Page 6 February 25, 2016 TORRANCE TRIBUNE the clock - but being that this is one of my passions – community volunteerism, I make the time for it. The challenging part is trying to land the steps - trying to remember what I am doing,” added Leslie. Able chose a dance combination consisting of two dance styles, the Bachata and Salsa. Apparently, they are quite popular at the moment. Abel said, “The salsa-bachata is very sexy and sensual.” Leslie told me she remembers telling Abel, “Please tell me we are doing cha-cha or free-style or tango.” Then this focused couple began their dance rehearsal. Their moves were smooth, sexy, and smoldering. They focused on their routine and I watched them glide around the wooden floor with the experience and training of two not unfamiliar with movement. This pair is serious about their dance and their mission. I couldn’t take my eyes off the two of them. They repeated their routine over and over until they were glistening with beads of perspiration – they want to be perfect. Honestly, the combination of Salsa and Bachata (which was new to me) was mesmerizing. I think Leslie and Abel will have no problem with the routine from what I witnessed at the rehearsal. The two danced as one in a smoldering, exciting, fabulous routine. I left the studio thinking about Leslie and Abel - two dedicated ‘stars’ who are giving their time and talent for local non-profits. I learned that this is something important to each of them. And nine other couples are doing the exact same thing. Also dancing with professional dancers on February 27th, in addition to Leslie Cortez and Abel Peña, at the Dancing with the South Bay Stars V, are Melissa Ginsburg, Brandon Matson, Chad Mayer, Daniella Morreale, Rafael Porter, Bernadette Reid, Andie Shaw, Cindy Shields, and Boris Skyar. Good luck to everyone! For tickets and information call the Box Office at 310.781.7171 or access www.torrancearts.org. Shall we dance? • TerriAnn in Torrance Our Stars Are Dancing Story and photo by TerriAnn Ferren Coming up on Saturday, February 27th ten brave, talented, generous people will take center stage at the James Armstrong Theatre in our hometown for the dance-off of the year, in the Dancing with the South Bay Stars V event. This year, Leslie Cortez, one of ten contestants paired with a professional dancer, hers being Abel Peña, will match skills with nine other couples. In this event, dance contestants participate for their favorite non-profit charity with a portion of the money they raise going to their chosen non-profit. You may vote for your favorite dancer ($1 per vote), which counts as half of the dancer’s overall score. One hundred votes counts as one point and each dancer may acquire a maximum of 30 points in votes. Got that? Scoring is quite a bit different than the television version with the similar name that so many of us know. Last week I decided to peek-in on a rehearsal with Leslie Cortez and Abel Peña at a dance studio in Torrance. Leslie was putting on her dance shoes when I arrived and Abel was due any moment. The two have been rehearsing for weeks, fitting rehearsals in between their busy work schedules. The door whooshed open and into the studio walked Abel Peña, four-time ESPN World Salsa Dance Champion. Abel carries himself like a dancer. He even walks like a dancer. His broad shoulders and straight carriage relay the fact that this man dances. Abel has been dancing all his life, - professionally since 2004. He was born in Mexico City, Mexico and has lived in the United States since he was 7 years old. Abel grew up in Southern California, and has traveled all over the United States, Europe, Mexico, and South America - performing. I asked him what he thought about participating in the Dancing with the South Bay Stars V and he said, “I got invited and thought it was a very nice project for me to do. What I do with my life is I like to change people’s lives by dancing – to make a difference. That is what I do. It is a great idea [the event] - so I am very happy to be here working with Leslie.” I asked Able how Leslie is doing with the routine and he said, “She is very good. We have a very busy schedule - and that is the hardest part. It is teamwork.” Then I asked Leslie how she got involved with the Dancing with the South Bay Stars and she said, “Actually, I have been involved with the Dancing with the Stars event for as long as it has been running, five years, and typically, I work the concessions and have always watched from afar. When I was invited and given the opportunity to do this, I kind of hesitated ‘cuz I see how great the dancers and the stars are. A lot of them are my colleagues and friends and I came on every year and cheered them on and voted for them. One of the reasons I jumped on this opportunity is because it afforded me the opportunity to help one of my favorite non-profits, The Torrance Historical Society.” Leslie, currently on the Board of Directors of The Torrance Historical Society added, “I think the bigger picture is being a city employee, a Torrance resident, and being involved and intrigued with history. This was kind of a no-brainer. I think it is the first time that Torrance Historical Society has been chosen as a charity and I hope I do right by them.” Leslie is no stranger to the dance floor. “It was a little intimidating in the beginning. My background in dance is mostly hip-hop and freestyle,” she said. I learned Leslie danced throughout the early 80s and 90s in performance and in nightclubs. She performed in music videos and choreographed performances of dance including hip-hop, free style, and contemporary. “I landed a couple cameos on some music videos and was a featured dancer on Soul Train. I did a couple of shows with ‘cheerleader basketball’ sports. This is a lot different. It is not hip-hop. The biggest challenge is we both have very busy schedules. He works round the clock - I work round Abel and Leslie ready for the throw.
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