Frankie Martinez & Sonnari -- Salsa Dancing in Korea

[MyHatillo]

I was station in Korea 4 times in the 80's and no club play any Salsa there. Wish they did!

[johnvannewhouse]

But the question remains... if you have Frankie Martinez dancing salsa with some chick that knows what she is doing and NO ONE is watching them....then who THE FUCK is dancing offscreen to the left?!?!?

[johnvannewhouse]

Frankie likes the shines A LOT more than having to dance with a partner - and his shines are unreal. But still, kind of a throwaway when he dances with her as he really seems like he is just dogging it to get to the shines... still does some great combos and patterns tho... could probably do them in his sleep...

[dondelero]

They have oneof the best dancers in the world and the crowd is cheering on some random couple on the side. its so hard to appreciate good dancing when you dont know what to look at

[ilovechubbybunny]

whoa my boyfriends name is frankie and my last name is martinez

[OzTing]

who knows what song this is? thanks

[decarden]

ay cucu by andy montanez

[RaquelG0118]

wow! That's so cool That Koreans can Salsa That pretty Tight!!! Someday I'll Dance Salsa with them Someday!

Keep Salsa Dancing Fighting!!!!

[renegadestud]

!!! awesome dancers!!!

Keep up the great dance!!!

[XoJackieLuvsRonniexo]

the dancers are all very good!! and this song is great I love it and it makes me want to dance. It's amazing how global salsa is...

[edavrom]

i wanna take one of his workshops...do any of you know his schedule?

[PapiQueRico]

Dude, you took this footage in Korea? What was your experience there salsawise?

[Big10]

No, I didn't personally shoot this footage. I got it from somewhere else.

[poohsito78]

korea has some of the best salsa dancing in asia hands down. Seoul is best, followed closely by Tokyo. this is if u like on2 & on1, for cuban style tokyo would be better cause there are lotsa cubans there.

[sndramafnatic23]

thanks for sharing--they sure know how to move.

; )

[ptwist]

i liekd this video ....veryyyy smooth and was always on beat...one thing i noticed about him is he doesnt dance in a slot like others..but i guess he can do w/e he wants since he's in the middle and everyone looks at him lol ...

[jupjup1]

Nice! I love Frankie this is a excellent video. You should post this on SalsadynastyDOTcom!

[irene1288]

The lady looks so lost in the end....

[lagarto3148]

I do prefer certain music, dance styles and dancers but I will not criticize anyone that gets up and gets down dancing!!!! Critique but do not criticize. Have a great time dancing!!!

[lagarto3148]

Remember that Art is an expression that hopefully is different from each other. Dance is also an expression, an Art. If I want to express myself by standing still in the middle of the dance floor it is then my expression. I am sure that I will be critiqued harshly but not thrown in jail for that; so we are free to express ourselves.

[lagarto3148]

Frankie Martinez does not dance as Cubans do and neither he dances as anyone else. But he does have knowledge of Afro-Cuban dance music and history. KEY word: Abakua, Frankie Martinez dance company. Look up the word Abakua and you will see that is traced to Cuba and before that to Africa.

[salsero4U2]

Part2:I dance on all 4 of them. Timing is just a personal preference but you need to dance with the music and feel it from the inside, people that are into keeping track of their timing or count are very noticeable Like koreans you can tell they are counting

theirs steps. Everyone developes thier own personal style and put a little bit of other types of dances into salsa like tango, bomba, plena,swing,hustle etc. Even Michael Jackson style has been use ask Frankie Martinez and Franklin Diaz.

[salsero4U2]

Part1:This comment if for BRIvi77 and bubbasqueen. Why are you two arguing about dancing on 1 or 2or if its NY or LA or salsa 1 or mambo 2 or mambo1 salsa2 I don't see the differnce you are still dancing on "1" unless you are dancing "Power 2" or 2/3 clave which hardly anybody dance to unless you're from PR or into dancesport. Continue Part2:

[salerodemambo]

I personally think Frankie is AMAZING he has the Cuban/Afro style down to an art. I mean look at it the moves go perfectly with the music. They may not be the "cookie Cutter" moves of the SON video that was talked about earlier but frankie blows that style away!I mean i have yet to see anyone that can dance with such feel for the music!

[salsero4U2]

Cubans don't dance like that. Him and Franklin dance pretty much the same.

[berenicebenayoun]

If anyone still wondered, the caracters in korean at the end are basically just the transcription of the main dancers names : Frankie (프랭키) and Sonari (손나리)...

Nice video, his technique seems flawless... What it would be to dance with someone like that !*sigh*

[Big10]

Thank you very much for that extra bit of information! Glad you liked the video. :-)

[Dulcecomolacana]

'Ay Cucu' by Andy Montañez

[robert23rgf]

perdon me podrian decir cual es el nombre de la concion por favor

[lagarto3148]

Bubbasqueen..I have been dancing for fifty years...five times ten years. Now...I am very interested to see you and your husband dance. Is there a video that we can watch? I hope so....I am eager to eat my words and learn from you.

