A Bermuda dance group have performed for the first time at one of the biggest salsa festivals in New York City.

Team Tempo, consisting of Sage Robinson, Shadae Steede, Immanuel Smith, Laura Saunders, Derek Musson and Alexis Richens, danced at the Big Salsa Festival in New York last month. The event attracts thousands of dancers from around the world each year.

Teams must submit an application for approval from the festival committee before they can take to the stage.

Ms Steede said the six team members were accompanied by about 16 other salsa enthusiasts from Bermuda who were there to lend their support and take part in workshops.

“It was a really, really nice experience,” she said. “It was great to bring everyone together.”

The festival was held in a large ballroom at the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel.

“There were people from wall to wall,” she said. “The vibe was really energetic.”

With 200 people watching, Team Tempo felt a little nervous before their number began. The feeling faded when they walked out on stage.

“Our passion for the dance just came out,” Ms Steede said. “We used muscle memory to execute the routine, and it ended up being a great performance. We were glad that we were able to showcase the talent we have in Bermuda and put the island on the map at this big festival. It is a very respected event.”

Ms Steede discovered Latin dance almost five years ago at Clave Dance Bermuda’s weekly salsa and bachata night at The Docksider Pub & Restaurant on Front Street.

She loved the way everyone was out on the dancefloor.

“At other dance parties I have been to, a lot of people just watch from the sidelines,” she said. “At Docksider’s, there were a lot of people actively dancing, either with a partner or solo.”

Ms Steede took lessons in hip-hop, ballet and modern dance in high school, but found salsa to be more challenging.

“For one thing, I am over 30 now, and salsa is very high-energy,” she said.

She works in the insurance industry, and found salsa dancing to be a great way to unwind and stay active.

There are seven basic moves to learn in salsa dancing — such as “on the spot”, and “side to side”.

“It really amazes me when you can make those moves look like other moves,” Ms Steede said. “There are also tricks you can do in salsa which make it really fun such as lifts, bends and flips. You have to train to execute moves like that, but if you practise enough, it is very doable.”

She has fallen a few times while learning some of these moves, but has never hurt herself.

“You learn to fall safely,” she said. “Dancing salsa has been a great journey. I have met so many great dancers through the Bermuda salsa community.”

Since 2022, Ms Steede has been choreographing dance routines for Tempo along with Mr Robinson, the director of the group.

“Tempo has the goal of bringing adults together who love dance,” Ms Steede said. “We want to give them a platform to train and present their skills to the community.”

The group hold an annual showcase every year, in late April or early May, for Latin dancers of all levels.

“We normally have between six and eight teams who are all able to showcase their skills and everything that they learnt in our training season,” she said.

Tempo programmes run during the first quarter of the year, while workshops happen in the summer.

“If you are a beginning dancer, you are welcome to come along,” Ms Steede said. “We help our dancers to improve their skills, and we meet them where they are by providing several class levels.”

• For more information, e-mail tempobermuda@gmail.com