Big But Intimate! New Meets Old! Big Congress acts in with a Sunday Social coziness.
Salsa came down to urban roots last week-end at the 2nd Winter Salsa Carnival at the Berkeley Church.
The Methodists who built the red bricked Berkeley Street Wesleyan-Methodist Church in 1871 would not comprehend - movie studio from the 50s. Event venue from 1999 and, Salsa Central for the 2007 Winter Salsa Carnival - the Berkeley has seen it all!
As Friday night's snow hushed the city, Salsa was generating heat in the high-ceilinged Berkley. The ornate iron mezzanine railing, the peeling cement stage wall and the wood floor with the four inch planks gave a gritty World War II type feel and a sort of coziness not found in other venues around Toronto.
People lined the rail on the mezzanine watching the show, while others took it in on the main floor.
Ten groups from Canada and the US covered a wide range of salsa and salsa's origins.
Mambo Tribe's Advanced Student group, choreographed by Young and Gen got the crowd going with a tight performance.
City Dance Corps's urban inspired brought another dimension to the mix while....
Sarita Levya's Ire Omo Dance brought it back to Africa, the origin of salsa rhythms. Mambo Dream Team's Dora performed with Ire Omo, previewing their show at Myth in December 2006.
Mas Mambo's and cohost Mark-Anthony & Akila's Mambo y Cha Cha put spotlighted cha cha and smoked' em with some acrobatic salsa.
Latin Energy's Young Dancers enthralled the crowd with their sassy flirty opening and had them on their feet with smoking hot salsa. Not so little and a very sassy Briia gave it right back to them!
Consuelo Herrera's Afro-Cuban Rumbo paid homage to some of the Orishas - with Marcus Chonsky live on congas.
United Salseros's Mambo Mosic brought an early spring to the show with their bumble bees buzzing around the pretty flowers, looking and flirting - until gardner girl spritzed them to a stop.
Salsa Fanatics came in from Ottawa kept it moving and...
iFreeStyle's Angus & Caryl came up like spiders - a perfect match to the gritty faded elegance of the Berkeley!
Urban Vibe brought Chicago to the House and...
Sekou McMiller, body movement and footwork meister, kept it in Chicago and closed the show.
