Salsa Dance Performance

So today I thought I would share a personal post with everyone. A few weeks ago I was invited to dance with my girlfriend’s salsa group for a performance here in Medellin, Colombia. One of the members of the group is currently studying abroad in Italy for a year so they needed someone to perform in his place. I agreed and it turned out to be a great time. We were quite surprised by the size of the crowd when we arrived as it turned out to be a very large event held on a covered basketball court. We had a few worries about trying to spin on the concrete but in the end it didn’t turn out to be much of a problem.

Casino Salsa is a bit different because instead of just using couples it is done with a group of couples. The dance consists of switching partners  and dancing in a circle (rueda). In case anyone isn’t sure – I am the one with the beard 😉

After our performance the crowd cheered us on for an encore. We performed an extra number but it was all improved. Casino Salsa is a cuban style of salsa in which one person yells out the different moves (when it is not choreographed) and everyone follows in sync. It was hard to hear in this venue so the leader calling out the moves is also using hand signals for us to understand easier. So, here is the improved version!

Gran Fiesta Salsera 2012

Last May the newest and most popular salsa academy of Medellin, Colombia, Academia Baila Latino, celebrated their 1 Year Anniversary with a huge event located on the top floor of the Dann Carlton Hotel which is considered the best hotel in the city. With a view of city and the energy of dancing all around there was fun to be had. Here is a look at some of the photos we captured throughout the night including the surprise engagement at the end of the night!

I must give a great deal of the photo credit to my friend and photographer Joseph Le. He was kind enough to help me out with the photos so that I could dance a bit as well! Special thanks to Joel Duncan Photography as well for capturing some great photos of the night which can be found here. If you love travel and photography make sure to follow his blog AdventureJo as well!

Salsa Dancing!

While living here in Colombia I decided to join a dance academy. This dance academy specializes in cuban salsa called “casino salsa”. Every 4 months they have a banquet for all of the members of the academy to attend and enjoy a night out with everyone. Throughout the night some of the top students of the academy perform their dances for everyone to enjoy. Here are some of the shots I took throughout the night!