So what’s new with me? Let me tell ya…
It’s been a while that I had the most fun dancing and partying in a dance congress, but last weekend at the Reno Bachata Convention, I was reborn. It was not a congress, mind you, it was just a bachata convention…I mean whodathought, right? Let me tell you how I created an event called Reno Bachata Convention….
Oh trust me, dear diary, there were some doubters there floating around. Come to think of it, they have been doubting Thomases since I started promoting bachata dance 8 years ago anyways. It is such a simple dance with lots of twings and twangs of the guitar, yeah, I know, it’s not that alluring to hardcore salseros that love xylophones and all, but it has evolved and fast evolving.
But past is PAST and moving forward is always the wise choice…burning bridges is not my cup of tea, after all, I know that sooner or later I’ll be crossing lots of bridges, so yeah, my motto; don’t mess with bridges because it more important to be nice than being important.
I have to admit, Reno Bachata Convention wasn’t part of the plan. The real plan was just to concentrate on planning the 1st San Francisco Bachata Festival. Of course, realistically, all things don’t exactly go perfectly according to plan.
November of 2008, I got a FB message from Juan I. Ruiz, one of the founding fathers of successful Sydney Bachata Festival, saying,
You see, Sydney Bachata Festival is pretty much the event that made me “international” - you could say that I was baptized there as an international dance teacher. And I will never forget the hospitality of Australian bachateros. Their attitude and friendship is still immensely felt here in my heart a year later- little good things that done to me will be appreciated and never be forgotten.
“Juan, let me see what I can do, brotha. Bay Area ain’t that really fanatic for bachata compared to Sydney, but let me ponder and think of something.”
And so I pondered, indeed…
Hmmm, maybe a bootcamp…
Maybe, a series of workshops in SF, San Jose and Sac…
Hmmm…
I called Jorge Elizondo, “Bro, Juan is coming to SF and he wants to hang out, you in? I mean, I’ll still do it without you, if you can’t do it”
“Tell me more, when and what do you have in mind…” Jorge was curious
Jorge loves SF and everytime he was here, he stayed at my place. I have sponsored him several times dong botcamps in the Bay Area.” So yes, he owes me and he won’t say no. We develop a friendship over the years because of bachata. I love bachata instructors that love the dance and promote it at the same time. I could care less which bachata style they teach or dance as long they have passion and really believe in what they’re doing. I dislike haters who are up to no good and just talk shit about each other, it’s a lose-lose situation and they sound like losers.
I had to make sure he knows my intention and reaffirm my vision. So I said, “Bro, I’m thinking of bachata bootcamp with you, Juan and Camille in San Fran. Juan treated me well when I was in Sydney, so let’s give him a good time here in SF. I need your help in this.”
Like I said, he can’t say no, Jorge was in…
Last time I hosted a bootcamp here in the Bay Area, although well attended, I didn’t like it and it didn’t feel like an accomplishment for me. I was secretly disappointed that it didn’t make a dent in my vision – for bachata to be respected and recognized, not only by salsa dancers but salsa Djs as well as Latin dance enthusiasts.
Last question in my mind was, “Do I continue hosting little workshops here and there or do something really big before the SF fest?”
So the pondering ended with the question above, on which, I never pondered again, not until I taught a bachata workshop in Reno…
I love Reno people, you know why? Because they love to party and they don’t give a shit whether you are Cuban stylist or Mambo stylists or OutOfTiming stylist. They dance for fun and they learn to dance for fun. I especially love them when they always ask when I’m coming back to Reno after the end of teaching a workshop.
I have been sponsored by BB of Salsa Reno and Chuck from Reno Dance Sensation numerous times there, and everytime I went and taught, the community there loved my workshops.
After teaching an enthusiastic crowd of 400 people, I thought to myself, “Hmmm, I think I just found my answer here.”
I drove Back to the Bay Area. I needed to confirm to Juan and Jorge about the proposed SF Bootcamp. I wasn’t 100% about the bootcamp idea. I needed to make a decision fast. There was no time to lose and January was just around the corner.
I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered my fave; Pan Fried Eggs with oysters. Oysters are filled with zinc and of course eggs are filled with B vitamins, in other words, it keeps your testosterone level high 
You know what they say, you think faster and smarter when your testosterone levels are high.
In the middle of my meal, I came up with an idea and I texted BB of Salsa Reno,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5….phone rang…
“Hello BB…”
BB was in… (he couldn’t possibly say no)
After talking to BB, I called Jorge,
“Jorge, change of plan…we’re going to Reno and we’re gonna do the 1st Bachata event in USA, Reno International Bachata Convention. I think 400 people would suffice.”
