Jacques Ho is a Salsa dancer and instructor in Denver Colorado. In this episode, Jacques talks about what makes a successful dance, what dancing can teach us about ourselves and others, why you should always be in the present moment, and how he became a Salsa fanatic by accident. He also dives into his upcoming research and gratitude projects which can teach us about being of service and leaving a lasting impact.

• unspoken signals in dance
• easier to share positives, not how someone made me feel
• understanding each other so we can understand ourselves
• best dances have strong connections and bring richness
• dance and be present, keep eye contact, and listen for cues
• listen and respond, become adaptable
• why you shouldn’t attach yourself to outcomes
• let aim be your starting point
• it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey
• from Dance Dance Revolution to becoming a dance instructor
• people love to feel in the company of someone else
• always be present in the moment
• don’t make people feel like a stand-in
• read and respond to your partner, feel the flow and personality of your dance
• how a girl influenced his first experience with Salsa
• becoming a Salsa teacher unintentionally and how he saved a girl’s birthday party
• learning steps vs. feeling the music
• learn the rules so you know how to break them
• how performance dance is different from social dancing
• connecting with people moment to moment
• how each dance is unique
• sharing an experience with your dance partner
• why people want to learn to Salsa dance
• gender roles and what they have to do with dancing
• dancing from a woman’s perspective and what you can learn from it
• the research and gratitude project Jacques is currently working on
• learning from others and being of service
• showing gratitude and how he will compile it into a memoir
• origins of his gratitude project from a Christmas gift
• leaving an impact
• common threads of his research project and the quality of experience
• be honest with yourself and listen to your own thoughts
• be genuine in the moment and with other people
• Book of 5 Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
• dedication to practice and training in your chosen discipline
• calligraphy and how it helps with swordsmanship
• try other things and see what you learn
• be comfortable being a newbie
• approach things with the mind of a beginner and grow into your max potential

“Practice being present with yourself and when you practice being present with yourself, then free yourself from the bonds of the past and the future. Free yourself from what you have already learned and free yourself from anticipation. Because when you are present with yourself with your environment and with others then I feel like your creative intelligence will go through the roof. Being present and having a mindset of curious innocence will allow you to absorb much more of what the universe has to offer than you could possibly imagine.”

Jacques Ho on Linked In