Xtreme Salsa

Alma Latina to Represent Los Angeles

2010-01-25T23:08:00.000-08:00

I have been dancing salsa for ten years. I have gone from avid spectator at the clubs, to social dancer, to instructor, to performer and competitor. In my ten years, I have seen many great bands, dancers, and teams come and go. There have been times when I was the most motivated to want to dance salsa, and times in which just the mere thought of anything salsa related made me sick. I have always prided myself in knowing as many aspects to salsa, and dance for that matter, as possible; musicality, technique, execution, etc. After hearing all of the attributes come out of anyone’s mouth, you would only be left to believe that they have pretty much “done it all”. But, that just is not the case for me. I’ve had many people ask me which dance teams I have been on, and it is always the same response; None.

It was never a matter of not being interested, or thinking that I was too good for a dance team, or even because I feel that I am more of a leader. No, more a matter of timing. When I first got into salsa the one team that I really wanted to join was Los Rumberos. In those days, the members really made it what it was. Dancers like Jimmy Rumba and Miriam, Rony and Dinora. They just had a cohesiveness that just oozed passion. On stage they looked professional and driven. But, as I said before, I was just fresh to the scene, and would have never stood a chance of performing with them. However, as the years progressed, members began to part ways, which effected the dynamic of the team so much that they lost the “prestige” that I once saw in them all of the time. No longer was I interested in joining a team. And that was that.

A few years later, I attended my first West Coast Salsa Congress, and little did I know, I would again find the inspiration to join a team. Their name; “Tropical Gem”. Their leader; Fernando Sosa. As odd of a theme that they had, some alien/space theme in which they come down from a space craft and mysteriously knew the “language/art” of salsa; they simply blew me away. No other teams that night had the precision, synchronization, speed, difficulty, stage presence, and execution factor that this group had. Not even any other couple that I had seen before them, did for me what Tropical Gem did that night. I was just floored with the performance. However, all of that was decimated in a matter of seconds, when Albert Torres, said, “Let’s hear it again for the team all the way from Italy”. Italy!? How in the world was I supposed to join a team that’s in Italy? And that was that.

Through the course of the following years a few major competitions were created specifically for teams; The Mayan and The ESPN World Salsa Championships; still, nothing. Sure, there were a few good teams, “Ritmo y Sabor”, “Latino Xplosion”, “Pretty Boys and Girls”, and “Salsamania” just to name a few. As I said, all good teams, and yet, none of them captured my interest. And, until last year, the teams that won at the World Salsa Championships were pretty much all Colombians; completely different style. Then there were the past two years, in which I stepped away from the salsa scene to finish grad school. And that was that.

I tried to keep up with the scene through competitions, but my mind was focused on other priorities. That was until June, when I graduated and my time freed up! I decided to get back into the scene and dance again; sort of.

Salsa is not the only interest of mine. I am an avid baseball fan and player. I played all through little league, high school, and even a year in college. However, after that first season in college and not seeing any playing time, I decided to focus on my education, and put baseball aside for the time being. Well, that time has gone, and now I am back into baseball and motivated to play as if I were back in little league. But, talk about the worst possible time.

Last year, at the Mayan’s team competition, I was again reintroduced to what a great

team looks like. Although, there was some controversy between the 2^ndhighest scoring team and the actual winning team, there was no doubt in my mind as to who the clear winner after the first 30 seconds of the routine. Unfortunately, I was not at the Mayan when this took place, but I saw the videos of all the performances, which I can meticulously scrutinize by watching them repeatedly. From beginning to end, this team was synchronized, on time, and full of difficult technical nuances. From their line formations and changes, to their intricate patterns, I was reminded of just what a great team, under the right leader, can look like. I am referring to none other than Gabby Equis and her team, Alma Latina. After that performance I looked into her team and found out that she is a meticulous and very critical critique of her own team. She expects everyone to look the same on stage, and demands nothing but perfection before every performance. I was never more intrigued to join a team than when I heard that Gabby is trying to form a Los Angeles team.

