Copa Cabana Nights Amsterdam

Iedere eerste en derde vrijdag van de maand vindt er bij de Melody Line in Amsterdam “Copa Cabana Night” plaats, waar ik bijna elke editie te vinden ben! Bij deze dansavond zijn er 2 zalen; één zaal met Salsa en Bachata en één zaal met Zouk/Kizomba. In de Zouk/Kizomba zaal wordt één of twee keer per avond afgewisseld met andere Braziliaanse muziek/dansstijlen zoals Axé of soms Samba of Forró. Beide zalen worden altijd druk bezocht, Copa Cabana Night is hot!

Gezien ik alleen Zouk en Kizomba dans, kan ik weinig vertellen over de Salsa/Bachata zaal. Maar de Zouk/Kizomba zaal is een ruime mooie zaal met een goede vloer en, wanneer het druk is, kan de ruimte worden vergroot (2x) door de schuifwand weg te halen en de achterliggende dansvloer beschikbaar te stellen. Tijdens de Copa Cabana Nights is Dj Vanderlei (Braziliaan) de vaste Zouk DJ, maar soms wordt hij afgewisseld door Internationale DJ’s die bijvoorbeeld in Nederland zijn om workshops/shows te geven. Er hangt een hele relaxte, gezellige en open sfeer. Iedereen danst met iedereen en er is een redelijk gelijkwaardige man-vrouw verhouding, hierdoor hoeft niemand lang stil te staan.  

De afgelopen maanden begint het Kizomba gehalte sterk toe te nemen, zo ook bij de Copa Cabana Nights. Afgelopen keer was het aantal Kizomba dansers zelfs zo groot dat de ene helft van de dansvloer bestemd was voor Kizomba en de andere helft van de dansvloer voor Zouk. Dit kan gemakkelijk gezien de zaal vergroot kan worden na het weghalen van de schijfwand. Gezellig druk, maar nog altijd genoeg plek voor iedereen om te lekker te dansen.

Review door Femke Visser / 21-02-2013 / Rated: 4 sterren 

Amsterdam Salsa & Zouk Festival 2013

With 3 days of amazing parties,workshops and shows…ASZF 2013 was a blast and THE ultimate Salsa Festival in the "Sin city"of Amsterdam. Set in a fantastic venue (The Rhone Party Centre), DJ Mauri Amsterdam and his team gave the audience something to remember them by….!

The Workshops:

Set in 5 areas for salsa, and a different one for zouk, the incredibly high level workshops could satisfy all tastes. Salsa On1 and On2, Afro Cuban, Chacha, Pachanga, body movement and all kinds of styling, very high class workshops given by the best of each kind. A really interesting aspect is that the workshops were addressed also to completely beginner dancers, with no dancing experience whatsoever, with a special area devoted just to them.

The Shows:

The shows were wisely selected to pleasure both salsa and zouk lovers. The list of the artists was very long, and included most of the biggest names in today's Salsa and Zouk scene.  Personally I mostly enjoyed the shows by Mr. Adolfo and Tania, Mr. Juan Matos, Yamulee, the Cobo brothers, Teri and Cecile, Estilo Dance Company and La Differencia .... while in my opinion the most spectacular show was the one by Yamulee on Sunday night, where the audience literally stood up to loudly cheer the performance of both the group but also Ronald Pieters who was performing with his team in The Netherlands for the first time.

The Shows by Juan Matos and Adolfo and Tania were simply impressive. Mrs Tania Cannarsa is I believe a fresh and adorable lady and the number one hottest Salsa Dancer in the salsa scene at the moment with thousands of fans from all over the world.

The Parties:

The Parties of ASZF 2013 can only be described by one word. Extraordinary. The level of the dancers was incredibly high both in the Salsa and the Zouk area- I believe one of the highest levels I ever saw in such events. The music was also of very high quality with super hot DJs from all over the world. Except from the bars, where people could enjoy drinks and cocktails, the dancers could access a food area which was open all night long, with great food and fruits in very reasonable prices.

The costume theme on Saturday night was The Village people and Pussy cat dolls, a theme well chosen as it brought both incredible laughter, and the presence of super hot sexy ladies who were inspired by both themes when choosing their outfits for the party. The best costumes won full passes some of the biggest Salsa events. As DJ Mauri said...It is really worth dressing up!

The Fashion:

The "Sin City" festival, except from its glamorous character, had many reasons for which to be considered the ultimate fashion event: Incredible show outfits & make up by every single performer - Fashionable party clothes and shoes worn by dancers in all party areas - Spectacular costumes in theme night, inspired by Pussycat dolls and The Village people - Shoe fashion show on stage by artists - Stylish shoes and dance clothes stands in party areas where dancers could be provided the most high fashion dance outfits

...With a great dance floor packed with dancers from 10pm until the morning, people kept asking for more and more music! DJ Mauri Amsterdam is one of the best event organizers, and left once more every dancer with the best impressions, waiting impatiently for the next festival to come!

