Latin Flavor: RVA Salsa Bachata Congress

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Hello friends,

First, I must apologize for the delay this week. I have been out and about this past weekend meeting with some extremely fun, visionary trailblazers. I may not have said it before, but I love to dance. I may not be the best dancer, but I will give it a darn good try. This weekend was the first official RVA Salsa Bachata Congress. It was packed with lessons to include: Salsa, Bachata, Argentine Tango, Kizouk, and Kizomba. This event was in the developmental stages for over a year, and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
The event was held at the Richmond Downton Marriot, Friday, September 7-Sunday September 9. I must note, the staff at the Marriot were exceptional. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with a smile and an eagerness to assist. It is also pretty awesome that the in-house Starbucks opted to stay open late for attendees of the RVA Salsa Bachata Congress. Pizzas and snacks were available until 1:00 a.m. (very important when you are exerting that much energy). Every detail was thought out. There were t-shirts with the event logo, along with bags, and, even leggings.

Attendees were provided with the option to take classes from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on the first night (I chose Bachata). The classes were filled with people who had no clue what to do and people who were Dancin’ with the Stars status. We had a blast learning what to do, laughing, and just having a really great time. After classes, we were introduced to the wonderful DJs from Virginia to Atlanta, all joining us to spin those dynamic Latin beats. We were given a sneak peek into talents coming from all over the world. The provided us with a beautiful representation of Latin dance. Following a presentation of talents, the social dance event began. There were four separate spaces for your choice of Latin dance pleasure, open until 2:00 a.m.

Saturday classes ran hourly from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. There was an amazing collegiate dance competition, complete with a scholarship for the winners. Yes, this event was fun, but it served a dual purpose. I had the opportunity to speak with some of the organizers, and yes, they give back to the community. The money raised from this event went towards continued events centered around diversity and inclusion within the Richmond and surrounding cities. Following the competition, the classes continued until 6:00 p.m. As you can see, this event was full of dance, dance, and more dance. There was an additional performance, and the social began at 9:00 p.m. I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and I encourage anyone even remotely interested in dance to check out the link below for additional resources. There are Salsa Bachata Congress events all over the country. Check them out with a quick search in your area. Make sure you like and subscribe to the channel linked below.