have worked very hard to learn this complicated dance to a very specific type of music, and that is what we come to pure mambo events for. This is not music for general/casual club dancers, listeners only, people drinking at the bar, musicians, other DJ's who might be in the house, celebrities or celebrity watchers, folks at a pickup club, salsa dancers who dance in a different style, etc. We dancers want to ask someone to dance, have a nice dance with them to music we know which has a clear beginning and end, finish the dance within a reasonable period of time, and not be bored by the same style or speed of music being played continuously for hours. We are very specific about the music we want to dance to. A successful DJ will excel in giving us this specific music. A successful DJ will play music as if he/she were out there on the dance floor the way we dancers are. Unlike everyone else in the club or social, including the so-called "Latin music experts" and the DJs themselves, we dancers spend hours & hours dancing to one song after another with different partners. And more than anyone else, we know best what music goes with our way of dancing. Some DJs make the mistake of playing music which we may not like but the DJ thinks he/she is going to "educate us" in what type of music we should dance to. This is a mistake. Play what we like, not what you think we ought to like.

2. Leave The Song Alone - NEVER "loop" or "mix" songs for dancers - "Looping" is when a DJ repeats one part of a song over and over. "Mixing" is when a DJ blends the ending section of one song with the beginning section of the next song. These are absolute "no no's" to pure On 2 mambo dancers. The reason is that we dance to an 8 count "dancer's measure" (actually two 4 beat measures put together), and the "looping" and "mixing" changes the count so that we end up being off timing. This is not about some kind of rote dancing to numbers or "the count". This is about how the music feels to us. Also, these manipulations of the music are unpredictable, so we cannot choreograph our dancing to the music. "Looping" and "mixing" are DJ's toys, and they are very disrespectful to the the musicians' songs and destructive to how we On 2 mambo dancers dance. Don't do it! This issue has been strongly felt for years and has become a major prohibition, like the 11th Commandment: "Thou Shalt Not Mix Salsa!". Read the excellent article on this subject called "DJs Listen Up" from www.UtahSalsa.com .

The one modification to a song that is very occasionally OK is slowing down a very fast song's tempo a little bit. There are a few very fast salsa songs which are way too fast to dance to smoothly and attractively, but which do have an excellent dancer's rhythm and great melody line. If a DJ has the technical equipment to slow down the song's tempo without changing the key, this may be done to bring the song's tempo down to a speed which makes it possible for us to dance to.

3. Let The Song End Completely - The musicians composed a specific ending to the song, and we dancers choreograph our movements to be timed to that ending. We may even do a certain turn, shine or dip right at the end of the song. We want a pause to allow for the feeling, key and rhythm of that song to emotionally complete itself, and say "thank you" to our partner, before we start another song with a new partner. To us, each song and each partner is unique, so we need a little pause between each song, perhaps 1 or 2 seconds, to make the emotional transition feel natural. When DJs start another song instantly, or "mix" in the beginning of the next song with the ending of the last song, they destroy what the composer, musician and dancer are trying to do artistically. Perhaps these DJ's no longer hear and appreciate how different each song is. Perhaps all the songs are the same to them, so they just run all the songs together with no separating pause between them, as if it's all one song for the whole evening. Obviously, these DJ's are not On 2 mambo dancers!

There are also times when we want to finish dancing with the particular partner we are with. It may be because there's another person we want to dance with, or because we are not enjoying dancing with our current partner, and we want to finish as soon as possible. When a DJ "mixes" the end of one song with the beginning of another, or doesn't put a short pause between songs, it doesn't give us a definite signal that the song is over and it makes it more difficult to "gracefully" stop dancing with this particular partner. Some partners want to keep dancing, but we may want to stop. Give us a clear break between songs.

One of the reasons that commercial DJs may give for "mixing" when they move from one song to another, when they don't let the song end, is that they want to keep the dancers from leaving the floor. By blending 2 songs together, they want to keep the dance floor full at all times. These DJs do not understand our way of dancing. We want to dance one song with one partner from beginning to end. Then we want to stop dancing with that partner and start dancing with another partner who is standing on the edge of the dance floor. Therefore, we have to stop dancing to the first song, walk to the edge of the floor, ask the next person to dance, walk back out onto the dance floor and then start dancing to the next song with a new partner. We do not keep dancing to song after song with the same partner. So we need the DJ to completely finish each song all the way to the final beat, give us a little pause, then start the next song, so we can move to our next partner. DJs: Please pay attention. This is what we want!

4. The Transition From One Song To The Next - DJ Technique - For the DJs, imagine you have been dancing to the music you have been playing. What type of song would you like to hear next....as a dancer? If prior songs have been fairly fast and driving, consider slowing down the tempo or moving to a more "gentle" sound or a bit more "romantica". If your last songs have been very old, try transitioning to more modern ones, or vice versa. Usually we transition gradually from one tempo to another, or one style to another. But sometimes it's appropriate and interesting to do a sort of shock change, for example going from a series of fast and driving songs to suddenly playing something slower and romantic or smooth. And from that you can transition to a cha cha or bachata. Be aware that many of the ladies are exhausted after several of these fast songs because the guys are spinning and pretzeling them to death with their latest turn patterns; the ladies love a break into something more smooth, easy-going and melodic.

DJs, remember to match your volumes between the song that's finishing and the next one coming up. Also, match the EQ (equalization between highs, mids and lows). For example, Frankie Ruiz and Oscar D'Leon and Grupo Niche will have a sort of middle level EQ, but singers like Celia Cruz and Raphy Leavitt have rather strong and "raspy" highs/treble, so you'll want to adjust your EQ before you hit the "play" button. The goal is to make a natural and comfortable transition in the sound quality for the dancer from one song to the next.

You can connect songs together in various ways. They can be similar in tempo, key, rhythm style. Or they can connect via similar instruments, such as one song ending with drums or trumpet and the next song starting with the same instruments. You can represent different countries, such as a song about Puerto Rico, the next about the Dominican Republic, the next about Colombia. And you can pick up on the themes in the lyrics of songs, such as songs about food, songs about love, songs about dancing. And of course, as mentioned above, you can do a sort of "shock" change by playing the next song that is completely different from the one before.

