Gala Showcase program

First up is our Salsa Performance Team dancing to Mala by Marc Anthony! This dance tells a story of a breakup. For the English-speakers in the audience, some of the lyrics read, “You turned out bad for me. Bad, bad and expensive. You left me alone. My bank account and my heart empty.” You can see the tension in the relationships on stage as the couples go from happy to angry and back again. They have worked over the past months to represent this breakup story in their blended routine of LA Salsa and Casino Rueda salsa and we are so proud of these wonderful students!  

Student Mike and teacher Deanna now take the stage with a Cha Cha routine that they only started learning 2.5 weeks ago! Mike and Deanna worked together on the choreography for this routine and we are so proud to see him branching into choreography.

Next up is student Jill dancing with teacher, David Carvin Roberts! Jill is an avid student of latin dance and David is our resident expert in street salsa, afro-latin, and afro-hip-hop! David single-handedly crafted this fusion routine of afro-latin and afro-hip-hop from the music to the choreography!

Afro-Latin dance is a vibrant tapestry of African and Latin influences, with a unique emphasis on the pulsating rhythms of the Nigerian dance scene. Emerging from the crossroads of African and Latin American cultures, this dynamic style blends the expressive energy of Afrobeat and traditional Nigerian dances with the sensuality of Latin rhythms. It is a celebration of identity, a bridge between cultures, and a testament to the universal power of movement.

Next up, we have teachers Ben and Analia performing for you. Ben has been with Uptempo since the very beginning and Analia has just moved to Barrie form Argentina and is so excited to be joining our team and teaching styling classes coming up in the new year. They put together this routine in less than a month and we can’t wait to see it! 

Now we welcome Uptempo’s Bachata Performance team! We are honoured to present to you this passionate routine filled with a mix of Bachata styles, ranging from traditional Dominican to the newer, sensual bachata.  

Ladies confidence classes are unique to Uptempo Dance Studio and incorporate heels dancing with Latin dance styles like bachata, salsa, and cha cha. This adult-only class is for any and all women looking to gain confidence and love themselves and their body, regardless of age, shape, or size! All women are all beautiful and all women deserve to feel confident and sexy in their own skin!

The Ladies Confidence Performance Team takes this dance style to the next level so you can see what it’s all about with a bachata-inspired routine dancing to Lucky, by Pinto Picasso!  

With their first time on stage, we welcome Uptempo’s first Mixed Choreography Performance Team. David is our resident master of all things afro-hip-hop and afro-latin and he blended multiple styles together in his choreography for this team. With only 10 weeks to help David’s vision come to life, this team has worked extremely hard so let’s welcome them to the stage as they dance to David’s own mix of music in this variety-oriented routine!

It's time to welcome back the Ladies Confidence Performance Team as they dance a mix of heels, tango, musical theatre and more to Cell Block Tango from the musical, Chicago. This sultry routine tells the stories of how each of the “merry murderesses” ended up in jail. What crimes have our women committed? 

Paul and Rose have been taking lessons at Uptempo Dance Studio for 1 year now and wanted to share the story of their dance journey with you in this routine choreographed by the students themselves! We are so proud of our students at Uptempo and are very happy to see them blossoming into choreographers! Rose and Paul prepared this routine in only 1.5 months. Let’s see their story.  

Teacher Vicky only just joined Uptempo a few months ago and we are so excited for the variety of swing dance knowledge that she brings us. Teaching drop-in Swing Dance classes Thursdays at 8:30 pm, we hope to help Barrie find a passion for swing dance. Joining her is her partner, Benoit, and they will be performing a Lindy-Hop for you tonight!

Hoping to lighten the mood, we’ve prepared something extra fun and silly for you to help showcase the goofy personalities we have backstage. Please enjoy our special little surprise for you and don’t be afraid to get in on the fun! 

Don't miss our Flashmob Team performing at the social dance later!