I found out about a month ago that Alma Latina was to be holding auditions for an LA team. When I heard, I quickly spread the word to people that were interested in joining, or already in, a team. If anyone was serious about learning, I referred them, including myself. I signed up for the audition, along with 7 other friends of mine, and we headed out. Now, of course, my mindset right now is not on competing/ performing; I am already spending nearly $500 on an upcoming baseball season in a really competitive league, so I cannot afford monthly dues, traveling expenses, and other costs that are required for a performance team. However, I wanted to go to the audition so that I can witness for myself just what made this team stand alone in the performance world.

When the audition began and we were being taught the choreography, right away, I picked up on the high expectations, as they wanted everyone to do a triple outside turn in the partnering sequence; which is something that is rarely done socially, as well as all the spins being no less than doubles. Add to that, the intentional focus on the tiny stylings that they pretty much made clear that they wanted to see. Furthermore, they made it a point to add sections in the footwork pieces that focused on body isolations, which is not common in most dance teams. Needless to say, the audition pieces were great tools at separating each level of dancer (Professional, semi-professional, intermediate, and amateur). Surprisingly enough, there weren’t any amateurs present for the auditions. I had high standards myself walking into the audition, not only of myself, but for the dance company as well. I expected to see professional instruction, professional dancing, and professional organization. I really do not think anyone that showed up for the audition was let down in that regard. Everyone got pushed to their full capabilities and everyone tried their best. The best thing about the audition was that everyone left content. Gabby is a very well organized leader. She gave the breakdown of the levels in details, what she expected from everyone at each level, and even some of the hardships that are going to be faced by the professional team, seeing as how they have to collaborate with the San Diego team at least once a week. And this is where I might see a problem with creating a professional LA Alma Latina team.

Members of the professional team must meet in San Diego once a week for practice, and again on Sundays in Garden Grove. This not only puts a huge time constraint on people, but financially, is almost excessive; on top of the monthly dues. This is not a dance company in which being on the professional team means you will getting paid for shows. Sure, members may get some money, but will it be enough to offset how much people will be spending on gas, uniforms, and travel expenses for shows outside California? I do not want to take away from what Gabby is attempting to do, but it is a reality that those who make the professional team will have to face very soon, as rehearsals begin early February. However, there were some ideas that Gaby may be toying with if she does not get enough people on the professional team, which I think will work out better.

I, along with others at the audition, all agree that Alma Latina can take, even the most novice of dancers, and make them great in a short amount of time. And for those with years and years of experience, myself included, could just see, in those few hours at the audition, the potential that could be reached with this team. Even those that had been in other dance teams, mentioned just how much more professional Alma Latina was; and that was just an audition. That is how focused and intense Gaby and her team of assistants are. The audition just reinforced what I have said before, and which was surprisingly said by Gaby at the audition during her final statement; “No disrespect to the other teams, but Alma Latina prides themselves in making their semi-professional team look like any LA professional team”. Now what does that say about Alma Latina’s professional team? You be the judge.

In closing, Gaby trying to expand her team from Tijuana, to San Diego, and now Los Angeles, is an amazing and extremely difficult process. I wish her nothing but the best, and am a little disappointed that I will not be able join the team at this point in time. However, I did extend my services to Gaby and hope to be working with her and the team at some capacity in the future.