Until next time...see you all on the dance floor!

Review by Kelly Stavridaki /  27-02-13 / Rated: 4 stars

Guerra de Amor party - Madurodam

This Saturday, 26/01/13, I decided to attend a new party project, hosted and presented by Bachatalounge and Bachata Party lovers, the 'Guerara de Amor' party, in Madurodam.

This fresh project, took place in a very special venue, in Madurodam, which  is a miniature city representing The Netherlands. Located in The Hague, Madurodam is very easy to reach by public transport from The Hague central station. It is a big tourist attraction and, close to Schevening beach,boulevard, casino and Sea Life.

The venue was more than perfect for a Salsa-Bachata-Kizomba party, as it had three huge rooms: One salsa room upstairs, a main central bachata room downstairs, and a slightly smaller kizomba room also downstairs. The main bachata room was packed the whole night, something which was quite expected, as the party was full of bachata and sensual music lovers.

The music, (despite some technical problems) was very inspiring, especially in the kizomba room. DJ Walter Correia was spinning some of the best mainstream and alternative kizomba and zouk sounds, but also some Semba and Tarachina. In the main room, DJS Latin mania and Carlos selected both mainstream sensual and faster bachatas, and upstairs, in the salsa room, DJ Latin Master and DJ Donnie made excellent choices of  all kinds of salsa music.

In my opinion, the location and the idea of a party taking place in such a glamorous and interesting venue is fun-tastic, and many people also embraced the idea of such a party, something which was evident from the huge turnout of the dancers (more than 400!!). The floor was also ideal and the lights were very wisely chosen, giving the atmosphere different colours and creating a very romantic sensation. What was also remarkable, was the presence of sexy pole dancers and a table magician that offered an exciting and different form of entertainment!

The party lasted from 22.00 until 03.00, while the entrance at the door was €14,-, with a choice to preorder a ticket online at the price of €10,- . The dress code was quite glamorous, and I believe that the event will continue to have this popular character, mainly due to the good atmosphere and its exquisite venue.

Until next time, see you all on the dance floor!

Review by Kelly Stavridaki /  28-01-13 / Rated: 3 stars

Sao Paulo in Amsterdam

Een heel gezellig cafeetje waar je iedere dag van de week lekker even kunt komen dansen als je wilt. Ik ga voornamelijk op donderdag, dan draait DJ Rick en zijn er in de vooravond danslessen van Salsamoso. Na de lessen vrij dansen is hier echt vrij. Je hoeft het niet eens te kunnen want er zijn genoeg zitplaatsen om de dansvloer heen en voorin de zaak. Alle levels salsa en ook andere soorten muziek als het moment er om vraagt. De sfeer in Sao Paulo is goed, zelfs als er niemand is, dat wil wat zeggen over de inrichting en filosofie van de eigenaar. Maar natuurlijk is het interactiever als er wel bezoekers zijn. De opkomst wisselt sterk naargelang er andere evenementen zij of als er een weekje geen lessen zijn. Wat mij betreft een oase in het aanbod van salsafeestjes waar je af en toe niet meer van weet welke nou de moeite waard is. Hier is het altijd gezellig en word je met open armen ontvangen alsof je bij je vrienden langsgaat. Ongedwongen en altijd thuis. Je hebt als danser wel altijd zin om te dansen maar niet altijd in de standaard feestjes. Aangezien er op donderdag voornamelijk Cubaans gerichte salsa te doen is zou je denken dat dit een cubansalsaclubje is maar niets is minder waar, omdat per dag de DJ wisselt velanderd de dansstroming mee. Variatie in een continue jus van gezellige gemoedelijkheid.

Review by Louke Spigt / 09-01-13 / Rated: ... stars

010 All Star Salsa DJ's party

010 All Star Salsa DJ s party was a special event with many Salsa DJ's from Rotterdam! An event for salsa and latin music lovers that could satisfy even the most demanding dancers.

The party took place in a wonderful location (De Klerk, Delftsestraat 5, Rotterdam centre-aside Hollywood Music Hall) in Rotterdam, very close to the train station, so that the dancers could have easy access to the place. With two rooms, one huge salsa room, and one smaller room with carribean and bachata music, everyone could relax and have an unforgettable Friday night.

