Filed Under Salsa
Sunday night, I had the privilage of meeting the Dance Maestro behind Mission Impossible 2, Strictly Ballroom as well as Tiempos Mejores. That’s none other than Mr. Antonio Vargas himself. Born in Casablanca, Antonio Vargas was attracted to Flamenco at a very early age. His inborn musicality could equally have drawn him to become a concert cellist or a percussionist. However his passion for the art of Flamenco and the full realisation of its potentials have been the driving force behind his long and brilliant career.
The list of Antonio’s works is extensive. From opera to film, from small stage performances to big festivals, from solo performances to productions with the best artists that Spain has to offer at the moment, Antonio has done it all, including a television show with the Beatles (Granada Television, 1964); he played the Fiddler in a London production of Fiddler on the Roof (Her Majesty’s Theatre, 1967); he has created his own Flamenco Dance Theatre works and adapted well know plays and novels to the Flamenco repertoire. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed Under Salsa
Taken from Mambochinita…
We have a VERY SPECIAL GUEST in town this weekend and he will be coming to The WhikeRoom Bilique tomorrow night!
Antonio Vargas, one of the grandmasters of SPANISH FLAMENCO will be dropping by to chill at our Sunday social while on holiday in KL. Senor Vargas has an impressive resume that spans a couple of decades. He is also a pioneer in the field of Flamenco dance theatre and has traveled and performed extensively around the world, changing the lives of those who perform with him. Being in high demand, this man has also choreographed for movies like Strictly Ballroom & Mission Impossible (just to name a few). I highly recommend catching him if you can….great people like this are hard to meet in Malaysia!
Now you may say, so HOW IS THIS RELATED TO SALSA? Salsa & Latin America are linked to Spain…..and one of the national dances in Spain is…yep Flamenco! In addition, the posture, poise, grace, expression and level of mastery will surely INSPIRE you to be a better dancer! (whether its socially or as a performer)
Besides, Senor Vargas will be indulging us in a brief intro to Flamenco and an impromptu performance. I was told it will happen around 10:30pm+ 
Really, you don’t want to MISS this opportunity! To dance is to live!
Dance is the hidden language of the soul. ~Martha Graham
Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself. ~Havelock Ellis
Filed Under Salsa
On Saturday, Whikeroom Bilique had a guest all the way from San Francisco. He’s none other than Zain Khandwala of RicaSalsa. A professional Salsa and Bachata instructor and Performer, Zain came by Malaysia in his travels to check out the scene here and decided to have a short Bachata workshop to cater to some of the curious minds here.
The whole workshop was short yet, he was able to deliver over a few steps as well as footwork to us. Which is nice, the only way I know how to dance bachata is the very basic so with what he taught, I can say that the number of moves I know have also increased. IF only I won’t forget it by the end of the week.
If you’re interested to meet up with him, there’s one great way to do it. Come to the Salsa Congress in Penang this April 18th - 21st and watch him impart some of his knowledge to the participants of the workshops and parties. For more details regarding the Congress, you can drop me an email at michael@worldlatinsalsacongress.com. For more photos from the workshop, you can check out the facebook’s photo gallery here.
