¿Qué tal? How many of you are planning on doing a traditional waltz? Are you totally stressed on how to do it perfectly? Check out this video, where the entire court and the quinceañera are introduced during the dance. We messaged the choreographer, Linda, on YouTube. She replied with some great tips for you! And have no fear -- Linda said the court learned this waltz in one day!

TIPS:

• Make sure to include the bow and curtsy.
  
• Recognize each chambelan by dancing with him as his name is announced. The chambelán de honor should go last.
• Add flowers to the routine to make it extra fancy. A simple twirling in and out while holding roses will do the trick.
  
• Present the damas by having them curtsy alongside their chambelán, who escorts them toward the quince girl. Each dama gives her rose to you as she leaves the floor.
  
• The main attraction is YOU, the birthday girl, so keep yourself at the center of attention throughout the dance for both the waltz and the surprise dance.

I like how the damas and chambelanes were introduced separately, don't you? At my quince, we introduced them in pairs, but since they're not actually couples in real life, I think the individual attention is nice. How 'bout you?

These chicos did! On YouTube, I found this video of a court that didn't know how to dance, but they hired a choreographer and learned an awesome routine in only a week! The song was "Bendita tu luz" de Mana y Juan Luis Guerra.

I really like how the quince girl is hidden in the middle at first, and then the court steps aside and lets her steal the spotlight. All the couples are really in sync too with their spins and steps. Plus, the chambelanes toss their hats, adding some fun and personality. My only suggestion is that after your dance is over, you and your court should all take a bow or curtsy, rather than just break up on the dance floor.

What do you think?

I just got back from my cousin’s quince in Dallas, and I must say, the dancing was muy fabuloso! I was super impressed by her chambelanes' dance moves. I know there is no way I could have gotten the boys in my court to move like that. (No offense, chicos, but we all know how lazy and immature you can be sometimes!) So imagine my surprise when my prima told me that she completely agreed, and she decided to not have any of her guy friends be chambelanes in her court.

So who were these mystery boys burning up the dance floor at my cousin’s quince? They were professional quinceañera dancers known as “cadets”!

Apparently, hiring all-male dance crews to replace chambelanes is Dallas’ hottest quince trend. The cadets, who get their names from the U.S. Marine uniforms they wear, spend several days before the quinceañera practicing entrance and dance routines with the quince girl.

It costs anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 to hire 7-14 cadets, but to some, it’s worth it. You'll also get to choose your dancers. My cousin said she picked the cutest ones!

Here’s a video of the Latin Boys of Fort Worth cadet dance crew performing at the All Saints Expo:

Latin Boys of Fort Worth Cadets

Don’t they look guapisimo in those Marine uniforms? Learn more about cadets by reading this article in the Dallas Morning News.

Would you consider hiring cadets or professional dancers to perform in your quinceañera?

Hi MisQuinceMag,

I am currently touring the Six Flags Great Adventures Tour, opening up for Mario and Chris Brown all over the country to help promote my new album! I have to tell you that it ain't easy -- living away from my family, living from suitcases, going to planes at 6 in the morning to get to the next city to do sound check, then the live show, then to go to an after-hours place to leave the club at 2 a.m. to wake up again at 5am to get to the airport at 6am!

Day after day, I eat all the wrong food, 'cause the record label schedules your every waking minute, but they don't schedule food breaks or sleep! So we eat on the run and sleep on the planes and limos, as we hustle to the next show! Now it might sound like I am complaining, but I really am. LOL!!! It isn't all glitz and glory. There is a grind that continues daily. We have to sneak in all types of interviews, radio appearances, and then make time to pee. LOL! I am so busy that my manager has to make breaks in the schedule or we get on the buses squeezing our legs LOL!

But then, that one fan hugs you and says some of the best things any soul could ever hear, and it's all worth it. Knowing that some people look up to me, a Latino with a little education, and say I am an inspiration makes it all worthwhile. When a girl fan just starts to cry cause I walked into a "meet and greet," when guys say that they love my music, when grownup's say that I set a good example, when I look into your eyes and you smile this real warmhearted smile that says "I LOVE YOU," it makes all the grind seem so little in comparison. Last but not least, when I walk onto that stage and everyone sings along with me, it's all worth the sacrifice. Thank you for those special memories, one and ALL.

LOVE,

COLBY O'DONIS

Hola chicas! I wanted to share my latest find with you, because it's perfect for recording your quince dances and uploading them to YouTube. Have you heard of the Flip camera? It's a pocket-sized video cam that you use with the touch of one button, and it has a USB connector to easily upload to the web. The cameras with 60 minutes of memory list for $150, but you can find them cheaper on amazon.com.

