With memories of the 2006 DC Salsa Congress still fresh in my mind, I hopped on the plane mid-June to once again live and breathe salsa for three days in one of my favorite cities – Washington, DC. Shaka Brown, an internationally known salsa artist poured his heart and soul into organizing the 3rd Annual Salsa Congress, luring in hundreds of salsa lovers from around the world with a delicious mix of workshops, performances and nighttime parties during which everyone got pulled into the whirlwind of pure salsa intoxication. Without a doubt, the most enthusiastic salsa fan was the youngest attendee of the congress, a tiny salserito not even 2 years old yet, whose happy feet (clad in custom made dance shoes, of course) bounced off the polished floor with unbelievable speed and energy despite the fact that it was way past his bedtime. I was in awe!

The opening night was fairly mellow, with people still arriving from different parts of the country and far corners of the world – India, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands and many other places. The Congress started out with a few performances by semi-pro and student ensembles, still a bit nervous but excited to show off their skills on stage, progressing to impressive and creative programs by internationally known instructors and performers, dazzling us with their talent. Eileen Torres, the Master of Ceremonies at the Congress and an authority widely respected in the salsa circles introduced each piece, identifying the song and the artist, while DJ Bruno, on duty as the Master DJ, made sure the music played without a glitch. After two hours of pure entertainment (lucky me to snatch a seat in the first row!), a renowned local band Orquesta la Romana with guest vocalist Frankie Vasquez kicked off the party with hot salsas that had the dance floor filled in no time! This year there were even a few bachatas thrown into the mix to spice things up.

Saturday morning, still semi-conscious from insufficient sleep and desperately needing coffee, I found myself facing the usual congress dilemma – which workshop to choose? Do I begin with a body movement class, On2 fundamentals or intermediate/advanced turn patterns On1? The selection of workshops was so enticing! I ended up at the body movement class which seemed like a good way to start the day and wake up fully for the activities lying ahead. The mix of people attending the workshops was quite diverse – from beginners shyly trying new steps to seasoned salseros and salseras adding their own unique flair to the practiced routines. There was something for everyone, regardless of the level of dancing experience and skill, so if you’re asking yourself whether you should attend a salsa congress, the answer is absolutely yes! It is a wonderful experience that will give you a jolt of inspiration and determination to learn more and become an even better dancer.

Among the offered workshops were various turn patterns On1 and On2, footwork, styling, body movement, including a fun class of belly dancing and salsa fusion, a little bit of cha-cha, a taste of bachata and reggaeton, as well as on stage performance classes for those aspiring to be professional dancers. One of the last workshops on Sunday was a unique and somewhat controversial Zouk, taught by a couple of instructors from the Netherlands. Zouk is a Caribbean dance with a cool, relaxed rhythm pulling you into a sensual and very fluid, close hip-to-hip movement. Just like last year, some people weren’t quite comfortable with this dance and the class ended smaller than it started. I liked it and would enjoy learning more about it and seeing it on the dance floors in the U.S., where it’s not yet popular or well known.

An interesting new element at this year’s DC Congress was a lunchtime discussion series about the industry and the business of salsa dancing, headed by Shaka Brown and Jareau Almayeda on Day 1 and Gordon Neil on Day2. Among the panel members were Leon Rose, Sekou, Stracy Diaz, Frank Fuentes, Troy Anthony, Eileen Torres and other accomplished salsa artists. Topics on the first day centered around bringing the best out of the performance on stage. The panelists emphasized the importance of continuous education and trying different classes, be they ballet, jazz, techno, hip-hop or another dance – not to master them but to learn new techniques and pick up different elements here and there to incorporate into your own unique style. Of course staying with traditions in salsa is important and everyone must follow the same steps and sequences. However, you master the control of your body and make it “your move” with some unique element. Expanding the topic of the body, all panelists agreed it’s essential for the performer to be healthy, fit, toned and lean. Dancing is a visual art and if the body is not well conditioned, stage appearance will suffer. This topic of fitness and appearance led to some criticism of performances at salsa congresses in general, with panelists complaining about standards for performance being “awfully low” and the dancers getting too carried away with creativity (quoting Shaka Brown, there are too many “Matrix-like elements”), bending the rules too much.

Day 2 discussion centered on the business of dancing: positioning yourself for maximum exposure, securing bookings and succeeding in the salsa business. Some key points from that session worth mentioning included presenting yourself professionally as a package with strong web presence (videos on YouTube, pictures, bios) so that people can find you and having a an attractive media kit complete with press pictures and flyers as well as a frequently updated and well organized website that doesn’t cram everything on the home page. Branding yourself distinctively with consistent colors, fonts and writing style in the presentation of your marketing materials is crucial in building trust and showing people that you are a professional who can teach them to dance as well as you do.

The most heated discussion ensued when the topic of money came up. How much should you charge? If you don’t ask for too much, will you get the event booking for sure? Eileen Torres had a strong answer for that: No! She admitted charging a lot of money and advised asking for a higher price because often you will get it! On those occasions you don’t … you can always negotiate down.
When the discussions and workshops concluded, Sunday night performances dazzled the audience once again, with most memorable routines from Magna Gopal with Darlin Garcia dancing to Carlos Santana and a delicious all-male dance-off featuring Shaka Brown, Gordon Neil, Leon Rose, Psyon Mauricio Scott and Bobby Dickerson showing off their talent and creativity (you can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =H3v0quRvcIs). It was sizzling hot!

The dance party afterwards was a blast and a perfect ending to a weekend of learning, mingling and pure fun. I truly enjoyed myself, feeling a lot more confident and relaxed on the dance floor and in class as compared to the previous year. Because there is so much to absorb and learn in one weekend, it is quite normal to feel overwhelmed, something that the less experienced dancers can attest to; however, it’s all about the right attitude, having fun and being well prepared. By that I mean bringing a good camera to record all workshops for a later practice and having comfortable footwear. A pair of leather jazz shoes, which are perfect for salsa classes, costs about $30 and is a great investment. Trust me, ladies, attempting two full days of workshops and three nights of dancing in 2 or 3 inch heels at all times is not a good idea!

I’d like to leave you with one final thought … If you are wondering about the quote in the headline of the article, it caught my attention during one of the lunchtime discussions. I always wondered what the difference was between salsa and mambo. In theory, they are the same dance, being based on the Clave beat, yet they feel different. How different? You’ll find out in the next article ☺ Until then … keep on dancing and be sure to check out the 4th Annual DC Congress in June 2008! I’ll see you there!