2008 Mayan Professional Salsa Finals

2008-05-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

2007 Wins in '08
by Steve "Xtreme" Ace

The Mayan was not its usual self last night for it being a finals night. With this year's competition having less hype than previous years, the vibe at the Mayan was more out of curiosity than excitement. A lot of "main" competitors were not present for this year's competition, which, in my opinion took a lot of wind out of the competition. Martin and Esti, last year's winners, did compete due to personal reasons. Abel and Zulmara, whom are rumored to either have already qualified for World's this year or will attempt to qualify, as well did not participate in this year's Mayan competition. And of course, the person for whom the Mayan is known for, Alex DaSilva, decided not to compete and possibly regain his status as top competitor at the Mayan. As to reasons why Alex did not compete this year? Rumor has it that he has "retired" from competition to concentrate on his team, performances, and other business ventures.
I strongly believe that this year's Mayan competition lacked so much because of those 3 key figures, and as well as the format change that took place this year. Organizers at the Mayan decided that, this year, they would make the "International/Out-of-State" couples qualify and compete in the finals ALL in the same night! This did 2 two things; 1) It put those couples in the that category at a disadvantage, because they would have to perform TWICE with only 1 hour's rest. And 2) It left no time for a salsa band. That's right, for the first time, and for as long as I can remember, there was no band playing last night. Which made some people unhappy because, the DJs were playing a lot of music that wasn't salsa. In the end, the format was completely unnecessary because, since there were only 3 couples that signed up in this category, they ALL automatically qualified into the FINALS. So, the Mayan organizers, being who they are, still had the 3 couples perform at 9:30pm, and then again, at 11pm. Those 3 couples did not have to do that inconsequential performance and the Mayan could have kept the live band.
The competition itself was a good one. The ladies' costumes were just phenomenal. All of them looked excellent and all were shining like diamonds on the stage. Going into the competition, I had Christian and Diana, as well as Jose and Sandra as my top 2 couples. As I stated a few weeks ago, I was still looking as to who would come for the "International/Out-of-state" category and give these 2 a run for the money. I was surprised and delighted to have seen Isidro and Sheila, from San Fransisco, on the screens during the "backstage" footage. Upon have seen them, they were my front runners. Theses two have become crowd favorites at the ESPN World Salsa competition, and which a lot of people felt they could have won at last year's World competition in Florida, but a mistake in the finals cost them dearly. So, with them in the competition, I had my 3 favorites in place. Well, 11pm took a while, but it finally came around, so here are my commentaries in order.

Christian Olviedo and Diana Sanchez (131 pts.- 3rd Place)
First off, I want to tip my hat off to Diana. She has never looked better on stage. Her dress was perfect for her and she completely made that dress SHINE! Her level of dancing has been taken to a whole new level this year, with her being far more technical and damn near precise in her execution. Christian was great as usual. I was a little fearful, because he has built a reputation of struggling and not being able to execute in the final round at the Mayan. This was not the case this year.
As with nearly all of Christian's routines, they got the crowd into immediately with high energy music. They started off really strong, but about 30 seconds into their routine, they went into Diana's "windmill" spins and disconnected for a bit. It took them a few seconds to really get back into the groove, but they managed to do and finished the rest of the routine very strong! They really set the bar high for the rest of the competitors. I was very pleased with their performance, which was a definite top 3 routine.

Isidro Corona and Sheila Zepeda (112)
As I stated, these were my pick were give the LA couples a run for their money. They used their routine that they used for the World's competition last year, which, if you've seen it, you know it's fast and extremely technical. Sheila, has an amazing stage presence. She looks to be right at home on that stage, and I loved it! Their routine was executed fairly flawlessly and was well received by the Mayan crowd, even though they had no ariels. Isidro and Sheila came and did what they wanted to do. I thought there routine was a definite top 3 finisher, but the judges thought otherwise. With a score of 112, they stood no chance. However, I disagree. Their style of dancing, which according to ESPN Mundial, has been adopted from the LA style. WRONG! They have a very strong On2 presence in their On1 routines. Their patterns are complicated and very well put together, so that they flow. No other couple on that stage last night, could do what these 2 did. I mean, their touch and gos are simply amazing to watch and their change of speed in an instant is uncharacteristic of any LA couple that I know. I'm sorry, but had they done what they did last night at last year's world's, they could have beat Abel and Zulmara. But, as I stated before, a fairly major mistake in the final cost them. This coming after a solid semi-final routine, which put them in first place over-all heading into the final round.

