Sign-up Here To Receive Up-Dated Info & Special Discounts on Classes, Events, & Private Lessons
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Best Salsa Shoes On-line for Women
Best Salsa Shoes On-line for Men
Click Here For Some Of Our Favorite Salsa Tunes:
MY SALSA
STORY
STORY
- Mikko Kemppe
Here is my Salsa story
When I was growing up, I was a basketball player not a dancer. In fact, I remember often laughing at some of the dancers in our high-school as I thought dancing was meant to be only for girls.
However, after moving to United States, I happened to hear some salsa music. And something about the music simply captured my soul. As I then one day happened to see some beautiful dancers dancing to this captivating music, I was sold. I wanted to learn to dance too.
I only had one problem. There were no instructors in the city I was living in at the time. Luckily, however, I happened to meet a couple of natives from Central America who knew a few of the basic steps. Excited about learning salsa, I asked them to show me some steps.
Before I started I was nervous and worried that I was just going to make a fool out of myself. I was also a little worried that learning the dance would be hard for me, and it turned out that I was right. I quickly realized that I had no talent whatsoever for salsa dancing. But I was determined. I wanted to learn it. It took me months just to hear the rhythm of the music. My basketball movements were just so ingrained in me that trying to move my body in a different way was like trying to bend a steel bar.
I remembered how my Dad used to jokingly tell me that for sure I could never be a dancer because I was so stiff. He used to be a world-class marathon runner, so as I was growing up he was often giving me tips and advice on stretching and endurance training to help me on my basketball career. That time making fun of my inflexibility.
But learning to move my body in a new way was not my only problem. It also did not help that I had no musical ear when I started. In fact, while growing up I almost flunked music class twice, once in third grade because I never learned to play the flute and another time in seventh grade because my teacher told me I had the worst singing voice in the whole school. So with no dance or musical talent I embarked on learning salsa.
Believe me when I say that I have yet to witness a worse dancer in my salsa classes that I have taught. I remember practicing my ability just to shift weight from one leg to another for weeks. Also, learning to hear the salsa rhythm seemed like an insurmountable task in the beginning. And for almost two years I did not even realize that you are supposed to be counting the music.
So how did I, from those humble beginnings, become a great dancer able to lead even some of the best salsa dancers in the world with poise and confidence?
Well, before I share my salsa success secrets with you, I know you may still doubt the truth of my story, so by luck I was able to recently dig deep in some of my old CD's and I find a short dance clip of me dancing way back in April 23rd in 2004 in an event for international students in our University.
Count the music and notice how I am not even on the right count :).
However, after moving to United States, I happened to hear some salsa music. And something about the music simply captured my soul. As I then one day happened to see some beautiful dancers dancing to this captivating music, I was sold. I wanted to learn to dance too.
I only had one problem. There were no instructors in the city I was living in at the time. Luckily, however, I happened to meet a couple of natives from Central America who knew a few of the basic steps. Excited about learning salsa, I asked them to show me some steps.
Before I started I was nervous and worried that I was just going to make a fool out of myself. I was also a little worried that learning the dance would be hard for me, and it turned out that I was right. I quickly realized that I had no talent whatsoever for salsa dancing. But I was determined. I wanted to learn it. It took me months just to hear the rhythm of the music. My basketball movements were just so ingrained in me that trying to move my body in a different way was like trying to bend a steel bar.
I remembered how my Dad used to jokingly tell me that for sure I could never be a dancer because I was so stiff. He used to be a world-class marathon runner, so as I was growing up he was often giving me tips and advice on stretching and endurance training to help me on my basketball career. That time making fun of my inflexibility.
But learning to move my body in a new way was not my only problem. It also did not help that I had no musical ear when I started. In fact, while growing up I almost flunked music class twice, once in third grade because I never learned to play the flute and another time in seventh grade because my teacher told me I had the worst singing voice in the whole school. So with no dance or musical talent I embarked on learning salsa.
Believe me when I say that I have yet to witness a worse dancer in my salsa classes that I have taught. I remember practicing my ability just to shift weight from one leg to another for weeks. Also, learning to hear the salsa rhythm seemed like an insurmountable task in the beginning. And for almost two years I did not even realize that you are supposed to be counting the music.
So how did I, from those humble beginnings, become a great dancer able to lead even some of the best salsa dancers in the world with poise and confidence?
Well, before I share my salsa success secrets with you, I know you may still doubt the truth of my story, so by luck I was able to recently dig deep in some of my old CD's and I find a short dance clip of me dancing way back in April 23rd in 2004 in an event for international students in our University.