There are times when you want to "rotate the dance floor", bringing a new group of people up to dance. Not all dancers are the same, so they like different types of music. Some like fast, hard driving music, others like smooth mid-tempo or slow music, some like lyrical melodic music they can sing to as they dance and, if you're DJing in a club, some are on the dance floor while others are at the bar or sitting at tables. By changing the type and tempo of the music, you can bring new people up on the dance floor while the others take a nice break.....and maybe feed the bar. And keep in mind that beginners and low-intermediates can't dance fast without screwing up and looking terrible, plus the ladies need a break from being spun to death, and also many of them rather like the more lyrical and sometimes more romantica music. Mr. DJ, you are playing for everyone, not just the hotshots....or yourself.

5. Give Us (1) Classic Salsa Sound, (2) Strong Dancer's Rhythm, (3) Nice Melody Line and (4) Lyrics - We like all 4 of these features. Some songs have great rhythm but no melody line. What is melody? It means we can sing or hum along with the tune while we're dancing. Yes, we move to the rhythm, but don't forget that the melody and also the words provide the feeling and meaning to our dancing. Most mambo dancers love it when one or both of the partners is singing along with the song while they're dancing, as if we're serenading each other. So DJs, give us music with rhythm we can move to, and melody & lyrics we can sing along with. The rhythm makes us move, the melody & lyrics make us feel.

6. Give Us Variety - A good DJ should play a variety of salsa songs with that classic salsa sound , strong "dancer's rhythm", and a nice melody line and lyrics, including slow, medium and fast, hard core percussive as well as somewhat lyrical and romantic, older and newer songs, etc. A mambo dance crowd includes beginner, intermediate and advanced dancers, and they each have different taste in salsa music as well as varying ability. Beginners cannot keep up with fast music and, surprisingly, some so-called advanced dancers loose their timing in slow songs. So give us variety. See our Song List for hundreds of suggestions.

7. Give Us Diversity - The DJ should provide a diversity, not get stuck in playing just one kind of salsa such as all fast songs, all old songs or all hard-core percussion songs. And don't be afraid to play some of the more melodic, suave, modern, slower or "salsa romantica" songs, as long as they have a strong "dancer's rhythm". Here are some examples: "Madre" by Melcochita. "Ven" by Jose Bello. "La Soledad" by Ismael Rivera. "Perdoname" by Gilberto Santa Rosa. "Cara De Nino" by Jerry Rivera. "Cancion" by La Sonora Poncena. "Me Dices Que Te Vas" by Miles Pena. "Lady" by Orquesta Palabra. "Sin Sentimientos" by Grupo Niche. "Esperare A Que Decidas" by Tony Vega. "El Manisero" by Willie Chirino. "Apiadate De Mi" and "Solo Contigo" by Victor Manuel. "La Fe Tiene Calentura" by Alfredo de la Fe. "Mascarada" by Johnny Ray. "Quiero Olvidarte Y No Puedo" by Erick. "Tengo Una Copa De Vino" by Raulin Rosendo. "Para Darte Fuego" by Frankie Ruiz. "Thinking of You" by Lenny Kravitz. "Marca Mi Numero" by Justo Betancourt. "Mujer Celosa" by El Gran Combo. These are only a few examples of the many classic medium or slow speed songs that are out there which are excellent to dance to. With hundreds of great songs to choose from, there's no reason for a DJ to get stuck in a rut playing only one style of song.

8. Expand The Selection - Some DJ's feel that they should only play fast hard-core percussive songs like those by Tito Puente. But there are some very melodic and powerful songs by other artists that will make the dancers go wild. Many DJs just focus on the rhythm, but they forget the melody. Here are some examples of songs with beautiful melodies as well as strong dancer's rhythms: "Fuego A La Jicotea" by Marvin Santiago. "Mama Kyelele" by Ricardo Lemvo. "Cinco A Diez" and "Besitos De Coco" by Azabache. "Santo Domingo" and "El Curandero" by Raulin Rosendo. "Qui Qui Qui Qui" by Andy Montanez. "Y Eso Duele" by Gilberto Santa Rosa. "Yay Boy" and "Ken Moussoul" by Africando. "Si Tu No Vienes, No Bailas Conmigo" and "Si Te Busco En El Baile" by Edwin Bonilla. "Rumbera" by Willie Chirino. "Sonando" "La Guitarra" and "Tu Carino Se Me Va" by Erick. "Etnia" by Grupo Niche. "Chotorro" by Madera Fina. "Que Me Lo Den En Vida", "Amparame", "Ponme El Alcolado Juana", "El Menu", "Mundy Baja" and "Azuquito P'al Cafe" by Gran Combo. "Ahora Me Da Pena" by Henry Fiol. There are many more.

9. Songs Not Too Long - The majority of songs should not be too long, usually 4 - 6 minutes. Our dance is pretty intense & complicated, so after 5 - 6 minutes we need a break; we're getting tired and probably running out of turn patterns. Also, there are so many wonderful partners available that we want a song to end so that we can dance with someone else. And if we are stuck with a partner we don't enjoy dancing with, we don't want to have to dance longer than few minutes. A long song can be hell with the wrong partner.

10. Play At Least 50% Familiar Songs - At least half of the songs which the DJ plays should be known to the dancers, well known classics, because we plan how we dance based on our familiarity with the songs. We may do certain turn patterns, shines, styling or dips at specific points in a song, or sing or hum along with the song almost as if we're serenading our partner, so we want to hear many songs we know. Some DJ's feel they have to frequently play "something new" or the most recent songs from the radio. That's a mistake. Give us a good number of songs that we know so that we can dance along with it. This is not to say that a DJ should not play any new songs at all. A new song is fine, though it should be chosen carefully to be suitable for our dance. That means it should have a good strong "dancer's rhythm" and it should not have repeated "clave changes". Don't play something just because it's new. DJs should remember that although they may be spinning many times per week for 5 - 6 hours, we are only dancing a couple of times per week for a couple hours. So while a DJ may be getting bored with certain songs, we are not getting bored because we are not hearing those songs as often. The DJ should play for us, not for him/her self. Plus, there are virtually hundreds of wonderful classic salsa dance songs available. Playing the latest songs (often given to DJs free by record companies) may be easier, but it is no excuse for not building up their collection of, and familiarity with, the great dance classics. These songs are classics because they work well with our specific timing & style of dancing. Finally, songs of a "Latin jazz" style should be kept to a minimum since they are more for listening rather than dancing in our specific way.