Raul Santiago and Sergia Anderson (132 pts.- 2nd place)
All the way from New York, these 2, if I'm not mistaken, have competed in the World's competition as well. Sergia is very graceful and extremely flexible, which they made very good use of. The routine was very technical with a lot of floor usage, and many speed changes. They also made very good use of her excellent spinning abilities, with her doing a lot of one footed spins. The routine itself wasn't all that difficult, just very clean, smooth, and graceful. Was it worthy of 2nd place? I don't think so. Watching this routine had me feeling like I was watching a performance at Congress. Simply for show and not for competition. At the Mayan, "crowd response" is one of the categories that the judges are judging on, and I didn't hear all that much from the audience until the routine was over, and even then it was a modest response, at best. Again, as technical and graceful a routine, it did not have that WOW factor for a competition of this nature. But, I guess they gave the judges what they wanted.

Luis Aguilar and Liz Lira (122 pts.)
Luis and Liz chose to go with different music for their final routine, which I did not like. Reminded me of a Lou Bega song. As with any Liz Lira routine, a lot of stretching and flexibility was used, which for the most part, was nice. But the dancing, just wasn't there. Their attempt to mix in some Latin ballroom elements went pretty much unnoticed by the audience. As was to be expected, their stage presence was unmistakable and probably the strongest of all the couples. This was no more evident than when Liz could not execute her signature handstand, because her arms were extended too far out in front of her, but she got right on up and regained ownership of the stage as is nothing happened. This is something that every performer needs to take note of. Liz showed her many years of experience after that moment, by not letting her effect her at ALL. However, as much as they recovered, I think that one mistake was their veritable "nail in the coffin". Had Liz executed that move, I think they could have placed.
I got a chance to speak to her after the competition for a good 10+ mins. She made it very clear that she and Luis did this for mere pleasure and that the outcome would make no difference about their feelings towards the competition and their reasons for competing. But, overall she had a great time working with Luis and their collaboration.

Jose Chavarria and Sandra Gallegos (120 pts.)
This was probably the most bitter-sweet performance of the night for me. As I previously stated, these 2 were amongst my favorites to place. About 30 seconds into the routine, the clip/pin that was holding Sandra's top together in the center of her chest came undone. Other than that clip/pin, there was nothing else to keep her breasts from being exposed. Although, Sandra kept going with the routine, surprisingly flawlessly, she just could not keep from holding her top in place, which took pretty much all the focus away from the routine. I really do have to commend her for keeping her composure under such a distressful situation. However, from a professional standpoint, she should have done all that was necessary in order to prevent something like this happening. If they had a dress rehearsal, which I hope they did, but don't really think so, I am pretty certain that the movements alone would have brought some concern and call to the need of securing that area down; especially with her choosing not to wear a bra top. It is pretty well known, amongst professional female dancers, that when a bra is not being worn, then you MUST tape/glue your outfit to yourself. Barring the "wardrobe malfunction", they could have easily placed.

Jorge Gutierrez and Karla Viana (96 pts.)
I think the music editing for these 2, pretty much summed up their routine; CHOPPY. The music sounded like it was edited on a tape deck; rough transitions and no sign of a flow. Although, they did have a couple of pretty good elements, the routine was just not well put together.

Omar Munoz and Sandra Gasca (116 pts.)
The intro was very nicely put together. The performance was very well done, but just didn't have any kick to it; fairly streamlined. This routine has great potential and with Omar and Sandra being such good dancers, they definitely could do a lot!

David Nieto and Charlene Rose (138 pts.- 1st place)
The intro was very "Paso Doble"esque. It had many dramatic elements and fairly good aerials. It really got the crowd hyped. However, I was let down after the into. David and Charlene took elements from various couple's routines from last year's competition. The first being Esti's "Stop on a dime" free spins; which the crowd barely reacted for Charlene and David. The second being Alien and Alex's "Ice Skating" heel stretch spin. And lastly Pepe and Christina's (actually came from Al "Liquid Silver" Espinoza) "Piano Keys"; which did it for me. Their routine was clean the whole way through and I would venture to say mistake free. But, the originality was blatantly thrown out the window when it came to choreographing this routine. Had this been done last year, GREAT! But, it was more like a tribute to last year's competition. And why the judges disregarded that, is beyond my comprehension. I guess David and Charelene felt that their routine that they had been using since their 3rd place finish last year at World's was letting them down this year. Whatever the reason, I didn't buy into it.

