LOVE IT, DON’T CHASE IT (Rico Recap)

Written on 06/30/2025

In this episode we shared stories about dancing and learning, and how to really enjoy what we do instead of just trying to be the best.

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Welcome to Episode 193 of the Salsa Kings LIVE podcast

We have been featured as #1 in “Top 10 Salsa Podcasts” on FeedSpot.

Hey everyone! It’s me, Andres. Today Pablo and I talked on the podcast about “Love it, don’t chase it.” We shared stories about dancing and learning, and how to really enjoy what we do instead of just trying to be the best. I want to tell you what we talked about and what it means to me.


Key Points

  • Our Episode Milestone
    • This is episode 193!
    • I’m excited for 200 because 100 was a big deal for me.
    • Pablo joined after episode 100, so we’ve been doing this a while.
  • Pablo’s Dance Story
    • Pablo talked about dancing LA style instead of casino style.
    • Casino is the Cuban style danced in a circle. LA style is danced in a line.
    • He said he had more fun trying LA style because it felt new.
    • He noticed he wasn’t going out to dance much because it felt boring.
  • Feeling Stuck (Plateau)
    • Pablo said he felt stuck for about 2-3 months.
    • He didn’t realize it at first. He just didn’t want to go out.
    • He would rather stay home and sleep or work.
  • Trying New Things
    • Pablo liked LA style because it was different and a challenge.
    • He said he likes learning new things because it feels good to make progress.
    • He compared it to lifting weights—adding just a little weight feels great.
  • Growing as a Teacher vs. Dancer
    • Pablo said he’s been working on being a better teacher.
    • But teaching wasn’t as fun as learning to dance.
    • He wants to get better at both, but dancing gives quicker rewards.
  • The Joy in Challenges
    • Pablo said he had fun because dancing LA style was hard.
    • He felt good trying something he wasn’t as good at.
    • Hard songs with tricky beats are more exciting because they’re harder.
  • Music and Dance Together
    • We talked about how music and dance inspire each other.
    • Live music is special. The band and dancers can feed off each other’s energy.
    • We said dancing to live bands is different and exciting.
    • We want to honor music and the people who make it.
  • Loving the Process
    • I said people should enjoy being uncomfortable.
    • The dance floor is like a gym for life. You practice getting better in a safe, fun place.
    • If you enjoy learning and the journey, you’ll keep getting better.
  • Respecting the Roots
    • Pablo shared that he wants to get better at expressing music through dance.
    • He thinks LA style has more freedom but is harder.
    • I said casino can grow too if people push the limits.
    • We want to respect the dance styles and keep improving them.
  • Pushing Ourselves
    • We talked about not assuming you’re done learning.
    • Pablo said he might have stopped pushing himself in casino.
    • We said we owe it to those before us to keep getting better.
    • It’s about honoring the sacrifices others made so we can dance.

Closing Thoughts

So that’s what we talked about. For me, it’s all about loving the journey and not chasing some end goal. I want to keep learning, trying new things, and pushing myself—even if it’s hard. That’s where the real fun is. I hope you guys feel the same way. Let’s keep dancing, keep growing, and honor the music and the people who came before us. Thanks for listening!

Tune into this awesome interview! Never miss a beat and SUBSCRIBE to receive Salsa Kings LIVE notifications on right here on YouTube or via Text Message: Text the word JOIN to 69922 #SalsaKings#SalsaKingsLIVE