[lagarto3148]

Bubbasqueen Part 2.....I suggest that you learn more about these dances. I am Cuban and I dance on the traditional "up beat" with the clave, instruments and soneros. BTW, Frankie DOES not dance LA Style....he is also an extremely learned AFRO CUBAN dancer and historian. There is nothing more painful than ignorance with attitude, you should know is how you feel when you are stepped on.

[salsero4U2]

you mean afro-caribbean

[lagarto3148]

Bubbasqueen...Casino is very popular because it is extremely easy to learn. It is a very small part of Cuban dancing. I lived a mile away from El Casino Deportivo where it originated.

[faouzisalsa2009]

l'une des videos salsa que j'adore le plus

frankie the best ..

[Lofland000]

It's a waste of time to argue with someone who says "Frankie dances LA salsa style." I still love this video; I've watched it almost every day since you posted it, Big10. It's impossible to copy Frankie's perfect technique, but it's fun to copy some of the moves.

[BRIvi77]

Bubbasqueen, my turn...Casino dancers are EVERYWHERE & I've dance it for two yrs before switching to Mambo On2. I can't stand it, way too fast, them throwing themselves into me had to tell them to stay in their space!! Mambo is cleaner and in a SLOT not everywhere. Show me one Casino dancer who is not showy! If you say you have such sabor as a gringa then I assume you can dance like Amanda Estilo, Candy Mena, Kimberly Flores, Griselle Ponce...

[bubbasqueen]

BRlvi77

"I assume you can dance like Amanda Estilo, Candy Mena, Kimberly Flores, Griselle Ponce... "

Sorry, I have no idea who these ladies are. I just try to dance to the music and enjoy myself. I have no interest in dancing on the 2. Personally, I don't like the way it looks.

Look at the video of these little Puertorican kids on youtube who are dancing in the street. They are dancing to the music. Olvin Jomar Rivera y Gilerarie Rivera

[bubbasqueen]

BR

I looked up your ladies. There are many, many women who dance like them. I've seen them through the years in many countries. (I vacation in Latin American countries.) There are more talented women salsa dancers than there are men.

[BRIvi77]

Actually no I don't dance like them..I look nothing like them however you are entitle to your opinion, you don't like On2 style and I don't like On1 (I'll dance it if I don't have no choice but to.)You have no argument on how On1 dancers dance so I guess you dance just like them...everywhere.

[bubbasqueen]

Hey, what happened to my comment?

As others say, he doesn't dance to the music. He knows a lot of moves. I've seen many dancers like him over the 10+ years I've been dancing salsa. (I've been stepped on by many of them too as they did their big "moves".) As for examples of great salsa dancers, unfortuntely youtube doesn't have them since they aren't promoting themselves. The Puertorican/Cuban old style dancers are a dying breed. The ballroom dancers are forcing them out of the clubs.

[bubbasqueen]

OK, It took about seven minutes for my original comment to appear. Here is the rest.

The movie "Dance with Me" with Cheyenne and Vanessa Williams are great to compare real Cuban salsa and ballroom mambo.

[bubbasqueen]

By the way all, before you make your comments, I can dance with salsa with everyone but I hate the multiple turns and showing off by the young men. Just dance salsa with sabor. However, the youngsters (machos jovenes) don't understand this concept.

[Big10]

bubbasqueen --

I can respect your different opinion, but I don't understand why you decided to use this video to post 4 comments about your personal dislike of different types of Salsa dancers. In any event, I hope you eventually find dance videos that you like elsewhere on YouTube.

[bubbasqueen]

I replied with four different comments because I was limited with the number of words I could use. Anyway, I prefer traditional Cuban and Puertorican salsa. People, when they see my husband and me dance they thini we are either Cuban or Puertorican. BTW, somos gringos.

[bubbasqueen]

Big 10

I guess I chose this video because of the many salsa dancers who dance this way after I did a search on youtube. It is typical of the teachers/salsa dancers I know in the Atlanta, Georgia USA area. They know a lot of turns but don't know the rhythym of the music.

The closest to couples dancing in rhythm, IMO, is Chicos del swing. I'm not a fan of rueda but that is my choice.

[bubbasqueen]

Big 10

I would like to apologize. I just landed here on your video by accident.

Here is the style of salsa dancing my husband and I do. We are not youngsters. Look up SON / salsa Dancing on youtube posted by ee98iae. We don't exactly dance like this but this is what we think is "cool". Our style of salsa is often described as smooth.

Young people are often impressed by a lot of moves but that is not what we think is good dancing. I leave you to your video.

BQ

[bubbasqueen]

Frankie dances LA salsa style. I've been stepped on many of the same kind of guys, dancing this style. I wasn't dancing with them at the time. (They only know how to dance in a wide area and not how to make smaller steps when the floor is crowded.) to be continued.