11. After A Performance, Play Medium Speed Familiar Classic Salsa Songs - After a performance by dance groups or a band, most people want to get up and dance. Often they have been standing still for the last 30 minutes or more and they are eager to start dancing. The DJ should play several medium speed familiar classic salsa songs so that everyone can get up and dance. Many DJ's make the mistake of playing very fast salsa songs, or merengue, bachata or English music, after performances because they think people want a change. This is a mistake. Hopefully we have been inspired and excited by the salsa performances and we want to dance. If the songs are too fast, or are not salsa, most people will not dance and will be frustrated. So after performances, DJ's should play solid medium speed salsa that is familiar to everyone, strong rhythmic classics in the style of "Que Me Lo Den En Vida" by Gran Combo, "Mama Kyelele" by Ricardo Lemvo, "Ken Moussoul" by Africando, "Caravan" by Eddie Torres Mambo Kings Orchestra, "Un Poquito Más" by Jimmy Bosch, "Quiero Olvidarte Y No Puedo" by Erick, "Nina Y Senora" by Tito Puente, and many others.

12. Sound And Lighting - And very important: The volume should not be too loud. Loud volume ruins the music and is harmful to the ears long-term (the damage is cumulative over the years). It also damages speakers and amplifiers over the long term. To judge loudness, ask some dancers in the crowd who are at least in their 40's or more. The DJ should step out into the center of the dance floor at least every hour to check the sound level and also balance of treble, midrange and bass. The balance should be comfortable and not extreme, and especially the bass should be clear so that we can hear the rhythm, but it should not be excessive and "boomy". Remember that some songs have more volume or bass than others in the recording, so be prepared to constantly adjust loudness & balance for each song if necessary. Also, there should be adequate lighting, not too dim, so that we can't see our partners' hands for leading & following, and not too bright so that it ruins the mood or glares in our eyes. There should absolutely be no flashing/strobe lights or spotlights panning around the room.

13. Play A Few Cha Cha Songs - We dance cha cha "breaking On 2" also. Only certain cha cha songs are suitable for mambo dancers - see our list of Good Cha Cha Songs below. Cha cha songs should be chosen based on having the right rhythm and tempo for dancers only. While there are plenty of cha cha songs which are musically beautiful, many which are in a "Latin jazz" style with long instrumental breaks, they are not necessarily appropriate for dancing to. As with salsa songs, good cha cha songs need to have a very definite strong dancer's rhythm. They cannot be too fast because the 3 cha cha cha quick steps need to fit comfortably within the measure, and they cannot be too long because of the limited turn patterns available and the insufficient cha cha knowledge of most mambo dancers. There should never be more than 2 cha cha songs in a row, nor usually more than approximately 2 per hour in a typical mambo party, unless requested.

14. Skip The Band - Most On 2 mambo dancers are dancing to the music. If the music fits our way of dancing, as described above, we're happy. Whether that music comes from a DJ or a live band is irrelevant to how we dance and how much we enjoy the event. When we are dancing, we are looking at our partners, not the DJ or band. And after one good song, we want another one right away. We do not want to listen to some second-rate song or announcer or bandleader talking for several minutes about nothing but nonsense. So who needs a band? From a dancer's point of view, a good DJ can beat a band almost anytime, because a good DJ can choose from hundreds of fantastic dance songs recorded by the world's best musicians. But a band is always limited by its musical ability, its relatively small repertoire, its tendency to play songs longer than 6 - 8 minutes and songs that are way too fast for us, and its limited ability to change songs based on the dancer's preferences hour by hour. Most bands only have a few really great songs and the rest are nothing special, and a few are truly lousy. When they play a set, dancers are usually happy with only 1 or 2 songs in that set, all the others are second-rate. When we buy a band's CDs, again, there are usually only 1 or 2 good songs. But a DJ can play 10, 15, 20 great songs in a row, chosen from the world's best bands. How many bands can do that?

There are a few bands who can play an entire set of great dance music, maybe 5 in the whole world. One of these is El Gran Combo from Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, wherever they play in a club it's so crowded that there's no room to dance. So while the band is playing, we're being smashed into by other dancers and non-dancers (holding and spilling their Coronas & margaritas) on the floor. And we're not looking at the band anyway, we're looking at our partners. So it would be better to have a good DJ play a full hour of El Gran Combo music with a dance floor full of salseros, and let the non-dancers and bar flies nurse their drinks at some club down the street with a live band.

Another problem with live bands is that the songs are too long, to fast and too loud. We want our songs to be about 5 minutes long because we want to change partners after that. We want the majority of our dance songs to be medium speed. And we don't want the volume so loud that our ears are hurting. Live bands don't understand these dancer needs. During live performances, bands play very long songs, sometimes more than 10 minutes, while the musicians stretch out on their solos. They play fast up-tempo music because that's what excites them, but it just exhausts the dancers. And they play very loud because, frankly, they're probably deaf.

Bands think they are the center of the salsa universe. They say "without bands, there would be no music to dance to" and "bands first make the music, then the dancers come and dance". Bands think they are the most important element in the whole salsa scene. But they are wrong. What is most important are the dancers because the dancers are the band's customers. If the dancers don't like the music, they won't ever come back to hear that band again. And that means that the band will lose it's financial support by those particular dancers; then the band will disappear. Manufacturing companies learn this lesson early: It doesn't matter what they think is the right product. What matters is that they make products that their customers will like and want to buy. They must follow the desires of their customers. General Motors made cars they liked, but their customers didn't like, so General Motors ended up going bankrupt and had to be bailed out by the government. Similarly, bands need to learn to follow the desires of their customers, the dancers. The dancers decide what music the band should play, not the band that is stuck in its own little world.

You can see many bands' arrogance and disrespect for the dancers and the DJ. When the band comes on stage while the DJ is still playing and people are dancing, bands frequently start warming up by playing their instruments loud. And each instrument is playing something different, or just scales. So now the band's noise is sounding along with the music being played by the DJ and the result is that the dancers are hearing more than one sound. There's no way to dance to that. The band is being arrogant by thinking they are more important than the DJ's music and the dancers. And they are being extremely disrespectful of the DJ and dancers. Why would we dancers want to support that kind of rude behavior?