Troy Rowtham and Plezhette Martinez (104 pts.)
Troy and Plezhette did really good, with little to no mistakes. The music was good, but the only problem with the routine was that the choreography did not match the music all that well. For the most part, it felt "sluggish", as if they were struggling keeping up with the music, or at times, the combinations weren't suited for the music. The routine could have definitely benefited from more complex combinations and more technicality. But overall, a good showing.

Well folks, as much as I should be working on a report for grad school, that is due tomorrow, I just couldn't keep myself away from what I enjoy doing. As much as I feel Isidro and Sheila got robbed and how David and Charlene lucked out, it wouldn't be the Mayan otherwise. But, if you ask me, here's the top 3 IMO:

1. Isidro and Sheila
2. Christian and Diana
3. David and Charlene

Mayan Team Salsa Competiton Review (Finals)

2008-03-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

By Steve A. ("Xtreme")

Last night's routines were fierce and fun to watch. Congrats to ALL of the groups as they gave it their best shot. Four teams, comprised of some of Salsa's best dancers, put their creative juices at work for the past month to try to win the big purse of $5k and bragging rights for the next year at the Mayan (or until the Vegas World Salsa Championships).

Team 1- Score: 107:
"Mambo Magic" lead by Jose and Samantha, both Mayan Amateur champions from respective years, put together a routine with a great deal of potential. Yes, potential. Had the routine been executed properly they may have stood a chance against the rest of the teams. They had a majority of faults (I.e. timing, synchronization, and execution). Nevertheless, they definitely had the right concepts, just could not put it together well enough.

Team 2- Score: 130:
"Ritmo Y Sabor" lead by this year's Mayan Professional, Abel Pena, was comprised of Zulmara, Martin, Troy, and a couple of fairly new additions to the Salsa scene, 2 ladies that have been dancing less than 2 year (amazing to have come so far in such a short time). This routine was well put together and probably the most difficult of them all. Again, all the components for a winning routine was present, except for one... Synchronization/Timing. Martin, paired with Zulmara, both had trouble with the travel spins for Zulmara. She was taken off line towards the stairs at the front of the stage. Also, Liz really projected her nerves by dancing tentatively, at best. Although she did execute everything, she did not shine and hit her marks as sharply as she did for the Mayan Couples competition earlier this year. Abel, also make some time to show his appreciation for his father, by having his dad and Danny, his cousin I believe, do an opening dual mambo routine (fun stuff). Abel did incorporate a lot ideas that I'm sure the rest of the group suggested, which is ESSENTIAL in creating a routine for a group of people. Those ideas came together nicely, but again, with proper execution, would have stolen the show. In a competition where there would ONLY be one winner, they seriously gave the other 2 teams to come, a run for their money.

Team 3- Score: 132:
Team "N R G" comprised to the FAMOUS Crisitian and Rodrigo was one had me very curious as the was these 2 would come up with. The collaboration also brought in a 3rd couple, with obvious Latin Ballroom background. The intro was great, with the 3rd couple doing a Paso Doble piece. Cristian and Rodrigo then followed with a dual footwork piece, which was synchronized well. But all that was no match for the ladies TRIPLE THREAT footwork! Talk about letting it all hang out! All three ladies seemed to have trouble with their dresses riding up. Although, this may have been frowned upon anywhere else, at the Mayan, it was LOVED! The ladies really knew what they were doing when it came to that portion. The rest of the routine was pretty streamlined. No major breaks, just flowing dance transitions, which was good, if this were a Broadway show. I'd say at about the half way point the routine starting feeling a little stagnant. Frankly, I was disappointed that neither Cristian nor Rodrigo could come up with something at that point to bring that routine back to life. Again, this had the potential to be a great routine. Whatever the case may be, as to why, I am almost positive it was due to the "Salsa" ability of the Latin Ballroom Couple. They were tenative and really dependant on the other 2 couples to guide them through the routine. This was really evident when the couple starting falling behind in the timing because of the cue waiting. Had they at that point transitioned into something that that couple was strong in, then maybe they would have resurrected the energy. Overall, this was one of the funnest routines of all groups, and had this been a Broadway dance type audience, then they would have devoured it, with all of its story based choreography.

