Blizard Friday night... Brilliant sunshine Saturday for Saint Patrick's Day. That's March in Toronto!
The Berkeley's charms came out in the light of day as Saturday's Winter Salsa Carnival workshops kept people turning, and walking and turning and dipping and shining all day.
From Art in Motion's Darlin's On1 Beginner-Intermediate Turn patterns to Descarga Caribe Dancers Sekou McMiller's Body Movements and Isolations through to Urban Vibe's Jorge's On2 Advanced Footwork, around to San Tropez Dance Company's Sonia & Morris' On1 & On2 Advanced Turn Patterns, into Marie-Josee & Roberto's Ladies & Men's Shines, finishing with Oscar and & Vanesa's Tricks & Dips, they were busy!
But not busy enough to catch a dance or two in between the workshops - or anytime music was playing.
Even Off Stage, They're On!
A real treat was catching Chilatal Dance Company's Roberto rehearsing the troupe with a very attentive Marie-Josee watching - on the mezzanine with soft light coming in through the stained glass windows.
As Robberto counted "Un, deux, trois, cinq, six, sept..." his young, as in late teens to early twenties, dancers salsa'd, turned, styled, lifted, dipped and spun. They repeated if something was not quite right.
Working as individual couples, they walked through their own challenging points, just like musicians running through fingerwork before a concert.
It was so refreshing to see so many young people working very hard, yet smiling and laughing the whole time.
Only an ex-Montrealer could catch the Quebecoise joie de vivre that radiated from them and the subtle but snazzy uniforms they all wore. Even off the stage, they were on, a presence felt before being seen. Show goers that night were in for something special.
