Hi FabuDance Friends,
For any of you who have met me by now, you’ve come to learn just how important dance is in my Life (and to my Soul). It lifts me up and I always know I can turn to it to elevate me to another state of consciousness. Okay, yes … it also helps me stay in great shape (which is why I suggest this as one of the best activities you can get into for this purpose alone). Besides keeping us all in great shape, it’s also a phenomenal social connector, teaches you another skill that I promise you will ALWAYS come in handy and can be utilized in various ways … plus, dance is a beautiful silent communication (with yourself and also reaching out to others).
This being said, I encourage you to LEARN to dance … if you don’t already know how to do so. And, if you are looking for ideas, I LOVE Salsa & Lindy Hop Swing Dancing. From these I found that they have similar turns and some movements. I even got to learn I could do Vintage Country Swing because there were similar steps too (video below). I’ve also done Hula Dancing performances (it helped that my Mom went to University of Hawaii and taught us some moves when we were younger).
Because of my love of dance, I’ve created Salsa & Swing Dance events to bring people in the community (and outside … which is an even greater blessing … to see how it grows) together through dance. It’s pure positive energy!!
I’ve listed my events, where to dance, classes/instructors, links to videos, etc. in the past. However, I know just want a page that’s not specific to just one particular area (like I had in New Orleans). It is open to all areas … just as I dance in all areas I travel to (it’s a must). I connect with many people in various areas for this very reason. Also, videos continue to pop up so I want to post here in one place so that I have a record of them … plus, you get to see the joy it brings me (hoping it inspires the joy of dance within you too). I’ll post more and more as they come.
I want you to remember too that I used to not be very good at “couple’s dancing” (which is what I tend to hear from a lot of you). I think it has a lot to do with control (which I had to learn to release … and Life has been so much better because of it). I also taught me to be more intuitive and I learned to dance much better because I observe and follow my partner well … while also adding in a style that’s all my own.
Learning to dance (or taking it up again) is something that I encourage all to do … even if it’s just allowing music to envelop your spirit (and you dance freely from within). I promise you … your Life will be filled with so much gratitude!!
Thanks for reading, thanks for watching … and thanks for dancing from your heart.
Peace & Love,
Cherylyn
Cherylyn L. Tompkins & Ted George Salsa Dancing for OTRA (who are performing on the other side of the stage with a partition in between the 2 stages … don’t they sound fabulous?) at 2013 Congo Sq New World Rhythms Fest in New Orleans on March 23, 2013 – Parts 1 & 2. Thanks greatly to my friend, Demetrius Harrison for taking the video with my digital camera (which cuts off after 10 minutes), especially because it was raining during our performance.
OTRA’s website: www.OtraMusic.com:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Pictures where also taken during performances. Here are slide shows of photos from the performances. Yes, if you haven’t guessed yet from videos, it was raining while we were performing. It shows up in the pics too:
FABULOUS Photos by N.O. Jazz & Heritage Foundation Photographer Eric Simon (10 photos):
Charley Williams (photo credit):
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So, I was just told about this video recently. My fabulous friend, Keenan Goldsmith, who took this video on his phone on March 24, 2013 while I was dancing with Tomas Sardy last year at Mojito’s (which is no longer Mojito’s). I end up taking so many pics and vids for others that I don’t always have ones of me dancing (with exception of finding fabulous friends that have taken without me knowing or me having to ask someone to take for me). It’s dark but you can still get the gist of how much fun we are having while dancing. Thanks Keenan for taking and thanks to Tomas for the dancing … always!!:
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Cherylyn L. Tompkins & Edgar Bernard perform Salsa and Cha-cha-chá (2 different videos) for Los Hombres Calientes (with Pedrito Martinez playing alongside Bill Summers) at 2012 N.O. Jazz & Heritage Fest on May 5, 2012 on the Jazz & Heritage Stage.