Count the music and notice how I am not even on the right count :).
Well, at least even then, I had my fans and friends to support me, as you can hear them cheering me up in the end :).
If you are saying to yourself that, well it was not that bad, or that it did not look that horrible. Well, what you don't know is that at this point I had already been practising dancing for almost two years. Most people would probably have just given up at that point. Because I have yet to witness anyone who still can't keep the rhythm after two years of practising :).
So how in the world did I go from being a stiff, white, basketball player who was not even able to keep the rhythm to become a confident salsa dancers able to dance comfortably even with the best salsa dancers in the world?
Before I tell you my secrets, see me dancing below with the famous professional salsa dancer Shani Talmor (who used to be a partner to one of the founders of LA style salsa Johnny Vasquez and who is now a partner of one of the most well-known salsa dancers in the world Ismael Otero) in San Francisco last November of 2008.
If you are saying to yourself that, well it was not that bad, or that it did not look that horrible. Well, what you don't know is that at this point I had already been practising dancing for almost two years. Most people would probably have just given up at that point. Because I have yet to witness anyone who still can't keep the rhythm after two years of practising :).
So how in the world did I go from being a stiff, white, basketball player who was not even able to keep the rhythm to become a confident salsa dancers able to dance comfortably even with the best salsa dancers in the world?
Before I tell you my secrets, see me dancing below with the famous professional salsa dancer Shani Talmor (who used to be a partner to one of the founders of LA style salsa Johnny Vasquez and who is now a partner of one of the most well-known salsa dancers in the world Ismael Otero) in San Francisco last November of 2008.
Ok, so here are my 6 salsa success secrets that you can also apply to become a great salsa dancer or to achieve anything else you want in life:
1. Take time to find out what you are passionate about it
Sometimes it takes time to find out what it is that you really enjoy in life. But make sure to always search for your passion, and never to give up that search. Finding out those things that you feel passionate about and love will bring you the greatest rewards in life. Life is too short to do something you do not enjoy.
2. Set your intention for what you want
Don't be afraid to dream. Once you find out what you are passionate about, set your intentions and visualize your-self effortlesly achieving or becoming what ever it is that you want. I knew that if I simply visualized my self
to become a great dancer, one day it would happen, no matter how far fetched and unbelievable my dream and aspiration seemed at the time. I simply visualized myself become a great dancer and little by little that dream started to become a reality.
3. You have to believe that you can do it.
I am sure you have heard that before. But it is true what Henry Ford said a long time ago: "If you believe you can or if you believe you can't, either way you are right". As you are setting your intentions, visualize your end goal in a way that seems like you are already effortlessly doing what you want to be doing or have already achieved what you want. Feel how good it feels to have already succeeded in what you want to accomplish, be, or have. As I was setting my intentions I simply visualized and imagined how good I felt as a great salsa dancer, as if I already were a fantastic dancer, even though I was just starting out.
4. Be humble and willing to make mistakes.
To learn anything new, you have to become open to learning. And you have to allow yourself to make mistakes. For example, I went and performed in the international student event, knowing that I was going to mess up and not be perfect. But I was willing to take the risk and allow myself to make mistakes knowing that every mistake that I make would bring me closer to become a great dancer as long as I would be willing to learn from them.
5. Find great instructors, coaches, mentors, or teachers
When ever I travelled to out of state like California, I always searched for the best instructors to teach me private lessons. I found out where the best instructors taught lessons in the clubs and went to every lesson that I could. When I had a chance to go to a salsa event, I would take all of the different salsa workshops that I possibly could. When I was home and could not do any of the above, I ordered numerous salsa DVD's and video tapes. There is simply no substitute to learning from a great teacher, coach, instructor, or mentor on your path to accomplishing greatness in any area of your life.
6. Practice and Take Action
I practiced, practiced, and practiced. Whenever I visited a city with a salsa club, I went to dance every night I could. Not only that, I made sure I would dance every song during that night. Even when I only knew a basic turn and crossbody lead, I would simply repeat my moves in as many different ways as I could. After the song, I would thank my patient follower politely :), and go ask the next lady to dance. I would simply repeat my same old moves with my new follower :) until I became very comfortable and proficient in my moves. Each time I learned a new move, I would then simply add that move to my repertoire and repeat that move the entire night until I mastered it.