Team 4- Score: 135:
"Sin City Salseros" nailed everything! I mean talk about winning a competition with sheer and nearly flawless dancing. This was the only team to rely souly on Salsa. No sound effects or transitions to any other type of dance. 100% salsa. And the technicality? Wow! They hit just about every mark and every count. This routine wasn't anything new for this tea. They have been doing this routine for the past year at congress and other venues, but it had not paid off more so than it did last night. Their "patented" Cane Routine is one that incorporates difficult transitions and even tougher partnering ability, since just about all of the partnering is done by the couples holding onto canes, even during the stunts. The other groups had to have known that the Sin City Salseros are all about timing and flawlessness going into last night. And when the previous 3 teams could not execute, the door and championship was left wide open to the Sin City Salseros. All they had to do was do what they had been doing all year long. The best part about this routine is the ENERGY level amongst the whole team. From beginning to end, they do not lose a drop. Again, the potential was obviously there for this team, and they did not let it go.

Now, I must admit, I was surprised at the results. I had given the win to the "Sin City Salseros", but I had to consider the venue and all of its history to always surprise people with RESULTS. Like I told the leader of the group (Oscar, I think), "Don't be surprised if you get robbed". He and our very own SWer, La Shorty, knew it as well, since they fell victim to the Mayan earlier this at the Couples competition. So they did the only thing they could do...wait. I thought, because of what happened earlier this year at the Mayan, the winning spot would be given to "Ritmo Y Salsa". Abel has been riding this wave of championship ever since last year's World Salsa Championship. When I spoke to one of the team members and to how they think they did, I was glad to hear , "We'll need a miracle". At least I am glad to know that they also saw what the rest of us saw. In the end, the right team was given the trophy and purse. Now, all the remains is the question of, what teams will be in Vegas in December for the World Championships?

Mayan Champion goes down in Flames

2008-03-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

2007 Mayan World Salsa Competition Review (Professional Finals)
By Steve A. ("Xtreme")

Last night at the Mayan was a little confusing for me at first. Arriving at about 10pm, it was odd to so fewer people than expected. Add to that the fact that a lot of the regular SALSEROS were not present, made it a little worrisome. Not only that, but, the International Category only had 2 entries from the Thursday night of qualifying. The entire week leading up to Finals night, I was more and more skeptical as to just how good of a competition it would be. Nevertheless, I pushed those feelings aside and allowed for the competition to speak for itself. About 95% of the competition was mistake free, and the energy level was about 90% on point for all the couples. Good thing too, because last night was by far the best competition in Mayan World Salsa Competition history! I mean talk about the unexpected taking place. No one could have predicted this one: not even me, and I’m pretty good and picking the final picks. Ok, ok, now on to what you are all waiting for.

Couple 1- Pamela Francon & Jose-Luis Gutierrez (Dominican Republic & Miami, FL)
This couple was clean and fun to watch. A lot of neat tricks and very well placed multiple turn sequences. Very fluid in their transitions and nice stage presence. Jose-Luis was a noticeably nervous, but got through it very well. I think this routine would be well placed at a Congress or Exhibition, but not as a Competition piece. The music is what lacked in energy. If this routine was put to some higher energy music, I think they would do well.
Final Score: 94

Couple 2- Shannon Hernandez & Gaston Nelson (Miami, FL)
This couple was the only one to use a theme for their piece. However, it really wasn’t much of a routine as it was a "Half- routine". Gaston was dressed as Joker from "Batman", while Shannon was not a character from the movie. Had she been dressed as either Cat Woman or Poison Ivy, she would have then complimented the routine. But, that was not the entire routine. The couple opened up with a little hip-hop sequence topped off with Gaston’s signature split. From there the energy was trusted by their dancing; very clean and energetic. In my opinion, what this routine needed was technicality. A lot of the partnering sequences were on the lack side for what I’ve seen Gaston use. Gaston has some really good and intricate combinations, but did not use them for this routine.
Final Score: 82

