I had the privilege of attending the Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival on Saturday June 25th, 2023. It was such an exciting event! The festival was organized by Owner and CEO Larry Toney. It was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Sacramento from June 22nd through June 25th, 2023. There were over twenty dance instructors from around the world! The workshops and performances were amazing, and being in the presence of so many talented artists was so inspiring!
Saturday morning I attended Mike Del Campo’s Beginning Salsa Workshop. He is the owner of the Del Campo Dance Studio in Sacramento, CA. He is an excellent teacher, and he is also really funny! The vibe in his class was lighthearted and fun. It was a great way to start the day. Leaders and Followers rotated, and the class was full. He said “Dance is a celebration of life!” He told us to “Have fun, and if you make a mistake don’t worry. You can fix it in the next dance.” He also said “Dance is like a river.” He was very welcoming, and invited everyone to ask one of the Del Campo Dance Studio “Team Celebracion!” members for a dance later that evening during the social dance portion of the night. Here is a link to a short video of what we learned in his dance workshop. Mike Del Campo’s Beginning Salsa Workshop – Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival – YouTube
Next I attended Annette Saucillo’s Mambo Afro Fusion Workshop!!! This woman is an incredibly talented dancer, and instructor. I was thrilled to be attending her class. She also taught a Pachanga Workshop on Sunday at the Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival. Annette is from the Los Angeles area, and I believe she teaches classes at the Passion y Tumbao Dance Studio in Anaheim, CA. Her class was a real work out, and tons of fun! I learned a lot, and I feel like she taught me how to be a bit more free on the dance floor!!! Here is a link to short video of her dance workshop. Annette Saucillo’s Mambo Afro Fusion Workshop – Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival 2023 – YouTube
I returned later in the evening for the live performances. I was so impressed with all of the talent on the stage!!! Larry Toney did an incredible job of showcasing some very talented World Class Bachata and Salsa performers! Andres y Nataly from Columbia performed and their quick steps, and sharp choreography dazzled the crowd! They were amazing. Here is a link to a video of their performance that evening: Andres y Nataly – Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival 2023 – YouTube
Erika Saucillo – Rivera from the Los Angeles area is a fabulous dancer, and instructor. She taught a Happy Yoga Workshop, a Follows Styling Workshop, as well as a Bootcamp Challenge Performance class during the festival. Her performance on Saturday night had a lot of pizzazz, and was one of the highlights of the evening. Here is a link to a video of her performance: Erika Saucillo – Rivera’s performance – Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival 2023 – YouTube
I believe that the next group was Salsa Bahia from Oakland, CA. They were so sharp, and all of their lifts, turns and styling were very exciting to watch! I was so impressed with their timing, and attention to detail. To view their performance click here: Salsa Bahia’s performance – Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival 2023 – YouTube
Kida the Great from Sacramento was “America’s Favorite Dancer on the 13th season of So You Think You Can Dance”. He taught Hip Hop Workshops during the festival, and his performance on Saturday night was really special. He is a gifted dancer, and the crowd loved him. Here is a link to a short video of his performance that evening: Kida the Great – Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival 2023 – YouTube
There were many more beautiful performances but I only had a chance to record a few. After the live performances there was a break, and the social dancing portion of the night began with DJ Nav. He is an instructor at the Del Campo Dance Studio in Sacramento, and he and his partner teach a very fun Intermediate Salsa as well as an Intermediate Bachata Class. He had everyone up dancing!
The twenty piece Grammy winning “Pacific Mambo Orchestra” started their show at 1am. They are from the San Francisco, Bay Area and are led by pianist Christian Tumalon and trumpeter Steffen Kuehn. Their lead singers are Ms. Christelle Durandy and Armando Cordoba. Their musicians played the trumpets, trombones, saxophones, piano, bass, as well as timbales. It was a real treat to see them perform. They are an outstanding orchestra. Per their website “they are leading the rebirth of the Latin Big Band sound.” Their next show will be at “Summer Nights” on July 29th, 2023. In San Rafael, CA. You can purchase tickets on their website pacificmambo.com . Here is a link of a short clip of their performance that night: Pacific Mambo Orchestra – Sacramento Bachata Salsa Festival 2023 – YouTube
At the end of the performance portion of Saturday evening’s Sacramento Bachata and Salsa Festival Owner and CEO Larry Toney thanked everyone for coming, and he thanked all of the volunteers. He said that “he couldn’t do it without help.” He also announced that the Sacramento Bachata and Salsa Festival will be evolving in 2024, and it’s name will be changed to the California Dance Festival. Going forward It will include other genre’s of dance. I personally hope that there is still a full day of highlighting Latin Dancing. I am grateful that I was able to attend the event and that I had the opportunity to be around so many other people who love dance as much as I do!
Community Rising! 