Sonrisa Dance Podcast

Had fun talking to the current president of the CSULB Salsa Club, Phoung Nguyen. It was interesting to learn how she got her start in latin dancing back in her home country. We also discussed the things she has learned by being the current president of a local college dance club. We also advocated for more alumni to go and support the current college community.

Had a nice chat with one of my newest friends and amazing supporter, Mark. We bring up the differences in learning and social dancing in LA vs San Diego. We also mentioned how often we are disappointed that we see dancers performing moves and not moving along with the music. Musicality really improves your dancing without the fancy movies.

Had a fun conversation with one of my greatest teacher and close friends, Jenny Mee. It was interesting to get her perspective on our dance community because of how much experience she has in various dance styles. We also get to discuss on how we can encourage our community to grow. Please follow her and her business: Araiza Events.

Had an insightful conversation with Erika Menjivar about working to improve the dancers in our community. Student's growth is definitely kept in mind as she owns and operates the Level Up Dance Studio in Long Beach, CA. Learning through classes at a studio is very different from the learning that a dancer typically gets from at clubs or socials.

Martin Manelit is such a nice and wonderful guy I've gotten to meet in the dance community. He has such a unique and fun style of dancing that makes you want to stop and watch. He is also a loving husband and father, and it was great to get his perspective on coming out and dancing in our latin dance community. You should definitely follow him and his company: MT Drones Pro.

I just wanted to thank you guys for listening and keeping up with this experiment to grow our community. I wanted to update you on the status and goals of this show. I also share about topics I would like to discuss in upcoming conversations.

It was great to have Luis Aragon for an insightful conversation about his role as a DJ and event promoter. We talk about his growth in the community and what we could do to support DJs and promotors. Follow him and his Cielo Events online with the hashtag #StalkLuis

Cedric Papa(yes his real last name) is a very kind and emotionally connected dancer and friend. We had great conversation on the challenges of teaching dance and being aware on how/what students are learning. We also discussed some of our opinions on dance team management. You can follow Cedric and his cohosts on the Creative Emotions Podcast.

Had a great talk with John Manego and how he's grown into the many roles he plays. He runs the monthly Zoukchata event in Anaheim, DJs, teaches, and runs a dance team. I ask him to share how he's gotten to him position to see what we can learn from him.

Incredibly fun conversation with Juan Martin Torres about our journey as social dancers and performers. Follow him on The Late Bloomer Podcast.