Tanya J Smith Washington DC Salsa Mambo Bachata Latin
My Birthday Celebration at the Salsa Room was GLORIOUS and the Bday Dance was EPIC! Shout-out & Respect to TSR(The Salsa Room) for having us there! Thank you to EVERYONE for Coming Out to help me Ring in 25 AGAIN- I appreciate you and Got MAD LOVE FOR YOU ALL! Special Shout-out to friends who traveled a distance to honor me- Julio & Tanya from Hampton Rds, VA and Giovanni & John Christenson & Crew from Richmond, VA!
The Workshops with General James Yoon & Maria Krupholter were packed and the students were eager to learn. New skills, good technique, and attention to timing were the focus. Students left class READY to practice what they learned at the party on the dance floor later that night.
The Party was HIGH ENERGY and Full of ANTICIPATION! Why the anticipation? I dunno, maybe it was the performance by Dynamo NYC Dance Company Framboyan, possibly my Bday dance, or maybe just maybe, they were pushed by the Music to expect a whole LOT on the dancefloor. Whatever the reason, people DEFINITELY got their Salsa AND Bachata Fix SATIATED on the dance floor and a peak level of satisfaction and good vibes were achieved! Dancing was constant because the Music was Pure FIYAH and DESIRE to DANCE! DJ Vino & DJ Hercules ROCKED OUT HARD with the Salsa, Mambo, & Bachata! In fact, when I asked the Framboyan performers from NYC what they thought about the night as I was taking them back to their hotel, the first thing they blurted out was that the music was AMAZING! They said they normally don’t dance much BEFORE their performance but were COMPELLED by the BOMG DIGGITY Jams to get on the Dance floor early by the DJs. Me and the rest of the crowd concurs with their sentiments- The Music was KICK ASS!
The performance by Framboyan Dance Company was Crisp, Fast & Furious, and a Marvel of Technical Superiority! They hit their mark like BAM every step of the way. The Big Trick Closer at the end went slightly awry for one of the couples but they quickly adjusted and saved the day. These young Professionals are an INSPIRATION and they have continued the tradition in NYC to raise the Bar VERY HIGH! With all of their advanced skills, the dancers of Framboyan displayed ZERO attitude and danced ALL NIGHT with EVERYBODY who asked without hesitation and a smile. You can’t beat that! Obviously, I’m bringing them back to Mr. Mambo’s for an encore and workshops so they can spread the knowledge!
My Bday Dance was filled with MANY seasoned dancers of the DC/MD/VA Salsa Scene as well as many of my FAVORITE Social Dancers! The dance was pretty high energy as some guys were playfully fighting over the chance to grab me. I was giddy from all of the whirling and admit that I was a bit relieved when the song ended. But then, DJ Hercules put on a second song because (I can only assume) there were guys who didn’t get a chance to dance with me in the birthday dance or he just had a secret wish to see me tortured some more- JOKES! I just took a deep breath and dove back into the Circle of Fire that was my Bday dance and hung on for dear life. Thankfully, the song ended and I was still in one piece. Real Talk- I was overcome with gratitude for the love shown to me in the Birthday Dance! After my Bday dance, The Salsa Room presented some lovely cupcakes with candles and had the crowd sing me happy Birthday- FABULOUS! I didn’t get to eat any of the cupcakes (HELLBALLS!!!) because someone scarfed them down but I hope they were Delish (DIE SINNERS).
The only OFF NOTE of the night was that I was pulled over by the Police leaving TSR. Mind you, this was the SECOND time I was pulled over by the Police around TSR in TWO DAYS. Hyper-vigilante much? YES! However, each time the police gave me a warning and sent me on my way after checking my license to make sure I wasn’t a serial killer on the lamb from warrants being held against me. Truthfully, I was at fault each time they pulled me over. 1st incident Thursday night going to Salsa Room, they pulled me over because my brake light and right blinker wasn’t working- a problem I had just become aware of that morning. Friday night after leaving the Purple Party, I was in my dad’s Minivan to taxi Framboyan back to their hotel and I mistakenly turned OFF my lights while driving at 2:45 in the morning. The cop said that ERRYONE behind me was trying to get my attention to turn back on the lights as I was breezily driving down the street with no lights- NO BUENO. Cop let us go without ticket AGAIN after checking my priors in the system (NO ARRESTS FOR ME, OFFICER). Lesson learned- be more conscientious about what I’m doing while driving to insure no more unnecessary interactions with cops at night on dark roads. Thank you to the Arlington Police for being so understanding and NOT PETTY.
Wonderful, Memorable Night I won’t soon forget! Videos Coming Next Week. Next Mr. Mambo’s Salsa Social is SAT NOV 22, 2014 at The Hollywood Ballroom!
