| How to Get Really Good in Salsa | | Print | |
|
Page 5 of 7 A Salsa Congress? Really? Yes, really.... The first time I googled the words “salsa” and “congress” together was
in 2003. What I got in response was a bunch of political links that I
thought for sure meant my friend Mitch had made a mistake about the
event I was supposed to register for. But no, no such mistake. Salsa
congresses have exploded around the world with well over 200 events
year-round. A salsa congress usually takes place during the weekend, in
a mid-scale hotel, and it offers a series of dance workshops during the
day and performances during the early evening. As if this was not
enough, right after the dance performances, the floor opens up for
non-stop social dancing till the wee hours of the morning. In short,
Salsa heaven. A Salsa congress offers the best venue for you to get exposure to different styles of Salsa dancing and a myriad of dance partners that will literally keep you on your toes all weekend. So yes, you must go on pilgrimage to one of these events. Invite a friend along and you’ll have twice the fun. One word of caution: it can be extremely intimidating and depressing at first, if you’re new to the scene. But persevere, the road ahead gets easier. Let me explain. My first Salsa congress was in Los Angeles, May 2004. I think I danced a total of 5 songs the entire weekend and was so intimidated and felt so out of place, that all I could to do was watch movies in my hotel room and hope to never be seen dancing again. Ever... It took me about 2 weeks to recover from such a traumatizing experience. But somehow I came out stronger because of it. It’s almost like initiation: Welcome to the Salsa Society of Public Dancers. You see, watching professional dancers dance as if on water, when you are a beginner or even an intermediate dancer, can be uncomfortably discouraging - There’s no way I’ll ever dance like that ! But then you realize that these people have been dancing for eons, and that compared to them, you are a very young star indeed. Not to worry. You will sooner than later dance on water too, in due time and after much practice. This brings me to my next topic, social dancing with the top dancers. |
Buy Download
Buy CD