* Includes daytime workshops and evening parties from Friday to Sunday

* Includes daytime workshops and evening parties from Friday to Sunday

* Evening Party Prices at the Door (Individual)

* Daytime Workshops and Evening Party at the Door

* Other Prices

Cancellation Policy Please Read:

EACH change will cost you $25.00 plus the difference in price if there is any. No cancellations or refunds after January 25, 2009.

Contact :  info@hawaiisalsafestival.com

or call (808) 255-8768 for more information or visit: http://hawaiisalsafestival.com/.

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For many Beijingers salsa is no longer an unfamiliar word. In the past, people may have thought of a Mexican cold tomato sauce flavoured with cilantro, chillies and onions when salsa was mentioned. No more. It now has a completely different meaning, representing a new trend in salsa dancing, a branch of Latin dance that has become a vigorous, exotic and fashionable sport.

More elegant than disco or hip hop, with more freedom of movement than waltz or tango, salsa has conquered the world's dance scene with astonishing speed. This magical dance arrived in Japan and Korea at the end of last century. When it came to China in 2002, it immediately became a fashionable pastime for white-collar professionals and young people in Beijing and Shanghai.

Salsa is not easily defined; it is a distillation of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances, with each playing a large part in its evolution. The dance is similar to tango, a more commonly accepted dance in China, in that both have patterns of six steps danced over eight counts of music. The dances share many of the same moves. In salsa, however, turns are an important feature, so the overall look and feel is quite different from that of tango. Tango generally moves forward and backward, while salsa has more of a side to side feel.

This definition may make salsa appear a bit hard to comprehend, but according to Liu Zimeng, general manager of the Bailando Dancing Club, one of Beijing's most professional dance schools, anyone who has a desire to dance the salsa can do it, regardless of age, physical status or agility.

Liu said, "You don't especially have to be an expert in dancing to learn salsa. You can dance salsa even if you're rhythmically challenged and suffer from the 'two-left-feet' syndrome." Among the first to introduce salsa to Beijing, Liu thinks its ease of mastery might be one of the reasons for salsa's worldwide popularity. One only has to take six 1.5-hour classes to get the skills needed to step onto a Latin dance club floor and dance the night away.

Without question, salsa has many benefits.

It is one of the best forms of exercise that will help you achieve goals such as weight reduction and muscle gain. As you learn more salsa moves, practicing will boost your physical endurance and range of motion. It is an ideal way to strengthen one's cardiovascular system, and it contributes to a good posture and body alignment. In addition, it increases your flexibility and stamina encouraging a total body stretch.

Cristina Zhang, a college student, turned to salsa dancing after she got bored with exercising at a gym. "Repeating movements in front of a mirror is no fun." After her first salsa class, she said she was quite satisfied with it. "I enjoy the ambience very much. Everyone comes here to dance for fun, not to compete. And there's the interaction that you could never get from one of those machines you exercises with at the gym. I think dance is more suitable for me."

Cristina is sure that she will attend class regularly. "I was told that dancing salsa can burn up to 10 calories a minute, without the harmful side effects caused by high-impact exercises such as running. I could almost feel my belly burn."

Zhang Jing, a sales representative for a multinational company, was immediately attracted by the "hot beat of the music, exotic atmosphere and movement of the body" that she experienced during a salsa performance in a club. She immediately began taking classes and thinks dancing salsa helps relieve her work-related stress. She said she forgets everything but dancing as soon as the music begins, as she becomes totally immersed in the rhythm and the beat. She is convinced that salsa dancing will remain an important part of her life.

Along with its physical and mental benefits, salsa is a fitness programme that could greatly enhance your social life. You will meet many friendly, fun-loving others while engaging in this fitness regime. It is a romantic, passionate dance for romantic people who like to have fun and an excellent avenue for people to meet new friends and make new acquaintances.

Salsa can enhance anyone's grace, poise, and style, while the dance helps to develop confidence and sense of showmanship. It develops the senses of coordination, discipline and control, and allows dancers to develop a sense of achievement. 

Lex Xie, a financial consultant, said, "You'll become more comfortable with yourself. You'll find confidence that extends far beyond your dancing." He said his confidence expanded after his very first lesson, as he conquered his doubts and fears.

Liu said, "It is precisely the magic of salsa that Chinese people may fail to immediately adapt to this tropical and sexy dance, because of the cultural conflict, but changes begin to emerge both physically and mentally after two or three classes."

Liu said there are about 13 salsa dance schools in Beijing, generally charging 50 yuan per class. "It's a lifetime investment in fun, poise, confidence, improved personality and new friends."

In the end you may wonder "What am I going to wear to a salsa class?" If you have dance shoes, bring them; otherwise, leather-soled shoes will do. Just dress casually and for comfort.

And always remember the words of world-famous salsa dance artist Tony Duarte: "Dance to have fun; if you are not having fun, there is no reason to dance."