Couple 3- Alien Ramirez & Alex DaSilva (Los Angeles, CA)
By far, the biggest story of the night! Alex changed the intro that he had been using since World’s Competition last year. Using the Kill Bill theme song, he opened up with Alien’s upside down leg extension followed by Alien’s lifted handstand into a double legged scorpion. From there Alien walked off to Alex’s right and posed while Alex, using a board as prop and as an aide, did the Michael Jackson lean from the "Smooth Criminal" routine. Talk about having put together the intro of ALL intros. They then got into the music and dancing, and that was that. Alex, once again, fell victim to his usual lack of timing, but this time, TERRIBLY. Using "Black Mambo", the song he used for Benji and Heidi’s routine on the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance- Season 2", he just could NOT keep up. This really struck me as being very odd, as he was the one who put the choreography together for Benji and Heidi on the show. But, to not even be able to execute your own creation? Wow! Not what one would expect. As usual, Alex threw in his regular stunts and knocked the crowed back on their feet, but nothing more could have been said about this routine. It was a stunts routine. As I said, the partnering sequences were too slow for the song. Alex’s famous tornado spin was the slowest I’d ever seen him lead it. The connection between Alien & Alex was practically non-existent. Alien and Alex’s warm-up was 1,000 times better than the 1 that counted. What surprised me the most, was Alex’s choice not to use his usual 10,000 sound effects. That was his mistake. Alex’s sound effects are what he times the music with, proving, once and for all, that he has no sense of timing when it comes to dancing to music. Guess you can say that Alex set-up his own down-fall with his music. Not to mention that the music was choppy and not very well put together. About the only bright spot in the routine, aside from the intro, was Alien’s footwork piece.
This is the second consecutive competition that Alex fails to place. As you may or may not remember, Alex placed sixth at the World Salsa Championships in Vegas last year. Now, whether or not Alex will attempt to regain his status as the "person to beat" at every competition, only time will tell. The question that will plague Alex for the next few months is, whether or not Alien will remain his partner?
Final Score: 106

Couple 4- Christina Santana & Pepe Alvarez (San Diego, CA)
This couple’s routines can be summed up in one word, FAST; Talk about Happy Feet! I’ve had the pleasure of competing against Pepe & Christina, and let me tell you, he incorporates some really fancy footwork into his routines. Add to it some really fun sound effect movement interpretations and you have a crowd pleasing routine. I can’t speak for any of the other rounds, but from what Cynthia (Mama Salsera) tells me, Christina was the most relaxed on stage last night than she was the previous 2 rounds. She really was lost in the routine. She was into ever note and move of the music. To the point where it was as if she had it in her mind that no one was watching. Talk about letting you inhibitions go. About the only problem I found with this routine was the end. It was a little awkward and a bit on the undefined side. I, along with others, did know if it was over, or if it was just a break.
Final Score: 97

Couple 5- Yesenia Adame & Paul Barris (Los Angeles, CA)
Paul and Yesenia pulled out the surprise card last night. The routine that they used for qualifying and semi-final was scratched for a whole new one last night. This routine was much more up-beat and a lot less "ball room". The previous routine had "ball room" all over it; a hybrid between ball room cha-cha and ball room samba, it was a little on the slow and monotonous side. Last night’s routine however, was the complete opposite. They did make good use of slow to fast transitions and Yesenia’s flexibility was used very well. Paul did the "cross over" ball room some justice last night by proving that ball room dancers can in fact adapt to the Street Style. This was attempted previously by Jose Valencia 2 years ago with Liz Lira, and it was nowhere near as good as Paul’s performance last night. Overall, the routine was very smooth and fun to watch.
Final Score: 102

Couple 6- Samantha Vargs & David Nieto (Los Angeles, CA)
Probably that 2 most physically mis-matched couple out there, with David being, well: FLACO! But, that had no bearing on the routine whatsoever. They really didn’t change the routine since qualifying, but that’s because it’s well put together. Samantha’s opening helicopter spins were amazing! David and Samantha have years upon years of stage experience and it showed. These 2 looked liked they were at home on stage. And the energy level was off the chart! They had a couple of floor tricks, but nothing wild and out. The routine was so well executed that they were rewarded a 3rd place spot. Not bad for having put the routine together in less than a month.
Final Score: 109

