Greece about to be caught up in 10 days of salsa fever
Is it possible to recreate the true spirit of salsa dancing in Greece? Fans of Latin music now have the opportunity to find out at the fascinating salsa festival which is about to take place in three different cities around Greece. All kinds of Latin music have been enjoying a steadily growing popularity in Greece over the past few years. After a long period of low interest in dance, people are returning to dance schools and enrolling in classes; Latin dances, in particular, have drawn a substantial number of dedicated local fans. The music scene also reflects the new trend, with Latin sounds featuring prominently in clubs, radio stations and television. The salsa extravaganza, which includes dance workshops with teachers who have come in from abroad, dance shows, concerts and parties, kicks off in Thessaloniki tonight and will run to Sunday. It will then move to Patras early next week from April 10-12 and will wrap up in Athens the following weekend on April 14-16. Even those who have never danced salsa can attend the workshops, which have been broken down into three categories so as to accommodate all levels: beginners (from no previous salsa knowledge up to six months’ experience), intermediate (up to two years’ experience) and advanced. The advanced classes are for people who have been dancing salsa for more than two years, mostly teachers and professionals. Workshops take place both in the morning and the afternoon (except in the case of Patras, where there are fewer) and they cover Cuban salsa, Puerto Rican salsa, merengue, Cuban rumba, bachata, reggaeton and more. The workshops will be held at Thessaloniki’s Helexpo Conference Center, Patras’s Politeia Arts Complex and Athens’s Peace and Friendship Stadium. Teachers include Orville Small, winner of the 2003 Mayan International Salsa Competition in Los Angeles (international category) and the 2004 International Instructor of the Year award at the UK salsa awards (he will be in Athens); Susana Montero, winner of the British Championship who has performed in shows worldwide (she will be in Thessaloniki and Patras); Cuba-born Pedro Gomez, who has participated as a dance instructor in salsa festivals around the world (he will be in Athens); Felix Torres, who has worked with the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba in Havana, which specializes in Cuban dances (he will be in Athens); Michal and Daniela Sejkora, founders of the SECS Salsa Team in the Czech Republic (they will be in all three cities), and others. Some of these teachers as well as dancers and dance ensembles will demonstrate their skills with captivating shows at the Latin parties, which will take place in the evenings and will also feature live music and disc jockey sets. Concerts Foreign and local musicians and bands will join forces to bring the true salsa sound to the stage. Performers will include singer Luisito Rosario, whose latest album «Rumba del Barrio» contains salsa, charanga, son, mambo and guajira melodies; local popular Latin act the Latin All Stars Del Palenque, who include the best musicians from all the local bands performing at Athens’s Latin hot spot Palenque; salsa-loving band Ritmo Latino; and various DJs from Greece and abroad. The ticket prices to attend the workshops vary, depending on whether one opts for a day pass or a full pass; those only interested in the parties and concerts do not have to pay the full price. Tickets for the concerts are available at Metropolis music stores in Thessaloniki and in Athens. It is possible to enroll online, at the festival’s official and detailed website, which provides all the necessary information, including directions on how to get to the festival’s different venues. For further information, log on to www.salsa-festival.gr or call 210.963.7935.
