China’s apostle of salsa dancing
February 1st, 2009Lima’s El Comercio has a nice profile of China’s No. 1 salsa-dancing maestro Huo Yaofei, aka David Huo. (Alternative headline via Google Translate: “Meet the First Chinese Teacher in Beijing Sauce”).
David began his sauce career in 1999, when he first saw a couple dancing at a Latino restaurant in Beijing. He cut his teeth learning steps from Latin American students in the capital, and eventually began teaching salsa dancing on Chinese TV in 2003. This caught the eye of the Cuban embassy in Beijing.
He set out for Havana, spent a month there, came back to China, quit his TV gig, and headed back to Cuba for a longer spell. After studying at the Instituto Superior de Arte, he broadened his repertoire to the rhumba, cha-cha and the danzón. In 2005, David won the International Salsa Festival in Havana (see video above). He then returned to China and opened Casa de David, a dancing school, in 2007.
And, here comes the Chinese Characteristics bit:
David es especialista en rueda de casino, una manera de bailar salsa en círculo, rotando las parejas y formando figuras. Según dice, es lo más adecuado para los chinos que acostumbran, por tradición, bailar en grupo. Ha preparado un plan de enseñanza especial para sus compatriotas, basado en los consejos de sus profesores latinos y su experiencia como chino que se inicia en este baile. Revela que la mayor dificultad que enfrentan sus estudiantes no radica en dominar los pasos por complicados que estos sean, sino en sentir la música.
Or, in very rough translation:
David specializes in wheel casino-style dancing, a type of dancing salsa dancing in a circle, rotating partners and forming shapes. He says, this is best for the Chinese, who usually, by tradition, dance in groups. He has prepared a special plan for his compatriots, based on advice from [his and other instructors'] teachers and the experiences Chinese beginners. He reveals that the greatest challenge facing their students lies not in mastering the complicated steps, but in feeling the music.
Has anyone been to or, per chance studied, at Casa de David in Beijing? I remember friends in Shanghai going for weekly salsa dancing, but didn’t realize the scope. Casa de David’s possibly out-of-date website claims over 700 members!
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:10 am
Ey Compay!
Yes, the salsa scene in Shanghai is also surprisingly active. I would say the equivalent of David in Shanghai is the school “Salsa shanghai”, started a few years ago by a very well known Chinese couple (I forget their names now!)
Everyone who does latin in Shanghai knows these guys, and judging by the number of course they run in 3 different locations, they must have easily a few hundred students. Check the website where there is also a forum and you have the details of every single salsa bar in Shanghers.
http://www.salsashanghai.com/member.aspx
PS. Rueda de casino is fun, and would I agree in principle it is adapted for the Chinese characteristics. But for some reason in Shanghai I’ve almost never seen it done in a bar. I wonder if it is different in Beijing.
February 19th, 2009 at 6:04 am
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December 3rd, 2009 at 8:37 am
Great read! thx
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