Baila Baila Salsa Festival

6th -8th of April 2007 at Sokos Hotel Vantaa * Hot parties * 51 workshops * The best instructors * Free salsa lessons for children * Workshops for beginners, intermediate and advanced level Learn Salsa in three days!!! * Every day 5 lessons for beginners * 1 lesson 10 €, 10 lessons 100 € Dance School Baila Baila and Sokos Hotel Vantaa invite You to participate in the 3rd international Salsa Festival in the capital area of Finland. This is an ‘all in one festival’: all the workshops, shows and parties are in the same place. Welcome to join this 3-day event with the world’s most exciting salseros! The best salsa instructors from abroad together with the best local instructors give you a unique opportunity to get close to the world of salsa; workshops, shows and parties that you’re never going to forget! Workshops: There’s a great group of world’s top instructors coming to our Salsa Festival to teach salsa from the beginners up to the advanced level. Workshop levels are just suggestions. Every workshop and lesson is a unique learning experience because of our special visiting instructors and we recommend challenging workshop choices. Beginner’s level workshops are good introduction to everyone interested in learning salsa and suit as well to those who already know the basic steps as to those ones who are just planning their expedition to the world of salsa. Make your choice based on your skills but don’t be afraid to try you limits! Challenge yourself and your friends by participating also to the workshops a bit more demanding than you’ve used to! Visiting instructors: Chiqui: Cuban dancer, choreographer, dance pedagogue and musician Chiqui has worked with several famous Latin-American artists and orchestras (such as Oscar D’León, Celina Gonzales, Irakere, Los VanVan etc.), has been in many awarded films and performed all around the world. He is specialist in different colourful Cuban and Afro-Cuban dances and wants always also to brighten up the back round and history of these dances while teaching. Since 1992 Chiqui has lives and teached in Sweden. Kristina: Swedish Kristina has both studied dance and worked in many respected folk-dance and carneval dance groupes in Cuba. She was the first Swedish ever chosen to the legendary Cuban Tropicana Cabare. Kristina teaches Afro-Cuban folk- and popular dances in Sweden to people from all ages. In 1997 she was awarded with Gösta Knuttson- stipendium from her work for children and adolescents. Israel: Rewarded and admired Cuban-born dance-miracle Israel has performed in all the best known stages in Cuba and his still dancing and performing actively with his Tropical Son company. Since 2000 Israel has lived and teached in Munich. His repertoire is wide and diverse from the traditional salsa, conga and mambo to modern, show- and break-dance as well as to hip hop. Israel has visited in Finland many times before and is already known as being pure rhythm and energy! Claudio: Coming from Havanna, dancer, singer and percussionist Claudio is internationally known and respected salsa-professional. He is also one of the founders and solo-dancer of the legendary Conjunto Folclóroco Nacional de Cuba. Claudio is specified in rumba and Cuban son and of that has also created a unique son-pat?n-style. In 1999 Claudio set up his own dance academy in Munich and in 2000 he founded Agua Havana Dance Academy (with several international star-dancers). At the moment Claudio teaches for example in Salsa Congress World Tour 2005-2008 and sings and plays in two Cuban salsa-orchestras. Luis & Melissa: LA-Salsa style since 1992! Luis Vazquez, a pioneer in LA style salsa began dancing in 1992. He co-created Salsa Brava Productions, the first ever dance company in Los Angeles and one of the most well known dance companies in the world. Luis's style has and continues to inspire people to reach and exceed their boundaries. His aura, personality and vibrant energy are contagious! His creativity in music, costumes, routines, and stunts has taken showmanship to the next level as well as paved the way for many other dancers including Melissa Fernandez. When combining Melissa's sensuality and passion to Luis’s style it is no wonder that this pair has become one of the best recognized Latin dancers in the world. At the moment they both work world-wide as dancers, choreographers and instructors from LA. Come and dance with us and enjoy the heat of salsa! You will love it!