Casa do Zouk!
Surfers Paradise
I lost my Zouk Congress cherry in Prague. I had never even been to a dance congress in my own country.
Until Now!
Last weekend was Casa do Zouk – the largest Zouk congress in Australia. Hosted by Kadu and Larissa at Queensland’s Surfers Paradise, it was a nice ‘welcome back to Oz’ party for me after three weeks in Hawaii… At least that is how I like to think of it! It wasn’t without drama – I almost didn’t make it due to flight delays and cancellations. I got there a day late, and after the Jack and Jill registration (so I am yet to lose my Jack and Jill competition cherry), but I did get there on the Friday in time for a couple of workshops before some serious training and practices for my two dance performances… that night! Talk about stress!
The People
Aussies are great. And there were heaps of us there, many of which I would rate as super high quality dancers. But we need more European and international stock! If you are reading this blog and thinking of coming down to visit and have a congress with us (there is Casa do Zouk in July and the Sydney International Zouk Congress in December/January):
Come for the smorgasbord of Aussie dancers and stay for our beaches and warm weather!
One of my favourite Honolulu Zouk dancers – Mic Lee made the journey down and there was one awesome guy who came from South Korea! You guys rock – and hopefully we will have a more diverse group next time!!
The Workshops
Two rooms of workshops were aimed at Open to Advanced levels but most focused a little more on Intermediate to Advanced. There were workshops that covered patterns and sequences, and other more conceptual workshops focusing on connection and musicality. One of my favorites was given by DJ Kakah on the beat and musicality in tracks. She explained how a track is constructed with the introduction, verse, pre-chorus, chorus and bridge, and how each section can be used differently when dancing. One of my other favorites was with Carlos and Fernanda doing spins (with an off-center counter balance thrown in at the end!).
The selection of instructors was great; the internationals included Carlos and Fernanda, Freddy and Andressa, Alex and Mathilde (one of my new favorite couples!), Layssa and Arthur and Kadu and Larissa. I know the last pair of couples are Australia-based, but they still count! Australia isn’t just ‘down the street’ from other countries like in Europe; so such a diverse selection is difficult (and costly) to organise.
The DJs
The headlining DJ was Kakah; and she was amazing as always. The diversity of her music means you can play with so many different Zouk styles. She was also been spinning some 80s remixes which made for some interesting changes! I am still more a fan of her Mafie-esque music, but appreciated the flash backs. Some of the instructors DJ’d as well – but I’ll be honest – I was too busy dancing to take any more note than ‘not Kakah’…
The Venue
Casa was held at Mantra on View – which meant that it was super close to the beach (not that I had time for swimming!) and lots of good food options. The Vietnamese place around the corner saved us before our performances on Friday night, and the Acai bowls were my lunch-time vice… I averaged two a day. They had an accommodation special for congress attendees as well as a reduced rate for breakfast – super handy after a late night of dancing.
The Verdict
Three days is not long enough. I know you can never really get enough Zouk; but three days is just too short!! Not that I didn’t dance my ‘lil heart out – I did get a dose of the post-congress exhaustion cold even though it only lasted three days. And I took two days for recovery before starting back at work, which was a GREAT idea if I don’t say so myself. But three days is enough to whet your social dancing appetite and start relaxing into the vibe. It was just long enough for me to gather the courage to ask unfamiliar people to dance and reach outside my comfort zone. Maybe a few more days can be added next year!?
What did you think of Casa do Zouk? Will you be joining me there next year?! Please leave a comment and share on Facebook! And stay tuned for more photos AND video from Casa do Zouk!!!
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