Interview: Chris Turner

Today’s post continues our interview series. This week we are highlighting our friend Chris who was born and raised in Boston. Chris is someone who has been beyond fun at the events we’ve been to this year, and that we can always have a good time with. Hopefully, you enjoy learning a little bit about him.

A Short Bio

I’m humble, modest and shy. That’s it! OK, OK, I’m a software QA Analyst for Bose. I love all animals, traveling, casino, son, music, rueda, volleyball, swimming, ETC.

I currently teach rueda at Boston Rueda with my girlfriend, Cathy Young, Diana Ruiz, Ellie Botshon, and Tal Reichert and run Guateque Cubano Boston Dance Social with Cathy and Diana and am on the committee for putting out Boston Cuban Dance Festival along with Cathy, Diana, Grace James, and Jan Danowski! We learned to teach casino by DC Casineros and Ramses Sariol. We get a lot of support from community dance brands like Boston Casineros, El Bonche, Metamovements as well as the community itself! ❤️. Way, way too many people to name, but I’m grateful for every one of them!

The dancer that I most want to emulate, is Piotr Aggasi. And maybe Daybert Linares and Ramses Sariol. But don’t tell them, it will go to their heads! Haha. And Sassan for rueda!

My dance crush….🤫

I don’t love choclo but I do love American corn on the cob! 😁 [inside joke]

How did you find dance/casino?

I first got into dance around 2008…FOR REVENGE! Yup, that wasn’t autocorrect. REVENGE! A Panamanian friend of mine was trying to teach me to salsa out in LA when she turned me once…and I got dizzy. She replied, “Dios mio, you’re so hopelesssss”. We laughed, but in my head, I vowed to come back to Boston and join a MeetUp group for salsa. My goal: learn it, see her again, and spin the HECK out of her! 😈

I haven’t gotten my revenge yet, but I’ll keep you posted.

Since then, I’ve been using my dance for GOOD and not EVIL!

About 2011, I fell in love with Son music when I heard this band covering “Chan Chan” in an underground club called Bar Lola that my friends, Nancy Scott and Carole Bersani had taken me to.

Soon after, I was at a linear salsa social where the opening to the social, was an intro class to rueda. I believe Amanda Gill was teaching it. I was hooked. I loved it and started taking Tuesday classes at Havana Club in Cambridge Mass. Later, I found Boston Rueda, run by José Barretto. He was a fun, energetic, master caller and mentor before he retired. At the same time I was taking Rueda lessons with José at Boston Rueda, Cathy and I were taking private casino lessons with Kristina Masson who graciously gave of herself and has since become a very close friend of ours!

The rest is history.

Favorite dance event you’ve attended?

Boston Cuban Dance Festival, of course! But with many very close seconds. 😀

Current favorite song to dance to?

Goodness, don’t ask a person with ADD this question. Haha. I’ll answer this the best I can without seeing too many squirrels. I love Son music, but dance casino better. This has always been an inner conflict that I must address. 😁 This is a tough one but the two songs that come to mind immediately, “Lo Más Bello Es Lo Más Simple” by Eduardo Moreno y Okocán for Casino. And “Toda Una Vida” by Leoni Torres for Son. For Rueda, “La Maquinaria” by Juan Formell y Los Van Van. Keep in mind, these answers could change in 5 minutes! 😀 Like “Titere” by Tony Avila or “Después de un Beso” by Havana D’Primera…SEE?? 🤣

What is something most people don’t know about you?

If I told you that, then that would no longer be true! 😉

Oh, one person from the dance world who has inspired me, is Ethan Wagner of RuedaMe…he has guided my sense of humor! 😁

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by yatusabes.blog (@yatusabes.blog)

---

Share in the comments what you love about Chris! Or if you haven’t met him before, tell us something you two have in common. Thanks again Chris.

Ya tu sabes…