Thank you to all the fantastic people who took time out of their schedules to answer questions, pose for pictures, and just shoot the breeze with me about Salsa. It was not easy to compile these interviews because my own schedule is so hyper-packed that some people thought I was crazy to even attempt this project.
William "Blake" Smith provided invaluable technical advice. Floyd Box graciously allowed me to use one of his computers when my own proved inadequate for some tasks.
Dixie, who keeps Xenite.Org from falling apart (or picks up the pieces when it DOES crumble), has been helpful and tolerant during this latest production.
Terri Alcala graciously gave me permission to use some of her photos of our dance group from 2003. I wish I could always be there for you, Terri.
Yelba provided some pictures, and Mary Frometa and Antonio Garza of Salmerum allowed me to borrow some images from their Web sites, too.
Thank you to the teachers who gave me permission to film their classes. I wish I had asked everyone to let me do that, but I was still working out some issues with the camera.
Thanks also to El Arroyo and Tropicana for allowing me to film their patrons in action.
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As mentioned above, I did not ask some teachers/venues for permission to film because I was still figuring out what needed to be done. Also, having to sift through 40,000+ frames of video footage takes a lot of time. I cannot imagine where I would have found time to go through another 30,000 or so frames.
I did ask some friends for help with the photos, but in the end it turned out that their collections were not as extensive as I hoped. Had I planned this a little farther ahead, I would have taken more pictures (and maybe would have borrowed a digital camera, rather than just rely on my Mini-DV camera).
Gloria Jones deserves monumental recognition. I am sure there have been days when she wanted to wring my neck (everyone else has). Gloria, your resourcefulness and dedication are appreciated in ways you'll never know by many of the students who have passed through your classes. Many have told me they think very highly of you. And so do I. Especially me.
Finally, special thanks to Mary. You have been a true inspiration for this project.
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