Here's a quote from Edie "The Salsa Freak" , international performer, instructor & founder of www.SalsaWeb.com , about having a band at a salsa dancer's event:

"To Have a Band or Not Have a Band?
Bands are important - but if you're a relatively small club, and especially one that's starting out, if the band isn't great, you're going to lose your shirt. People won't come back. If the band IS great, you're going to have to pay a lot, unless you work out some kind of package deal with them. Your safest bet is to just have a great DJ. I would say that 50% of the time, people get disappointed when the band comes on (I'm not kidding) because the DJ was playing such great stuff! Unless the band is just incredible, stick to the DJ.

Many many people have often wondered why clubs just don't try and play good 'ole DJ music. Sometimes it's just so much better. You don't HAVE TO HAVE a band every Salsa night. It's not necessary. Many people go for the bands, but more go for the dancing and social atmosphere. If the band is just too expensive, you can have one every other weekend. Please do not buy into the idea that "Oh, the Band is Everything"... It's important - but not as important as you may think. What's most important is the music, the floor, and the people."

15. Don't Use A Computer With MP3 Music Files - The sound quality of music from an MP3 file, even at 320 kbps, does not sound as good as the same song played directly from a standard CD, or a computer using full-size .WAV files, when using high-end sound equipment or high quality professional DJ sound systems. The range of the sound spectrum is not as broad nor as clean. There is a predominance of midrange and higher sounds and the overall sound is more "flat", with less "depth" and richness. Although MP3 files, often downloaded from the internet, may sound similar to a CD when listening on a small device such as an IPOD or on a boom box or car radio, a comparison test on higher end and professional equipment shows a noticeable difference. For a scientific test comparison, see http://www.stereophile.com/features/308mp3cd/ .

The reason for this lack of CD quality sound is that a regular 5 minute salsa song on a CD, or in a .WAV file, is approximately 50 megabytes of program material. The same song compressed into an MP3, 320 kbps, format is only approximately 12 megabytes. That's 38 megabytes of the song's program data missing, and that missing information is what makes the sound quality worse with an MP3. Even though MP3 compressed files utilize software to try to correct for the missing program material, it simply cannot compensate for the missing 38 megabytes. It's just not possible. Overall, the best quality sound comes from a standard CD or from a full size .WAV file.

And if you're worried about storage space on your laptop's hard drive, remember that 5000 full-length salsa songs in .WAV files is only 250 gigabytes. Most laptops these days come with either 500 gigabyte or 1 terabyte (1000 gigabytes) hard drives and many DJs are carrying around compact portable external hard drives that have another 500 gigabytes or even 1 terabyte. If salsa DJs can't do a decent job with 10,000 or more good songs available in their computer at a gig, they've got a big problem.

And, by the way, www.Fania.com now has some of the Fania music collection available for download in .WAV file format.

By Steve Shaw
Written from1999 to present

Where To Buy Latin Music - To find out where to buy CDs from stores & internet sellers with large Latin music collections, click on Where To Buy Latin Music .

What Dancers Look For In A Club - Please also see "Attention Club Owners & Promoters: What Dancers Look For In A Club", a very important article by Edie "The SalsaFreak", founder of www.SalsaWeb.com , www.SalsaFreak.com and www.DanceFreak.com , and international mambo performer & instructor. Whether you are putting on an event in a club or studio, this article spells out how to please the dancers and how to get their business.

See our list of recommended classic Salsa & Cha Cha Songs for On 2 mambo dancers.

Other Articles By Steve Shaw "Doc Salsa":

Definition of Dancing On 2 - Technique - How To Learn - The Music

Guidelines For Mambo DJs - List Of Good Mambo & Cha Cha Songs

How To Put On A Successful Salsa Dance Event

Cyber Interview Of Doc Salsa

The Story Of SalsaNewYork.com - How It Came About

Fellas, You Are Supposed To Make The Lady Look Good

DJ Steve Shaw "Doc Salsa" - Resume & Contact Information

How To Get More Partners - Overcoming Fear Of Dancing - Tough Talk

How To Make & Care For A CD For Performing

Return To Menu At Top Of This Page Return To Main Menu For Web Site

GOOD SALSA SONGS AND GUIDELINES FOR DJ'S - CLICK HERE

Ear Plugs To Protect Against Loud Music -

Musician's ear plugs claim to reduce volume while still allowing sound through clearly. One thing is important to note: While it's true that these "musicians ear plugs" allow you to hear the sound more clearly than the cheap drugstore ear plugs, the sound is not as sharp and clear as wearing no ear plugs at all. But you are saving your hearing from damage when you get older. The effect of loud music on your hearing ability is long-term and cumulative. While loud music may not bother you when you are younger, it is slowly accumulating the damage and will hit you later in life, just like smoking, excessive drinking and, for light-skinned people, over-exposure to the sun.

Inexpensive Musician's Earplugs - A good online source for many kinds of "musician ear plugs" is www.EarPlugStore.com . They have many choices ranging from very inexpensive ear plugs, around $10 and up, which claim to reduce the sound level without causing a muffled sound, all the way up to the custom molded type. For the inexpensive ones, consider brands such as Alpine Music Safe Pro, Hearos, Vater and Entymotic at http://www.earplugstore.com/nasopl.html . A good generic earplug for more loud music environments are the Hear Defenders at http://www.earplugstore.com/hear-defenders.html . The more expensive ones are at http://www.earplugstore.com/custom-musicians-earplugs.html .

A few local New York City music stores have "musician ear plugs": (1) ACS Custom, 520 W. 25th St. (between 10th & 11th Aves.), NYC. Ask for their Pacato generic earplug. It hardly shows, lowers sound level about 19 db. Costs around $20. (2) The Guitar Center, 25 W. 14th St., NYC. 212-463-7500. www.GuitarCenter.com . (3) Sam Ash Music Store, 333 W. 34th St., NYC. 212-719-2299. www.SamAshMusic.com .