The fact that made that party so special, was that, so many different DJ's were united in one crazy night and managed to create a unique atmosphere with all kinds of salsa sounds. The dancers enjoyed Salsa Dura and Romantica, Salsa Classica, Pachanga, Boogaloo, Cha-cha and Mambo, all in the right proportions, so that the interest of the dancers never faded away. The changes in styles and music were very 'correct' and every dancer felt like not wanting to leave any song pass by without dancing.The Rotterdam Salsa DJ's that spinned the wonderful Salsa sounds were Bas, Bjorn,Carlos,Chico,Chuck, Donnie, Pepez,Roggy and Rojo.

What is more, some other elements that made the party a blast, were the great dance floor that allowed the salsa lovers to demonstrate their talent and have a great time, and also the level of the dancers, which was very high. The atmosphere was very friendly and cosy , ideal for those who wanted to burn the dancefloor, but also for those who wanted to just relax, listen to their favourite music and have a nice glass of wine.

The 010 All Star Salsa DJs party started at 22.30, and lasted till 03.30 in the morning, while the entrance fee was '€ 7.50, which is in my opinion a very reasonable price for a Friday night's party. The smile on the dancers' faces while lieaving was evident...and the comments that were written on facebook after the end of the party can convince everyone that this party....was a great success and an event not to be missed!


Until next time...See you all on the dancefloor!!

Review by Kelly Stavridaki /  18-01-13 / Rated: 5 stars

Salsa party @ Shelina Salsa Eindhoven

December 26th, Shelina was celebrating Christmas, an evening full of surprises and shows.

Shelina, one of the most amazingly talented dancers in Holland, always knows how to host a party. The place was packed and the atmosphere was very warm and festive, as the Christmas atmosphere is supposed to be.

What impressed me, is the high level of dancers that participated in the event. People from several places (many of them distant) attended the party and enjoyed themselves in one of the greatest environments one can possibly find. When asking about people's opinion on Shelina's Parties, everyone replied that 'it feels like family', and Shelina and her students always know how to welcome you and make you feel at home, no matter where you come from.

Taiti end Christel, Brian and Mechteld, Maud and Soeniel and Boy and Naida (performing for the first time a brand new Shine show).All of the shows were exquisite leaving the guests something to think about...! The music, was another factor which made the party a blast. DJ El Jomry and DJ Kamal were spinning the best Mambo, Chachacha and Salsa Romantica sounds in the Salsa room, while the participants also had the option of a bachata/Kizomba room, to dance under the sounds of DJ Tinta-a master in Bachata and Kizomba music. When it comes to the most exciting part of the party-the shows-the Salsa lovers had the chance to enjoy 6 unique, high-level shows, by Confianza (Shelina's on1 student team), The Hernandez Brothers,

With a glamorous dress-code, people could dance from 22:00 until late hours in the morning, while the entrance was €12,5 (including Indonesian catering treats).

Shelina's parties are the IT place to be for those who want to just be themselves, enjoy dancing, and have fun...they are events not to be missed! Until next time...see you all on the dancefloor!!

Review by Kelly Stavridaki / 09-01-13 / Rated: 5 stars

Salsaventura XL @ MegaPlaza - Den Haag

This Saturday, December 15, I decided to attend the Salsa-Bachata Party of Salsaventura in Megaplaza-Den Haag. After a long night, I have to say, I was not disappointed.

First of all, the Venue was enormous, and packed with dancers of very satisfying level. The floor was as slippery as it should be, allowing you to enjoy your dance. The light was discreet, and the atmosphere was very pleasant, elements that could create a very nice environment. Those who attended the party had the chance to enjoy four very high level shows by Brian & Mechteld, Brian & Ronald, Ronald & Vivienne, Gilson & Natasha. All of the shows were exceptional, while the- premiere-show of Brian and Mechteld was breathtaking and could satisfy even the most demanding Salsa Lovers.

I particularly enjoyed the music, which was both mainstream and alternative – with surprising variations of Mambos, Boogaloos, Pachangas and Salsa Dura and Romantica. By taking a look on the packed dance floor, one could realize that the dancers really enjoyed the sounds.

Despite the fact that the Bachata room was not as popular in comparison to the Salsa one, I have to mention that both the atmosphere and the music in the room were fascinating. The light was discreet, the room was very cozy, and the Zouk and Bachata sounds were very wisely selected to please the audience.

In addition, the cost to attend the party was € 12,- (with the option to save € 2,- by booking it online). There were no extra charges (coat room, toilet), while the location was easily accessible, with a large parking area around it. If you wish to attend a party of Salsaventura, you can find the information about the upcoming events here.

Until next time, see you all on the dance floor!

Review by Kelly Stavridaki / 15-12-2012 / Rated: 4 stars