Salsa Workshop with Rasove of Yamulee

Review/Recap of Salsa Training with Rasove of Yamulee at Baltimore’s Sentimiento Dance Company.  I was fortunate enough to get invited to a private group training with Yamulee Principal Dancer and Instructor Rasove Ramirez this morning. Baltimore’s Sentimiento Dance Team has been traveling to Yamulee’s NYC Bronx Studio 1-2X a month this year to get trained on all aspects of Mambo (Salsa ON2) to enhance their performances and most importantly, to improve their Salsa Mambo knowledge so they can pass on tried and true knowledge to the students they teach in the Baltimore area. Rasove Ramirez is a world renowned Salsa Mambo Giant as performer, instructor and social dancer extraordinare. Baltimore’s Sentimiento has chosen Rasove to be their Mentor to help them get their Salsa Dance to the next level. If you are unfamiliar with Rasove Ramirez’s Dance pedigree, I ‘ve attached a video below of him social dancing. You can also youtube videos of any Yamulee Performances to see him professionally in action.

The Training was 8am-11am and as is typical with my nature, I WAS LATE- almost an hour late, to be exact. As I stroll in, they were doing the last 10 minutes of their spin drills. Everyone was already partnered up so guess who got to partner with Rasove on a complex spin drill session fresh out of my car with my dance shoes barely fastened?! Usually, there would be nothing that would thrill me more than to be partnered with someone like a Rasove and try to show off but as it happens, Spins are not my forte. And this was no typical Spin Drill. It was some complex rhythm and pattern that only a diabolical turnpattern devil like Rasove could conceive. Needless to say, I was not impressive to Mr. Ramirez at this moment. It didn’t help matters that everyone was already huffing and puffing and sweating through these strenuous drills (including Rasove) and I walk in there and am doing the same heavy panting and sweating WITHIN FIVE MINUTES FLAT, LOL!!!! He was looking at me like, What are you huffing and puffing for, you barely walked in the class?! Oooh wee child, let me tell you that when Mr. Rasove took a quick moment to explain some intricacy of the drill to someone else, I quickly took it upon myself to ROTATE MYSELF TO ANOTHER PARTNER. Yes, I self-deported myself from the fire and brimstone spin drill of Yamulee’s Finest mortified yet relieved. I just couldn’t mentally take it any more with my pitiful traveling spin fumbling being met with this “compassionate” smile from Rasove- Talk about MORTIFIED! Thank God, I only had to rotate to him once more before I was released from the spin drill terror dome.

The next hour was Shines. It started off great and I was feeling pretty good about myself. Then of course, it got a little (ALOT) trickier. The quick weight shifts that are the fundamental root of Yamulee’s Dance Aesthetic is a unknown quality to my dance skill set, which prefers to SIT in my 6, 7 as long as possible to regain my breath. Basically, I got lost in certain parts pretty fast. Looking around at the rest of the class, it was painfully obvious that I was the worst one there, grasping a mere 30% of the material being taught. I labored on- actually I had no choice since Rasove believes in drilling you until muscle memory locks in or you fall out from exhaustion- and eventually got 80% of the shines routine even with the music playing. Great Shines routine with Footwork flash and flava that you could easily break up and utilize several pieces in your own social dance during breaks in the music when your partner lets you go. Most importantly, it emphasized weight shifts, a core concept to becoming a better dancer!

The final hour was focused on partnerwork. This is my sweet spot (a delusion I persist in) and I reveled in it- Couldn’t WAIT to rotate to Mr. Rasove! It was a sweet pattern that emphasized all of the concepts he had taught the group- quick and constant weight shifts, SPINS, control, traveling, and speed. Forgot to mention that Rasove likes to use VERY FAST MUSIC while many of us were asking for Boleros and Cha Chas to practice what we were just taught. The pattern was highly stimulating for me as a Follow and I believe it was extremely challenging for the Leads but socially lead-able and doable if your fundamentals and technique is on point.

Bottomline, Rasove is a Masterful Teacher and I’m kicking myself that I couldn’t make the Friday night session and missed the first hour today. You can bet that I won’t be so cavalier with my time when he returns to Baltimore for future training. My final conclusions- 1) Mr. Rasove and the Yamulee technique is highly recommended as one option to improve your dancing professionally OR socially if you get the opportunity to train with them and 2) I’m expecting big things from Baltimore’s Sentimiento Dance Team in the future.

Written September 25, 2013