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19:15-20:15 Beginner ( Salsa, Merengue)

20:20-21:20 Intermediate ( SOCIAL PERFORMANCE CLASS)

Tuesday

19:15-20:15 Beginner to Improvers (All levels, ChaChaCha Latin American Style)

21:00-24:00 Suzie Wong's Party

Wednesday

19:15-20:15 Beginner (Salsa & Bachata)

20:20-21:20 Intermediate (Bachata intermediate level/Performance class and Salsa)

Thursday

19:30-21:00 Advanced (Men and Lady Styling Partner Works and Shine)

Friday

19:15-20:30 Beginner to Improvers (Salsa, Mambo)

Saturday

Sangaria Class, 20:00-21:00 (Dancecise, Salsa, Bachata, Merengue and ChaCha)

Sangaria Party, 21:00-24:00

Sunday

19:30-21:00 All level (Mambo, Chacha on 2)

Everynight, different dance lesson, just at SOHO 3#-701 Welcom try out for the 1st time for FREE !

Tel: 13681139040(Chinese), 85890254(Eng),13810657749(Eng).

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 On the last week of December 2006, I emailed David Melendez asking him If I can help out for the next Philippine Salsa Congress.  I received a reply in an instant saying, "Hey Rod, I appreciate your willingness to help out, but we will not be doing a congress this year, But  I will let you know."

 After a few days, I have heard from a friend in New York that David had been battling Malignant Mesenchymal Tumor. In a word, Cancer. So being the cancer survivor that I am, on December 27, 2006, I felt compelled to call him again just give him a pep talk and positive energy.  

He was very positive and upbeat and assured me that we would see each other and talk at the Salsa Event in Palm Springs. Little did I know that was the last time I'll ever talk to him.

On February 8, 2007, on his way to his new dance studio in Florida, David sufffered a seizure and died. It was a big shock to the salsa community world. He was an icon and was a true ambassador of salsa. To this day, David Melendez is sorely missed.  

Last year of 2007, the New York Salsa Congress, which happened to be David Melendez creation, started honoring David by giving The David Melendez Award. "Every year, we at the New York Salsa Congress honor a person or persons that contributed in his or her own way to the dance community.  From now on, we are acknowledging this honor as the David Melendez Award.  This year, at the 7th Annual New York Salsa Congress, it gives us great pleasure in presenting the award to its first recipient, to its namesake, Mr. David Melendez."  - NYC Congress Inc  

Indeed, David's Legacy continues, the salsa congresses he created all over are still being held yearly, and of course, one of them is the Philippine Salsa Festival. This is David Melendez's baby.   Although PSF wasn't held in the year 2007, Kristine Constantino, the co-creator of PSF, felt that David's legacy and his vision for salsa in the Philippines must go on. Enter Philippines Salsa Festival 2008.  

"Of all the Asian countries in the world, Philippines has the most Latin influence, so there is no reason why salsa is small. Philippines Salsa Festival will catapult the salsa genre in the country." said, Constantino, Director of PSF.  

On November14-16, 2008, Kristine Constantino along with Latin Dance Professionals, promoters and world class DJs, once again, will be honoring the late David Melendez at the Annual Philippine Salsa Festival in Manila with performances, workshops and social dancing.

But let me back up here for a moment…

November 2008 is probably the busiest month for me considering that I am involved on events like the Dallas Salsa Congress and San Francisco Salsa Congress, so for me to do the Philippine Salsa Festival is overstretching it. Then I recieved a shocking letter from Kristine…

To the friends of the 2008 Philippine Salsa Festival,

Hello everyone, hope all of you are doing well. My name is Kristine Constantino, Owner and Director of the 2008 Philippine Salsa Festival. I received alarming news from several of our Philippine Salsa Festival instructors that an outside source have informed them that the 2008 Philippine Salsa Festival has been cancelled and is now being directed by another production company.

This person continued on to say they will now call this event Manila Salsa Festival and it will be held on the same dates as our event. This person and production company is soliciting our current staff and attendees to be part of their event and is providing false information to make you believe otherwise. I am sending you this email to let you know I have not cancelled the 2008 Philippine Salsa Festival and the event will go on as planned.

I want to assure you that I am the current Owner and Director of the 2008 Philippine Salsa Festival and will continue to make final decisions regarding the event. If you have not been contacted by these outside sources please expect them to do so.

We need your support more than ever! We need to band together and and continue our relationship in being part of this event, and making it a success. Please do not believe these rumors and forward me any correspondence you receive and I will personally handle them. It is people like these that destroys the unity and love that Salsa brings to our lives.

Due to these unfortunate news I am determined more than ever to create an amazing and memorable event for you. I am not only doing this for my own dreams, but most importantly to continue David Melendez' legacy and to bring Salsa to the Philippines in a positive way.

If you could please pass this information along to your friends and to other Salsa lovers in the world. I hope you continue to join me in this cause.

