Interviews

SUSANA MONTERO - THE GEM OF LONDON
BY EDIE, “THE SALSA FREAK”

Susana Montero is, by far one of the most sought-after female Salsa instructors in Europe. She has been teaching and performing in London for the past decade and is now one of the premier Salsa instructors in all of Europe. A popular instructor/performer at many Congresses, Susana has a very dedicated following of both men and women. Women love her styling techniques, and the men love the way she teaches partnering. She is able to convey to the men what a woman wants in the lead and how to execute it properly and comfortably for the woman. For the women, she teaches when and how to style, without ever interrupting his lead.

Not many people know that Susana is educated above and beyond that of the average Salsera. She has her PhD. in Psychology from Complutense Madrid University in Spain. Susana doesn't flaunt her experience, talent, nor education. She is the most down-to-earth woman on the face of this planet. She is just as beautiful inside as she is outside.

Susana recently got married to the love of her life, Yuriy Saskevych, and I never thought a person could glow as much as she is now.

Susana's styling videos are a phenomenon. Her attention to detail is paramount.

Although I've seen her teach with various partners, I prefer when she teaches on her own. When she teaches with a partner, you miss out on all the humor and details that only Susana Montero can give. When she teaches on her own, her true colors as a top-notch instructor shine. Her natural humor comes out as her audiences crack up at her wit. Susanna is not only a fabulous instructor, but fabulous person as well.

We've had personal, very in-depth conversations about lead and follow together. There have been many Congresses when I pull her aside and ask her dance so she can critique my leading techniques. I want to make sure I'm still doing it right, teaching the guys correctly, and keep up with any new and unique technique coming along.

She re-taught me how to turn right again. A simple right turn. Her technique does not put strain on the woman's right hip. I grabbed a hold of her technique like a dog and a bone and studied it, as Susanna currently does not experience any hip pain what so ever.

Susana is loved by everyone who meets her. Her students rave about her classes, and I hear nothing but warm and wonderful things about this woman, literally all the time. Susana is the type of person that is automatically your friend. She brings the fun back into the dance with her smile. She brightens up London in a way no one else can. Simply put, Susana is amazing.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very proud to introduce to you, Susana Montero, The Gem of London.

Where were you born, and where do you live now?

I was born in Spain and moved to London, England in August 1995.

Where and when did you get started dancing Salsa?

I started dancing in early 1998, a friend of mine took me to a salsa club. I didn't want to go at first. I was in London and I was learning the language so I wanted to go where English people go, so I could practice as much as possible, and a Latin club wasn't in my list. But my friend (her name is Susana as well) insisted so much that I finally went along. As soon as I got into this club I loved it. It was a dark and hot club called Villa Stefano, which unfortunately closed down a couple of years ago. I had the best time in a long time.

What type of job did you have before you started teaching Salsa full time?

I was dancing for The National Ballet Company in Madrid since I was 14.While still dancing I studied Psychology at the University. I also worked as a Psychologist before moving to London.

I find it fascinating that you have your PhD. in Psychology, and you teach Salsa full time. Why is that?

I moved to London because I needed a break from my work. Working with teens and drug addicts wasn't easy. That was my job as a Psychologist, but I really needed some time off. Salsa was something new and fresh. I missed dancing when I moved to London so Salsa was like a second chance for me to be able to keep in contact with the dancing world.

What attracted you to Salsa?

Definitely the dance. I already knew about the music; played in Spain all the time and which I learnt to appreciate more and more with time, but I had never seen people having so much fun in my life. You didn't need to know anybody, you didn't need to talk just dance. Remember that I was new in London, I didn't know anyone and I didn't speak a word of English, so Salsa was just perfect for me.

Do you know any other dances?

Yes, I've been dancing since the age of five, Ballet was my career for many years. When you dance for a main Ballet Company in Spain you also have to learn Flamenco and Contemporary as part of your training. I also learnt Jazz and Afro Cuban dance.

How did you learn what worked, and what didn't?

Practice. If you want to teach, you need to have an answer for every question your students may have. You will always have to know more than them, at least during the period while they are learning from you, until you cannot teach them no more. Leading and following techniques are essential for a teacher. As Super Mario did teach me, you have to try a new move with at least 10 different women to make sure it works, before you teach it in a lesson. You need to make sure that it leadable and they will be able to use it on the dance floor.

I've danced with you as both the follower and the lead. Your lead is impeccable. Who taught you?

