Ray Ray Salsa

What is it like dating a dancer? Ray Ray and Annabel were curious about other dancer's experiences so they put out a ten question survey to find out. In this episode they discuss the results. Annabel suggests that for dating to be successful, both dancers have to be extremely confident and secure, not be prone to jealousy, have clearly established expectations and boundaries which are similar enough to each others' so that conflict and hurt are avoided. Ray Ray adds that when feelings are hurt, communicating it in a mature and rational way is also necessary. The original survey is here: https://forms.gle/7LpnD73tAkgftmL76 It's open again for more responses. --------------------------------------------------  Timestamps: 0:00:05 Intro 0:01:04 Survey Question 1 0:02:59 Why Ray started learning Salsa 0:05:01 Do ppl learn dance to meet attractive people? 0:08:28 Dance pulled Ray out of depression 0:09:31 Reasons why ppl begin dancing 0:11:11 Brutus makes an appearance 0:13:20 Partner dancing is physically intimate 0:14:50 Reasons why ppl don’t date other dancers 0:16:59 What Ray’s friends thought about him dancing 0:18:28 Survey Question 6 0:12:10 Survey Question 7 0:20:20 Boundaries while dating  0:27:54 Message from Annabel 0:28:38 Ray and Annabel’s expectations 0:33:28 Why it’s difficult dating other dancers 0:38:00 Double standard yes or no? 0:46:48 Stories from dancers 0:55:17 What’s necessary for success 1:01:56 Call for Apprentices 1:02:38 Dating as a teacher --------------------------------------------------  *Ray Ray Salsa teaches Salsa at International Dance Studio in Oklahoma City https://www.idancestudio.com/  *Ray Ray Salsa teaches Salsa using the Black Belt Salsa curriculum.  Find out more about Black Belt Salsa at https://www.blackbeltsalsa.com and https://www.blackbeltdanceonline.com/  -------------------------------------------------  Get in touch:  Send us your questions or podcast topic suggestions!  Ray Ray Salsa  405-320-9333  rayray@rayraysalsa.com  www.rayraysalsa.com  Annabel Valencia  405-985-6805  inquiry@annabelvalencia.com  www.annabelvalencia.com  Find Ray Ray Salsa on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram

Here are some of the challenges and thrills of teaching Salsa to children at a summer Art Camp. You'll hear the highs and lows of our experience and our biggest take-aways. -------------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 Wedding ceremony highlights 07:05 Kids at Crossroad Family Services Indiana 09:28 Teaching Salsa Shines 10:44 Challenges of teaching 13:49 Staff participation 14:33 Call for Salsa apprentices 15:18 Unify Ballroom Fort Wayne 16:23 Travel difficulties 17:32 Staying on campus 18:35 Annabel’s son on the trip 20:00 Time with Ray’s sister 21:23 Teaching charitably 22:20 Annabel’s biggest shocker 24:54 Ray’s biggest takeaway 26:25 Looking ahead to next camp -------------------------------------------------- *Ray Ray Salsa teaches Salsa at International Dance Studio in Oklahoma City https://www.idancestudio.com/ *Ray Ray Salsa teaches Salsa using the Black Belt Salsa curriculum. Find out more about Black Belt Salsa at https://www.blackbeltsalsa.com and https://www.blackbeltdanceonline.com/ -------------------------------------------------- Get in touch: Send us your questions or podcast topic suggestions! Ray Ray Salsa 405-320-9333 rayray@rayraysalsa.com www.rayraysalsa.com Annabel Valencia 405-985-6805 inquiry@annabelvalencia.com www.annabelvalencia.com Find Ray Ray Salsa on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram

Never stop being a student. This has been Bryant Ayala's philosophy as he continues his dance journey from childhood to champion level dancer. Bryant Ayala grew up in a dance family and now teaches, performs, directs and judges. His specialty Salsa style is Mambo On2. He will be in Oklahoma City for the OKC Salsa Bachata Weekender July 21-22 2023. Find out more about it here: www.salsabachataworkshop.com Follow Bryant Ayala: Instagram: @bryant.ayala Facebook: "Bryant Ayala" www.linesdanceacademy.com www.salsabachataworkshop.com Dancers mentioned in this podcast: Marco Ferrigno Eddie Torres Adolfo Indacochea Edie, The Salsa Freak!! Lawrence Garcia Musicians mentioned in this podcast: Cuban musician Perez Prado Latin Jazz musician Machito ____________________________ Timestamps: 00:24 Wedding ceremony 01:30 OKC Weekender July 21  02:05 Introductions  04:01 growing up in a dance family 05:41 areas of dance 09:26 Never stop being a student 11:12 Training in Italy with Marco Ferrigno 12:26 Mambo On2 style 12:54 Learning On2 with Adolfo IndacocheaForget the numbers 16:34 What is Mambo? 18:05 OKC workshop focus  19:41 Sponsor Annabel Valencia Photography 20:25 Advice for young dancers 22:34 Directing 80 dancer performance 24:07 Challenge of creating 25:54 Being a good choreographer 28:15 Lines Dance Academy teams 30:15 Being a humble dancer 33:52 OKC Salsa Bachata Weekender details ____________________________ *Ray Ray Salsa teaches Salsa at International Dance Studio in Oklahoma City ⁠https://www.idancestudio.com/⁠ *Ray Ray Salsa teaches Salsa using the Black Belt Salsa curriculum. Find out more about Black Belt Salsa at ⁠https://www.blackbeltsalsa.com⁠ and ⁠https://www.blackbeltdanceonline.com/⁠ Get in touch: Send us your questions, comments or podcast suggestions! Ray Ray Salsa 405-320-9333 rayray@rayraysalsa.com Annabel Valencia 405-985-6805 inquiry@annabelvalencia.com Find Ray Ray Salsa on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram ____________________________

Let's geek out with Neuropsychologist Dr. Mark Wexler, also known as Salsa Moshe about the qualities of a healthy dance community and how to avoid creating a toxic dance community. Follow Salsa Moshe: Instagram: @medancer21 Facebook: "Salsa Moshe Mark Wexler" ____________________________ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro to guest Salsa Moshe PART 1 00:03:46 TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY DANCE COMMUNITY 00:04:45 #1 it’s growing, welcoming and challenging 00:06:35 #2 it encourages (affordable) lessons 00:08:03 # 3 it gives positive encouragement 00:08:34 #4 it has several instructors or schools 00:11:50 instructors with toxic fear & scarcity mindset 00:13:28 when students start their own school 00:15:20 #6 there is respect for school “territories” 00:20:44 #7 not talking bad about other dancers/instructors 00:23:23 ATMOSPHERE & ATTITUDES AT A SALSA SOCIAL 00:31:30 look for *these* women 00:34:38 advantages of Salsa 00:36:00 dealing with unhealthy motives 00:39:31 why Annabel & Ray didn’t meet earlier 00:43:29 sponsor Annabel Valencia Photography 00:44:12 #8 it has amateur performance groups 00:46:48 #9 there is community within the community 00:54:00 students are not “owned” 00:55:47 advice for studio owners 00:58:57 WHEN TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL THERAPY 01:08:37 your dance instructor is not your therapist 01:10:26 #10 there are healthy boundaries 01:13:11 Outro *Ray Ray Salsa teaches Salsa at International Dance Studio in Oklahoma City https://www.idancestudio.com/ *Ray Ray Salsa teaches Salsa using the Black Belt Salsa curriculum. Find out more about Black Belt Salsa at https://www.blackbeltsalsa.com and https://www.blackbeltdanceonline.com/ ____________________________ Get in touch: Send us your questions, comments or podcast suggestions! Ray Ray Salsa 405-320-9333 rayray@rayraysalsa.com Annabel Valencia 405-985-6805 inquiry@annabelvalencia.com Find Ray Ray Salsa on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram

Bonus juicy tid bits from Edie, The Salsa Freak!! Edie talks about how her Black Belt Salsa curriculum is designed to enhance the alpha masculinity and alpha femininity inside you as a dance partner and how it has the surprising side effect of helping you attract better partners. What are your thoughts? Let us know. Edie will be in Oklahoma City on Memorial Day weekend 2023 for the Black Belt Dance World Summit. Details at the bottom... ____________________________ Timestamps: 00:38 why every man should learn salsa 01:46 training Alpha Male & Alpha Female dancers 02:38 asking a woman to dance 03:20 chivalry is rare 04:48 make a woman feel like a Princess 08:05 give a woman what she wants 08:45 Ray’s # on the men’s bathroom wall? 09:11 Edie attracts women? 12:24 Ray’s classes 12:52 Dance with Edie in OKC ____________________________ The Black Belt Dance World Summit 2023 OKC Attend one or both days! Join us for 2 full days of intensive training with world renowned Salsa legend Edie, The Salsa Freak!! She is the creator of the Black Belt Salsa system which trains world-class dancers. Day 1 of the Summit will be Salsa dance training for dancers with any partner dance experience. Day 2 will be Studio management and Best Practices for how to run a successful studio, covering real world topics, such as how to deal with difficult situations. - Find out more about Edie, The Salsa Freak!! at www.salsafreak.com/bio  - Get tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-belt-dance-world-summit-tickets-519931307537 Early Bird pricing ends March 31, 2023 - Find out more about Black Belt Salsa at  www.blackbeltsalsa.com and  www.blackbeltdanceonline.com This event is hosted by International Dance Studio and Ray Ray Salsa www.idancestudio.com - Contact Ray Ray Salsa at 405-320-9333 or idancestudio.rayraysalsa@gmail.com

