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 How, why and when did you get into salsa?
My sister & I danced cumbia and tejano in my early teens, but at the age of 15, we started looking for something different. It was then that she convinced me to go to a salsa club, and I got hooked. This was back in ‘98.
Who first taught you to dance salsa?
I can’t quite single any one person out. It’s more like a mob of people. Everyone taught me something. My sister taught me my first basic step & while I lived in Dallas, I mostly transferred what I knew from tejano and cumbia to salsa. The rest I picked up from videos or watching. When I moved to Boston for school in 2000, I had more access to instructors, so I’d take a workshop from time to time in NY, or attend some of the workshops at congresses, or take a private lesson periodically with various instructors to work on my technique. To that end, I’ve taken a private with Gina Benitez, Thomas Guerrero, Candy Mena, Seaon Stylist, and Sekou McMiller.
Back in Boston, I joined a rueda group at my school for 2 years and joined the staff of JAM’NASTICS, a non-profit program, as a Latin dance instructor for 2 ½. In both programs I was lucky to meet friends I could practice with on the side in which we could help each other grow. This is also how I met my two former partners, Andres Giraldo of Salsa y Control and Brian Purville, now a former Mambo Romero dance company member. I learned so much just being able to work, practice, and choreograph with them.
These days I continue to grow in my dance from working with my husband and dance partner, Joel. I also learn a lot by interacting with my students and with the talented members in our dance company.
Did you have any dance training prior to salsa?
From the ages of 5 to 11. I trained in Mexican folklorico, a traditional dance form, which was taught in many of the Dallas elementary schools. I always dreamed of training in other dances but never had the resources to do so.
Tell me a little about Masacote Dance Co. When, why and how was it set up?
Well, there’s more to us than just the dance company. The idea of Masacote first came about when Joel & I met in December 2001. We talked about what we loved about salsa and what we’d love to do with it, and it just so happened that we had many similar ideas in mind. We also discussed what we felt was a disconnect between musicians and dancers. We thought it would be a great idea for us to merge our talents and work together to plan what would come to be known as “Masacote Entertainment.”
It is that name that’s important. “Masacote” is the feeling you get from merging the basic percussion instruments in salsa. Moreover, it refers to the merging of various elements. Our company is about music, dance, and imagery. It is about fusing these distinctive elements into a full entertainment package. However, we’re always working toward that bigger picture. The idea was that we would have a company that performed to its own music and put on its own productions, all done in house. But, because of the complexity and scale of the project, we decided to build it in steps.
We founded it in 2003 in Okinawa, Japan when we officially started performing and teaching together as a couple. In Sept ‘04, we expanded to a dance company with a full team, which didn’t debut until Feb ‘06.
Most recently we expanded the music component when Joel finally released his 1st album, MASACOTE, in May 2006. We are currently in the process of producing the 2nd album, Fantagious.
Now is when you’ll see things start to come together -- slowly, but surely.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
That depends on what you mean by inspiration. I get my inspiration for dance/choreography by watching dances outside of salsa -- tango, jazz, ballroom, etc.
I get my inspiration for costumes /themes from all the images around me. Anything from a comic book to a movie, from a store window to a fashion show.
I get my inspiration in my work from the satisfaction I get in seeing the final product and the encouragement we get from friends.
Who do you admire?
I admire people who accomplish a lot from little or nothing. I admire people who are truly genuine about what they do and who do their work because they love it and want to share it with others and not those who do it for the fame. Most of all, I admire people who help or do for others just because they can without expecting anything in return.
What are your favourite albums?
In all honesty, my favorite is MASACOTE, by my husband Joel, and I’m not saying that just because we’re married! Lol That says a lot since I don’t usually have favorites. But I’m really looking forward to the 2nd album. He really outdid himself this time around, and I can’t wait until it’s ready to be released in May!
If you were not a successful Promoter/Teacher/DJ, what would you be doing instead? Or if you also have a full-time job, what do you do?
I believe we’re all meant to do certain things in our lives, and although we may try to convince ourselves otherwise, destiny will eventually come knocking. I believe I was meant to be a dancer and although I didn’t believe it was possible earlier on, life eventually convinced me otherwise. From my folklorico days as a child to my cumbia and tejano phase, to salsa, dance has always been a part of my life, slowing stepping from the background to the foreground.
