WHAT DO STUDENTS SAY?
Article by Ximena Rojas (Through the eyes of a Woman)
TROUGH THE EYES OF A WOMAN By Ximena Rojas: Last night my boyfriend took a private class with master Mambo dancer Tony Duarte from Salsabor Tropical. My boyfriend, as an L. A. Style dancer believes that body movement could be as good On1 as it is On2. He says that On1 and On2 follows the same counts of the music but what differs one from the other is the feeling of it. It is very possible that you could feel the music more On2 for the sound of the instruments break in between counts and therefore making your body move to them (he says).
But he states that it does not take away the fact that all the movements could be done in both styles. So he decided to take On1 classes with who he says has the best body movements in Florida. Mr. Tony Duarte.
We walked in Tony's mother's apartment where he was going to give the private lesson and suddenly we felt the coziness of Hispanic culture. Family pictures with wood decorated frames all around the house. Very close together furniture, not too cold but not too warm either. Kind of like a place where you want to eat with your parents and relax
Tony placed his huge boom box in top of the glass dinning table, moved the larger couch to make space and said: "ok lets get started". He told my boyfriend to perform the basic step for him to see. He watched him for about 12 seconds and told him to stop. First thing he said was that his basic was not bad at all but he did not have any upper movement. My boyfriend had told me that he was going to pay close attention so he immediately kept silent and observed.
There was no question about it. Tony Duarte's basic step was a performance enough. My man looked at me, smiled and I knew, just by his look that there was a lot to be learned. Time passed by and the lesson got better. Details on how to move every single part of your body and concentrate on the muscles were explained. Tony and my boyfriend were having so much fun. Even though I have to admit that my man needed plenty of work on his body, there was stuff that he was improving already. I was enjoying myself just by watching an incredible dancer teach somebody that has a talent to learn things quickly. Tony made my boyfriend and I smile all through the private class. Not because we were making jokes, but because both of those men where really focused on what they went there to do. One to instruct, the other to learn. Both deeply sharing one single zone.
After class ended, we stayed and chatted for about an hour. Not about dancing, but about everything else. Love, hate, past experiences, etc. We went back to the car and I knew my boyfriend had to say something. We both got inside and he said: "I can't believe how this man is not teaching professional artists how to dance. How can he not be choreographing for famous people? Today I have felt something that I had never felt before". Those words let me know that we was definitely going to call him again for another private. The whole lesson was taught On1, which proved my boyfriend's point on body movement. But it was more about proving a point to him now. It was to get better at it and to find motivation to keep it going. There is no limit. There is no end. Every time you think you know, it only gets better.
Ximena Rojas
Sean: Nice to see that someone else has finally realized that Tony is the man. Hahaha. Wait till you see him do Hip-Hop or freestyle!
I'll be attending his men's styling classes every other Saturday. That should be good.
Aramor: Hey I do want to add my 50 cents to this subject..
When I first started dancing MamboOn2 was here in Miami, I met Tony thru the internet in the salsa yahoo clubs and immediately we had a connection, the love for salsa! he mentioned to me he wanted to put a group together to do shows On2, I didn't really know how to dance On2, I had taken workshops and stuff but I didn't really put it to practice until my husband and myself got together with Tony to practice.
We used to go to that same apartment; his mom's, he used to make room by the dinning area so we could practice at the edge of the dinning room and living room area. My husband is not a dancer, nor he cares about dancing as much, but I told me to go with me so that we could practice together, so he did and he loved Tony's teaching! he used to go with me just because he said that Tony knew how to brake it down to make it very easy to understand and my husband (who only knew On1 LA style from me, he learned to dance within days and I got him to dance in a competition at Palladium in with less than 1 month of experience, he is a quick learner!) he learned to dance On2 in no time!
I think it was a combination of him being a fast learner, but definitely Tony had his magic done on my husband!
We did this for a few months and I learned a great deal with Tony, yes specially about body movement, I kept taking workshops with anyone who would come to Miami and also trained with Jamie Josephson when I was in the Rhythm Divas, over all I learned from all of this great instructors, but definitely Tony got me hook on MamboOn2, that's when I switched from On1 to On2...
Yes, Tony is the only instructor in South Florida that we have to learn that incredible body movement, we must take advantage of it! I highly recommend to take classes with him, he is the man!
