Salsa by the numbers
Las Vegas Salsa Congress’ Nate Strager breaks down three days of workshops and performances
Thu, Jul 2, 2009 (midnight)
If only the regular congress in Washington had this much fun.
70 “This year we’re bringing in about 70 dance teams from around the world,” Strager says of this year’s edition, Las Vegas’ sixth annual. “A congress is when you bring people from different states or different countries together. They had one on the Great Wall of China last year.”
186 “There are 186 salsa congresses around the world. Greece, Dubai, Switzerland, Sweden, Prague. They’re everywhere.”
More
- From the Calendar
- The 6th Annual Las Vegas Salsa Congress
- July 2-4, various times and prices.
- Tropicana Casino & Resort
- Beyond the Weekly
- Las Vegas Salsa Congress
4 million “We figure there’s probably about 4 million people that attend salsa congresses. The first salsa congress was started back in Puerto Rico, and then a guy named Alberto Torres did one in LA. The reason we did one here? Even though there’s a lot of Latinos in Vegas, there’s not a lot of Latin culture. We’re trying to start it and keep it going and make salsa grow here.”
8 “Everybody you dance with will have a different style. I mean, you’ll dance with the music, ’cause there’s eight counts of music. It doesn’t matter if you listen to heavy metal or opera, there’s eight counts in every piece of music. As long as you’re dancing with the music, you’re good.”
Tropicana Las Vegas sits on the south-east corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, an intersection which has the most adjacent hotel rooms in the world, also making it one of the most busy. The hotel has 1,658 rooms, three restaurants, a 62,011-square foot casino and a spa.
The Tropicana's five-acre pool complex stretches throughout the center of the the hotel/casino and remains it's most recognizable feature. It features swim-up blackjack during the summer months, a swim-up bar, dining areas and a wedding chapel. The Tropicana is also home to Brad Garrett's Comedy Club. For pre-show dining, take advantage of one the casino’s dinner and a show packages or just head over to Cafe Nikki, Biscayne Steak, Sea & Wine or Bacio Pasta & Vino.
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