Experience Travel Through Dance!
/The Chicago International Salsa Congress
“Bizzar travel plans are dancing lessons from God” - Kurt Vonnegut
As a travel enthusiast, I look for ways that bring me the joys and experiences that travel brings me without necessarily jumping on a plane. This year, I found that through The Chicago International Salsa Congress.
The CISC is a 4-day, global dance and culture extravaganza that brings the best of Afro-Latin music and dance to Chicago. It’s a multicultural experience that unites art, music and generations together. Dance performers from all over the world showcase their talent and passion on stage and share their skills through their workshops. It’s the perfect heat wave needed in Chicago’s cold February days.
Workshops, dance performances and social dance are offered everyday of the congress, although my travel experience with the CISC started on the second day, Friday, which was the perfect way to warm up and begin my weekend.
When I arrived to the CISC held at the Westin Hotel in Rosemont, I quickly realized that the logistics of the congress were pretty easy. As you walk into the hotel lobby, you find a table where you pickup the bracelet you purchased. You can get the 4 day weekend pass (for about $500) or the one day all access pass (for about $175). This includes the classes and workshops available from 9:30am - 3:30pm, the emerging artist show that begins at 4pm, the evening dance show at 8pm, access to all the social dance rooms at 10pm and the evening concerts that go till about 4am. It’s a full day engulfed with culture, music and dance. Needless to say, the weekend pass or the all day pass are the ones worth getting. But if you are short on time, there are less expensive passes for just the dance performances, social dance and evening concerts you can purchase. Click here for more details on tickets.
THE CLASSES - Once I had my weekend pass, I was free to enter any of the classes. I chose to begin with a beginners Kizomba class which transported me to Africa. This type of dance originated in the late 1970’s with influences variably attributed to Angola, Africa. Kizomba is characterized by a slower, romantic, more sensuous rhythm than the traditional Angolan samba dance. Its music emerged as a more modern music genre with a sensual touch mixed with African rhythm and Haitian compass. Kizomba means "party" in Kimbundu, an Angolan language, and most songs are sung in Portuguese. Source
Phillyp Chanlatte & Tanya Kraus showcased what they taught during the Kizomba & Urban Kiz class for intermediate to advance participants.
Me trying my best to learn how to dance Kizomba during class
Ken Amorio is one of the leading Kizomba instructors in Chicago. Please visit @reachingwonders on Instagram for an exclusive interview with Ken.
Next I choose to experience a couple salsa classes. Salsa is a popular form of social dance originating from Cuban folk dances. The movements of salsa are a combination of Afro-Cuban dance, Son, cha-cha-cha, mambo and other dance forms. The dance, along with salsa music, saw major development in the mid-1970s in New York. Different regions of Latin America and the United States have distinct salsa styles of their own, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Cali Colombia, L.A. and New York styles. The CISC featured salsa from all these amazing places, which for me, was a local form of travel. Source
As a Colombian, I like to joke with my friends and say that I learned how to salsa before I learned how to walk. It’s a staple in our my family parties and a rhythm that I can listen to all day long, so I couldn’t leave the salsa congress without taking some salsa classes to polish up my skills.
I began with Elegant Salsa Movement with Gustavo and Krystal. This salsa class was taught on 1 (versus on 2 which are the same steps just on a different beat) intended for beginners and intermediate salsa dancers.
Go to @reachingwonders on Instagram to hear dance techniques from Gustavo and Krystal.
Next was a salsa partner class that made me dizzy, but in the best way possible. It was an intermediate workshop taught by Fausto Felix & Katlyn Rodriguez from New York. You don’t need a partner to join because they rotate you around which gives you with a chance to experience different people’s style of dance. Fausto and Katlyn performed a few times during the evening show and showcased what they taught us on stage.
Salsa partner workshop at the chicago international salsa congress
Following that I took a ladies styling salsa class on 2 (versus the beat of 1) with Delia Madera. Styling helps make your salsa moves more sensual and effortless. My takeaway from the class was not a style technique, it was that I had to first master the footwork before I can add my style. Super insightful, thanks Delia!
Ladies styling class on 2 with delia madera
Overall, the classes at the CISC are amazing. They are lead by global and local dance instructors and performers in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. There’s no need to go with a partner either because the moves are individually taught, and if they do require a partner, you rotate among the people in the class. It’s a great way to meet new friends and get a feel for the different styles of dance. There are approximately 30 classes offered each day from 9:30am - 3pm, so there is no shortage on variety or worries on missing out on a class.
