Who said our local salseros cannot compete with LA dancers? In a recent showcase of dancing talent Fiesta del Barrio held at The Spotlight on the Square in Alameda, Bay Area salsa groups were certainly comparable to LA performers.

This event, superbly organized by Chantel Vasquez and Francisco Vazquez, was long overdue here where the popularity of salsa has been steadily on the rise for many years. It was the first of its kind and hopefully not the last. Hard to believe that all that work was done by fellow dancers, not professional event organizers.

A flood of publicity fliers were distributed well in advance. At the entrance patrons were treated to chocolate kisses along with the evening program. Buffet with snacks and fresh fruit was offered to everybody. One of the best LA bands, Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad, was booked for the evening. Our own versatile dancer and instructor Ricardo Tellez of RicaSalsa fame was the MC for the evening. DJ Carlitos was spinning most exhilarating salsa tunes. The evening was hosted by dancers from Rumba Rumberos dance troupe who made sure it ran smoothly.

The club was full of everybody who is anybody in the Bay Area salsa circles (with the exception of Gary and Isabel, of course). The audience seemed to have a great time comparing the dancers, memorizing new moves and some just mocking and even gloating. (To each his own).

In 2 hour show there were plenty of excitement for everybody with over 13 group performances. Every number was greeted with enthusiastic applause, but everybody's favorite seemed to be the funny and impeccable Edie the "Salsa Freak" and her husband and dance partner Al Espinoza whose "robotic" moves wowed the viewers. Another couple from LA, Teresa Zamorano and particularly Edgar Mendez with his "mask" impersonation and fiery passionate dancing were awesome. A newly formed local group Pretty Boys and Girls Salsa Productions made a promising debut, especially its principal dancer and one of the directors Michelle Castro who stood out as a very inspired and skillful dancer. The more experienced and well known group from LA Salsa Brava had a lot to offer, but let's not forget that most dancers in participating troupes were true amateurs who have their day jobs and cannot dedicate themselves to dance training as professionals do. So comparison in this case is unfair. Nevertheless, the styling and elegance of Mambo Romero were quite impressive even without flashy tricks.

It's impossible to review all the performers in a short article, what must be said however, is that too often even professionals lack this exhilaration and joy that shines through in some dancers. Also, performances do not always give a genuine reflection of dancers' skills. They might look good on stage with learned routines and technique, but can they lead or follow on the dance floor? Not necessarily. Do they dance for fun and enjoy the music, or are they after impeccable moves with no soul? Yes, you can imitate even perfect styling with perfect sexy movements, but remain a perfect dancing robot with hollow heart. To be fair, it's hard to exude passion when you're not sure where to put your foot in the next move, especially on stage. And as every performer in any art form knows, the only cure for this is practice and more practice until one day you forget about your feet, and your legs, and your arms, and start DANCING.

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