Sincerely,

Kristine Constantino Director, Philippine Salsa Festival November 14-16, 2008 Website: http://www.philippinesalsafestival.com Email: kristine@philippinesalsafestival.com - Phone: (650) 832-1681

When I read this letter I was furious, dismayed and very disappointed. How could people dare steal someone else's idea. And to top all that, how can these people purposely do this same event on the same dates and the same hotel? This is David Melendez's vision.

To imitate such event, doing it on the same dates and same hotel is like spitting on his grave!

It's a divisive act and an absolute insult to the salsa community as a whole.

I contacted Kristine to tell her that I am on board. I'm gonna support and help her all the way, after all, this was supossedly what I was gonna tell David at the Salsa Palm Springs event anyways, but the event got cancelled and a month later, David died.  

We're now a few months away before the event and salseros all over already confirming their support and presence to the Philippine Salsa Festival. I don't think the dancers and performers supporting the so-called Imitators (Manila Salsa Festival and GWorks) are fully aware of the truth and the whole story of what happened. They need to know and someone or some people need to tell them. I don't even think they know that it is David Melendez's event.

But we're moving on and more salseros now are on board with Philippine Salsa Festival (PSF). We now have salsa brothers and sisters from all over the globe such as Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, USA, Abu Dhabi plus Albert Torres, and recently, PSF and Albert Torres agreed to make Philippines Salsa Festival a qualifier for ESPN World Salsa Championship. It is going to be a fun festival!

We are calling all salseros and salseras around the world to support the Philippine Salsa Festival. We need your help more than ever.

From: ~RODCHATA~

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Learn more about dancing…… Free Dance Lesson (Latin, Bachata and Salsa) from 9pm to 10pm followed by a fabulous performances at 11 pm and party all night till 2 am with Filipino Dance Instructors. Club Address: Chaoyang Park West Gate

For more info, call 6595-5049 / 6500-3377 (Suzie Wong) Chinese, Organized by :Beijing Dancelife International Club Bldg. 3, Room 701 SOHO, Dawang Lu, Chaoyang District,Telephone #. 85890254 Don't miss it! LIVE TO DANCE. DANCE TO LIVE

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Fritz is the founder of BJ DanceLife Club. He is professional Latin dance instructor from the Philippines with 9 years of dancing experience. He arrived in Beijing in 2006, and has been teaching in various professional clubs and studios. In addition, Fritz organizes the Latin Night Party at Suzie Wong 's every Tuesday night.

Fritz is the only foreign dancer in Beijing who can teach and perform both Latin Ballroom and Latin Salsa Dance. He is generous with his time and teaches his students to dance to the best of their ability. He has a friendly personality, which has earned him a lasting reputation among dancers in Beijing. He is a very passionate stage performer, and a true star!

Achievements:
- Choreographer for the winner of the Beijing International Salsa Congress/Competition in August 2007
- Beijing Salsa Congress Performance
- Hong Kong Salsa Congress Performance
- Competed in 2007 World Salsa Championship Las Vegas, Nevada

- Invited as guest performer in Guam
- Champion of "Olympic Cup" Ballroom Dancing in Beijing
- Champion of "Romance Cup" Ballroom Dancing in Beijing
- Runner-up of "Golden Leaf Cup" National Open Ballroom Dancing in Zhengzhou, Henan
- Runner-up of "Dancing Heaven Cup" National Open Competition in Beijing

For more details, Visit: RM 701.Red Building # 3, Dawang Lu, SOHO

TEL: 13681139040 (Chinese)、85890254(EN)、 13810312167(EN)

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The couple have thaught and performed at many international salsa dance events/congresses such as in Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, China, Sweden, Warzaw Poland, Chez Republic, Finland, Philadelphia USA, etc. They have performed at several events in New York City, such as famous Club Cache on Times Square. They placed among the top ten couples at the World Open Salsa Championship in Puerto Rico 2006. Erik and Consuelo have received valuable training from some the best instructors in the world such as US champion of Latin Ballroom (mambo) Edgar Osorio, Eddie Torres - 'the mambo king', Frankie Martinez, Alex Da Silva, Nelson Flores, Piel Canela dancers, Leon Rose, Santo Rico Dance company, etc. They are certified instructors of standard and latin dances, and are listed as instructors on SalsaNewYork.com.

They master all styles of Salsa/Mambo. Other dances: Argentine Tango, Swing, African, Street Jazz, standard and latin ballroom dances. Erik and Consuelo are also known for their "Dance Core Technique"- classes that include pilates, yoga, ballet and african dance. "Don't miss the opportunity to learn from two of the Worlds top instructors!" [phoenix-dance]

E and C currently live in Beijing, China where they among other things are choreograping in music videos for some of the artists of Crative Kingdom.

"We enjoy teaching and sharing our love of this beauiful art with our students.
we believe that learning quality rather than quantity is the shortcut to become confident on the dance floor. When you just stick to what you know, and are able to communicate that in a very clear way, then the dancing becomes enjoyable not because of the quantity of steps, but the quality of what you execute." Erik and Consuelo

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