After winning my first salsa competition in 1998, I started leading because I wanted to start teaching and I wanted to do it by myself, so I tried some of the improvers and intermediate lessons in some Congresses where there were too many women. I really liked it. It was such a challenge. Many women helped me by telling me how the moves felt. But the first person who showed me how to lead, was Lazaro who I met in Cuba. He was very good in details. Later on, when I starting dancing CBL, Eddie Torres and Nelson Flores taught me a lot. And of course the person that I learn the most from about leading is Mario, and still is.

You can follow virtually anything. Who taught you how to dance?

When I started dancing I couldn't make it to any lessons because I used to finish work too late so I used to go straight to the clubs. I could follow but my technique wasn't good enough. After winning that competition in 1998, I realized that if I wanted to take this seriously, I had to learn properly. I decided the best think to do was traveling to the countries where Salsa had been for long time and where there were people I could learn from. I started in Cuba, then Colombia, Puerto Rico, NY, Miami, LA....... Leaning the different styles in their own countries made a lot of sense to me.

Susana, I've seen you perform with many different partners, is it difficult to juggle so many routines?

Not really, as long as I practice regularly I'm ok. The different people I had performed with are completely different and that helps me when It comes to remember routines.

Which is your favorite country to teach, and why?

The beauty about my job is to be able to attend events all over the world. From the structural point of view, they are all the same (workshops, evening parties, shows) but the people who attend them are all different. My favorite one is the Berlin Congress, which is more like a family event. It's small enough and allows you the chance to get to know the students a bit more. I really like the LA Congress, which is the opposite to Berlin, in that it's huge! I think everybody should experience the biggest Salsa Congress once in their life. You don't get the chance to get the best dancers and live bands in the world under the same roof very often. I also love the events in Russia, Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico and Spain for their people, who are so enthusiastic and genuine. But as I said, people make the difference in all the events, so they are all special in their own way. I want to mention all of them!!

I adore your Ladies Styling video. Can you describe it for us?

I did my “LADIES STYLING 1” DVD thinking of the European students with a Cuban Style background who where learning the CBL Styling. Basically I cover all techniques in following and spinning in partner-work. Then the video is divided into Styling with a partner and by yourself. I do short shines(1 or 2 bars), easy for people to remember and also easy to practice if you are not used to shines. I also give them longer shines(6-8 bars) which I show with two other girls Maureen Levermore and Emma Moore, who are two of the best dancers in the UK. They both have their own styles so people can see the same footwork being done in different ways. And finally, Styling with your partner which covers little things that you can do in CBL, after a spin, in Open Breaks......I also have Super Mario and Leon Rose helping me to demonstrate in this video. My “LADIES STYLING 2”, which just recently came out is completely different. The first part, I work on body isolation (head, shoulders, ribs, hips, arms) with a lot of exercises to practice at home. I show them how to use all that isolation in just the basics steps. In the second half, I show 8 different shines (5-7 bars each) putting all that isolation into practice including head and body rolls.

Do you plan on making more in the future?

Yes, I am currently working on the material for my next DVD which will hopefully be available Autumn 2006.I'm working on more advanced Ladies Styling in partnerwork.

Who were/are some of your mentors?

My inspiration and mentors come not only from the world of Salsa, but from other sources. My biggest inspiration in the dancing world was Maya Plisetskaya, the best ballet dancer of her time. She taught me not only how to get the best out of myself on the stage, but also she made me believe that I could do anything I wanted in life. That's why I took up Salsa. Also Karen James, who taught me everything I know about contemporary dance, jazz and choreography.

In Salsa, there are so many people who have inspired me. I think Salsa is so rich and it has given us so many different styles and dancers, that it is difficult to mention them all. Apart from Super Mario, (who despite the fact he always says that he learnt from me, I'm the one learning from him now, and Leon Rose, the best partner I have ever had and the most creative person I've ever met), who is still my biggest inspiration, I must mention Eddie Torres for his passion, Nelson Flores for his support from the very beginning, Duplessie for being a real inspiration with her style on the stage, Ismael Otero and his Caribbean Soul dance group for their energy and support, YOU Edie “The Salsa Freak” for being a beautiful person, dancer and my biggest business female inspiration in this men's salsa world, Frankie Martinez for his incredible interpretation of the music with his body, Lazaro my teacher when I went to Cuba who taught me everything I know about music interpretation and Cuban style, Arietta from Senegal, who taught the best body isolation I know from African dance, most recently, Yura, my husband, for reminding me of what is really important in life, and my biggest inspiration has to be my students because they are the only ones who keep me going. They are the ones who make a teacher proud and leave me with a feeling of achievement.

