SalsaChic Performance Group Auditions!

The SalsaChic Performance group will hold auditions for recruting new members for its second choreography of the year, to be performed during Spring and Summer 2010! The audition dates and times are:

- Monday, February 1st between 9:00-9:30pm (during Open Salsa)
- Thursday, February 4th between 10:00-10:30pm (after Rueda lesson)

You can choose between both dates (i.e. only need to come once), and no need to bring partners. The only requirement for auditioning is to have finished Intermediate II (or similar) level.

What you will do: In the audition, you will be evaluated in partner work, musicality and basic footwork. Please bring dancing shoes (or formal shoes), but not flipflops, sneakers, etc.

How the performance team works: We meet once a week, Mondays at 9:30PM (after Open Salsa), usually for 75-90 minutes, teaching and practicing a new choreography to be performed mainly in two events: the OLAS show (mid April) and the Chicago Salsa Festival (mid-June); we also perform in other places if needed. You need to have 90-100% attendance since we go really fast and cannot slow down for people that does not come to practices.

Benefits of being in SalsaChic: You will learn tons of new steps, and improve your leading/following, timing and musicality. You get subsidized access to Salsa Festival/Congresses and  BLDA Workshops, and it is a great way to get involved in the club, and can one day become an instructor!

More info at

http://ballroom.uchicago.edu/Dance_Teams.html

or

Felipe Marin is a fan of

BLDA UChicago Dance Teams

Create your Fan Badge

Please send your questions to salsa at uchicago dot edu

Looking forward to see you: Remember, come on Feb 1 at 9pm or Feb 4 at 10pm

Winter Lessons starting tonight!

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to send a quick reminder for classes this week:

All classes are in the Cloister Club in Ida Noyes.

Salsa sequences start tomorrow.

Beginning Salsa I with James S. and Tanya at 7pm.
No partner necessary.
No experience required.
Cost: $16 with UCID, $20 all others.

Continuing Salsa I with JamesM.  and Mary at 8pm.
No partner necessary.
Requires completion of Beginning Salsa I & II or instructor approval.
Cost: $16 with UCID, $20 all others.

Open Salsa at 9pm.
Open Salsa is FREE for ALL.

Thursday Night:
Social Ballroom with Ksenia
Learn ChaCha and Waltz.
7-9pm

Intermediate Salsa will be replaced with Rueda on Thursdays Starting January 28th!

Performance Salsa will return on Monday Nights at 9:30pm in february.


See you all this week,
Gal

Salsa Party on November 21!

Clubs & Parties Review: Alhambra Salsa Tuesdays ****

This is a continuing blog series reviewing the salsa scene in Chicago, with emphasis in places where UofC students would go to dance. Please feel free to comment and add as much as you wish. If you want to suggest places to review, please write to salsa at uchicago dot edu and we'll try to grant your wish as soon as we can. Enjoy and keep dancing

Alhambra has salsa every Tuesday night, and it is worth going! In my opinion, Alhambra is the most beautiful venue for salsa dancing: there is a very large dancing space, a high-quality wooden floor, and effective air conditioning. The decor is Spanish/Moroccan themed and very ornate. Drinks and water are expensive ($5 for a bottled water), but you can sneak in your own water.

The dance level is very good: there are always many advanced dancers at Alhambra, and often watching can be as fun as dancing. There are a few beginners as well, but if you're a beginner you might be intimidated to ask strangers to dance since they are likely to be at least intermediate.

The music is a mixed of old and new salsa, combined with small bits of bachata, chacha and merengue. Alhambra occasionally hosts a live band. These nights are more crowded and the cover charge is slightly higher, but the live music is definitely worth it. The band sits up on a stage so they're easy to watch and they really command the crowd.

In a nutshell: Alhambra Salsa Tuesdays
- Location: 1240 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL‎
- Hours: 8pm-2am
- Admission: $10 but if you register in the guest list here before 4pm on Tuesdays you get half price entry.
- 21+ after 9pm
- Ideal for intermediate-advanced, OK for beginners
- 4 of 4 stars: Best Salsa Experience.

Joy Heafner

Legend:
* : Please don't go
**: If you really need to dance, you can go there...
***: Good overall
****: Excellent! Best salsa experience

Salsa Fall Party!

Join us for our FIRST Salsa Party of the Quarter! We'll spin Salsa, Bachata, Chacha & Merengue!

This Saturday, October 24th in the Burton-Judson Courts (corner of 60th & Ellis)

Free lesson at 7pm to start off the night.

Dancing starts at 7:30pm until 10:30pm.