Sincerely,
Aramor
See You On The Dance Floor!
Azuca: Love your article Xime! Great job! It makes me want to take a private with Tony as well...!!!!
Mariela Burgos: Mil gracias por todo!!!! My mom and I have learned a lot and there is still so much more to learn. I definitely will continue with my classes. I always talk about my salsa classes to everyone. Thanks again.
Rosa Gonzalez: I have only taken one class with you guys, and I have to say I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love how styling is incorporated into the lesson along with the technicalities of the dance. Imp a pretty advanced dancer on1, but after taking just one class with Tony Duarte, I was able to pick up on2 dancing, or at least the basic counts and steps to it. I was also able to learn some styling techniques, which I hadn't been taught. I have to admit, the latter is my favorite aspect of class, but this is particularly because I already know how to dance salsa. I did not continue the lessons for personal reasons such as time. The different scheduling and locations make it a bit hard for me as well. Nonetheless, great job!
Adie Talavera: I just went to one of your classes at the Meridien. I loved it and I learned a lot in just one class. My husband and I want to go to the beginner classes together. See you there. You are a great, patient, and fun teacher. There are not a lot of those around!!
Femy Acosta: I think you are a great teacher and I love to see you dance. I have learned a lot from you although I still have a lot to go. I like to thank you for being there for us and for your dedication. We have come a long way. I actually enjoy going out again and knowing that I can have a good time and dance with people that actually know how. Even though some of those guys won't ask us, the average dancer to dance. Sometimes it amazes me when they could be friendly and yet will only dance with the girls that they believe are perfect. Oh well, not your problem...hehehehe. Take care.
Eric "J": I found the classes fun easy to follow with practice of course and your instructions were clear and also easy to follow and understand.
Lisa A: I stop coming to class because I moved out of the country. I am in Canada now. I want to thank you for the courses, they were EXCELLENT, I really enjoyed my learning experience, the classes were well structured and you are a great teacher. I referred some friends of mine to you. As soon as I come back I will definitely continue with my classes. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Jackie Rizo: I really enjoy the class you give and the care you give each student, which does not go unrecognized, thank you.
Hiroko Yako: I love to go to your class, and I always have a lot of fun in your class, you got me into salsa again, any way I love your way to teach J, And I'd like to thank YOU for letting me have a opportunity to discover the pleasure to dance on two. Arigato
Cecilia Santos: Hi. I'd like to tell you that my boyfriend and I really enjoyed the classes we took with you. We thought Tony was a great instructor, very patient and very friendly. Unfortunately we live in Dade County (way south!) and the distance is an issue. We also have very different schedules that won't allow us to go together (when we started the class we had better schedules). We actually can't wait until our schedules change again so we can continue the classes I'd also like to add that I recommend your classes to everyone because you have really good techniques that are easy to follow. I actually noticed that I learned more steps a lot quicker from you than from other salsa classes I've taken in the past. I also really enjoyed the one-on-one attention we always received from you.
Maria Rodriguez: I really enjoy going to your classes. What I like most about your classes is how you take the time to be very clear and detail with instructions. Being able to dance the man and the woman dance position, helps the dancer find the problem with their steps. Not only do I learn in your classes but I also have lots of fun!!!!
Susan Fisher: I think you are a great dancer, teacher and person. I loved the classes I have taken from you, dancing with you and hanging out at the places you teach. Con Carino, Susan Fisher.
Nannette Madera: from Memorial Health Care System: Tony is a great, skilled instructor. He is very knowledgeable and takes the time to give one-on-one instruction and makes sure no one in the class is lost. Tony is patient, friendly and has great techniques. His classes are always fun to be in.
Jocelyn Sanders: Hello my name is Jocelyn and I am a college student . I attended one of Tony's workshops without having any idea of how to dance. I was blessed with two left feet!! Anyhow, by the end of the presentation I was able to move with confidence and grace. He provided a conducive environment that informative, interactive, and fun. I would definitely attend one of his events again!!
Rhett Baldeviso: I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the private Salsa lessons during the last 2 weeks. Not only was the program designed to quickly
learn the steps, your concise and efficient instructions were helpful in
retaining the lessons learned. The result is an increase in my
confidence and a better appreciation to latin and salsa music.
I definately will be joining the group lessons in the future.
Again many thanks.
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