You recently married the love of your life. Has this altered your love of the dance and/or teaching?

Nothing has changed in my job but people say that my dancing has improved. I don't really know but what I have is an unconditional support and respect in anything I do from him. He is a wonderful man.

What is your husband's full name?

Yuriy Saskevych, but everybody calls him Yura.

What does your latest DVD cover?

It has two main parts:

1. Covers full body isolation (head, sholders, rib-cage, hips, arms). Precise exercises breaking down the body mechanics and then putting them all together in Basics Steps. All my style is based on the use of this isolation. Also break down of body rolls in this section.
   
   
2. Show 8 shines(5-7 bars) using all the isolation shown in the 1st part of the DVD.

 

What is the toughest part about your job?

Being away from my husband.

How do you teach students timing; how do you teach them where the “One” is in the music?

I normally do a special workshop for that. I'm afraid things in London don't work the same way as in other countries. People like having the lessons in clubs where they can stay and dance, drink, talk to people. You can only teach timing in a proper studio. So I always get a couple of musicians and we explain how salsa music works, get some live music etc. When we teach beginners in a club, we make them listen to the music and try to find the breaks first, because right after is the 1 (1st count) in the music, sometimes we make them clap in all counts till they know all of them. I guess there are many different ways but nothing like the knowledge you get form a proper workshop with the professionals to understand timing.

What are your goals for the future?

Many things, too many!! I want to organize the 2nd British Salsa Competition next year, I would love to train some of the girls in the UK (maybe for future performance????????) I want to have a Dance School, I want to learn Russian (my husband is half Russian), I would also like to play the flute again (I stopped a couple of years ago)...but I''m not sure I'm going to have the time for all of it.

Of all the people who ever existed on earth, whom do you admire most, and why?

My parents who taught me to respect and treat everybody the same way, who always support me and believe in me and who gave me the best two sisters in the world. And most recently my husband Yura for reminding me what is really important in life.

Susana, if you had the opportunity to step outside of yourself and have a heart-to-heart advice session with “Susana Montero”, what type of advice would you give?

I would advice Susana to go on holiday and not to work so hard. Life is too short. My dream is to see Salsa growing but NOT at any price.

Please smile, be nice to people, remember you were once a beginner and don't judge anybody, support them if you can.

Support live music....we need it for dancing.

Keep learning, it's the only way of growing, especially for those who want to take Salsa a bit further.

Interview by Edie, “The Salsa Freak” for Salsa Web
(http://www.salsaweb.com)

 

INTERVIEW BY JOHNNY JOHNSON FOR LA VOZ DEL MAMBO

First and foremost thank you for granting www.lavozdelmambo.com an opportunity to interview you. As your bio states, you are one of the "premier teacher/dancer and choreographers in the UK." Your name has been mentioned frequently on LVM by some of the best salsa dancers in the world. Ismael Otero and Super Mario have mentioned you as one of their favorite salsa dancers. That is quite a compliment! For those who may not know you, can you tell us a little bit about your salsa background?

I have been dancing Salsa since Christmas 1997.A friend of mine took me to a Salsa club. I was new in London (I'm from Spain) so I didn't know where to go. I will always thank her for that. When I moved to London (I had just left the Spanish National Ballet Company) I missed dancing very much, so I saw in Salsa, a second chance for me to keep in contact with the dancing world. Soon after I started dancing Salsa, I won a local competition in Brixton, and then the UK Tropicana Championship a few months later (1998).A year later I met my dance partner Leon Rose and we won the Bacardi Salsa Championships together. I started teaching and performing everywhere, something that I didn't even do with the Ballet Company. I'm so lucky.

Obviously you are an extraordinary instructor and one of the most sought salsa instructors in the world. Marchant Birch mentioned you as one of his instructors. What has contributed to your exceptional teaching abilities?

Thank you, that's a very nice complement. I have been teaching since I was 14 years old. When I was dancing for the National Ballet Company, back in Spain, I used to teach the little ones (4-6 years old) I have always liked teaching. It's nothing more rewarding that a student telling you how much they learnt from you.

Who has had the most influence on your salsa career?