I checked out reviews of the RCA Small Wonder Pocket Cams, but they weren't so hot. Apparently image quality is poor. The Creative Vado camera is really sleek looking and has a bigger screen, but Laptop magazine wrote that the video quality isn't as good as the Flip. Kodak is launching its own itty-bitty camera called the Zi6 in September, which will cost $180, but it might be worth the extra bucks because it records in high-definition. There's already a high-definition video cam called DXG-567V that's selling for $120 on amazon.com now and getting good reviews.

Do you guys record video of dances at quinces or at your own dance rehearsals? What kind of camera do you use? Don't forget to show off your videos with us on Mis Quince's YouTube page!

Hi MisQuinceMag!

I was honored by Power 106 and E-Man when I opened for The Game, LIL WAYNE, Chris Brown, and Ice Cube at PowerHouse '08 in the Los Angeles Anaheim Arena in June. There were over 20,000 people, and I have to admit it was terrific hearing everyone sing back my song. AKON surprised everyone when he walked on stage and did his part live with Kardinal Offishall, singing “Dangerous.”

We rocked the house! It was so wonderful that I got a little emotional backstage. You know the good watery-eye feeling? Nobody ever will know how many things I sacrificed to get to that moment and everybody singing along with me really touched my soul. It was an affirmation that I finally hit my first home run. Someone said to me that I was a one hit wonder and if I am, all I can say is at least I have a HIT! LOL

LOVE,

COLBY O'DONIS

p.s. check out my video on Seventeen.com's YouTube page!

Hi MisQuinceMag!

I am so honored to help with the re-launching of The Baile Blog! That said, I want to share with you the story of the first quince party that I sang at. It was so breathtaking I didn't want to leave. All the girls were dressed to impressed and the guys were all in tuxes. It was like a mini wedding, and it must have cost at least $50,000 dollars. The quince girl was like eye candy -- I had to keep reminding myself that she just turned 15 LOL, because she was dressed as though she was 21!!! OMG, they had a 12-piece Mexican band that played my song, "What you got," featuring Akon. It was so good, and it was the first time I sang my song to a live band, and it was so cool. I saw why Spanish families have this tradition. It's their way of allowing the entire world to see how their beautiful flower has blossomed into womanhood.

Hola guapas! OK, so my BFF Lucía and I agree on practically everything when it comes to music. We are both totally obsessed with Kat Deluna and Julieta Venegas. We both think Enrique Iglesias is the hottest singer on the planet. Neither of us will ever get sick of listening to "Get Right" by fellow Nuyorican Jennifer Lopez.

But there is one thing we just don't see eye to eye on: the baile sorpresa. I think everyone in the court should be involved. Lucía thinks it's way better if it's just the quince girl and her chambelán. What do you think?

Lucía wanted all eyes to be on her so she did it without the court. For my quince, I included everyone because I thought a big performance would be more fun and energetic. Plus, I wanted my friends to be a part of it. What are you planning to do? Do you think that having your whole court participate steals your spotlight?

I made sure that no one stole my baile sorpresa thunder by changing my dress for it, while everyone else stayed in the same outfits. I made a special entrance and at the end of the song, everyone except my chambelán and I exited, so the two of us could do a finale. How else will you make sure you're the super-estrella of your surprise dance?

Hey Mis Quince readers! Alicia here, so excited to connect with you all on the new-and-improved Baile Blog! Along with mi amiga Mariana and occasionally a celebrity musician (!!), I'm going to be blogging about all things music & dance-related for your quince. Check back every week, twice a week, for new updates from us. We’re going to post music playlists from readers, tips from choreographers, and spotlight the coolest quince dance videos we find on YouTube and MySpace.

So, are you dying to know who the celebrity blogger is going to be? Well chicas, prepare yourself...it's COLBY O'DONIS!! Talk about having good looks AND talent -- the guy is only 19 and he's already signed to Akon's record label! His hit song, "What You Got," is one of the hottest tracks of the summer. I'm hearing it on the radio constantly. What I love about Colby is he proves that you can make your dreams come true -- even after tons of music executives told him no, he still fought for his dream, and look at him now. I can't wait for his debut album in September and what he has to say about quinces. Do any of you have similar dreams of making it in the music world?

We search the web for the best quinceañera dance videos, interview choreographers, and ask cool cantantes to guest blog for you. Check out the Baile Blog every week and you’ll be prepared for the greatest dancing ever at your quinceañera!

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