Category: Merengue

Dance showed up in my life when I most needed a friend: An interview with Inspiracion Latina’s student Gabriela Daroczi

1/27/2016

Gabriela was born in Romania. Since her family background is Hungarian/Romanian, she learned Hungarian and Romanian folk dances when she was 7 years old. After moving to Canada, she learnt a variety of Latin dances such as salsa, merengue, cha cha, bachata and Brazilian samba. Currently, she is taking afro Peruvian dance classes which are new for her.

She is married and has an adorable son called Stefan who also enjoys dancing. Gabriela brings him sometimes to the Dance Cardio classes and he is our official selfie photographer :)

In a short interview, Gabriela speaks about the meaning of dancing in her life.

Queen Latina: As a dance student, what inspires you?
Gabriela: Seeing performances of other dancers. Dedicated teachers who are so passionate about what they are doing and know how to transmit that to their students. Music!

Queen Latina: What does dance mean to you?
Gabriela: Dance for me is a feel good state. I hear a song I like, I want to dance :-)

Queen Latina: How does dance influence your life?
Gabriela: Dance showed up in my life when I most needed a friend! I got hocked to the Latin dances and I met so many people and made many good friends.

Queen Latina: How was your family’s view about dancing?
Gabriela: We all love music and dance in my family

Stay tuned for more interviews to our dancers and students!

By Queen Latina

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Meeting the Inspiracion Latina Dancers: Lynda

9/28/2015

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It has been awhile since the last posting in our blog, but we are back now with our dancers and students interviews!
This time let me introduce you to one of our talented dancers who is always promoting social awareness. She is a cycling advocate, environmental educator and community engagement enthusiast….. Her name is Lynda!

Lynda was born in Singapore, but moved to Canada several years ago. She started learning Chinese dance in primary school at the age of 10. It was at University where she learned jazz and modern dance which allowed her to choreograph and perform for the Eusoff Hall at the National University of Singapore and to be part of NUS’s Dance Ensemble and the team that won the dance performance for the Annual Rag event, three times. As she points it out all this means that she spent more of her university years dancing than studying! :D
After graduating, she started learning Salsa (LA and casino style), Bachata, Cha Cha and Merengue which opened doors for her to perform at salsa festivals and congresses in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. At these events, she got to take workshops from well known international instructors such as Super Mario and Susan Montero, Olliver Pineda and Luda Kroitor, Magna Gopal and Ana Masacote. Parallel to taking Latin dances classes, she also enrolled in Ballet, Hip Hop and pole dance classes.
After moving to Toronto, she started her training in Brazilian Samba and Afro Peruvian dances with Inspiracion Latina Dance Company and School. She also brings her mom to Dance Cardio classes when she is visiting from Singapore. Lynda is married and has an adorable daughter.

In a short interview, Lynda speaks about her passion for dance.

Queen Latina: As a dancer and performer, what inspires you?
Lynda: Music! I love dancing to the music. I love watching dancers feel the music, dance to the music.
One of the most memorable dance performances that I have ever watched was Floor Play (Burn The Floor). I highly recommend it! And I love performing. It is exhilarating and highly addictive.

Queen Latina: What does dance mean to you?
Lynda: Dance is a form of self-expression. It connects me to my inner being. The physical workout from dancing also connects me to my body. It lets me better understand the muscles of different parts of my body.

Queen Latina: How does dance influence your life?
Lynda: I can't imagine my life with no dance!

Queen Latina: Do you think living in Toronto influences you as a dancer? How?
Lynda: Living in Toronto exposes me to so many more different dances. I really appreciate the diversity! In addition to Latin dances, I've also tried Eskitas (Ethiopian), Zorba (Greek), Nia (a Non-impact Aerobics dance that originated in the U.S.) amongst others.

Queen Latina: How was your family’s view about dancing?
Lynda: My family supports me because I enjoy dancing so much. My 14-month old already loves dancing too, so maybe one day I'll get to perform together with her.

Stay tuned for more interviews to our dancers and students!

By Queen Latina

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Inspiracion Latina rocking the New Year!

3/15/2014

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Are you curious about what we’ve been up to since the onset of 2014?

In January, we had the pleasure of performing at the KPMG’s Annual Networking event in Toronto. We had four of our best performers at the event, working their magic to bring the hottest Latin entertainment to the occasion. Our vibrant choreographies included Samba, Merengue, Salsa and Bachata. We certainly brought the heat to the party, despite the cold Toronto weather outside.

In February, we performed Samba at Aladin’s Palace once again since New Year’s Eve. We always get excited (and proud) to hear back from our regular customers; it serves as a non-verbal testimonial of the excellent service we provide to our clientele.

In March, we performed Salsa, Bachata and Merengue at the 90th birthday party of Harold, a lovely English man who was a champion ballroom dancer of the Blackpool in England. He is an inspiration to all of us because of his upbeat personality and his love for dance.

There is no better way to celebrate your special day or event than with our performers from Inspiracion Latina Dance Company!

To book us for your next event, click here.

To sign up for dance classes, click here.

Want to join our performance team? Contact us at [email protected]

Follow us on Twitter and visit us on Facebook.