Couple 7- Esti Ashkanazi & Martin Avendano (Los Angles, CA)
What can be said about this routine other than FLAWLESS! Martin and Esti literally pulled out the routine of their lives! Esti was wearing a hot turquoise half- slanted very fitted dress. I mean, talk about showing off your 6-pack! This dress did it for Esti! I’m JEALOUS! The routine is nothing new for these 2, but the way they executed last night, it was like watching a new routine. Martin and Esti were my favorites going into last night, and with a flawless routine I knew they could pull of the biggest upset in Mayan history. Every hit and every combination was hit with such precision that it was scary. They had every element that it takes to win at the Mayan. About the only thing that they cold have used in this routine was the same audience response that Alex & Alien got, because these 2 were way more deserving of it. Esti is one of the best dancers in the LA salsa, and whom I have had an eye on since I first saw here dance at Rio. I’ve always known that this girl could go a long way given the right routine. Well, Martin sure did it. They both came up with a great, clean, and awesome routine to watch.
Final Score: 119

Couple 8- Sandra Gallegos & Jose
Sandra being in this competition was a shocker for me. She is another girl that I have watched over the years and wondered why no one has ever competed with her? Well, Jose finally put an end to my wondering. I had the chance to speak to Sandra in the dressing room during Semi-finals night. I asked her why she had never competed before. Her response, "I hate having to practice". I could totally understand. Those of us with performance and competition experience know just how many countless hours go into preparation. And, just like Sandra, most of us are not big fans of practice.
Last night, Jose and Sandra had great chemistry on the stage. Their use of speed changes were the best of all couple, especially when they broke into a cha-cha in the middle of the routine. Now, I’m not one to get excited when people use cha-cha or any other type of dance in a salsa competition, but for some strange reason, I found it appealing that it was a curve ball. Again, the energy level of these 2 was off the wall, and it just did not let up. Surprising to Jose, he placed 2nd. I think he had in him to think that he was going to place 3rd after his performance.
Final Score: 111

There you have it folks. That reign of Alex DaSilva at the Mayan has officially come to an end, which left the door wide open for new people to take their place on the podium as Mayan Champions for a year. For those of you who cannot understand why Alex did so poorly, even with his routine being the most crowd pleasing. Let me bring to light a very smart decision on the part of Miguel-Angel (competition coordinator at the Mayan).

In previous years, the Mayan has been riddled with controversy when it came to the panel of judges. It was always the same groups with the same biases and favorites before the competition. There was always talk about score tampering and political issues. Well, last night, Miguel-Angel brought a few new judges. The biggest of them all being Mike Bello. According to sources closest to me, Mike Bello turned down the invitation last year because of all the controversy surrounding the competition. This year however, with a few new people with extensive dance backgrounds, he was swayed in to the panel. This choice proved it weight in placement. No more is the crowed pleaser the winner. Last night’s competition was being judged by people who know just about all there is to know about great dancing and all the elements that encompass it. In my opinion, the panel of judges were the difference in making this year’s competition the BEST it’s ever been. Miguel-Angel has recaptured the respect and credit that this competition deserves. But this began on the last night of qualifying, when Abel and Sulmara, showed up wanting to compete just as Liz Lira was announcing our names, and Miguel-Angel turned them away because they did not make the time deadline. The rules of the competition were followed to a T. Although, the thought of Abel and Sulmara competing at this year’s competition, shouldn’t even had crossed his mind. The Mayan rules have always clearly stated that Professional champions cannot compete with the same partner after they have won first place together. Miguel-Angel followed through with his decision, when rumors started flying about Abel & Sulmara possibly being let into Semis without having qualified. Of course this never took place. Again, much credit to Miguel-Angel and the rest of his crew for turning around this competition and making the best, biggest, and most famous competition in the world.