Chicago Salsa Festival Review by Mambo Marci

I went to the Chicago Salsa Festival this past weekend, and thought you Detroit salseros might be curious what it was like... it was AWESOME! Unlike the February Congress, there were HUNDREDS of people as opposed to THOUSANDS. Because of this, one could actually see and hear the instructors; the performances were more intimate; the social dance floor, although full to capacity, was not so full as to induce injuries... basically, it was a wonderful experience.

The standing ovation and "talk" of the weekend was about the exciting Colombians. They brought their Cali-style salsa -- very fast footwork, stepping on every beat of the music (as opposed to 6 of the 8 beats). If anyone wants a demo, come see me and I'll be happy to show you the basic steps. It was different, fun, and AN AMAZING CARDIO WORKOUT! Another highlight for me was the outside "Summerdance" event on Sunday. This was a free, open-to-the-public event that was part of Chicago's free dance concerts all summer long. There was a band, assembled from the ol' Fania days (classic New York salsa)... couldn't wear dance shoes, because of the stone/cement-ish ground, BUT my flip-flops worked just fine, and it rained on and off! But we kept dancing in the rain and mud! All levels intermingled, from beginners right off the street (literally!) to professionals like Juan Calderon and Nelson Flores; an incredible salsa DJ from Switzerland (ay carey! one of my best dances ever!); and every level in between. This was the 2nd annual Festival of its kind. I highly recommend a bigger contingency from "the D" goes next year! Let's all represent the 313 -- it's worth it, and not so far away!