My inspiration comes not only from the world of Salsa, but from other sources. My biggest inspiration in the dancing world was Maya Plisetskaya, the best ballet dancer of her time. She taught me not only how to get the best out of myself on the stage, but also she made me believe that I could do anything I wanted in life. That's why I took up Salsa. Also Karen James, who taught me everything I know about contemporary dance, jazz and choreography. In Salsa, there are so many people who have inspired me... I think Salsa is so rich and it has given us so many different styles and dancers, that it is difficult to mention them all. Apart from Super Mario and Leon Rose who are still my biggest inspiration, I must mention Eddie Torres for his passion; Nelson Flores for his support from the very beginning, Dupplessie for being a real inspiration with her style on the stage, Ismael Otero and his Caribbean Soul dance group for their energy and support, Edie "The Salsa Freak" for being a beautiful person, dancer and my biggest business female inspiration in this men's salsa world, Frankie Martinez for his incredible interpretation of the music with his body, Lazaro my teacher when I went to Cuba, who taught me everything I know about music interpretation and Cuban style, Arietta from Senegal, who taught the best body isolation I know from African dance, most recently, Yura, my husband, for reminding me of what is really important in life and my biggest inspiration has to be my students because they are the only ones who keep me going. They are the ones who make a teacher proud and leave me with a feeling of achievement.

You also have a PhD. in Psychology. How do you balance your professional career with your dance career?

I don't work as a psychologist any more. I think it's something I will do again when I stop dancing (not just yet though!!!) It's a very interesting job but also very demanding. I prefer to dance as long as I can.

How has your education in Psychology contributed salsa endeavours?

Psychology is for life. It teaches you about people, behaviours, manners. I helps me to treat people with respect, to take care of delicate situations; to deal with difficult behaviours. It makes you more understanding.

You are currently booked to perform on the SOS All-Star Salsa Cruise. Will you be performing at any other salsa event based in the US in the near future?

I may be going to LA.Congress (I don't know just yet) and NY/NJ with Nelson and Luis.

OK, now for the fun stuff. Who are some of your favorite salsa dancers and performer in the UK?

Mario of course.......and Leon Rose They will always be my favorites. I also love dancing with Rafael del Busto and Osbanis, my favorites Cuban dancers. I also like dancing with Tamambo (I had the pleasure to perform with him on a couple of occasions) Most people I like dancing with are not famous, just regular dancers who know how to have fun on the dance floor. We also have a lot of talented dancers like Marchant, Laith, Inaki, Miriam, Lee, Shelly, Eva, Mauro..

How about outside of the UK?

There are so many.....I love dancing with Ismael Otero, Nelson Flores, Frankie Martinez, all the guys from Salsa Dance Squad (Holland). Not only they are incredible dancers but it's so much fun to dance with them. And of course I will always remember my first dance with Eddie Torres.

What is something about you that your salsa friends might not know?

A year after I first started performing in Salsa, a dance group approached me to join them and they asked me a lot of questions about my dancing skills. My English was really bad at the time (still is though), so all I remember is saying "Yes" to everything because I wanted to get the job. The next thing I know, I'm in a bikini costume doing SAMBA which I didn't know anything about. It's funny now, but it wasn't at the time.

Where do see yourself in 5 years, in regard to salsa dancing?

I can see myself in my own school teaching and training people.Still performing and traveling around the world.

Any additional comments?

Please smile, be nice to people, remember you were once a beginner and don't judge anybody, support them if you can. Support live music... we need it for dancing. Keep learning it's the only way of growing, especially for those who want to take Salsa a bit further.

Interview by Johnny Johnson for La Voz del Mambo
(http://www.lavozdelmambo.com)

 

5 MINUTES: SUSANA MONTERO TAKEN FROM LONDON SALSA

Your name / aka?

Susana Montero, my family called me Susa

When did you start dancing Salsa?

Christmas 1997

Why / how?

A friend of mine took me to a Salsa club.I was new in London so I didn't really wanted to go to a Latin Club, but she convinced me.I will always thank her for that.

When did you start teaching / performing / promoting Salsa?

A friend of mine took me to a Salsa club.I was new in London so I didn't really wanted to go to a Latin Club, but she convinced me.I will always thank her for that.

When did you start teaching / performing / promoting Salsa?

I have been teaching since I was 14 years old. When I was dancing for the National Ballet Company,back in Spain, I used to take care of the lessons for the little ones (4-6 years old).

When I moved to London (I had just left the Company) I missed dancing very much, so I saw in Salsa, a second chance for me to keep in contact with the dancing world. Soon after I started dancing Salsa, I won a local competition in Brixton, and then the UK Tropicana Championship a few months later with Chandy.

