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Nelson Batista is a Cuban salsa dancer.
Nelson was born in 1962, in the Buena Vista neighbourhood of Havana. Cuban music was a part of Nelson's childhood, and through his life in Cuba, Latin dance became a family tradition, passed from father to son.
He trained in dance alongside his regular studies at specialised dance courses in the Casa de Cultura community centre.
He studied economics, and studied languages to a high level. After moving to England in the 1980s, he did some work for Dunn & Co., before taking up a serious career in Salsa dance. [ citation needed ]
In 1988 Nelson became actively involved in promoting and organising Latin dance and music activities in London. Nelson became the first Salsa dance instructor in London, to high acclaim.
As a result, he extended his classes to venues all over the country, thus establishing himself as the top Salsa dance teacher in the UK. Many of Nelson's students have since progressed to dance professionally and to teach Salsa themselves.[ citation needed ]
Nelson continues to contribute to the current thriving Salsa scene by teaching it in many venues around London and the Home Counties and by regularly holding intensive workshops all over the country. Nelson is considered to be the leading authority within this sphere, and he is also frequently called upon to act in an advisory role whenever authenticity or expert opinion is required. Most recently,[ when? ] after the official acknowledgement of the Salsa dance as an established dance form by the UKA (United Kingdom Alliance of teachers of dance), Nelson was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the UKA in Salsa, along with Paul Harris and others.
In addition to his personal involvement in the Latin dance and music world, Nelson has performed in national theatre, having participated in the Danceworld 94 exposition. In 1992 he was called upon to choreograph and advise on the music for the production of Salsa Celestina at the Watford Theatre for which he received rave reviews. Throughout Nelson's career he has appeared in numerous TV programmes demonstrating and promoting Salsa Dance in London and the UK. He also participated in the Nelson Batista 'Just Dance 1998' show. Nelson's TV credits include: Juke Box 1990 (Sky TV); Capital Woman; 6 O’clock Live; Liz Earle's Lifestyle; Rear Window (Salsa Fever); The Great Escape TV-am; Esther Rantzen
Nelson has also been acclaimed in the national press, i.e. The Guardian, The Times, etc.; and also contributed to various Salsa and Latin dance orientated publications i.e. Latin London.[ citation needed ]
Salsa music is a popular dance music genre that initially arose in New York City during the 1960s. Salsa is the product of various Cuban musical genres including the Afro-Cuban son montuno, guaracha, cha cha chá, mambo, and to a certain extent bolero and the Puerto Rican Plena and Bomba. Latin jazz, which was also developed in New York City, has had a significant influence on salsa arrangers, piano guajeos, and instrumental soloists.
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba. Since the early 20th century the term has been used in different countries to refer to distinct styles of music and dance, most of which are only tangentially related to the original Cuban rumba, if at all. The vague etymological origin of the term rumba, as well as its interchangeable use with guaracha in settings such as bufo theatre, is largely responsible for such worldwide polysemy of the term. In addition, "rumba" was the primary marketing term for Cuban music in North America, as well as West and Central Africa, during much of the 20th century, before the rise of mambo, pachanga and salsa.
Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso, known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of guarachas, earning the nickname "La Guarachera de Cuba". In the following decades, she became known internationally as the "Queen of Salsa" or "The Queen of Latin Music" due to her contributions to Latin music in the United States.
Salsa is a Latin dance associated with the music genre of the same name which originated in the 1960s in New York City. Salsa is an amalgamation of Cuban dances that were popular in the ballrooms and nightclubs of Havana by the end of the 1950s, as well as American jazz dances. It was primarily developed by Puerto Ricans living in New York (Nuyoricans) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Different regions of Latin America and the United States have distinct salsa styles of their own, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Cali Colombia, L.A. and New York styles. Salsa dance socials are commonly held in nightclubs, bars, ballrooms, restaurants, and outside, especially when part of an outdoor festival.
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Rhumba, also known as ballroom rumba, is a genre of ballroom music and dance that appeared in the East Coast of the United States during the 1930s. It combined American big band music with Afro-Cuban rhythms, primarily the son cubano, but also conga and rumba. Although taking its name from the latter, ballroom rumba differs completely from Cuban rumba in both its music and its dance. Hence, authors prefer the Americanized spelling of the word (rhumba) to distinguish between them.
Boogaloo or bugalú is a genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly among teenage Latinos. The style was a fusion of popular African American rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music with mambo and son montuno, with songs in both English and Spanish. The American Bandstand television program introduced the dance and the music to the mainstream American audience. Pete Rodríguez's "I Like It like That" was a famous boogaloo song.
The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) is an international dance teaching and examination board based in London, England. The registered educational charity, which was established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, provides training and examinations in a range of dance styles and certified dance teacher courses. The ISTD is recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Council for Dance Education and Training and is also a member of the British Dance Council. It hosts various competitions in many different formats including Modern Ballroom, Latin American, Classical Ballet and Tap Dance as well as contemporary styles like Disco Freestyle.
Latin American culture is the formal or informal expression of the people of Latin America and includes both high culture and popular culture as well as religion and other customary practices.
Timothy Charles "Tim" Whitnall is an English playwright, screenwriter, and actor known for playing Angelo in the long-running CITV series Mike and Angelo and narrating the BBC children's TV programme Teletubbies. He currently co-provides voices in Thomas & Friends.
Paul Harris is an English choreographer, dance teacher and movement director in film, television and theatre.
Alexandre (Alex-Andre) Magno is a Brazilian born choreographer and director. His dance styles include hip-hop, jazz, ballet, samba, flamenco, tango, salsa, and martial arts. He has performed with Madonna, Yanni, Britney Spears, the Lido La Tourné, Ballet Hispanico, the Ringling Brothers Circus, and the Academy Awards. He also works with his own dance company, “Personna Dance Theatre".
Jorge Moreno is an American musician of Cuban descent. Discovered by Madonna, he was the 1st latin artist signed to her Maverick Musica Record Label. Moreno won much critical acclaim for his debut album "Moreno" and was awarded a Latin Grammy award for "Best New Artist", Early the next year he was nominated in the (Anglo) Grammy's for "Best Latin Album" and was one of the first artists to perform in Spanish on Good Morning America.
Monsieur Pierre was the professional name of Pierre Jean Phillipe Zurcher-Margolle. He was a professional dancer and dance teacher, largely responsible for introducing the Latin American dances to England, and for codifying them, and laying the groundwork for their use in competitions and in social dance. The system he and his colleagues developed became the basis for all Latin and American competitions held under the World Dance Council (WDC).
Robin del Castillo is a Colombian musician who is becoming internationally famous for his salsa music. Since 2001, Robin Del Castillo has been based in London (UK). His most famous song is perhaps "Aquella Mujer" which he recorded in 2006 in Colombia.
Ernesto Antonio "Tito" Puente was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. The son of Ernest and Felicia Puente, native Puerto Ricans living in New York City's Spanish Harlem, Puente is often credited as "The Musical Pope", "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music". He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz compositions that endured over a 50-year career. He and his music appear in many films such as The Mambo Kings and Fernando Trueba's Calle 54. He guest-starred on several television shows, including Sesame Street and The Simpsons two-part episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?". His most famous song is "Oye Como Va".
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