Diva in Heels

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Meeting the Inspiracion Latina Dancers: Kate

3/8/2014

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Let me introduce you to another of our talented dancers who is a very kind and spiritual human being. She promotes animal welfare and enjoys being in touch with nature as an example she volunteers at a community garden club in Thornhill. Her name is Kate Vino.

Kate was born in Ukraine, but lived in several parts of the world before finally immigrating to Canada with her family. She started dancing at the age of 10 with Ballet as her starting point. Parallel to taking Ballet classes, Kate also began to enjoy Jazz and Pop dance. As a teenager, Hip Hop was very popular and she had to try that as well.

In her early 20's Kate decided she needed a change in beat, so she began learning Salsa, Bachata, Merengue and Brazilian dances. She joined Inspiracion Latina Dance Company in 2013 where she continues to work on her technique in a variety of dance styles while performing at various events around Toronto and the GTA.

In a short interview, Kate speaks about her passion for dance.

Queen Latina: As a dancer what inspires you?
Kate: I am inspired by the world's diverse cultures. I love travelling and getting to know new places and people, their unique traditions, languages, their music and dance. I've always been particularly drawn to Latin American culture, and that is where I found my inspiration for dancing.

Queen Latina: What does dance mean to you?
Kate: Dancing, for me, means many things. It is its own unique language that offers a way to connect to our ancestors and spiritual selves. Through dancing, I learned the meaning of being a human being. Dancing allows me to strengthen my confidence and face my fears; it also reminds me how to embrace my imperfections.

Queen Latina: How does dance influence your life?
Kate: Dancing definitely helps me stay fit, and connect with like- minded people who are passionate about similar things. Simply put, dancing helps me “come out of my shell.” It pushes me outside of my comfort zone. I carry on a similar attitude in my day to day life when I face challenges. Interestingly enough, when I am performing, I see a different side of me. And I kind of like it :D

Queen Latina: How was your family’s view about dancing?
Kate: Everyone in my family enjoys dancing as a hobby. We like to see musicals and other dance shows like ballet and Cirque de Soleil.

Queen Latina: Do you think living in Toronto influence you as a dancer? How?
Kate: Toronto is so diverse and multicultural, which opens the door to try many different styles of dance. If I was living in a different part of the world, I am not sure I would be dancing or performing Latin and Brazilian styles.

Stay tuned for more interviews to our dancers and students!

Queen Latina

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Toronto: Not simply the most multicultural city in the world - Sharing diverse cultures, languages and dance traditions

11/2/2013

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The more I think about where I live.... the place I call home... the more proud I am to pronounce, "I am a Torontonian!" These four little words have such a big implication.
I often get into a superficial conversation with people about where I'm from. "I hear an accent. What is your background?" I get asked from a new acquaintance. The superficial gets quite profound as I begin to peel the layers of my own 'onion:' my cultural background. Filled with different experiences I picked up from my various journeys, I cannot zero in on one particular answer to this puzzling question. "I'm from around the globe!" I conclude in my mind. As I peel the layers of my being to make sense of who I am, and to help others understand me, I always come across the different languages I speak, the delicious food I've tried, and the ceremonies I took part in.

But what about DANCE?

The different types of dances that exist in the world not only represent the tales of the past, but also make up who we are in the present. Dance, like any language and tradition, helps form our identity. Toronto represents the diverse nature of my life experiences and who I am today. And being such a multicultural city, Toronto offers a taste of every country.
Samba and Lambada from Brazil, Salsa from Cuba, Tango from Argentina, Merengue from other parts of Latin America, Belly Dance from the Middle East, Afro Dances from Africa and the Hula Dance from Hawaii.
Inspiracion Latina sprouted as a result of this passion for diversity and appreciation for the unique cultures that form Toronto. The school and the dance company celebrate these various forms of dance traditions. During classes, students engage in the history of these movements that help define who they are and where their ancestors came from. During the shows, these realities come to life as the beat of the music comes in sync with the beat of the heart and the universe. And hence, the various cultures that make up Toronto come to life in front of your eyes. As the show concludes with an end, you suddenly start craving more. You feel as though you've just traveled the world, each dance bringing you to the unique place where it originated from.

And of course, there are many other dances that I have not mentioned, but they all exist, hidden in the diverse pockets of Toronto! But for now, you can find some of these dances in one particular spot in the GTA: Inspiracion Latina. Get inspired by Inspiracion Latina today! For more info, visit: www.inspiracionlatina.com.

Diva in Heels

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Dance showed up in my life when I most needed a friend: An interview with Inspiracion Latina’s student Gabriela Daroczi

Meeting the Inspiracion Latina Dancers: Lynda

Inspiracion Latina rocking the New Year!

Meeting the Inspiracion Latina Dancers: Kate

Toronto: Not simply the most multicultural city in the world - Sharing diverse cultures, languages and dance traditions

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Archives

Categories

Dance showed up in my life when I most needed a friend: An interview with Inspiracion Latina’s student Gabriela Daroczi

﻿Meeting the Inspiracion Latina Dancers: Lynda

Inspiracion Latina rocking the New Year!

Meeting the Inspiracion Latina Dancers: Kate

Toronto: Not simply the most multicultural city in the world - Sharing diverse cultures, languages and dance traditions

Authors

Archives

Categories

Meeting the Inspiracion Latina Dancers: Lynda