Because there weren't any dancers in the city I lived, I started a salsa community to teach others to learn salsa, so that I could have someone to practice with. As, we got some dancers, I started inviting some of the best salsa instructors from nearby cities like Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston as often as I could to do workshops because I knew it would not only help our salsa community, but it would help me personally to become a better dancer.
So there you have it. I promise you if you apply these five secrets in any area of life, only the sky is the limit for you!
You can have, do, and be anything you want in! Believe in your-self and become the light that shines the way for others to believe in themselves as well!
P.s. If you would like to receive more of my personal success tips, advice, and inspiring stories, or to receive my FREE e-book on Purpose Driven Success, to take my FREE meditation course, or to subscribe to my FREE health secrets, visit my personal success coaching web-site:
www.40daymakeover.com
Make sure to leave your name & e-mail address!
1. Take time to find out what you are passionate about it
Sometimes it takes time to find out what it is that you really enjoy in life. But make sure to always search for your passion, and never to give up that search. Finding out those things that you feel passionate about and love will bring you the greatest rewards in life. Life is too short to do something you do not enjoy.
2. Set your intention for what you want
Don't be afraid to dream. Once you find out what you are passionate about, set your intentions and visualize your-self effortlesly achieving or becoming what ever it is that you want. I knew that if I simply visualized my self
to become a great dancer, one day it would happen, no matter how far fetched and unbelievable my dream and aspiration seemed at the time. I simply visualized myself become a great dancer and little by little that dream started to become a reality.
3. You have to believe that you can do it.
I am sure you have heard that before. But it is true what Henry Ford said a long time ago: "If you believe you can or if you believe you can't, either way you are right". As you are setting your intentions, visualize your end goal in a way that seems like you are already effortlessly doing what you want to be doing or have already achieved what you want. Feel how good it feels to have already succeeded in what you want to accomplish, be, or have. As I was setting my intentions I simply visualized and imagined how good I felt as a great salsa dancer, as if I already were a fantastic dancer, even though I was just starting out.
4. Be humble and willing to make mistakes.
To learn anything new, you have to become open to learning. And you have to allow yourself to make mistakes. For example, I went and performed in the international student event, knowing that I was going to mess up and not be perfect. But I was willing to take the risk and allow myself to make mistakes knowing that every mistake that I make would bring me closer to become a great dancer as long as I would be willing to learn from them.
5. Find great instructors, coaches, mentors, or teachers
When ever I travelled to out of state like California, I always searched for the best instructors to teach me private lessons. I found out where the best instructors taught lessons in the clubs and went to every lesson that I could. When I had a chance to go to a salsa event, I would take all of the different salsa workshops that I possibly could. When I was home and could not do any of the above, I ordered numerous salsa DVD's and video tapes. There is simply no substitute to learning from a great teacher, coach, instructor, or mentor on your path to accomplishing greatness in any area of your life.
6. Practice and Take Action
I practiced, practiced, and practiced. Whenever I visited a city with a salsa club, I went to dance every night I could. Not only that, I made sure I would dance every song during that night. Even when I only knew a basic turn and crossbody lead, I would simply repeat my moves in as many different ways as I could. After the song, I would thank my patient follower politely :), and go ask the next lady to dance. I would simply repeat my same old moves with my new follower :) until I became very comfortable and proficient in my moves. Each time I learned a new move, I would then simply add that move to my repertoire and repeat that move the entire night until I mastered it.
Because there weren't any dancers in the city I lived, I started a salsa community to teach others to learn salsa, so that I could have someone to practice with. As, we got some dancers, I started inviting some of the best salsa instructors from nearby cities like Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston as often as I could to do workshops because I knew it would not only help our salsa community, but it would help me personally to become a better dancer.
So there you have it. I promise you if you apply these five secrets in any area of life, only the sky is the limit for you!
You can have, do, and be anything you want in! Believe in your-self and become the light that shines the way for others to believe in themselves as well!
P.s. If you would like to receive more of my personal success tips, advice, and inspiring stories, or to receive my FREE e-book on Purpose Driven Success, to take my FREE meditation course, or to subscribe to my FREE health secrets, visit my personal success coaching web-site:
www.40daymakeover.com
Make sure to leave your name & e-mail address!
Wishing you much success in everything you do in your life,
Mikko Kemppe
Mikko Kemppe
"HOW DID I GO FROM A STIFF, WHITE, BASKETBALL PLAYER FROM FINLAND TO BECOME A SALSA STAR :), TODAY DANCING WITH EASE EVEN WITH SOME OF THE BEST SALSA DANCERS IN THE WORLD "
- Mikko Kemppe