It was then, that I decided to learn everything about the dance so I could start teaching it. I'm very stubborn, so I decided to teach by myself, which I did for 2-3 years, until I started teaching with Mario (Super Mario), the best decision I've ever made. He is a very special person to me and has become a really good teacher, and despite him saying that he learnt from me, I may say that I'm the one learning from him now.

The real Salsa performing started with Chandy, for me one of the most creative and talented dancers in the UK. Then I met Leon Rose and he has been my dance partner ever since. The perfect dance partner for me, a very talented man, with the biggest imagination I have ever known. He has also become one of my best friends. I have been performing with him all over the world.

The promoter side of me is yet to come. I started with the British Salsa Competition which I want to do again. I think there is a need in the UK for a more professional competition, which I think I can promote. The day I stop travelling and performing may be the day I will start promoting full-time, but I don't see that day anywhere close yet..........

Why / how?

See above

Is Salsa your only / main profession? If not what is?

Salsa has been my sole profession for the last 5 years. Back in Spain, I was a ballet dancer and I also hold a Doctorate in Psychology.

Do you have any Salsa role models / people who inspired you?

My inspiration comes not only from the world of Salsa, but from other sources.

My biggest inspiration in the dancing world was Maya Plisetskaya, the best ballet dancer of her time. She taught me not only how to get the best out of myself on the stage, but also she made me believe that I could do anything I wanted in life. That's why I took up Salsa.

Also Karen James, who taught me everything I know about contemporary dance, jazz and choreography.

In Salsa, there are so many people who have inspired me... I think Salsa is so rich and it has given us so many different styles and dancers, that it is difficult to mention them all.

Apart from Super Mario and Leon Rose who are still my biggest inspiration, I must mention Eddie Torres for his passion;
Nelson Flores for his support from the very beginning,
Dupplessie for being a real inspiration with her style on the stage,
Ismael Otero and his Caribbean Soul dance group for their energy and support,
Edie “The Salsa Freak” for being a beautiful person, dancer and my biggest business female inspiration in this men's salsa world,
Frankie Martinez for his incredible interpretation of the music with his body,
Lazaro my teacher when I went to Cuba who taught me everything I know about music interpretation and Cuban style,
Arietta from Senegal, who taught the best body isolation I know from African dance, most recently,
Yura, my husband, for reminding me of what is really important in life and my biggest inspiration has to be my students because they are the only ones who keep me going. They are the ones who make a teacher proud and leave me with a feeling of achievement..

What has been the best Salsa event you've ever attended? Why?

The beauty about my job is to be able to attend events all over the world. From the structural point of view, they are all the same (workshops, evening parties, shows) but the people who attend them are all different.

My favourite one is the Berlin Congress, which is more like a family event. It's small enough and allows you the chance to get to know the students a bit more. I really like the LA Congress, which is the opposite to Berlin, in that it's huge! I think everybody should experience the biggest Salsa Congress once in their life. You don't get the chance to get the best dancers and live bands in the world under the same roof very often.

I also love the events in Singapore, Mexico and Spain for their people, who are so enthusiastic and genuine. But as I said, people make the difference in all the events, so they are all special in their own way.

What was the funniest / most embarassing Salsa moment?

A year ago after I first started performing in Salsa, a dance group approached me to join them and they asked me a lot of questions about my dancing skills.

My English was really bad at the time, so all I remember is saying “Yes” to everything because I wanted to get the job. The next thing I know, I'm in a bikini costume doing SAMBA which I didn't know anything about. It's funny now, but it wasn't at the time.

Do you have any words of wisdom for the Salsa dancers out there?

My dream is to see Salsa growing but NOT at any price...

Please smile, be nice to people, remember you were once a beginner and don't judge anybody, support them if you can.

Support live music... we need it for dancing.
Keep learning, it's the only way of growing, especially for those who want to take Salsa a bit further.

Written by Phil from London Salsa - 2 November 2005
(http://www.londonsalsa.co.uk)

 

FROM BALLERINA TO SALSA DIVA: LA MONTERO
- A DANCER'S TALE

Susana Montero says she's going to slow down. It's like Shane Warne saying he's going to try less hard to win the Ashes back for Aus. On school nights, Susana has a demanding weekly teaching schedule and practises with dance partner Leon Rose. At weekends, she's on the salsa Congress circuit, living out of a suitcase and jetting off around the globe to teach and perform, writes Lee Knights

Watching Susana teach and dance, you'd think her natural flair for both grew out of dancing salsa her whole life. You'd be wrong. In fact, Susana took up salsa seven years and started out on a very different road; training and performing as a classical ballerina in Madrid, where she was born and grew up.

