Linda, Carolina, John 1 and John 2 hit the hot Miami Salsa Congress last week and Linda agreed to guest blog for the week and share with you her experiences…Thanks Linda!
“Miami Salsa Congress 2007…thoughts by Linda Domenichini!
One word: phenomenal! This sums up my experience at the 6th Annual Miami Salsa Congress. Held at the Miami Beach Resort & Spa on August 1-5, the event brought together all those who have a passion for salsa for five full days of parties, performances and workshops – and wow, this event did not disappoint!
We arrived in Miami early Thursday afternoon, which gave us a chance to settle in and hit the beach. Before we knew it, it was time to go to the official kick-off party at Yuca Lounge in Miami Beach. The small venue was packed with salsa enthusiasts and I had some great dances. I even learned a few new moves and a dip! Many of the instructors gave a freestyle demonstration of their talents as well. Among the salsa pros was Toronto’s very own Giovanni Torres, who tore up the floor with his shines. I was really impressed with the talent during these demonstrations – especially since the floor conditions weren’t the best (stone tiles) – but nothing could stop us from moving our feet to the beats of DJ Alberth Moreno (South Florida) and DJ Franklin Ayala (N.Y). We didn’t get back to the hotel until three in the morning!
A late-night made it a challenge to get up for the workshops, but we didn’t travel all that way to sleep in and miss out on classes with some of the most acclaimed salsa dancers in the world. With two classes (in different rooms) an hour to choose from, we had to plan which ones to take for our dance development. The program offered classes from the beginner to advanced level, ranging from various styles including Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Colombian. On1, on2, footwork on clave, ladies styling – whatever you were after, it was there! The congress even offered a beginners bootcamp, taught by Edie “The Salsa Freak” Lewis. I wish I could have taken all of the classes, but I managed to participate in five out of the seven timeslots of classes each day.”
Stay tuned to the next post from Linda’s exciting Miami trip…