More Expensive Custom Molded Earplugs - If you are being bothered by the very loud volume in some salsa dancing events and cannot seem to get them to turn down the sound, you may be interested in something called "musician's ear plugs". Unlike cheap drugstore earplugs which you squeeze into your ear, and which make all sound muffled and unclear, musician's ear plugs are prescription molded to your ear like a hearing aid, and they reduce the sound level evenly across the sound spectrum. They function to "turn down the volume" evenly while clearly maintaining the treble, midrange and bass sounds, so you can still enjoy the music and dance without feeling stuffed up or muffled from your environment. I have a pair of -15 db plugs ("ER -15") for use in loud clubs and they are sufficient for all but the most ridiculously loud places, where I use either a -17 db. or -23 db. filter. Since they are molded to your ears, these musician's ear plugs are only made by a few places and they cost around $150 - $250 a pair (2016).

In NYC or online, see ACS Custom, 520 W. 25th St. (between 10th & 11th Aves.), NYC. Phone 646-559-5642. They take measurements of each ear canal and create a soft silicone mold which they then fit with filters with different decibel ranges that you can use in loud environments. Takes a couple of weeks to make and fit. I have earplugs from this place.

An online manufacturer for these musicians earplugs is ER Research www.etymotic.com - the section on these special earplugs is at http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/erme.aspx .

WHERE TO BUY LATIN MUSIC - LOCAL NYC STORES AND ON THE INTERNET - CLICK HERE .

HEAR LATIN MUSIC ON FM RADIO, TV & INTERNET - LATIN MAGAZINES - CLICK HERE .

HOW TO PUT ON A SALSA EVENT

by Steve Shaw - Salsa@nyc.rr.com

REPEAT AFTER ME: "FLYERS FLYERS FLYERS!!!!" - Let's say you're putting on a new salsa event, or developing one which has been going on for a while, and you'd like a lot of dancers to come. What does it take? See also "Attention Club Owners & Promoters: What Dancers Look For In A Club" by Edie "The Salsa Freak", international performer, instructor & founder of www.SalsaWeb.com , www.SalsaFreak.com & www.DanceFreak.com .

1.    The place has to be right, with a good dance floor which is not too sticky or too slippery, a good layout, and strong air
        conditioning.

2.    There must be an excellent clear sound system with elevated speakers, with good volume but not too loud, and not too
        "boomy" in the bass or "brassy" in the highs. The area where people are only sitting or talking (for example near the
        bar) should have lower volume so they can hear each other.

3.    There should be comfortable lighting which is not too dark or flashing, so we can see our partner's hands.

4.    The event must be located where people can get to it easily. And here's a strange fact: Since 1995, there's almost never been a Manhattan salsa event that
        lasted very long unless it was located on the west side somewhere between 57th and 8th Streets. Events on the east side, or above 57th or below 8th Streets
        typically only survive a few months. For some reason, the On 2 dancers just won't go the extra distance from what they're used to. Keep this in mind when you
        are choosing a location.

5.    The DJ has to play the right classic salsa and play it properly....no "mixing" or "looping". See
        Guidelines For Mambo DJs & Recommended Songs , and also our Directory of Mambo DJs .

6.    And it never hurts to have a dance performance - See our Directory of Mambo Performing Groups . Be sure to book your
       dance teams well in advance and stress to them that they may not cancel, that this is a very serious commitment to perform.
       Tell them to bring 2 different CDs with the song they will be performing to, just in case one of them doesn't play properly.

7.    Should you have a band? Most mambo dancers just want good dance music, and that usually means a good DJ. Most
       bands cannot compete with a good DJ because a band usually only has a few good dance songs, whereas a good DJ can play
       great songs all night from many different bands. And most dancers won't pay extra for a band. However, if you do have a
       band, make sure that they don't play long songs, no longer than 5 - 6 minutes, and make sure that the songs are not too fast or
       too loud. Click Here to see our complete explanation of why you should skip having a band, including the opinion of
       Edie "The   Salsa Freak", international performer, instructor & founder of www.SalsaWeb.com , www.SalsaFreak.com &
       www.DanceFreak.com .

8.    Your event should be scheduled on a day when there's no other major mambo dancing event that might attract the dancers
       away from your event (you can always contact me to discuss the salsa events schedule, especially since I often know of
       possible future events not yet officially posted on the SalsaNewYork Calendar). My email is salsa@nyc.rr.com .

9.    It should be reasonably priced because mambo dancers won't spend much.

10. If your event will be happening every week at a club or other commercial setting, be sure to get an agreement from the
       club owner/manager to give you a couple of months to build up a regular crowd. That's how long it usually takes.

11. Be sure your flyers make it clear that this is an event for people to come to dance. See below for more details about
        your flyers.

12. And, of course, you'd want to contact us at SalsaNewYork.com so that we can list it on our Calendar which gets
        approximately 72,000 actual visitors each month (660,000 "hits"). And please be honest with us regarding your information.
      SalsaNewYork.com is an information web site, we are not "promoters", and that means we must be accurate in order for our
        viewers to trust us.

        Do not exaggerate or lie to us about what you will be offering at your event. Tell us honestly how much salsa will be
        played, which performing groups are truly confirmed, what your dance floor is really like, etc. If you misrepresent your event, we
        will not list you ever again in the future. See our Guidelines For Listing Your Event .

        Since we are giving you a free listing for your event, and our site is viewed by thousands of people, we ask that you mention
        our web site on all your flyers, emails & other promotional materials for the event. You can simply write the name of our
        site somewhere on your materials www.SalsaNewYork.com , or you could say something like "listed on
         www.SalsaNewYork.com " or "for more info see www.SalsaNewYork.com ", or copy and paste our logo at the top of each
        page. We also ask that you mention our web site when you are making announcements at your event.

13. When you send out emails to promote your event, keep it short, clear, simple and to the point. Your email should mention
only one event, not several events. People have very short attention spans when they are reading emails. They will not read
anything very long or complicated or about several events.

14. You must personally be at the event from start to finish so that you can make sure that everything runs smoothly and to take care
        of any problems which arise. And being there is your opportunity to make personal relationships with your customers and
        to scout for new talent to present at the event. Many people who run regular weekly events, especially in clubs, don't come
        early every night and stay all the way to the end. This is a major mistake.

