Las Vegas Sun

February 9, 2010

Currently: 47° | Complete forecast | Log in

Tropicana hosting salsa music and dance festival

Image

Courtesy photo

From July 2-4, the Tropicana is playing host to the Sixth Annual Las Vegas Salsa Congress, a music and dance festival.

Thursday, July 2, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

Salsa

You need to upgrade your Flash Player

If you go

  • What: Las Vegas Salsa Congress
  • When: July 2-4
  • Where: Tropicana Hotel and Casino
  • Cost: $10-$160

While the Strip prepares to celebrate Independence Day this weekend, the Tropicana will be moving to a decidedly Latin beat.

From July 2-4, the hotel and casino is playing host to the Sixth Annual Las Vegas Salsa Congress, a music and dance festival that brings together salsa fans, professionals and wannabes for two days of workshops, three nights of shows and a weekend-long dance party.

Before you put on your dancing shoes and loosen up your hips, however, you might want to brush up on your salsa vocabulary.

Salsa — A form of dance created in the Caribbean with roots in European and African dance forms that is usually performed in pairs. The basic salsa step involves three weight changes over four counts of music. “Salsa’s so exciting; it’s so sensual,” says Las Vegas Salsa Congress owner Nate Strager. “It’s limitless.”

Salsa congress — “A congress is when you bring people from different states or different countries and you bring them together,” Strager said. “You’re bringing different dance teams and attendees to one city for a weekend to watch shows from different teams from around the world, and you also get to hear different bands from around the world and dance with different people. ... There’s 186 salsa congresses around the world. Greece, Dubai, Switzerland, Sweden, Prague. They’re everywhere. ... They had one on the Great Wall of China last year.”

Mambo — While the national origins of salsa dance are hotly debated, the dance has evolved, and today, many different styles can be seen at salsa clubs around the world. New York style is also called mambo and breaks on the second beat of an eight-count of music.

LA style — Unlike New York style, LA style has its first step timed to the first beat of the music. “Everybody you dance with will have a different style,” Strager explains. “As long as you dance with the music you’re good, but everybody has a different style. ... Vegas has a little bit of everything. There’s European style, there’s LA style and New York style.”

Post a comment

Commenting requires registration.

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.

If you would like to submit your comment as a letter to the editor, you may submit it here.

Username:
Password: (Forgotten your password?)

OR Create an account (It's free)

Spotlight

Signing Day

Signing Day

Eight locals highlight first recruiting class at UNLV for new coach

Miss America

Miss America

Stories, photos and videos from this year's pageant

CES 2010

CES 2010

Full coverage of the International Consumer Electronics Show

CityCenter

CityCenter

The definitive guide to MGM Mirage's newest property

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve

Full coverage of New Year's Eve 2009

Sights Unseen

Sights Unseen

A collection of our favorite images that didn't run in 2009

2020 Vision

2020 Vision

As a new decade begins, the Sun looks 10 years ahead

Bottoming Out

Bottoming Out

Gambling addiction in Las Vegas

Funny Face

Funny Face

Carrot Top's stage act a mask of contradictions

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy

A detailed look at where renewable-energy sources are located in the state

A gamble in the sand

A gamble in the sand

The history of Las Vegas

Guest Gauge

Guest Gauge

The weekend crowd forecast for Las Vegas

  • Most Read
  • Discussed
  • Most E-mailed

Calendar »

  • 9 Tue
  • 10 Wed
  • 11 Thu
  • 12 Fri
  • 13 Sat