If you have noticed that some of the best Salseros in the dance scene are Martial Arts trained, this should not be a surprise to you. From his studies of the Zen and the Tao, Bruce Lee wrote: "The ‘empty-mindedness’ applies to all activities…such as dancing. If the dancer has any idea at all of displaying his art well, he ceases to be a good dancer for his mind stops with every motion." To me, Martial Arts and Salsa have much in common. The act of attacking and defending is parallel to that of leading and following, spontaneity and harmony plays a crucial part in the course. But aside from the theoretical similarities, the more fascinating fact is that Martial Arts and Salsa both project an irresistible sense of history and culture. Ever since I started dancing, it has been a dream of mine to create a routine that combines the elements of traditional Asian arts and exotic Latin rhythms.

Like most modern cities in the world, the society of Hong Kong glorifies Hollywood celebrities. In the 70’s and 80’s, it was more hip for a kid to keep a picture of John Travolta or Charlie’s Angels in the wallet, than to have a poster of Jackie Chan or Jet Li on the bedroom wall. Hardly anyone knew my real childhood idol was not Brooke Shields nor Olivia Newton John, but Michele Yeoh – the latest Bond girl, Super Cop co-star, Asia’s Kung Fu heroine who also attended the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance in England. As a child in Hong Kong, I never spoke openly about my secret adoration for the exquisite hair ornaments Asian women used to wear in their braided buns, the way old-fashioned "Cheongsams" enhance a lady’s sinuous body, and how young girls hid their faces coyly with elaborately hand-painted fans. As a teenager in England, I was reluctant to discuss with my peers about my interest in Shaolin Kung Fu, the rigid discipline and philosophy behind it, and utter respect for the ones who devote themselves to it. I have even taken a Kung Fu course one summer and told no one, not even my own father. As an adult in America, I have finally learned to appreciate the etiquette and arts refined by centuries of civilization. Instead of repressing them, I now long to express openly my feelings of pride and enchantment for Asian art forms. In addition, I also want to defy some of the negative stereotypes the entertainment industry has somehow developed for Asians. We are not just a race of computer geeks, waiters, mafias, prostitutes, or meek existences with a perverted accent. I wish to depict my vision of Asia in all its mysterious splendor, the women’s inner strength and their gracious femininity, and the men’s intellect with their poised masculinity.

My opportunity came when Jimmy Anton put together the "Latin Jazz Ensemble", consisting of him, Manny Siverio, Josephine Torlone, and myself. Although we all dance very differently, each with our own distinctive traits, we have great chemistry as a team. With these characters, I felt strongly that together we could produce something unique. We soon started working on "Asia Mood", one of the many Asian-inspired compositions by Tito Puente. This arrangement is both magnificent and hypnotic, with plenty of contrasting sections enabling us to toy with various ideas. The four of us had a blast and plenty of bruises putting this routine together. Props are used to highlight different moods of the number. The opening gong already sets the Oriental tone of the piece, with the two guys fanning out in a Kung Fu pose featuring the girls doing a jazzy form of "Kao Tao"(Bow). In the delicate vibes sections the girls tease with fans and play with streamers, their dancing is complimented by dainty shines to keep the clavé kicking. In the majestic brass sections the guys show off their baton drill and Karate moves over Cuban side charges and swing steps. The juxtaposition of the women’s softness and the men’s definitude is emphasized by the props. Streamers verses batons are like water against metal, opposite in nature but equally powerful. In the chorus the couples execute turn patterns with the batons as a form of "limb extension", intertwining between man and woman. Depending on the angle of the audience, the effect could be both luring and perplexing. During the finale, the two guys practice their stick drill in the background just like a scene from an old Kung Fu movie; while the girls strike a nonchalant ending pose, mimicking a Shanghai lady reclining on her fainting couch in all her opulence.

"Hu-bud"(a empty hand sensitivity drill like the Chinese "sticking hand" Chi-Sao drill")
-Winsome Lee

Needless to say there were many accidents and painful moments while we were figuring out how to handle everything with ease. Not all Asians are born knowing Kung Fu or the Flower Drum Song, just like not all Latinos are born knowing Mambo shines or the timbales. Even an authentic Chinese like me have to practice her sticks and fans diligently. This choreography was not conceived without several field trips to Chinatown for research. In the process I had begged store-owners for old folkloric dance videos that are no longer sold, tried on all versions of Chinese robes and gowns in Pearl River Mart, and cleaned up the fans supply from the souvenir shops because we kept destroying them during rehearsals. The total props for each performance summed up to 4 small fans for the ladies, 2 big fans for Jimmy, 2 streamers for the ladies, and 2 batons for the men. At one point I felt like I was in a circus. The biggest challenge was to execute all the ideas without overkill, sans any taste of a theme park in action, and keep the Mambo humming amidst all the foreign activities.

As the most experienced Salsero, Jimmy keeps us in check with the dance itself. Afterall, this is a dance number, not a Martial Arts exhibition. Although somewhat skeptical at first, he was a good sport for going along with this wild concept and taking it to the World Salsa Congress with complete faith. And for Jo, my homegirl, the Italian diva who captures all the essence of this piece, overturns the "China doll" image and transforms herself into a feline "Dragon lady". She portrays my image of a Chinese aristocratic dame with the right hint of arrogance like no one else can do. Last but definitely not least, Manny our Sifu (Literally "teacher father", means Kung Fu Master), was the excellent technician and Martial Arts director on the set of "Asia Mood" who helped me immensely in verbalizing my ideas. He trained Jimmy a Filipino stick drill, and me with  "Hu-bud"(a empty hand sensitivity drill like the Chinese "sticking hand" drill Chi-Sao") patiently. Even though it resulted in my arms turning purple and green and looked like those of a battered woman, I reveled in the sensation of a Kung Fu heroine it brought me. Manny is like a cross between a Kung Fu dictionary and a Martial Arts chef. When I once requested a certain combat pose from him, he displayed an array of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Filipino moves, like an international platter for me to pick from. We could not have accomplished this without him.

All of us are responsible for finessing this routine, and in my mind we have managed to create a very special work of art. The icing on the cake was the crowd’s warm applause when we finally performed "Asia Mood" at the New York Salsa Congress, which I can still hear inside my heart today. My appreciation for the individual talents is obvious. However, most of my gratitude goes to their incredible open minds and blind trust, their willingness to take chances and accept my many unusual requests. Without these qualities, this piece could not be completed as such. Because of them I am able to live out my childhood fantasies, and as a group we could hopefully bring one more sparkle of excitement to the colorful world of Salsa.

"The icing on the cake was the crowd’s warm applause when we finally performed
"Asia Mood" at the New York Salsa Congress"
-Winsome Lee

For more on Mam-fu surf on over to the following pages
Performing Mam-fu at the 3rd Annual Congreso Mundial de la Salsa - Manny Siverio
Everybody is Kung-Fu Dancing (San Juan Star Newspaper writes about Mam-fu)