Jami Josephson & Jose DeCamps: Beg/Int (Bronze) Syllabus */***

Customer Reviews

***** out of ***** stars Review by Manuel Pedreira

Congratulations to Jami and Jose because they have got a beautiful and contemporary “Encyclopedia of Latin dance”. I am sure that this dvd series will be the reference for dancers, instructors, and so on. I also congratulate to Dancevision because the new presentation of the dvds is very nice for people loves dancing.

Nowadays the modern on 2 (Eddie Torres styling), based on dancing with the break in the two isolated beats of clave cubana, is being popular between not only professional but even social dancers. There are several very good videos by excellent instructors (look for new york style, here) and I think that the Jami and Jose dvd series put order in the storm of all these beautiful turn patterns and will be a great help to get understand them with a clear and precise technique.

Here is my detailed review:

1) Jami and Jose work provides a classification of salsa steps in bronze, silver and gold that allows to improve since any level you are dancing salsa. Although I feel that Eddie Torres Videos are going on being the best way to get confidence with the basics. This syllabus series is useful like instructional material for both social and amateur or professional dancer, too.


2) The first dvd (bronze) begins with an introduction to timing I consider the best I have seen yet. Like a musician I think that for people even knowing nothing about musical language, Jami provides a very good understanding about dancing on 1 and on 2. The best way is to demostrate it on the floor dance, and this is what they actually do showing with a clear way how the musical beats of tumbao or clave cubana correspond to the beats in the rhytmic base. Moreover, I like the clave step they show..., something that I have never seen yet.

3) The introduction to basics and turns are in according to a syllabus dvd. Since this is a syllabus collection, I mean that people learning something new might get confidence with basics in Eddie Torres nightclub style videos. Then one can, perfectly, consider this dvds like instructional dvds too. In fact:

4) Firstly, basic modern on2 step has a little diference with basic Eddie's step. The longer 5-beat and 1-beat in relation to the regular basic step gives a cool movement I like very much. Second, The most important step in salsa is: Cross body lead (CBL). This is the first time I have seen this step perfectly explained, showing the action “cross-body” like it is really. That is, most of instructors explain, and most of dancers performance, this step like a “·walk lead”. The excellent knowledge of lead and follow by Jami and Jose allows to get the original feeling of this step, between a promenade step and the cuban “Dile que no”. I would say that the precise and clear demostration of Jose about the lead action “cross body” and Jami’s follow action, is a masterly lesson. Look the posture in the last demostration!

5) Going on this viewpoint, Jami explains difficult concepts and actions like : spoting and pivot turns... There are a lot of forms to turn. I think that the easier way is the pivot action: “turning in front-turning back-turning in front”, because it become fulfilled by social dancers but with a correct technique to be hold in professional level.

6) The silver dvd put emphasis around the figures starting with or based on CBL.. They introduce Copa too. I have learned a lot with the performance of classic mambo step: “overturned cross body lead”. This useful step was popular thanks to Angel Rodríguez (Mr. Razzm’tazz). He created a lot of beautiful turn patterns in classic mambo. Jami and Jose will show in the Open combinations dvd how much useful this step is going on to be, nowadaya. HOWEVER, I think that the Waltz version of CBL offers a lot of improvements for turn patterns in the modern on2 and this step will be the center of new and beautiful combinations comming soon from salsa dancers.

7) Dancers knowing and learning on the learn2salsa videos series (Jami and Roland Valentino) will appreciate the evolution of several figures up to this syllabus dvd. You will find examples I have enjoied a lot, like “cruciffix” (a simple previous zigzag grows the feeling of criciffix moment), “the ballerina”… I like very much the “catch the back variation”, something as simple as difficult. Please, take care with the style in the lead action. The male dancer will find a lot of style actions in Jose DeCamps following the philosophy “to have a reason to do a style action”. Bravo, Jose!. This “catch the back variation” will be a cool feeling in your salsa.

8) Gold dvd put emphais on Copa’s and Hammerlock’s figures. The comfortable to do triple and cuadruple turns when you dance on the modern on 2 is showed. In any case, Jami even offers options for the social dancer, something important in a not coreographic dancing.

9) I was happily surprised again with the evolution of figures from learn2salsa videos like: Raul wrap and back spot with back roll. You also will find a precise lead and follow of figures like Copa back to back and Copa to Belly wrap. I have seen to performance these steps by other dancers with an intrincate technique. Here, Jami and Jose got a clearer and easier breakdown by using a truly lead and follow technique where the inertial moment of her is taken by the leader to get the performance.

10) Finally Salsa Open Combinations dvd is the best complement to this syllabus dvd. Even I celebrate this idea by a lot of reasons: an example of excellent comunication with other professional dancers to imitate. Remember: dancing is the expontaneous action of our emotions. All the combinations in this dvd are performanced truly with a very lead and follow technique. Besides to teach turn patterns with a lot of creativity, you will get to do it with practice thanks to the teaching of syllabus dvd. BUT, even I am sure you will enjoy watching beautiful combinations like : “Neck roll copa to Ballerina”. Again, in the inertial moment in the neck roll you can enjoy with the ballace of style and technique. I have to say that my favourite is “Back to back with kick to Tango Jump”. The ballance of style and technique in this pattern is perfect. The jump moment is a masterly moment, a moment where “ the style is technique and the technique is style”. I think that this is the phrase for Jami and Jose. My wife Leli and I loved the Tango step since learn2salsa videos, and the sequence “cross theck to fun and Tango jump” was a styling point for us (thankx of heart, Jami!).

11) I would like to say something taking the step Jose special as reference. All people knowing Jami and Jose have admired and enjoied with their performances. The ballance, energy and sensibility to dance cha-cha was our particular admiration. Every persson has a concept of dancing. Persoally I enjoy if I am able to get my wife (the female dancer) shines. This is difficult to get and for this reason we admire Jami and Jose. For getting this action they are the best reference. However, after a turn pattern where all the eyes look the female dancer one needs a surprise action where the male dancer shows his abilities like a dancer and a leader. I have found this in Jose special step.

12) The Shine patterns dvds are very useful. First of all, I like the breakdown. I have found a lot of help to understand better and improve beautiful shines of other professional dancers. Spiral kick wth turn step was one of them!, but you will find art shines: two and four cornes, for example… even Braid step that I have learnt in Eddie’s course has a new cool here. Since I have improved even from the easier shines, I would have to put a nice word for every shine, so… it is better you enjoy them.


13) CONCLUSION :I have purchased a lot of dvds about salsa and other dances. When I find a well done job, the first I think is one cannot pay with money that beautiful generosity and effort. I think this is whah you will find in this work and it will be a continuous reference for your improvements on dancing. But, most important for us, it is that You will learn a lot, not only with the teaching, This is great, but from the spontaneous human relation between them when they teach too. BRAVO y GRACIAS!,

Manuel Pedreira, from Santiago de Compostela.
GALICIA, Spain.
(Posted on 3/11/2011)