DANCE PERFORMANCES - After I was warmed up with the classes, it was time for the evening shows. The 4pm matinee show had about 17 performances per day, ranging in all ages, styles and levels. That was followed by the 8pm evening show that had approximately 24 performances per day. Seating for all the shows was easily accessible and with good views, but for a true fanatic like myself, I recommend the VIP area where you can connect, see and experience all the performances. You can upgrade your ticket to VIP at the registration desk.
The outfits, the energy, the smiles, and the team work are some of the best things you see during the performances, but I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with some of the groups. Below I list just some of my favorites.
Son De Luz is an amazing salsa group that transported me all the way to Cali, Colombia. They performed multiple times during the CISC and always showcased amazing outfits and acrobatic skills. Visit me at @reachingwonders on Instagram to experience their live performance and hear my interview with their leading man, Andres Uribe.
Son De Luz, the best of the Salsa Caleña (Salsa from the region of Cali, Colombia) at the CISC.
Andres Uribe is the leading man of Son De Luz and gave me an exclusive interview about his love for dance. Check out some of his footwork at @reachingwonders on Instagram.
All the way from Mexico, we experienced a live salsa performance from Israel and Kimberly filled with breathless moves. See their live performance @reachingwonders on Instagram.
Israel and Kimberly at the Chicago International Salsa Congress
Next we have Fausto & Katlyn from New York who gave an incredible salsa performance and literally made us feel like we were lifted off our feet.
See their live performance at @reachingwonders on Instagram.
Lastly, we have La Fuerza Kingsmen Chicago showcasing their fierce Bachata moves. This type of dance took me directly to the beautiful beaches of the Dominican Republic. Bachata originated in the countryside in the Dominican Republic in the first half of the 20th century. Jose Manuel Calderon recorded the first Bachata song, "Borracho de amor" in 1962. The genre mixed the pan-Latin American style called bolero with more African, European, and Indigenous musical elements and resulted with the upbeat, yet sensual dance of Bachata. Source
La Fuerza Kingsmen Chicago showing off their bachata moves
Visit @reachingwonders on Instagram for the live performance and interview with La Fuerza Kingsmen Chicago.
During the social dance, beginning at 10pm and running till about 4am, you’ll experience various concerts and dance rooms. One dance room was focused on bachata music, the other on Kizomba and the other on salsa. The large salsa room was were the international bands played. We saw concerts from ESME from the Dominican Republic/New York, Grupo Gale from Colombia, Don Perignon y la Puertorriqueña from Puerto Rico and The New Swing Sextet of New York.
Grupo Gale from Colombia
Showing off a bit of my salsa moves during social dance
THE ATMOSPHERE - In addition to the classes and performances, the CISC offers an upbeat and entertaining ambiance throughout the entire weekend. As you walk around throughout the day, you’ll hear music in the hallways, people chatting, dancing, drinking and shopping. There are plenty of vendors selling shoes, dance outfits, even DJ services. There are also bars set up outside of the dance halls to keep the atmosphere going for the evening shows and throughout the night for social dance.
Dance shoes for sale at the CISC
Enjoying drinks before the evening social dance with my good friend and one of the hosts of the CISC @nadyacortez1
One the reasons the CISC is so successful and full of love, culture, fun and dance is because of its founders and producers, Rosita Ragin-Alamin and Saladeen Alamin. This amazing, international and multicultural couple founded the Chicago International Salsa Congress 18 years ago, and as they put it, they’ve grown bigger, bolder, and better each year. Their mission is to unite cultures and generations through shared learning experiences and performance art. As a result, the number of youth and high school teams participating each year continues to grow and so does mentorship, providing additional support and motivation to our youth. I’m so glad to be able to share my love of dance, and travel, with them. Cheers to an even more successful CISC in 2020!
Rosita Ragin-Alamin and Saladeen Alamin
Rosita and I at Friday’s social dance enjoying some music and dance from Grupo Gale
In closing, the Chicago International Salsa Congress offers a unique and rare opportunity to experience this caliber of dance. These performers are (or will be) on the top stage of Latin Dance all over the world, and they are here, accessible and willing to teach you their amazing dance skills. You don’t often get the chance to learn how to dance from the pros.
With that said, I highly recommend going to the CISC and taking as many classes as possible, and when you’re ready to put your new skills set to use, show them off on the dance floor.
Learn more about the CISC and see the recap video here and don’t forget to sign up for the next one happening in Feb 2020.
Please visit me at @reachingwonders on Instagram for the full interviews with the instructors and videos of the performances.
As always, please like, comment or share @reachingwonders on Instagram or Facebook.