Salsa contest today

DANCATION, one of Ghana’s oldest Latin dance clubs, has invited clubs throughout the country to compete in an event designed to highlight the technical skill and sensual style of Salsa, the Latino dance.

The event should prove to be everything from exotic, fast tempo, teasing, unpredictable, and exciting, to sensual, romantic, and intimate. It will include a variety of performances on a spacious open floor.

The competition scheduled for today, Saturday, February 22 at the Apollo Theatre, near Circle, Accra, will be interspersed with performances including a dance by Liliona Quarmyne, a dancer and actress with a performing arts degree from the US.

The competition itself will include three rounds, beginning with a preliminary round where all contesting couples will dance at the same time.

During this round a selected few of no more than five couples will be chosen to continue to Round One where entrants will be required to perform five highly challenging moves in a two-minute time limit to a song of the disc jockey’s choice.

These same five competitors will continue to the final round where they will perform a personally choreographed routine to a song of their preference.

To ensure fairness and integrity judges have been chosen from the respectable Ghana Ballroom Association, Pippa’s dance school, Osu, and representative from the Spanish and Brazilian embassies.

Prizes will include generous monetary and other contributions from Spacefon, dinner for two at Paloma Hotel & Suites, dinner and one-night stay at Hibiscus Hotel, and various items from Bacardi Breezer.

Prizes will be awarded to both winners of the dance competition and to members of the audience who participate in a raffle draw.

Jean Paul, a young and talented performer who is supporting the event, will be there to put up a super Salsa dance. Zena and Co. of the Ghana Ballroom Association, Daniel Tweneboa-Kodua and Victoria, all old masters of Salsa will also be on the bill. A selection of Salsa, Meringue Techno Samba, Zouk, and other music forms will spice up the event