15. What Dancers Look For In A Club -   Please also see "Attention Club Owners & Promoters: What Dancers Look For In A
       Club", a very important article by Edie "The SalsaFreak", founder of www.SalsaWeb.com , www.SalsaFreak.com and
         www.DanceFreak.com , and international mambo performer & instructor. Whether you are putting on an event in a club or
        studio, this article spells out how to please the dancers and how to get their business.

But the most important thing is PROMOTION WITH FLYERS!!!.   Unfortunately, the most important part is the hardest part. You have to get flyers for your event into the HANDS of the dancers, and that means either mailing them (via snail mail) or handing them out person-to-person. Email and internet exposure, though important, are not enough. You and your colleagues have to go to the dancer places and put the flyers in people's hands directly. It's not enough to leave a stack of flyers at the door, or to ask a promoter or dance instructor to hand them out, because they are too busy. You have to walk around and physically hand your flyers to the dancers. Or you could pay some nice attractive sociable person at the event $20 - $25 to do it. In other words, there is no substitute for this handing every individual person a flyer, and it is the most effective way to bring dancers to your event.

Added November 2013: For the last several years, the NYC mambo community has been fortunate to have a creative gentleman who hands out flyers at most of the On 2 events. Considering that this task involves standing outside in the summer heat and winter cold, and having good relationships with venues, his prices are very reasonable. He is Max - phone 347-573-3444.

And let's be realistic: most people look at the person handing them the flyer and make a judgment about the event: what kind of people will be there? Do I want to be with people like this? So the person who hands out your flyers should look like the kind of person a lot of people would like to be at a party with, and that means someone who appears to be attractive, friendly and loves to have fun. Choose carefully the people who hand out your flyers!

Your flyers should be the standard size of approximately 4" by 6". Do not use the small skinny flyers that are 2" by 5" because, although they are fine for bookmarks, they don't motivate people to come to a dancing event. And don't use very large flyers because they are too clumsy and take up too much space in someone's pocket or purse. Your flyers should be bold and colorful with all the basic information about your event, but don't write too much. They should be simple and clear, not complicated and filled up with too many details. Your flyer should mention ONLY ONE EVENT, not several events.

When to hand out flyers? No more than a few weeks before the event. People have very short memories, so don't hand out your flyers a month or two before your event. They'll lose the flyer and forget about the event.

Where to hand out your flyers? Go to the "ON 2" events listed on SalsaNewYork.com at http://www.salsanewyork.com/calendar.htm , some of which have 100 - 300 dancers attending. Go especially to the socials, those given by Jimmy Anton, Santo Rico, Mario B, Mambo D, the Mambo Mamas, Eddie Torres, Yamulee, Caribbean Soul, etc. Consider passing out flyers at some of the mambo classes given in the city. Go to the listing of mambo classes on Manny Siverio's Instructor Section in order to see the schedules and addresses of classes given by different mambo instructors. You would want to circulate your flyers at such classes/studios as Eddie Torres, Thomas Guerrero/Santo Rico, NeIson Flores, Jimmy Anton, Carlos Konig, Claudine Curry, Delille Thomas, Jai & Candy, Ismael Otero, Jorday Rivera, Salsa Groove, La Salsa De Hoy/Carlos Vasquez, Frankie Martinez, and others. Important: Be sure to call the instructors/studios in advance to get permission to distribute your flyers, and to find out the best time so as not to disrupt the class. And please remember that only flyers for strictly "ON 2" events should be distributed at these "ON 2" classes, not flyers for other types of events, since the instructors are extending you a courtesy in the spirit of helping other "ON 2" dance colleagues and developing the "ON 2" scene here in the New York/New Jersey area.

Also, go to the salsero clubs, such as El Flamingo on Mondays, LQ and La Maganette on Wednesdays, Club Cache on Thursdays, the Copa on Tuesdays, and any other clubs listed on the SalsaNewYork.com Calendar. Some of these places will allow you to hand out your flyers inside, while others may not, which means you stand outside and distribute them as people are entering or leaving the place. If you are a choreographer or instructor, you can ask your performers or students to help distribute the flyers. For a small fee, you can also pay people to hand your flyers out, but you must have a way to monitor if they are really doing it, because people are notorious for taking your money and not giving out the flyers.

Printers for your flyers - We at SalsaNewYork.com had an excellent experience at LB Graphics. They worked closely with us while designing & developing our flyers, they are very organized and focused on the job, it was done quickly and without any mistakes, all at a reasonable price. LB Graphics is at 246 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. Tel:212.246.2600. Fax:212.586.2398. Email print@lbgrx.com. Web Site www.lbgrx.com

Here are a few other printers that local salsa promoters use: PowerOfPaper, 326 7th Avenue (between 28 - 29th Sts.), NYC, 212-560-9529, www.PowerOfPaper.com . StopNPrint, 250 Hudson St., 4th floor, NYC, 212-242-7867. VMT Printers in the Bronx - 718-824-2669. Beehive Press in the Bronx - 800-70-PRESS. Copy Service Printing in NJ, 201-864-2529. Nocturnal Graphics, 434 Lakeview Avenue, Clifton, NJ, 973-546-0212.

I am not recommending any of these, just passing on some names that others have told us about. There are, of course, many other printers available. Be sure to personally supervise the design, printing and proof-reading of your flyers very carefully at every step of the process. You will need several thousand flyers; believe it or not, they will disappear in no time. And don't make final payment unless you are absolutely satisfied with the flyers.

All this takes a lot of work, time, expense and effort. But this is business, and promotion is critical and part of the job. So when you're planning a new salsa event, or developing one which has been going on for a while, be sure to place a major concentration on how you will get flyers into the hands of the many hundreds of dancers in the NYC/NJ metro area.

Promoters - Please see Guidelines for Performer's CDs for information about how to get the music for dance performances at your event, how to make the CDs and how to care for them and get them to the DJ for testing.

Please feel free to contact me at Salsa@nyc.rr.com for further, and up-to-date, ideas and info about how to promote your ON 2 mambo event.

