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SalsaPower: Today
we're here with
Luz Pinto, founder of Dance Dreams Latin-Heat Dance
Studios of Miami
Beach, Florida. Luz, thank you for meeting with us today.
Luz: My pleasure!
SalsaPower:
We've heard from various
reliable sources that you are the best in teaching female
styling for Casino as well as in showing great lines in dips and
drops. Have you combined your background in Ballroom with Casino
to achieve this?
Luz: I encourage my
students to develop proper dance styling. This is something
which requires great attention to detail. I use my ballroom
background to give my students a good breakdown of all of the
moves focusing on the distinct intricacies of the dance.
SalsaPower:
We want to congratulate
you on the production of your new Casino/Rueda instructional
video series. We get emails
all the time inquiring about video instruction. This is truly
one way that you can teach Casino/Rueda style worldwide.
Luz: Well, thank you. It
was a lot of fun and I hope everyone enjoys the instructional
videotapes.
SalsaPower: Where did you learn how
to dance Casino and how many years have you been a practitioner?
Luz: I learned
Casino/Rueda from Raul Fernández, formerly of Miami Dance
Machine. We met while filming the
movie "The Pérez Family". A big hug to you, Raul, if you
happen to be reading this! For fun, a group of us dancers would
go out to Club Taj (formerly in Coconut Grove), as well as jump
into Caesar's class and various other advanced Rueda classes
around town. This was back in 1993-94. Ramani (Nicola, of
Salsa-Casino Dance Studios in Miami) was also a great
influence, as he is such a consistently great person.
SalsaPower: How would you describe
your own personal style of dancing?
Luz: As I follow, I
generally accent my partners lead and abilities. My favorite is
when I dance with a partner who
knows to connect with body movement as well as use ‘shines’
in the move ‘Guapea’. I like energy with
smoothness and dynamics, expressed with a Latin flavor. I am
also into dips, drops etc., which I mostly use
in shows. I apply dance etiquette and safety within the limits
of a crowded dance floor. I
love both the Cuban and the New York styles.
SalsaPower: When was your school
founded?
Luz: I've been teaching
for 17 years. I am professionally trained as a ballroom
instructor, but do not teach ballroom style Salsa. I've been an
independent teacher in Miami Beach for 8 years now. A few years
ago I started training instructors to assist me with the
different levels I offer in my group class.
SalsaPower: What’s been happening
lately with your school?
Luz: Lately I've kept
busy teaching private lessons not just in Salsa but also
teaching wedding couples to dance to the song they've chosen for
their 1st dance (usually a slow song, sometimes tango or swing).
I also do private shows
that pay dancers and have a select team of great
Salsa-Casino/Rueda dancers for these occasions. I stopped doing
the frequent late night club scene as I'm also dedicated to
rising at 7 a.m. to go to the gym. I also try to go wakeboarding
whenever I can make the time. I've been in various music videos
in the past and have been invited to participate in some TV
shows, which I may still do. Yet as much fun as that is, my big
passion is still teaching.
SalsaPower: What makes your school
special?
Luz: We laugh and have a
great time and give a lot of personal attention to our students.
Since there are so many Rueda schools out there, my classes are
for those who truly want to understand the footwork that goes
with leading or following
as well as the turns. I can overcome any barriers that my
students may experience and
help them quickly become better dancers.
I also show women how to apply feminine styling and then break
down for their moves, plus the correct amount of muscle tone for
their arms so that they can follow better. We teach easy turns
right away to beginners instead of the forward & back and
side to side basics. As a result, our students learn very
quickly. My classes focus more on one-to-one dancing and towards
the end of the class is when we dance Rueda. I am very
particular about teaching the correct moves and have had many
instructors from other parts of the world come to me to learn
Miami Style Casino/Rueda. I teach the way we actually dance, and
can very quickly fine-tune my students' dance abilities, so that
there is no guessing or sloppy moves on their part.
I have seen many experienced intermediate or advanced students,
who have had sloppy footwork, which made their dancing look very
rough. Bad habits are hard to change but if the student is open,
they can get better. One thing that is important to clear up
about Miami dancers, is that we do not use ‘spaghetti arms’
(floppy arms). This is a very bad thing to be associated with in
the dance community. Even in our ‘Alarde’s’ we use muscle
tone to a light degree but it's definitely more tone than
spaghetti arms. I think dance is a universal language and feel we
should stick to the true meanings, such as a ‘Hook turn’ or
‘Gancho turn’ not being a ‘Ronde'.
SalsaPower: How many students on
the average do you have per night?
Luz: At this time I only
have one group class, which we divide into different levels on
Sundays. For this reason I allow my students to form their own
private groups. Monday through Friday they can choose any hour from 12 noon till 9 p.m. You
only need 4 people to form a group and the price is just $10 per
person. It's a very good
deal. My classes are small - anywhere from 20 to 30 students,
yet I can handle as many as 100
students and still teach them a lot in a very short time.
SalsaPower: What’s next for your
school?
Luz: I will continue to
teach forever and of course give my students top quality
instruction. I'm used to being an independent teacher and like
the freedom this gives me. However, if I find a dance partner
who can match my height (5'
7" with an additional 2 inches with heels) and is into show
dancing, I may take my school into a bigger arena.
SalsaPower: Luz,
we want to thank
you for the interview and wish you continued success!
Luz: Thanks, SalsaPower, and
to all of your viewers out there on the worldwide web, please
check out my website at www.latin-heat.com
for the latest information on what’s happening with my school.
SalsaPower: Remember friends, if
you are interested in learning Casino/Rueda dance style at home,
check out Luz’s new
instructional video series, and for the latest information on
what’s happening in the world of Casino and
Rueda de Casino dancing, SalsaPower is your definitive source
for news and information!
Nos vemos mis amigos!
More interviews to come!
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