Aroha Latin Dance contiues to bring excllent guest instructors to the area and we are proud to welcome Norberto 'Betto' Herrera of Mambo Dinamico Dance Company, LLC! We have an exciting line up of workshops that will not only get you some great dance skills but also a deeper understanding of the roots of Salsa.
Workshop descriptions are below. Children aged 9 and up are welcome to participate in the workshops.
*** SCHEDULE ***
11:00 Yoga Stretch
11:30 Zumba Warm Up
12:00 Musicality
Break (Dance, Eat, Drink)
1:15 Movement Evolution
Break (Dance, Eat, Drink)
2:30 Music+Movement=Dance
3:30 Practica
4:15 Yoga Stretch
Salsa Saturday @ Hard Rock Cafe 10:00-2:00am
10:00 Intro Lessom by Aroha Latin Dance
11:00 Performance by Mambo Dinamico Dance Company, LLC
SUNDAY:
Rest up and then come out to Jerusalem Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar for our Early Salsa Sunday social. Things get started at 6:30 and finish up at 9:00 (Cost $5)
*** COST ***
Prices are all inclusive. There is no price increase for couples. Contact Adalia at 843-304-2034 for group, youth, and college student pricing.
3 Workshops with Betto Herrera - $45
*** WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS ***
Musicality
With over a decade of experience teaching musicality at Congresses and Festivals around the world, Betto Herrera is the pioneer in this field. His workshop is not only theoretical, but also practical. This class will not only inspire you to learn more, but it will also help you apply what you have learned through your dance training with a new methodology. The workshop consists in the introduction of basic percussion rhythms and drilling each one through dance steps and exercises, with philosophical approach along with historical references, which allow you to connect with the music on a different level.
Movement Evolution
The main purpose of this class is to expand the ways you can interpret the music with your body, giving you some background of the origins of Latin dance. Betto Herrera’s understanding of Latin dance has been acquired through years of research and training with different dance masters. This workshop will help you understand the connection between African, Afro-Cuban, and contemporary Latin Dances.
Muisc+Movement=Dance
In the first two workshops participants will learn elements of Salsa while gaining a deeper understanding of the music and movement. In this class it all comes together. Participants will have the opportunity to learn partner work with Betto's excellent instruction. Students will leave with skills they can use on the dance floor right away.
*** INSTRUCTOR BIO ***
Norberto “Betto” Herrera is originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, where his mother was born and raised. His father was a fisherman from Peru, who fell in love with Betto’s mother during his visit to the port city of Guayaquil. Sadly, his father, for whom Betto is named, was killed when he was only three years old. Betto is very proud of his heritage and grateful to have grown up surrounded by music and dance. His mother worked hard to immigrate to the United States. She was able to bring Betto and his two younger brothers a few years later.
Betto moved to West New York, New Jersey with his family in 1996, when he was a teenager. His desire to stay in touch with his Latin roots brought him to Ismael Otero, one of the pioneers of mambo and salsa dancing in the area. He studied under Ismael until he joined the military in 2000.
During his time at Camp Lejune, Betto started Latin dance classes for service members and their dependents. The classes on base were so popular that he was asked to teach and perform throughout other parts of North Carolina. Even after he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps and moved to Raleigh in 2004, requests for instruction and performances continued. And so, Mambo Dinamico was founded.
While living in Raleigh, Betto continued his dance training in different Latin dance styles. He trained in Tango techniques with fellow instructor Daniel McClain. He also received mentorship and training from Cuban Master Felix “Pupy” Insua in Afro-Cuban movement and dance. Master Pupy’s knowledge and guidance helped Betto widen his perception towards dance to a larger scale. Because of him, Betto approaches Latin dances as a way to create community and spread cultural awareness. In addition to ongoing dance training, Betto continues to expand his music repertoire through his mentor David Garcia, Associate Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina.
[Betto4] Some highlights of Betto’s dance career include participating in international dance conferences in Washington, D.C.; New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Orlando, FL; Curacao, NA; Tokyo, Japan; among many others. Betto was also appointed as the head judge of Southeast Salsa Open Dance Competition, as well as in the judging panel for the Peru Salsa Open. He has been featured in publications like Southern Living Magazine, News and Observer, The Independent Weekly, Cary Living Magazine, and LaVoz Del Mambo. Betto has also been interviewed and featured by local channels like Univision 40, WRAL and FOX50. He frequently is used as a subject for scholarly research by professors and students at local universities because of his expertise in Latin dance and music.
Since Betto founded Mambo Dinamico, he has transformed it into a premiere Latin Dance Company that provides instruction, performances, and choreographies both nationally and internationally. Mambo Dinamico’s dancers are known for their musicality, energy and unique movements. Betto feels blessed that his love of dance turned into a lifelong career and thankful everyday for his students and audiences that make it all possible.