Tropicana Australian Street Latin Dance Competition 2012

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Sat 08 Dec 2012

I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend the Tropicana Australian Street Latin dance competition held at The Serbian Hall, 3 Mary Street Hindmarsh.



The location of this event was perfect. Easy to find with plenty of parking, even though there was an event on at the Entertainment Centre.

As we walked in to the Serbian Hall, we were greeted by lively Latin music and the smell of incense burning. The room is set up in a cabaret style format with a long table at the front of the dance floor for the judges. Food and drink was also readily available.







From glitzy costumes to amazing chemistry and dance moves, the audience watched with open mouths and joined in the spirit by clapping to the beats of the competitors.

Three particular acts stood out for me.

La Bomba students entertained the audience with a group act of men and women dancing in pairs. Their black and white costumes resembling the Charleston era, were a perfect addition to their routine. They intertwined and sashayed around each other, looking into each other's eyes with believable chemistry.





I had noticed some of the La Bomba students at the Latin Festival held in North Adelaide a few months ago and was impressed with their energy and commitment then, so it was wonderful to watch them again. You can really see their love for dance come out in their routines.

The girl who stole the show was Gaby Francesca, with her Latin Jazz choreography. Dressed in tight black leggings with splits up the side of her legs, a bra that resembles something almost Amazonian with spikes and a tiny denim jacket, she moved over the dance floor effortlessly using all the space and going from floor work to jumps, even some hair swinging! Her energy had the crowd captivated from start to finish.




Last but not least was an act that was a little left of centre when you think about going to a Latin dance competition. The male dancer started off his routine to Michael Jackson and incorporated dance styles from Hip Hop, Latin and other amazing modern moves similar to what you would be seeing from Chris Brown or Usher. Getting a photograph of him dancing was near impossible with how fast he moved around the dance floor in his all white ensemble.

Even if you are not particularly a fan of dance, you should attend this next year just to see the costumes. The Brazilian style dances with their amazing feathered headdresses or detailed make up is impressive.





The Latin Culture has such a wonderful vibe about it. Even in the breaks between competitors, there were opportunities for everyone from the audience to get up and be involved in having a dance. Young and old all moving together, inhibitions left behind, made the whole room contain a happy carefree atmosphere.



I would definitely recommend checking this event out next year.

La Bomba Studio also teach dance classes out of their studio in Croydon so for something different go to their website link and start dancing now!

Please note:
I would recommend going with a group to form your own table as many people seemed a bit lost joining a table with complete strangers.

I attended this event with my partner and baby as the event advertisement had said "children under 15 free" yet I was the only one with a child there! Luckily for me, bub was happy to bob along to the upbeat music.

#community_events
#competitions
#croydon
#december
#disabled_friendly
#festivals
#hindmarsh
!date 08/12/2012 -- 08/12/2012
%wnadelaide