Day 229: Rhythm is Gonna Get You

We found out about the 5th Annual Colombia Salsa Festival by chance and feel lucky to have witnessed all of those twinkle toes for a few hours.  While we were running at a sports complex close to our hostel, we happened upon a free salsa class that was open to the public.  After we finished practicing some basic steps, we thanked the instructor and he said we should stop by the competition to see some real pros.  It didn’t take long for us to be thoroughly impressed and we realized that even the little kids competing were light-years ahead of our simple dance steps.  The event had a great atmosphere with the crowd cheering and the performers “feeling the rhythm” while trying to impress the judges.  Colombian salsa is renowned for its distinctive style that focuses on fast and complex footwork that is fun to watch.  We realize that we have a looooong way to go before we win any salsa trophies with our not-so fancy feet.

Que previlégio estar aqui bem quando o 5ª Festival de Salsa da Colômbia está acontecendo! Ficamos sabendo porque aqui pertinho do hostel, tem um complexo desportivo e estávamos lá correndo, quando demos de cara numa aula de salsa gratuita. Claro, fomos tentar dançar e no final da aula, conversando com o professor, ele nos convidou para o grande evento. E que lindo é ver desde os pequenos até os profissionais mexendo não só o pé, mas as cadeiras como eles mexem. Foram mais de 4 horas sentados e impressionados com a magia e o empenho de todos os dançarinos. As roupas, a maquilagem, os cabelos todos com glitter, mas o brilho maior vinha da alma, que dançava com paixão! Dale Salsa!