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| Set your dancing soul free |
Chakara Bennett
Guardian Lifestyles Reporter chakara@nasguard.com
Published: Jun 08, 2012
The spirit of dancing is in everyone’s soul but how people set that spirit free is up to them. Many people may choose to ignore it, but for the brave few it becomes second nature. For those people looking for a way to set their dancing soul free and finally put a little more rhythm in their step participating in the second annual Dance for Life Dance Workshop is the ticket. The two-hour professional dance lesson with world class ballroom dance champion Eddie Rivera from Orlando, Florida will be held on Sunday, June 10 at Club One, Sandyport. “Whether you have two left feet or are naturally inclined to the graceful movement of dancing I believe that everyone can dance. It may take time and practice to be good, but I think it is a worthwhile thing to give dance a try. It’s a really freeing experience,” said Indira Demeritte-Francis, co-organizer of the event. “So it’s wonderful to put on this dance workshop. This event will be a great way to get people who never took dancing seriously to see what salsa and ballroom dancing is all about and get over their fears enough to give it a try.” This workshop will serve as a pre-show to the upcoming Dance For Life Salsa and Ballroom Dance Extravaganza to be held on Saturday, June 23 in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis. Participating in the workshop with Rivera will provide dancers to get in some practice with the Latin dances and ballroom dance steps and receive constructive advice from an expert on how to improve their technique. The workshop is open to people of all ages, and families are encouraged to attend and have fun in this entertaining afternoon event. “Even if people don’t want to dance in the show we still want to encourage a sense of togetherness in families and show how powerful and useful a tool dancing can be to inspire people to be more positive and carefree,” said Demeritte-Francis. She said life can be stressful, but dancing is something everyone loves and that there is something about it that just allows people to relax and put things in better perspective. She hopes people will take a break from their everyday life, come out and have fun for a few hours. Dance for Life But for those who prefer to watch from the sidelines the Dance for Life red carpet event should be right up their alley. The night will be a melting pot of culture and excitement with amateur salsa dancing, a pro-am exhibition. International Latin and ballroom dancing champions will strut their stuff to make the night even more spectacular. “If ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is your kind of show, then Dance for Life will be a great event for you to attend,” said Demeritte-Francis. “Attendees will be able to see people they know dancing with pros in amazing exhibition. This is something that the old and young will enjoy. It will be lively and entertaining.” The show will be divided into two segments. People with premium tickets will enjoy a three-course meal which will be served from 7 p.m. in the Imperial Ballroom. Entertainment will be provided by Sapphire Ensemble, a young Bahamian jazz fusion group. Their unique style of music will set the mood for the main event which kicks off at 9 p.m. The main event will feature over 40 dancers ages five-years-old to 60, with skillsets that range from amateur to professional. The first segment of the event will be the local championship for the novice salsa, vachata, merengue, tango, cha cha and advanced salsa. The second portion of the show will feature 12 couples competing in the advanced levels of the Latin dances. It will be an exciting night of movement and grace. “We wanted this event to be exciting and attractive. We wanted to involve as many people as possible which is why we are having the local competition where anyone can enter and compete, no matter their skill level,” she said. “We also wanted to showcase other dances people don’t know too much about like foxtrot, waltz, ramba and mambo. So we will have several exciting showcases you will not want to miss.” Performing with Rivera will be Fayvin Duffy from Orlando, ballroom dancing champs Paolo Di Lorenzo and Liene Darbiniece from New York and Sandro Virag, a Latin dancing and ballroom champion from Hungary who will perform elite level dances and be a part of the Pro-Am showcase. An added feature of the night will be The Bahamas’ 12 member salsa team opening the night with an engaging dance exhibition. This will give people a taste of what the young team consisting of dancers ages eight to 22-years-old have been doing and how their talents have grown in the last two years. “I’m excited about this event and the Bahamian people seeing firsthand what salsa and ballroom dancing is all about. It shows me Bahamians can adapt to any discipline and make it their own,” said Demeritte-Francis. “What you will see at the exhibit will be a meshing of cultures and abilities like never before. We use our own dance steps to make salsa and the Latin dances something different. The show is going to be nothing short of spectacular. It will be extremely different and something I am sure Bahamians will appreciate.” For reservations and tickets, telephone 376-2776 or 364-4941.
Salsa Workshop When: Sunday, June 10 Where: Club One, Sandyport Time: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Cost: $35 for one hour session, $55 for two hour
Dance For Life When: Saturday, June 23 Where: Imperial Ballroom, Atlantis TIme: 7 p.m., 8:30 is dinner, general - showcase at 9pm Cost: Premium $200, general $75 |
