I
came back from the UK salsa congress all fired up with new
salsa moves (tempered with tired feet) and whizzed straight
into town to buy my costume for Halloween!
I
came back with a pair of wings, a little halo, a wand and
a nice lovely floaty white dress. I tried it on and whilst
admiring the effect I realised that three days of non-stop
salsa had addled my brain – they really put Christmas stuff
out in the shops too early these days in my opinion, and
I'd got a bit disorientated in BHS. So I took my fairy outfit
back and exchanged it for a pair of bunny ears, a fluffy
tail and some fishnets…….no, that's a bit wrong….look I'll
definitely sort myself out for the Salsa Chillout Halloween
Parties at Halloween. We salsa folk love to dress up, so
get into the scary spirit and go whoooohoooo on Monday
29 th October at the Three Rivers Golf and Country Club,
Tuesday 30 th October at Marconi in Chelmsford, and Wednesday
31 st at the Belvedere in Billericay. I may just
turn up in some jeans and fake blood, actually…
And
then, FIREWORKS!!!! Not proper fireworks, you understand
– but FIREWORKS!!! of the Salsa-Chillout's-Salsa-For-A-Fiver
kind with regular Guest Teacher, Steve Eden 's
return to the Wooden
Hut in Stanford Le Hope on Friday 9th November .
If you want to go a little Cuban, then our pal from south
of the river (that's the Thames ) will be treating us to
an all-level La Rueda Class. If you haven't tried Rueda,
you really should – its great fun, and certainly brings
people together……or tangles them up if it goes wrong.
And
that's not all……….no, its not. I mean, what have Terry and
Yolande got for us next. Because its non-stop this you know
– hanging out with Salsa Chillout is like being in a Salsa
Sweetshop, with jars full of special sweet salsa stuff packed
onto crowded shelves just waiting to be taken down and sampled.
(read
on, because you will discover that that little paragraph
was rather clever, if I say so myself, but you've got to
read carefully…carry on…**.)
On
Saturday 17 th November at Marconi
in Chelmsford , Salsa Chillout will be introducing Mr
Sleek. He got the name because of his light, smooth, yet
effortless style, and is known as one of the lightest leads
in salsa. His film and TV credits include Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory** and Driving Lessons and he's also appeared
in the Land of the Apes the Musical plus numerous music
videos for international artists.
Ladies,
form an orderly queue, please…..
And
finally…….it is Salsa-Chillout's-Salsa-For-A-Fiver at Marconi
in Chelmsford on the last Friday of every month. Yes, that's
right…salsa for five pounds – no lessons just dancing all
night long…..good innit!!
I'm
just SOOOO excited………
As per, I threw all sense of dignity aside, and flung myself
upon the duo, in the interests of investigative journalism,
of course, because wanted to find out about how it felt
to win such an award. |
But
before I go, I'm only just coming down to earth after the
workshop and show by UK BEST DANCE ACT LEE AND SHELLEY,
at Marconi last night. Well, you see, I'm a bit of a fan.
But boy did they prove why they won that award with a fantastic,
sparkling, vibrant set. And as always, the workshop was
fun, fun and more fun. And we learnt something, too…
Last
Sunday at the UK congress was a bit of a roller coaster
ride for me – although, as it became apparent, not them
– as they didn't win the European Salsa Championships, but
bounced back only a few hours later to win the Best UK Dance
Act. Made all the more sweet, I expect, as it was voted
for by the Salsa Public.
So,
then were you disappointed with the competition result?
Said
Shelley, “We weren't disappointed with the competition at
all. There was such a high standard and we were really pleased
to be in the final. We danced our choreography to the best
of our ability, and that's all we ask of ourselves. And
how could we possibly be sad when we had so much support.
That meant so much to us.”
“We
were really happy with the competition. We did ourselves
proud and could hold our heads up high alongside such a
high standard.” Added Lee
So,
what was it like to win the Best UK Dance Act?
According
to Shelley, “It was like all our Christmases and birthdays
came in one go. We were absolutely not expecting it.”
Anyone
fresh to salsa may be surprised by the amount of noise a
crowd can make whilst watching a routine. What does it feel
like to be on the end of such a lot of supportive shouting?
“It
makes us smile,” said Lee and we really appreciate it!”
And
for Shelley, “It really is hugely important !”
So,
what next for the dynamic duo (sorry, couldn't help myself….)
“We
still feel its just the beginning.” Said Shelley. “It feels
a bit early to get that award. We hope and feel there's
so much we want to do and we want to bring in other influences
in the future.”
Which
is good news for all of us who really appreciate their friendly,
fun and accessible style. Hope they're back in Essex soon.
www.chrispenhall.co.uk
Copyright
Chris Penhall 2007 |