Since I was a child, I always loved dancing, but I never dreamed I could make it a career. In my culture, that’s considered sticking your head in the clouds. Dancing careers are left up to the ballet and classically trained. The rest of us should work on getting a stable 9-5 job that we can be proud of.
I attended a Science and Engineering Magnet High School. I liked coding and math and the stability of engineering made me think I could do it for a living so I moved to Boston to study Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. I realized there it wasn’t something I liked doing enough to make it a career so I decided to switch to business in my 2nd year. I lucked out because MIT’s business school is just as good as its engineering.
Outside of school I became more involved in the dancing community and eventually became a salsa instructor for a non-profit organization. When I met Joel, I began to believe I could pursue dancing as a career, using what I learned in business to make it successful. I figured that even if I failed, at the least I could say I tried. And here I am today. I just don’t see myself doing anything else but dance.
Today I do web design on the side for fun. It allows me to still do the coding and design I’ve always loved without feeling that I have to do it for a living.
Tell me something most people wouldn’t know about you?
Well, I’m actually REALLY, REALLY clumsy, and that’s an understatement. I can’t walk in a straight line, I’ve literally walked into walls at times, and I’m always bumping into things or knocking things over. I’ve fallen or tripped quite a number of times on the dance floor, and once while performing. I don’t know how I manage to dance at all sometimes! lol
What’s your all time favourite salsa club/event that you have played/taught/danced?
There are a few events I look forward to every year: Flava Invasion, the Montreal Salsa Convention, and the Stuck On Salsa Cruise/Events. All those events have great performances, LOTS OF ENERGY, and most of all great people who are just there to have fun and are passionate about salsa. Most of all, a great number of our friends go to these events, so we can always be sure we’ll have a great time.
My most memorable event, though, was our cd release in May 2006. It was a special weekend for us because it was something we were working toward for so long. The next one on May 16, 2008 is going to be even better with much more energy and a bigger step towards where we’re trying to go with the company.
What has been your most memorable moment?
Now that one’s easy! When Joel proposed to me!
He took me to a jazz club for dinner and acted like he was going to sit in with the band on the piano for a song. While he was playing, the waitress brought out a dessert with a ring box and a collage of some of our pictures. After he finished, he dedicated the song to me, told everyone they were witnessing a proposal, and asked me to marry him. Next thing I know, my friends just popped up out of nowhere and were there to share that special moment with me. He’d been planning the proposal for months. How could I say no?
Have you had any embarrassing/nightmare-ish moments in salsa?
Well, going back to being clumsy, I actually fell at the end of a class once while going to pick up my cds. I was rushing, and on the way to the dj booth, I tripped on my pants and fell to my knees. The good thing was that most people had left by then.
But I think my most embarrassing moment was in everyday life, when I met Joel’s family. In my defense, I was really nervous! I was trying to help his mother out, and in trying to serve her a cup of water, I accidentally spilled it all over her! I was mortified and so upset I had to hold back tears. Joel just laughed it off.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for interviewing me, and thank you to everyone who actually reads this! I’d just like to mention that we have a number of projects we’re working on that are being released little by little. Look out for our Music Interpretation 101 for Salsa Dancers DVD and my Ladies’ Styling and Movement DVD! Both dvds are the first of a series, and something we’ve been working on for a while.
And even more importantly, look out for the release of Joel’s 2nd album, to be released Friday, May 16, 2008. We’re VERY excited, and I really believe that if you liked the last cd, you’ll love this one even more. We’ll be having a BIG release in Boston, with a live sit-down concert & dance theater production by Ritmo Masacote and the Masacote Dance Company, followed by a great afterparty. It’s going to be a lot of fun, so it would be a great excuse to visit the Boston area and see what all the hype is about.
To get more information about this cd release, visit www.masacoterecords.com. Or to get more info about us, visit www.masacote.com . You can also sign up for our mailing list at our website to get weekly to monthly updates on what we’re doing.
Thank you guys for all the support!
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