Ray Ray Salsa and Annabel Valencia interview Edie, The Salsa Freak!!, a legend in the Salsa world. Edie talks about how she created a successful apprentice program for her dance studio, which runs and grows her classes even if she's not there. What are your thoughts? Let us know. Edie will be in Oklahoma City on Memorial Day weekend 2023 for the Black Belt Dance World Summit. Details at the bottom... ____________________________ Timestamps: 00:35 emulating a martial arts studio 01:42 Edie’s first apprentices 02:47 creating an online video curriculum 03:55 a win-win program 05:24 apprentices keep school going & growing 07:24 Annabel’s experience as an apprentice ____________________________ The Black Belt Dance World Summit 2023 OKC Join us for 2 full days of intensive training with world renowned Salsa legend Edie, The Salsa Freak!! She is the creator of the Black Belt Salsa system which trains world-class dancers.    Day 1 of the Summit will be Salsa dance training for dancers with any partner dance experience.    Day 2 will be Studio management and Best Practices for how to run a successful studio, covering real world topics, such as how to deal with difficult situations.    - Find out more about Edie, The Salsa Freak!! at www.salsafreak.com/bio   - Get tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-belt-dance-world-summit-tickets-519931307537 Early Bird pricing ends March 31, 2023 - Find out more about Black Belt Salsa at  www.blackbeltsalsa.com and  www.blackbeltdanceonline.com This event is hosted by International Dance Studio and Ray Ray Salsa www.idancestudio.com  - Contact Ray Ray Salsa at 405-320-9333 or idancestudio.rayraysalsa@gmail.com

Ray Ray Salsa and Annabel Valencia interview Edie, The Salsa Freak!!, a legend in the Salsa world. Here she talks about her Black Belt Salsa system and her thoughts on dancing Salsa On1 versus Salsa On2. What are your thoughts? Let us know. Edie will be in Oklahoma City on Memorial Day weekend 2023 for the Black Belt Dance World Summit. Details at the bottom... ____________________________ Timestamps: Intro to guest Edie, The Salsa Freak!! 02:48 The reason why we call Edie “Sensei” 07:35 Brussels, Belgium is where Ray first heard of “Black Belt Salsa” 08:40 Black Belt Salsa is not pattern/choreo based (which is great for Ray’s ADHD) 11:20 How to vary a single pattern with the concept of “Down The Body” 12:56 Dancing Salsa On1 vs On2 and why On1 will never die 14:32 Reasons for learning On2 first 16:00 Why On2 feels easier for turns 17:44 The difficulty for Leads transitioning from On1 to On2 19:58 The ease of transitioning from On2 to On1 22:30 Are some ppl born On1 dancers or On2 dancers? 24:23 A funny story from an “On2 snob” 25:00 Timing isn’t as important as we think 28:03 Teaser for Part 2 Join us for 2 full days of intensive training with world renowned Salsa legend Edie, The Salsa Freak!! She is the creator of the Black Belt Salsa system which trains world-class dancers.   Day 1 of the Summit will be Salsa dance training for dancers with any partner dance experience.   Day 2 will be Studio management and Best Practices for how to run a successful studio, covering real world topics, such as how to deal with difficult people.   - Find out more about Edie, The Salsa Freak!! at www.salsafreak.com/bio  - Get tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-be... - Find out more about Black Belt Salsa at www.blackbeltsalsa.com and www.blackbeltdanceonline.com  This event is hosted by International Dance Studio and Ray Ray Salsa www.idancestudio.com - Contact Ray Ray Salsa at 405-320-9333 or idancestudio.rayraysalsa@gmail.com

How do we create a good connection with our dance partner(s)? Cindy Velez addresses this topic, from the angle of her background in Urban Kizomba. You can watch the YouTube video of this conversation here https://youtu.be/ikb24sHqQFM Timestamps: Opening: Intros, Info on KUA Weekender, How Cindy & Ray Ray first met 08:15 What makes a good connection? Is it skill level or is it something else? 09:12 Our mindset going into a dance 11:15 Being present in the dance and getting out of our own way 12:34 Having the attitude of "Et alors", meaning "So what" 13:40 Having grace and forgiveness with ourselves and our dance partners 14:56 Technical skills needed for a good connection - a good Body Frame 16:30 How to identify the skill and comfort level of your dance partner 19:00 The connection in Urban Kiz 20:30 Background of Kizomba and how Cindy first saw it danced 22:41 Contact points and focusing on your partner 24:00 Dancing "dumb" and the "dance high" 30:43 Connecting before you get on the dance floor 31:43 The challenge of truly following and staying focused 36:43 Details on KUA Weekender in OKC March 31 - April 2 For those interested in attending the KUA Weekender in Oklahoma City Hosted by Cindy, see the link below. KUA Weekender in OKC Tickets, Fri, Mar 31, 2023 at 8:00 PM | Eventbrite Contact Ray Ray Salsa: Email: idancestudio.rayraysalsa@gmail.com Find "Ray Ray Salsa" on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram and send us a message

