[Sascha Kettern] When did you start to learn SALSA and what is special about your first or your best SALSA teacher? (his or her most important recommendations...)

[César] I started salsa and rock&roll (and some tango) in 1994, after 1 and a half year of general ballroom lessons. In 1996 I decided to specialise exclusively in salsa, and here I am!

My best memory from my first salsa teacher was his emphasis on styling and co-ordination. His lessons took 1 and a half hour, but the "warming up" was 45 minutes!!!! We did plenty of exercises focusing to move a fraction of our body (and only that fraction!!!!) The rest was devoted to patterns, but we didn´t practice lots of them. He preferred a few patterns well performed rather than "roller-coaster" patterns in a crazy way. I fully agree with him.

[SK] Tell us about your most extraordinary (or crazy) SALSA lesson or SALSA experience (concert, performance....)

[César] A rueda de casino, in Madrid, with some 100 couples!!!! Anyway, dancing with any salsa-expert girl (Vanda, the "Tropical Gem" girls or Louise) is always an extraordinary experience. (small addition from Louise: ha ha! Sorry but I cannot be compared to Vanda or the Tropical Gem girls!! - their level is much higher than mine, but thanks for the nice words Cesar!)

[SK] Do you also create figures by your own or do you only teach the figures you learnt at special congresses?

[César] We NEVER teach a routine as such we leant it from other teachers. But every routine is build up on movements that are more or less "standards" on salsa. Within this standard movements, there is little room to innovation for beginners and intermediate lessons (Besides we don´t think it is a good idea to teach "non-standard" movements to beginners and intermediate students). In the advanced courses we teach some leadable movements created by ourselves, or personal variations of other teacher´s movements. In any case we never teach choreographic movements. In our lessons we teach how to dance in a dance floor, not on stage.

[SK] How do you memorize all the figures? Do you make notes, watch videos, articles...? a special memorizing technique...?

[César] When I dance with a girl I seldom do a routine. I hate memorising routines!!!!! I split the routine in basic movements. I have all basic movements classified according to the traveling that the lady does and the leading the guy performs. Then I just remember a sequence of traveling + leading. Anyway I always say: "your learn one routine, you forget one routine". The important thing is to learn and combine different travelings and leadings, so that you can quickly improvise movement after movement while dancing any song.

Concerning massive routine memory storage, a video camera is the most effective tool. We even record the routines that we create for the advanced courses. Otherwise we can forget them in a few days (or hours!!!!)

[SK] I mean, SALSA has also something to do with concentration but in the same time also with fun? How to combine fun with difficult movements? How do you prepare yourself for performances...by meditation? listening to a special kind of music...? Drinking Tequila? (joke)

[César] Salsa is not much different than any other art or sport. You need lots of self-discipline to improve and concentration to perform, but still you have a lot of fun and satisfaction. Social dancing on the dancefloor is always fun although you keep the challenge to surprise you partner with new movements everytime you dance with her. But when you go on stage, you are actually saying "Hey, everybody!! look at us!!! We are going to do something that is worth to watching!!!!". This is a BIG responsibility, and before every performance we are literally gripped with fear to disappoint the audience. And yesss... before a performance I like to sit a minute with my eyes closed, my fingers making a ring and say... "ooommmmmmmmmmmmmm" ;-)

[SK] We already know that you are a talented dancer but are there also other important things in your life? other talents...etc....future plans....

[César] First thanks for your compliment! Rather than talented I think I´ve simply worked hard to reach my actual level, and I will have to work even harder to reach the level of the true masters. Concerning other talents... well, actually my pedagogical skills come from my youth as judo teacher. To get the judo instructor diploma I had to learn all principles of balance, stability, action-reaction and body mechanics. Beside that you learn methodology and systematic teaching. All this knowledge is perfectly applicable to dancing salsa. You only need to add elegance (and that´s Louise speciality :-) That´s why we are considered as very technical teachers. Beside salsa, my other passion is music. I played in several bands in my teens and early twenties. Then I became a solitary composer. Now I still play a bit of piano and I´m learning hurdy-gurdy and Irish whistles. Future plans? More salsa and maybe a folk band :-)

[SK] In general, HOW to be a happy person? Do you have your own recommendation? SALSA DANCING +...........????

[César] “Happiness” has a different meaning for each person. For me happiness is to search for new challenges: I want to improve my skills in dancing, learn new musical instruments, compose new songs, be a bit wiser than yesterday and, one day, raise a child. My advice to others: set priorities. Unfortunately we have a limited capital of time. Use time to develop "what you are" and not "what the others want you to be". May be the first one will not lead you to happiness, but the second will most certainly lead you away from that goal.