Francisco Vasquez Part Three By Laureano Ralon Facchina   This is the third installment in a three-part interview with Francisco Vasquez. Click here to read part one.

 

You mentioned some of the people you respect in the salsa scene: your brother Johnny, Frankie Martinez, Juan Matos, Yamule, Santorico – what’s the common denominator to all these people?

They are masters at what they do, they’re confident, and they never look down on people. They want everybody to ‘cross the line’ like them. I’ve never seen Eddie, Johnny, Frankie or Juan get mad at other people because they copying them, for example. They treat people very well and give 100%. If you don’t share what you know, you are never going to get anywhere. It’s also important to be humble, a lot of people think they’re big shots and look down on people. But the people who have a long-lasting name are all humble.

What does it mean to be humble in salsa?

It means to be friends with everybody else.

That’s off the dance floor, though. Is there such a thing as a humble dancer on the dance floor?

A humble dancer lets you have it! For example, I don’t train much for my shows; I prepare them 2 hours in advance. A humble dancer tends to display a natural unnaturalness in his dance, on the dance floor, which makes him very approachable. For me, being humble is about interacting with the crowd who’s watching you and letting the crowd have it.

Let’s change the subject, what do you make of the fact that salsa is becoming more and more like a sport. What does winning a salsa competition mean to you?

Winning a competition gives you a name. It does not make you a better dancer, a better instructor, or a better friend necessarily. It is a credential which you win, and it’s a qualification which adds to your resume as a dancer; it’s an award for what you’ve been doing, a prize for your hard work, but that’s not going to change who you are in essence. If anything, it’ll give your name a big boost: “look, that guy won the championship,” but it won’t make you a good dancer necessarily. And you know something: I’ve been watching a lot of people who win championships but don’t have the level – that’s because it’s choreography. When you compete with choreography, it’s an entirely different ball game; it has nothing to do with social dancer or how strong a dancer you are overall. When we talk about choreography, the best dancer doesn’t always win. Choreography requires a different set of skills.

Speaking of choreographies and styles, what’s your opinion of all the Francisco copycats out there?

There are a lot of copies out there, of course, but that’s the way we learn. At least, some of those people come back and say, “thank you for the motivation!” When people recognize where their inspiration comes from, I have a lot of respect for them even if they’re assholes...at least they say “thanks.” Now, anything in this world comes from someone else, that’s why it’s important to know a little bit about the history of salsa. It’s important to know where the moves you’re learning as a student come from, so that others don’t take credit for it. I think your instructor has the responsibility to tell their students where his inspiration came from. In the beginning, you always get inspired by somebody else, and that person deserves credit even if later on you discover your own style. I will never forget where I came from, even though at one point I realized that I had to be myself. If you notice right now, the Colombians came from nowhere with their own unique style: a mix of L.A. tricks and fast footwork. They came with a unique style which is a mix, but they never claimed the tricks were theirs. They created their own style.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans are to perform more and to perform with different ladies. If there’s anyone out there who would like to tour with Francisco, just give me a call. I’m not a snob; I give a chance to everybody.