Cost: $3 with UoCID. $5 all others!

RSVP required to attend the event. To add you and your friends to the guest list, click here to add them

Looking forward to dance with you!

BLDA Fall Schedule Part 1 announced!

Hey everyone,

Here's our schedule for the quarter for our Salsa, Ballroom, and Latin Dances. If you have any questions feel free to email me back any time. These are listed by type. However if you would like to see the calendar by day, please check our Lessons Page.

Salsa
Beginning Salsa I with James and Sheila
Monday 10/5, 10/12, 10/19 and 11/2
Cost: $16 with UCID, $20 all others ($5 to try the first lesson only)
No partner needed.
No dance experience required.
Location: Ida Noyes Cloister Club & Library (check date)

Continuing Salsa I with James and Tanya
Monday 10/5, 10/12, 10/19 and 11/2
Cost: $16 with UCID, $20 all others ($5 to try the first lesson only)
No partner needed.
Requires Completion of Beginning Salsa I & II
Location: Ida Noyes Cloister Club & Library (check date)

Open Salsa!
Monday 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 11/2, 11/16, 11/23 and 11/30
FREE
Come practice your Salsa and Latin Dancing!
Location: Ida Noyes Cloister Club & Library (check date)

Intermediate Salsa I with Alex and Joy
Monday 10/5, 10/12, 10/19 and 11/2
Cost: $12 with UCID, $15 all others ($5 to try the first lesson only)
No partner needed.
Requires Completion of Intermediate Salsa I.
Location: Ida Noyes Cloister Club & Library (check date)

Performance Salsa:
Auditions on 10/15.
Cost: $25 with UCID, $35 all others.
Requirements: Completion of Intermediate I & II or instructor approval.
Please note practice will be on Thursdays (10/15, 10/22, 11/5, 11/19) and Sundays (11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 11/29)
Location: Thursdays in Cloister Club, Sundays in West Lounge

Ballroom & Latin:
Sunday Nov 4:
7-8pm Free Cha Cha workshop with Sheng, HQ, and Lisa!
Location: Ida Noyes Theater

8-9pm Intermediate Competitive Team Try Outs!
Come get information about the Competitive Ballroom Team.
If you're interested in joining the intermediate team, make sure to come to try outs!
Location: Ida Noyes Theater

Beginning Ballroom Sequence
Come dance Waltz and Tango with Sasha, Sheng and Olga!
Cost: $12 with UCID, $15 all others ($5 to try the first class)
Thursday 10/15 & 10/22
Time: 7-8:30
Location: Ida Noyes Cloister Club

Social Ballroom with Sheng, HQ and Lisa
Sunday Nov 1, 8 15, 22, and 29
Cost: $40 with UCID, $50 all Others
Time: 6-8pm
Location: Ida Noyes Cloister Club

Beginning Latin with Sheng, HQ and Lisa
Sunday Nov 1, 8 15, and 22
Cost: $32 with UCID, $40 all others
Time: 6-8pm
Location: Ida Noyes Cloister Club

Jive Workshop!
Thursday Nov 19, Ida Noyes Cloister Club
Instructor TBD
Cost: $5 with UCID, $8 all others.

Google Calendar:
All the above information and more is available on the google calendar available at:
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=n6afa3u6ce58ctuppi3qpidp4s%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Chicago


Quarterly Membership:
Quarterly membership is available. It is $60 for with UCID, $70 all others. Membership can admit you to all classes, workshops, and parties. However, this does not mean you can skip sequences. Memberships may be revoked if membership rules are broken.

Memberships can only be purchased during the first 3 weeks of the quarter. All membership requests must be made with Gal Oppenheimer either in person or via email to blda@uchicago.edu. You cannot purchase a membership from any other instructor.

Proper Attire:
Clothing: Please wear comfortable clothing. Skirts or dresses are not required.
Shoes: We strongly recommend you dance in heels (for girls) and shoes with little traction (for guys). This is not required, but recommended. However, no flip-flops or shoes with an open back. This is due to safety concerns. If you dance in shoes with an open back, you will most likely severely twist your ankle. If you spin in flip-flops, you can injure yourself and on occasion break your flip-flops.

If you would like information on where to purchase dance shoes, please speak to any of the instructors.

Map of Salsa Spots in Chicago

Thanks to Katharine Bierce, we have a Google Map of the salsa spots in the Chicago Area.

View Salsa Spots in Chicago in a larger map
If you cannot see this link, you can open the link clicking here

If you want to suggest more places or add comments or links, please write to salsa at uchicago dot edu

Enjoy!