How do you enter a Salsa Competition with no choreography or pre-training and expect to do well?…Just ask Elvira Gheno, Tony Gheno and Mina QUEEN SALSA
WELL DONE! to Elvira Gheno and Tony Gheno for achieving Second Place in the Cuban Category and Fourth Place overall in the Official North West Open Amateur Salsa Championships in Preston, Lancashire on Saturday 21st April 2007 – organised by Salsa North West (www.salsanorthwest.co.uk). Elvira and Tony (his first ever competition) were not meant to compete at all. They only came to watch but, as the organisers and judges realised that four out of the original twelve couples were no longer intending to compete, they asked the various Salsa groups if they could provide other couples to increase the competitor numbers.
Well, it’s not surprising there was some resistance to this as you usually need to train for a period of time to prepare properly for these events – not just for a decent routine, but also to build your confidence to enable you to perform well in front of a crowd.
Elvira Gheno and Tony Gheno, QUEEN SALSA's sister and brother team, were the only Salsa students, from any group, with the courage to try their luck, and decided to treat their first championship efforts together as just a piece of dancing fun. So, now there were nine competitor couples seeking to win the First North West England Amateur Salsa Championship crown.
Now that they'd put their minds to it, and decided to enter the competition, with only 10 minutes to spare before everything started, Mina QUEEN SALSA worked quickly with the intrepid pair to put together an elaborate routine that included some of the footwork shines that Mina’s students often practice in her classes, as well as a short burst of Pachanga footwork (influenced by the recent World Salsa Champions - Cabaret Division, Ricardo Murillo and Viviana Vargas from Cali, Colombia), and as much freestyle Salsa as they could remember.
To add to the pressure, Elvira and Tony were chosen to be one of the first couples to compete, but they held their nerve, stepped up to the mark and performed their hastily put together routine, on two occasions, in a manner that any professional dancer would be proud of. They obviously greatly impressed the judges, who were all aware of the fact that Elvira and Tony had not intended to enter the competition at all and had no pre-prepared routine.
Tony and Elvira were pleasantly, and deservedly, awarded their positional prizes - Second Place in the Cuban Category and Fourth Place overall. Once again…well done to Elvira and Tony Gheno!!! You’ve also done us proud.
Article written by Stephen Elliott (general dogsbody at QUEEN SALSA headquarters)