Los Hombres Calientes: www.basinstreetrecords.com/artists/los-hombres-calientes:
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Fabulous Slide Show of Photos from Photographer & Friend, Cedric A. Ellsworth of NOLA Vieux Photography:
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Here’s a short video clip captured by my friend, John Sharappa, during my dance performance onstage with Edgar Bernard for Los Hombres Calientes (and Pedrito Martinez sitting in with Bill Summers … you’ll see him towards end) at the 2012 N.O. Jazz & Heritage Fest. Thanks for capturing this Cha-cha-chá so fabulously, John (and for the BEautiful photos you took as well):
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Fabulous Pics of Me taken by Fabulous Photographers & Friends during Performance … John Sharappa and Girard Mouton III:
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Here’s a slide show of pics taken with Fabulous Friends (who either performed, worked Fest or watched the performances) after the Los Hombres Calientes set (can you tell it was HOT out there?!?):
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Lee Rios & Me at Galvez Restaurant during NOSD’s “Sophisticated Salsa Sundays”:
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Me dancing with Mike Griffin (NOSD, Inc.) at Galvez Restaurant for the NOSD Hump Day Salsa Social on Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=1277591938375
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Me dancing with Ted George at Galvez Restaurant for the NOSD Hump Day Salsa Social on Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=1277453854923
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Quick video (:26 sec) a friend of mine caught at 2011 N.O. Jazz Fest. I’m dancing with one of my fun & fabu swing dancing friends in New Orleans, Jean-Francois Cayula. This is during one of the fabu performances at the Jazz Tent. I was working as the Host for the Big Chief VIP Experience at the Jazz Tent (that’s why you see us behind the stanchions). Fun at the Fest!!
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Cherylyn L. Tompkins Swing Dancing with Doug at BMC (Balcony Music Club in New Orleans) to Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue on 8 9 2009. So, knowing how much I LOVE to dance Salsa & Lindy Hop Swing, I was so delighted when I discovered that these styles are easily incorporated into Vintage Country Swing. Gal Holiday plays the best of vintage country, rockabilly and western swing classics. The dancing & music was FABULOUS!! LOVE!!! They covered Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash & so much more. Check out their website: http://www.galholiday.com
Gal Holiday used to play every Sunday at BMC. Doug (featured here in the video dancing with me) is one of the best dancers. When I met him on my birthday on July 19, 2009, I saw him dance and said, “I’m not sure if I know exactly how to do what you’re doing … however, I can dance Salsa & Swing and some of the moves look similar. Would you dance with me?” He told me I was making him look good dancing (he flatters me so). I LOVE IT!!! See, learn couples dancing and you will find that it crosses many genres.
The video is just a bit dark in some spots. However, my friend starts moving around to various places to catch most of it until the end. So much fun!!!
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Okay, admittedly so, this isn’t a “regular” dance video. This actually was having some FabuFun (which is “regular” dancing to Me) at my friends’ (Anais & Marco) Holiday House Party. It still counts so I’m putting it here for all to see ;D. Enjoy!!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1277591938375#!/video/video.php?v=1324747557236
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Here are two dance videos. They are dark because of the lighting. However, they were SuperFabu dances (with my friend, Sasan) at newly opened (at the time) Cuba Libre in DC on Oct 23, 2010:
Video 1:
http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=1187285573#!/video/video.php?v=1678783247907
Video 2:
http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=1187285573#!/video/video.php?v=1678795168205
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When I used to have my Salsa Night at The Blue Nile, I got Mike and myself on WDSU for an interview. This is where the video USED to BE. I say used to because it appears it got moved when they updated their website. So, until I find it (I hope they still have it there), here’s the old page (in hopes they will eventually post it again):
Interview on WDSU by Randi Rousseau with Me and Mike Griffin (NOSD, Inc.) for my “FabuNOLA presents: FiestaNOLA ~ Sexy Salsa Sundays”:
http://www.wdsu.com/video/22904181/detail.html
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