I don't even know where to start telling about last weekend's Zouk Congress. There was so much of everything that workshops, parties and days are mixed-up in my head. Compared to Amsterdam's Zouk festival, Prague's congress was bigger, longer and had more participants and teachers. This time there were also quite a big group of zoukkers from Finland in the event so there were at least some familiar faces around. It was also easy to go with the group with accommodation and such (I was really happy about our hostel, btw, which was only 5 minute walk from the congress venue!).
The congress started on Thursday with three workshops in both advanced and intermediate level. I didn't make it to the first workshop though, but the weekend included so many workshops that missing one didn't really matter that much. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the workshops were from 11:30 am to 8 pm, so six dance classes every day. The workshops were divided into two levels (intermediate/advanced) added with alternative workshops that mostly included ladies/men styling classes. I first hesitated going to the advanced classes but I after all I didn't notice that big of a difference between the levels, so I ended up choosing the workshops according to the teachers. F&A had recommended some teachers so I tried to take their classes as much as I could. I also wanted to take couple of ladies styling classes and it was a good thing I did since those did proved themselves to be quite useful.
Almost all of the workshops followed the same pattern: a short warm-up, learning a figure and a demo from the teachers. It would have been nice to have a little bit of variation between the classes but I guess this is the easiest way of teaching a big group. I think I got a lot more out from the classes now that I know more about Zouk. I personally liked when the teachers paid attention to the right technique since I still have so much to learn with that. However, it was a lot easier to pick up some technique after going to F&A's classes for one month.
In addition to the workshops, a big thing in the Zouk congresses are, of course, the parties. The "hard core" zoukkers actually come to these events only for the parties skipping the workshops and dancing all night long until early morning. In Prague we had a theme for every party: pajamas party on Thursday, brega party on Friday, gala night on Saturday and troca de sex on Sunday. In every party the best dressed were able to win full passes for coming Zouk congresses. I can tell that the costumes some were wearing were just unbelievable! Too bad I didn't realize to take some pictures to post here!
Go FinZouk!
The parties were definitely a place to practice Zouk intensively. It was interesting to find out that for a dance to feel amazing with someone is not that much to do with skills. You can have amazingly fun (or not feel comfortable at all) with really experienced dancer or quite beginner. I got quite many recommendations of good leaders but dancing with those didn't really turn out to be that great. I found my own favorite leaders with who I felt like clicking immediately. It feels indescribably good do have a great connection with someone during a dance. You forget the surroundings, the time, the music, everything. I cannot help mentioning my best Zouk since far. It was with one of the Zouk teacher whose way of leading was just perfect. After the dance he asked: "Wow, thank you so much! Where do you dance, I mean, teach?" After the dance (and the comment) I must have had the widest smile ever for hours.
So, the weekend was really intensive both physically and mentally. I feel I found the dancer inside me again. I also found some sore muscles that I didn't even know I had! I didn't see much of Prague, only the two blocks between our hostel and the congress venue, but these events are not for sight seeing anyway. I have been in this weird state of mind all week, just thinking about zoukking. Actually I have been seeing dreams of dancing Zouk every single night after coming back. The weirdest thing is that before I didn't use to see dreams of dancing at all! Something in me must have changed in Prague...
Oh, something funny happened on Thursday. We were having F's birthday party in Silk Club downtown Helsinki when suddenly me and Michaelo were the only ones in the dance floor. Everybody stopped to watch our zoukking. Some were even clapping after our dance. How weird! I don't know if Michaelo got excited about this but we are having our first Zouk demo tomorrow in Tampere's Bachata party. Let's see how that is going to turn out!
This Easter weekend has been almost dance free, only a short Zouk practice with JV on Friday. I have been working with my seminar paper for uni which deadline is tomorrow morning. I mean, who puts a deadline for Easter Monday?! Anyway, this morning I woke up with huge pain in my neck and upper back. I've been trying to stretch, take pain killers and everything but nothing seems to help! This is what you get after working with a computer too long. I think last weekend also has something to do with this since I got my neck stuck already there. I still find it difficult to keep my head relaxed in Zouk and the wrong technique leads to muscle tension. Outch, not a nice feeling.
Okay, here is some videos from Prague. I have plenty of there so if you want to see more just let me know!
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