Ray and Annabel are back with a review of what happened in 2022 and preview of what to expect in 2023 2022 was full of ups and downs - in January Ray's mom passed away - in March was the memorial service for Ray's mom in Ohio - in September Annabel moved from Lawton to Oklahoma City - Hazel Lopez named Ray co-director of International Dance Studio - in October Ray proposed marriage to Annabel (hear the story in the episode) - in November Annabel opened her photography studio inside International Dance Studio - we launched the Black Belt Dance apprentice program

Jesus, Dolce, and Ray discuss with Jesus Hernandez the benefits of training to be an omni dancer. An omni dancer is a dancer who learned the lead and follow of a dance.

What's the best way to learn how to dance? Ray discusses what it takes to learn any new skill, including dance. Is it innate talent? Is it learned? What limits potential dancers from taking dance lessons?   He references great books like Limitless by Jim Quick, and Peak Secrets From the New Science of Expertise.  He also gives shout outs to Lawrence Garcia, director of Con Clave Dance in Phoenix Arizona, Dulce Rodriguez and many more.

Ray Ray interviews new dancer Annabel Valencia (www.annabelvalencia.com), a student who has been in the Oklahoma City dance community for less than a year. Ray discovers her perspective of the community and her secrets to consistent improvement. Find out how Annabel got started taking Salsa lessons and why she became addicted.

Join Dolce and Ray as they interview the young and brilliant Ivis Torres Turley, OKC's newest dance studio owner and instructor. Ivis was born in the Dominican Republic, started dancing at the age of three and even choreographed dances as a young child for her cousins' birthday parties! She moved to the United States at the age of seventeen. She's studied under some big names in the Latin Social Dance scene and danced all over the world.  I am happy to announce group dance lessons have returned to OKC.   See the links below for the different Schools and what they offer.  Reach Dance Studio - www.reachdancestudio.com  International Dance Studio - www.idancestudio.com  Adelante Dance Studio - www.adelantedancestudio.com  Clips and Hips - 4822 N Macarthur Blvd, Warr Acres, OK 73122 · (405) 209-4823  Salsa Maritza at 3Sixty Entertainment Powerhouse -www.salsaokc.com 

Join us as we conclude our discussion with Maritza Rodriquez about  The Dance Journey.  Ray and Dolce Interview Maritza Rodriguez, winner of The World Latin Dance Competition in Salsa Same Gender in 2014.

Listen to part 1 of our 2 part Series on the Dance Journey.  Ray and Dolce Interview Maritza Rodriguez, winner of The World Latin Dance Competition in Salsa Same Gender in 2014.

Part 2 - Let's discuss Social Dance Etiquette some more. Find out what the differences are between Social dancing and dancing in clubs. They aren't the same! Dolce and Ray Ray talk about some subjects that aren't often talked about in dance classes or on the dance floor. Think of this episode as a list of unwritten social dance behavioral norms. Send your Dance Stories, questions and podcast suggestions to idancestudio.rayraysalsa@gmail.com.

Let's discuss Social Dance Etiquette. Find out what the differences are between Social dancing and dancing in clubs. They aren't the same! Dolce and Ray Ray talk about some subjects that aren't often talked about in dance classes or on the dance floor. Think of this episode as a list of unwritten social dance behavioral norms. Send your Dance Stories, questions and podcast suggestions to idancestudio.rayraysalsa@gmail.com.

Dolce and Ray Ray's emotional interview Marti Rickman. Marti was born in Palmira, Colombia. She was the 11th child in a family of 13 children. Her deep desire to live her dream is what brought her to the United States. Listen to her captivating journey of how she got to where she is today, a founder of the Oklahoma City Latin dance scene. Marti is the owner of Clips and Hips and organizer of the Oklahoma City Hispanic heritage Fiesta.

Welcome to Smooth Salsa in Oklahoma City by Ray and Dolce Salsa. This podcast is about Salsa Dance and the Oklaohma Dance scene. We discuss events going on. Share advice for students and instructors. We promote performances in the local.