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SalsaNewYork's
Behind
the Scene Photo Essay
of the 2004
West Coast Salsa
Congress
- photos by Manny Siverio (L-R) Albert Torres,
Manny Siverio & Steve Shaw.
Photos by David Melendez
This
past May 2004, Steve Shaw and I traveled to LA to attend the 2004 West
Coast Salsa Congress. Even though it was my fourth time out to this
Albert Torres event it was going to be Steve Shaw's first. What follows
are several photos documenting key moments from our stay in Los Angeles.
Steve and I hope that you enjoy going through these images. See you on
the dance floor. - Manny
Airplane Mambo
One of the best things about going to an
out of town congress is to travel with a group of friends. Here we find
the ass-kicking male dancers of the Santo Rico Dance Company hard at
working reviewing their latest number while flying across the country.
Meanwhile the girls of Santo Rico are
waiting for them at the L.A.X. baggage claim area.
The Hotel
Steve Shaw and I ended up staying at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel located by L.A.X.
The main strip near our hotel that took us
directly to the Hollywood Park & Casino (a.k.a. where the West Coast
Congress was being hell).
The West Coast Salsa Congress
The West Coast Salsa Congress was a
beautiful event to go to. It had it all: the space, the open air, the
tents, dancing, instruction, music and more.
During the day there was plenty of sun, instruction, and dancing. People
could be seen moving from tent to tent, chatting, buying items from
vendors and trading dancing skills with one another.
The vendors were lined up all around the
main tents giving the entire West Coast Salsa Congress that "Carnival"
feel.
Each and every day, during the entire day
(till the end of each night's activities), Albert Torres had charter
buses running to and from the WCSC to take dancers back to their hotels.
ECSC at WCSC
East Coast Salsa Congress promoter
David Melendez was at
hand during this year's West Coast Salsa Congress.
David Melendez poses with one of his many
dancers while enjoying the night time activities over this year's WCSC.
Behind the Scenes of the TV Room
Albert Torres puts his money where his mouth is. He always seems
to go out on a limb to put out the best quality when it comes to his
beloved WCSC. This year he had a state-of-the-art TV truck equipped with
video editing equipment.
Ben and Harry hard at work editing a live
feed.
The truck is equipped with the latest in
video editing gear.
Ben studying live footage to decide which
camera to cut to when editing each performance.
Busy editing while at the main control
panel in the TV truck.
NY At the West Coast Congress
New York was well represented at this year's WCSC. Just look
below.
Yessie and Danny
Manny and Maria
The New York Dominican Mambo Connection
The ever popular
Ismael Otero.
CC Williams and Ralph Mondo.
CC and Maria
New Jersey in the house with
Brenda Ramos (Left)
Jersey & New York: Brenda, Marcus and CC.
Oh No!!! Hang'in with the Dominican Elvis
Presley (Juan Matos Right)
are Vittico Pacheco
(Left) Kimberly Flores
(Center)
Manny Siverio hanging with the one and only
Edie "The Salsa Freak".
Ralph Mondo prowling the dance floor for
his next mambo dance fix.
Even though Harry Fry is no longer an East
Coast Salsero since moving out to Phoenix, he is still at home when
hanging with the NY crowd.
SalsaNewYork Gets Awarded
Albert Torres gave several New Yorkers the nod of recognition by
presenting them with an achievement award for their work in promoting
the art of Salsa music and dance.
Manny Siverio (of SalsaNewYork),
Carlos & Toni Mendoza
(of the Side Street Kids) and
Steve Shaw (from SalsaNewYork).
Click Here for more pictures of
the Award Ceremony.
 
Day Time at
the Lobby
Not all the fun was at night or even at the actual WCSC itself. The hotel
lobby of the Hilton was a great hang out place for many of the dancers. People
would just sit down in the lobby and have a great time just joking, catching
up, gossiping, etc.
Seperated at Birth: Mambo Dancer
Thomas Guerrero and
Latin Musician Chino Nunez.
King David......Long Live The King.
David Melendez could be
found sitting at his throne inside the Hilton Hotel lobby each and every
day of the WCSC. It was a popular place for people to meet and gravitate
to.
Nite-time Dancing
Needless to say, the night was filled with dance company
performances, great live music (like Orquesta de la Luz, Gran Combo and
Africando) and plenty of dancing.
Classes during the day
The day offered up to three different dance classes at a time for
the dance enthusiasts. Two in the main tent and one in the smaller open out
door tent.
Mario
B illustrating one of his turn combos.
The master of masters.....
Eddie Torres talking to
some of his dancers right before jumping up on stage to teach his
extremely popular mambo dance class.
Edie at Large
There can only be one "Salsa Freak". It
doesn't matter what timing she dances on. She loves salsa dancing. Edie is a
positive force to be reckoned both on and off the dance floor. Besides who
else could run another with a T-shirt like this and get away with it.
Edie
posing with a NY Mambo admirer during the 2nd night of the congress
"A picture of me????.... Should I
pose????"
Meanwhile back at the room
Meanwhile back at the room my web partner
Steve Shaw is hard at work. He's been rehearsing to receive his award at
the congress. I don't have the heart to tell him that he slept through
the congress and its time to go back home till next year.
I guess all Steve was able to get from the WCSC was this "On 1" T-shirt.
Click here for
more photos of SalsaNewYork's Awards during the
6th Annual West Coast Salsa Congress [Main
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