Other Articles By Steve Shaw "Doc Salsa":

How To Get More Partners - Overcoming Fear Of Dancing - Tough Talk

Guidelines For Mambo DJs - List Of Good Mambo & Cha Cha Songs

Definition of Dancing On 2 - Technique - How To Learn - The Music

Cyber Interview Of Doc Salsa

The Story Of SalsaNewYork.com - How It Came About

Fellas, You Are Supposed To Make The Lady Look Good

DJ Steve Shaw "Doc Salsa" - Resume & Contact Information

How To Make & Care For A CD For Performing

STUDIO SPACE FOR RENT - FROM SMALL ROOMS TO HUGE HALLS

Whether you want to practice what you've learned in class, take a private lesson, teach privates or whole classes, rehearse for a performance, or put on a salsa party, finding studio space to rent in the NY/NJ metro area is always a challenge and is usually spread by word-of-mouth. If you're a beginner, or new to the City, it's even harder. From our combined years of experience in the local mambo scene, plus a lot of research, Manny Siverio and I have put together a directory of the studios we have been able to find that you can rent by the hour, week or month. They range from cheap to expensive, and are equipped minimally to fully. Be sure to call first and ask plenty of questions about the size, floors, mirrors, AC and music equipment, prices, etc., and to reserve your studio in advance.

To see our list of these facilities, click on Studio Space For Rent .

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WHERE TO BUY AND REPAIR SHOES FOR DANCING - CLICK HERE .

STREET SHOES OR DANCING SHOES? - WHICH SHOES FOR DIFFERENT DANCE SURFACES? - CLICK HERE .

WHERE TO BUY SALSA CLOTHES, COSTUMES, ACCESSORIES, EAR PLUGS, T-SHIRTS, TROPHIES - THE SALSA MUSEUM -

Mambo T-Shirts -

Salsero T - Shirts - Various designs and colors of salsa t - shirts for men and ladies. See https://www.salserot-shirts.com/ - Eddie - Phone 347-242-1965.

DanceKings.com - Source for dance-oriented t shirts and accessories is www.TheDanceKings.com/tshirt.html .

Dance Outfits - "Standard" dance clothes can be found at various dancer supply stores, especially the Capezio stores listed above. For example, the 2 main Capezio stores listed below have some of these outfits:

Capezio Dance-Theater Shop - 1650 Broadway (at 51st Street), 2nd floor, NYC. 212-245-2130.

Capezio - 1776 Broadway (at 57th Street), upstairs, NYC. 212-586-5140.

Notably Unique - A web site with all kinds of dance products for ladies & men that you can order online: shoes, clothes & costumes, jewelry, accessories, CD's, etc.

Salsa Dance Outfits & Shoes - Check out the web site Latin Dance Store for "sexy styles for on and off the dance floor": casual and more formal outfits, performance clothes, men's and ladies' shoes, accessories. www.LatinDanceStore.com .

Costumes for Mambo Performances - If you need a couturier / seamstress to create, modify or repair a costume for a dance performance, or just need custom clothing made for any occasion, here are a few very experienced people who have designed and made costumes for many of the dance performers in the city.

Altagracia - Has made costumes for Jai & Candy's "Estilo Clasico" and other dancers. 212-568-7484. Tagy's Fashions, 551 West 172nd Street, NYC 10032, by appointment.

Maria Ortega - This seamstress info comes from Manny Siverio. He says "Maria has been the seamstress for some of the costumes used by many of New York's top mambo dancers and dance teams. Her clients have been Addie Diaz, Mario Diaz, Jimmy Anton, Jorday Rivera, Fuerza Latina Dance Company, Descarga Latina Dance Company to mention a few." Located in the upper east side of Manhattan, her phone is 212-348-7313.

Tania Bass - Fashion designer, costume maker. 671 9th Avenue (at 46th Street), midtown Manhattan, NYC. 212-246-2277, fax 212-246-0721. Has created costumes for mambo dancers including the Eddie Torres Dance Company, as well as ballroom, theater and ice skating performers, celebrities including La Toya Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Bianca Jagger, and Mrs. Norma Callejas, the First Lady of Honduras, and others. See her web site at www.taniabass.com .

Tony Pena - Has made dance costumes for the Side Street Kids, Winsome Lee, and some of the Eddie Torres Dancers. 718-991-2838 and 718-542-1837.

Malambo Custom Made Dance Shoes - Sergio makes custom-made men's and lady's dance shoes and slippers for mambo performers here in the New York City area and elsewhere. He has made them for such dance companies as the Eddie Torres Dancers, Piel Canela Dance Company, Vitico "La Magia" Dancers, as well as for individual dancers and performers. He can make many different styles and colors in special designs he has created or designs that you create. He takes measurements of your feet and then has the shoes made in a contract shoe factory which takes about 3 weeks. The prices are very reasonable when you consider these shoes are custom-made. Contact Sergio at 718-492-8236 and MalamboDanceShoe@hotmail.com . Since he travels as part of his work, be sure to contact him at both his phone number and email address.

Trophies - Trophies and medals are used for winners of dance contests, awarding achievements for performing and other accomplishments, and for encouraging children and adults to continue striving for dance and other goals. Trophies with dancing figures, especially a couple, appropriate for salsa dancing, are sometimes hard to find. You can always check the Yellow Pages book under "Trophies", but be sure to call ahead and ask specifically if there trophies have a full dancer or dancing couple, rather than just a foot or a single ballet dancer. Here are 2 sources we have found:

Crown Trophy - 2554 East Tremont Avenue (near Overing Street & Eastchester Road), in the Westchester Square area of the Bronx, NY. Click Here to see Yahoo map. 718-824-4877. Web site www.CrownTrophy.com .

The Salsa Museum - (Please Note: This place may no longer exist) - 2127 Third Avenue (between 116th & 117th Streets), El Barrio, Upper Manhattan, NYC. 212-289-1368. A small museum with all kinds of memorabilia of the history of salsa, going way back, including early records, pictures, books, posters of salsa pioneers. They also sell T-shirts, hats, flags, and other salsa and Puerto Rican accessories. Currently, the museum is being renovated. We will provide further information when we receive it.

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HOW TO FIND SALSA CLUBS & EVENTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD -

Here are a couple of suggestions for finding a club in other cities or countries. This will take you about 30 minutes to an hour or so of your browsing around the internet, before you leave on your trip. But it will save you a lot time when you arrive at your destination.

