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With abandon
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The salsa contest at Leela Galleria saw plenty of action on and off stage
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PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.
A BEGINNING But we have miles to go before we sizzle
Watching the contestants of Fastrack Indian International Salsa Congress 2006 having the time of their life at the Leela Galleria, one was reminded of the oft-quoted Shakespeare line: "All the world is a stage." Even as people were swaying like there was no tomorrow on stage, there was plenty of action off stage too.
The event, promoted by Leela Palace's Red Carpet, started a good hour late as some of the judges, salsa dancers themselves, had still not reached the venue. So, one resigned to the long wait, tapping one's foot to the great music by Amelie, a French salsa dancer and the official DJ for the Salsa Congress.
As the clock ticked away, one became aware that there were some young girls, sitting amidst the audience, standing up and dressing down, revealing a well-toned body. Off came the heavy sports shoe and on went the elegant stiletto. That's when one realised that they were salsa dancers getting set to set the stage on fire. Even as we watched in awe, the pretty girls casually dabbed some makeup on their faces, letting loose their neatly pinned hair.
After what seemed like an endless wait, the contest began. Six couples who were shortlisted from 110 performers from across the country took stage. The time allotted was short, but both the beginners and the amateurs who came on stage one after the other tried to cram all they had learnt in those few minutes. But the way the hall was laid out, it was a pity those sitting a little away could not get to see the footwork of any of the dancers.
After the event, Lourd Vijay, salsa guru and the man behind the event, said: "As an organiser there was a lot for me too to learn."
But the level of competence was patchy, with some of participants smiling a little too often. `International Salsa Congress'? Clearly, we have miles to go. "That was because there were participants who came in from various salsa schools from across the country; and so, each level of performance differed," explained Lourd Vijay.
Among the judges were some from across distant shores, like Pablo and Diana from Spain and Anton Berchenko from France. They performed at the same venue the next day.
The first prize in the beginner's category went to Bhashiya and Varun who walked away with a cash prize of Rs. 10,000. Rahul and Priya were the winners in the amateurs' category and won Rs. 20,000 as prize.
SHILPA SEBASTIAN R.
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