“When I was 4, I was dancing all the time; music came on and I'd start jumping up and down so my mother took me to ballet school. I won my first ballet competition when I was 10 and the prize was to train with the Spanish National Ballet Company. By the time I was 14, I was teaching ballet to little girls,” Susana recalls. As a ballerina with the Silvia Yague Ballet Dance Company, Susana went on to play the lead in productions like Giselle, Don Quixote, Carmen as well as training in Flamenco, contemporary, Afro-Cuban and jazz dance.

As the eldest of three sisters, Susana had to put her ballet career aside to help support her family through a period of financial difficulty. “I don't regret it - I don't regret doing anything for my family,” she says. “But salsa is a second chance for me to dance again. I love salsa. I loved it straight away. I was hooked from the beginning, it was just good fun. The beauty of salsa is that anybody can do it, you don't have to be a trained dancer.”

A chance event set Susana off on her journey to become one of the world's foremost and versatile salsa instructors. She was working in London as a psychologist and just happened one evening to end up in a salsa club. That night was a life changing experience. Only 18 months on, she won her first UK salsa championship - the Tropicana British Salsa Open - with dance partner, Chandy. She followed this up with a second title - the coveted UK Bacardi Championship - with dance partner Leon Rose. This catapaulted her onto the international salsa stage and a new life.

When teaching and performing you see a Susana who is confident, relaxed and easy going but this is only part of the Susana conundrum. There is a grittiness just below the surface and a strong sense of personal discipline, second nature after years of formal ballet training. It is this combination - not to mention a feisty Latin spirit - that has made her a twice British Salsa champion, drives her to teach without respite at congresses all over the world and earned her more awards than you could shake a klave at. It is also what sustained her through six gruelling years of part-time work and study to qualify with a PhD. in psychology.

It's been a long haul though and Susana is the first to admit it. “Not many women make it in Salsa and it's taken a lot of hard work,” she says. “But I didn't want to work for anybody else - I'm very stubborn and I won't ask for help. I wanted to do it by myself.”

Having made it on her own terms, Susana saysa she wants to take the odd weekend off. Being Susana, though, she won't be slobbing around the house with a Pot Noodle. She has set her sights on a new challenge; a one-woman mission to help raise the standard of Salsa dance in the UK.

“A few years ago, the UK had a reputation as the salsa capital of Europe - we were the best. Now, we're stuck and everybody has passed us - Milan, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome.” she points out.

Susana wants to see the UK back in poll position and has the drive to see it through. Not only is she a twice British Salsa Champion but Susana breaks the mould on the UK and international circuit as probably the only female instructor who is as adept at teaching both advanced men and women.

“In Europe, dancers take their profession as dancers much more seriously and they train hard. UK dancers don't seem to be so committed and don't put enough into their training, don't give it their all.

I want to be clear - I'm not talking about social dancers. I'm talking about professionals who want to perform or make a living from salsa. You need discipline and commitment to get to the highest level and to be humble. You can't work with people who think they're better than everybody.”

Now, Susana is focusing on the challenge of helping women at all levels bring on their dancing. She has just released a new DVD - Ladies Styling 2 - a follow up to Ladies Styling 1 video also just released on DVD. While Ladies Styling 1 is largely aimed at beginners through to intermediate dancers, Susana feels the follow up is aimed at advanced dancers. “The new DVD focuses on body isolation, to help women develop really good, fluid body movement and slanted more towards dance training than conventional women's styling,” she says.

To support this, Susana plans to start intensive workshops for beginner-improvers and intermediate/advanced women soon. “I'm putting into practise what I think women in the UK need. We need to work at preparing our bodies for dance so we can express ourselves more fluently and dance with more feeling to music. This means using isolation techniques. We need better technique too; if you don't have the basics, you can't improve.” Behind everything Susana the salsa instructor says, the dedication of Susana the classical ballerina is never far away.

Inevitably maybe, Salsa has played a big part in Susana's private life. It was salsa that brought Susana together with her Ukranian husband Yuriy. It's an incredibly romantic story; he was in Kiev, saw Susana's styling video and fell madly in love. A couple of years ago, he made it happen, turned up in the UK and at one of Susana's old haunts - My Place in Earls Court. “How long did Yuiy and I know each other before we decided to get married? As Super Mario (Susana's teaching partner and close friend) says, all it took was five coffees.”

Written by Lee Knights, Editor, londonsalsascene
http://www.londonsalsascene.co.uk