Johnny Vasquez Workshop at the SSC 09 

Jaime Jesus was responsible for choosing the teams, couples, international and national artists for the congress since the start and every year he does better.

On top of that, this congress was so special that it attracted the incredible to happen. 

I remember last year when Jaime received a call from Johnny Vasquez saying he was going to be in Australia during the time of the congress was happening, and how excited we all got when he agreed to come.

Till this day “Baila Rumbero” is my favourite salsa song because I first heard it sang live at the SSC stage by him. 

One of the things that make this event so special is the Australian Crowd. Every international artists comment on that. They love the public, the cheering, the energy, they love the students at the workshops, the national artists, the booth holders and the technical people.

Johnny was thanking the security guards and bartenders on Sunday night. Another thing is the organization. Everyone says it is great, the people that have gone to congresses around the world are particular about this. 

The stage is beautiful, the lights and sound of excellent quality. All this make the artists free to enjoy themselves and have ideas.

Kim, Tania & Alex in Blue / Zoe, Tania & Dave in Green / Jordan & Tania / Ghost picture of Jordan & Tatiana all at the SSC 2009

‘Tania, you have to see this!’

Jaime told me one day at LDA, a few months before the Congress when he showed me a youtube of Jordan & Tatiana – West Coast Swing dancers that I immediately classified as my favourite video of dance ever! From all types of dance, from all over the world!

The thing that was so amazing about them was the passion for dancing, the fluidity and technique, the smoothness, the perfect transitions from one step to the other. She is so beautiful dancing you want to stop breathing so it doesn’t interfere with you watching them.

When Jaime told me that they were coming to the congress I wanted to throw myself on the floor and hug his feet. 

Watching Jordan and Tatiana dance, live, so close to me, was one of the highlights in my life.

On Friday they did a free style show and my eyes got all wet, it was simply divine.

How can you describe these emotions that flow into you to see the perfect leads, the way they look like they are not touching the floor. Floating. Maybe they are from another planet and they are hoovering a millimetre from the stage and we just can’t see it… To that effect I tried to take a photo of them teaching their workshop and got a “ghost picture”. The show on Saturday, to close the night, was one they have been using and got them world championships for 12 times in a row.

When they finished I couldn’t clap, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breath, I couldn’t scream. I was in a state of grace. 

It is proven that dance is something divine, you see how it is part of so many cultures and has close relationship to several religious rituals. Dance can truly make you elated.

Actually, this congress got me thinking that the human race is amazing…

The other show that was remarkable in that sense was the one Jaime whispered in my year on Saturday:

“Watch this, it’s incredible although it’s not salsa…” So I watched and made sure I was paying attention.

David and Zoe from the USA are into tricks, when they enter on scene you think: he is so big! She is so small! 

We got to call her the “fishie”. She is so fluid she moves like a fish in water, she swims, and melt and flies… What they do is acrobatics with poetry, something “Cirque du Soleil” style. If they were, there they would be, without a doubt, one of the main acts on stage.

He lifted her like she was a leaf, like a Genie and his muse. She walked all over him, was upside down and up in so many ways, going from the floor to the top of his head as if it was effortless.

More extraordinary than that was that she, twice, lifted him off the floor! That was a demonstration of tremendous technique; so no guy ever can say to a girl she is too heavy to be lifted. It’s not about strength.

This show was absolutely astonishing… the music was beautiful and they moved in a completely coordinated way.

I met them after their second show… they are short! The stage has such an effect over people, I knew she was thin but I didn’t realise how petite, until I went to take a picture with them.

The salsa counterpart of that show is the one by Alex and Kim. Beautiful Salsa dancers, and the four of them performed together. More about it on a next post.

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