[statickk14]

Frankie dances New York style or on 2. I am not sure how long you are dancing. And Frankie doesn't do a lot of turn patterns...lots of his dancing is street style Salsa where he just moves to the music. Why don't you upload a video of your performance with your husband and let the viewers be the judge of what you have to say.

[salsero4U2]

To be honest that style is called frankie martinez style and not NY style.

[clavedostres]

Awesome video! Frankie Martinez is a superb dancer.

[Lofland000]

okay julieanne, I looked at the "santiago de cuba casa de la trova" video listed under your favorites. It's very nice, relaxed casino style. The couple is in closed position more, but I fail to see how their connection is more "real" than Frankie's.

[Dsand05]

I looked at the same video and I agree with your statement completely. Plus I think the couple in the la Trova clip are partners. Frankie and Sonnari are not partners--they are just enjoying a social dance. Frankie has some great clips social dancing with Lori and Aisha both of his regular partners.

[lagarto3148]

There should be a law that negative criticism should accompany videos of those that criticize. Frankie Martinez is a learned dancer with a unique style. I dance very differently but I do appreciate his style. He represents what his heritage, Puerto Rico and mine, Cuba, has stood for and that is embracing all types of music and styles. Do not attempt to place boundaries on our music and dance with harsh ignorant criticism.

[julieanne66]

Watch dancing by typing in 'casa de la trova' and you should see another way of dncing by a couple who have a real connection.

[Lofland000]

If someone ever watches me dance and tells me that my sub-standard rhythm and passionless, self-conscious technique reminds them of Frankie Martinez, I will fall on my knees and thank them, then cry tears of pure joy.

[scmikua]

I agree Lof. Frankie is amazing and if you ever get to take a class with him in ny you can see how serious he is about the art. If someone told me I bought the same shirt as Frankie I would be over-joyed

[Lofland000]

Thanks for posting this, Big10, it's always great to get another social dancing video of Frankie. Sometimes Frankie looks a little bored in the social dancing videos, or he does too many shines for my taste, but in this one is great. I like his social dancing even more than his performances. Get Frankie's DVD if you don't have it, he has an interesting interview. See you at the Milton Cobo thing in Houston in July.

Chip from Austin

[Big10]

I haven't seen Frankie's DVD, but thanks for the recommendation. And, yes, I'll definitely be at the July event -- see you there!

[vincent4500]

Frankie;s dancing is New York..that;s self-consciously trying to be cool!..'trying' to be cool in salsa means youre outside the music..true art is egoless, about feel no matter how much technical wizadry you have..i am far from a novice, i go to the most advanced technical classes..this statement shows me you;re a novice like so many you can;t even see his rhythm is sub-standard. que ignorancia del arte!

[Big10]

Out of curiosity, vincent4500, if you hate Frankie's dancing so much, then why did you take the time to watch the two videos of his that I've posted, and leave negative comments on both of them? The same thing happened with toto352. It would have been easy to ignore the videos, but you and toto352 seem to have gone out of your way just to be "haters." Why bother?

[Dsand05]

vincent4500, I'm having a hard time understanding your argument because I lack an example of who you think is rhythmically sound and dances within the music. Can you provide and example of who you think is a great mambo/salsa dancer?

[PapiQueRico]

Frankie is so smooth he makes complex moves look simple and adds flavor and style to basic moves. Novice dancers and salsa consumers that can't think outside the box often can't appreciate the nuances and subtleties that make this style so great. Frankie can explode at will and one of the reasons is because he sets you up with him smoothness and pics the moments when he really wants to give it to you.

[toto352]

He's far from the best in the world! He's often passionless and for a 'professional' never seems to have much rhythm..or 'counter' rhythm..he improves dancing alone! becomes quite animated/athletic..but his dancing seems driven by technique & ego.. watch 'Strictly Ballroom' you might understand then like art, best dancing starts with the 'heart' and with rhythm..technique is the icing on the cake

[indamoods]

Yeah, that greater dancer would be Lori. It's clear they're not cheering for the guy she's w/. Asian women study other salseras intently so they can pick up new moves. We all know Lori can move!

[Big10]

You can see Lori going behind Frankie to the dance floor at around 1:23. It doesn't surprise me that some of the women there would want to watch her dance -- Lori is awesome! Nevertheless, I still thought Sonnari had plenty of excellent moves herself!

[karlosism]

Haha...they are cheering for someone else...the crowd is not on frankie...is KOREA hiding a greater dancer than FM???

[salsa7]

i agree with ya Ivanillomix and i guess all salsero`s around the world agree with us ^_* viva la salsa viva la frankie

[salsafelipe]

kel teben ;P

[salsa7]

L0OO0O00OL MO SIJ HAAAA ^_*

[Ivanillomix]

Frankie is the best salsa dancer of the world. Your style is unique.

[bulentgercek]

Big big Frankie!

[fudgemeister]

'Ay Cucu' by Andy Montañez

[Big10]

Thanks!!!

[shranki]

Whow.

[pepelucho33]

Great dancing !!!! Name of the song please.