1. Go to the section just above called CHECK OUT OTHER SALSA AND LATIN WEB SITES - LINKS - Then click on the various links to sites claiming to list clubs. Especially useful are SalsaWeb's CityGuides ( http://cityguides.salsaweb.com ), plus several other web sites which I indicate they can be used to find clubs elsewhere. Then follow the various links that those sites offer. Eventually, you may find a listing of clubs in the place you are going.

2. Within the United States, many of the large cities have an internet site called "citysearch.com", which gives information on arts & entertainment, shopping, sports, tourist attractions, restaurants, bars, clubs, directory of city services, and more. In order to find "citysearch.com" for the city you will be visiting, in your internet browser type in the name of the city, then a period, then "citysearch.com". For example, if you want to find out about San Francisco, type in: sanfrancisco.citysearch.com , and press the enter key. When you get to that web site, click your mouse on various menu items such as: nightlife, nightclubs, restaurants and bars, music, dance, city scene, events, etc. Usually, one of these will help you find some latin clubs or events.

3. Within the U.S., and perhaps elsewhere, if you have an address of a club/event, you can locate it on a Yahoo map. Click on http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py , and then enter the address. You can then zoom in to find nearby streets, and zoom out to see the entire state and the highway system. You can also locate nearby hotels & motels, restaurants and gas stations.

4. Do a search using some of the standard internet search engines such as:

www.google.com www.yahoo.com www.altavista.com www.excite.com

www.northernlight.com www.aol.com/netfind www.hotbot.com www.lycos.com

Search under a mix of key words such as "salsa, the name of the city you are going to, clubs, dancing, nightlife, entertainment", etc.

4. Try the trick that Edie "The SalsaFreak" talks about: When you are in a new city, go to a local Latin restaurant and ask some of the staff where you can find salsa dancing.

5. Need a map of where you are going? Click on Yahoo Maps , enter your destination, and they will draw you a highway and local street map right on your screen. You can zoom in and out, find nearby places of interest, even print it out. And it's a free service.

Good luck with your search, and have a great trip.

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LINKS - CHECK OUT OTHER SALSA AND LATIN WEB SITES - CLICK HERE .

YOUR DANCER'S BAG: WHAT TO BRING ALONG TO BE PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING

"EXCUSE ME MISS, BUT WE HAVE TO CHECK YOUR BAG" - "BUT OFFICER......I'M A DANCER..." - What do dancers carry in those beat up bags they all carry around? How is it that some dancers always seem to have exactly what they need in their bag, no matter what the occasion? Some carry enough in that bag to go to work, go to dance class, go out to a club, never make it home, and then show up for work the next day all fresh and clean and perfectly pressed. What have they got in those bags that they don't want you to know about? It sure is more than just that water bottle that they keep trying to sneak into the clubs.

No true mambo dancer's web site would be complete without probing into the dark corners of a bunch of dancers' bags and then revealing to all of you what's in them. And so your trusty reporter has done just that, not because I'm some sort of snoopy pervert, but rather as a public service to the millions of you On 2 dancers who just have to know what's in the other person's bag, and who want to make sure that you have absolutely everything you'll ever need as the ultimate salsero. So here we go:

WHAT'S IN THE ULTIMATE DANCER'S BAG:

Money, credit cards, ATM/bank card. Ear plugs. Dance shoes. Extra dance shoes with different soles (for different floors). Extra socks. Extra shirt(s) & other clothes. Undergarments. Deodorant. Cologne. Kleenex. Toothpaste & toothbrush. Mouthwash - Certs - gum - mints (don't eat onions, garlic, bacalao). Foot spray. Feminine hygiene spray. Pepper spray or mace. Hairbrush & comb. Hair products. Shaver. Orthotics. Pen - pencil - paper - business cards. Makeup. Scrunchy. Umbrella. Condoms. Energy bar. Water - Gatorade - energy drink. Your list of open shines and turn patterns. Coupons - discounts for clubs and classes. Mambo class & studio schedules. Small sweat towel. Small wire shoe brush and/or resin (to make shoe bottoms less slippery). Anti-slip shoe pads to put on the soles. "Slippery tape" (Scotch or masking tape) for too-sticky shoes. Powder (eg. talc or baby powder) for sticky dance floors. Print out of the SalsaNewYork.com calendar of events & the cute little weather forecast. Extra pantyhose/stockings. Nail polish for runs in your stockings. Sanitary products. Crazy Glue for broken nails. Lotion. Glitter. Costume. Toilet paper. Visine. Lip balm. Cell phone & extra cell phone battery. ID. HandiWipes. Band-Aids. Stomach medicine (eg. Mylanta, Pepcid AC, Pepto Bismol, etc.). Pain medicine (eg. aspirin, Tylenol, Excedrin, Advil, etc.). Knee pads. Ace bandages. Viagra. Camera: photo, video, digital. Fan: hand or battery. Phone numbers for 24 hour car services. McDonald's Happy Meal. Safety pins. Bobby pins. Quarters for phone calls. MetroCard and/or EZ Pass. Address and phone book. Portable music player with extra batteries. A few salsa CD's. Clothes for tomorrow. Reading material for waiting & train rides.

WHEW !!!!!!!!!! That bag will need some extra pockets....and some wheels. Did I leave anything out? I can just picture some emails from you guys saying that I left out the most important thing. I can hardly wait. Email yours truly, Doc Salsa, at salsa@nyc.rr.com . Until then, I'd like to thank a bunch of you who helped me put together this list, sometimes with red faces and nervous giggles.

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SALSA-HOLICS ANONYMOUS - THE PHASES OF SALSA ADDICTION

If you've gotten this far reading this SalsaNewYork.com web site, you're in pretty deep. Take a look at the following chart about your Salsa Addiction, complete with the psychological stages you're probably going through lately!

Reprinted from the web site of Edie The Salsa Freak - www.DanceFreak.com

HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT SALSA DANCE PARTNER, HUSBAND OR WIFE

I have no idea.

NUDE MAMBO DANCING

Nude mambo dancing in public is illegal in New York City. Viewing nude mambo over the internet is not allowed for those under 18 years old. Adults between the ages of 18 and 65 will be subject to inappropriate physical feelings and possible risk of heart attack when viewing nude mambo over the internet and therefore should not do it. You have now been properly warned. Proceed at your own risk when clicking on the options below:

I Am Under The Age Of 65 I Am Over The Age of 65

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