Salsa queens and kings will have the time of their lives at Bermuda?s first Salsa Congress.

The event begins on February 10 and lasts until February 13 at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

Organiser and salsa enthusiast Kim Paynter said they not only have local teachers and performers, but they also have international salsa teachers and dancers for the four day event.

Mr. Paynter has teamed up with international organiser David Melendez who regularly puts on similar events throughout the year.

Mr. Paynter stressed that the event was for everyone, from the beginner, who had never danced before, for the person who has taken a few lessons and not quite got it, and for the salsa enthusiast who has a hunger to learn new moves.

?There will be performances every night and social dancing,? said Mr. Paynter.

?There are a total of 24 workshops and they take place on the Saturday and Sunday. It depends on what pass you purchase as to which events you can attend.

?The best is a full congress pass which gets you into all the events.?

Annually there are around 50 to 60 salsa congresses throughout the world.

?Bermuda has just joined the elite ranks by putting on the salsa congress,? said Mr. Paynter.

?So we have just joined the upper echelons of salsa. We have always had a good response from Hamilton Princess and we have done good things together, so we are just looking forward to a great event.?

He said it took about six to seven months to pull the event together.

?We actually started a little late, as when you do congresses you need about a year,? he said.

?David (Mr. Melendez) and I have been in contact, as I always wanted to do a congress. We talked about it and I bought him down with other performers and dancers and we thought it would be a good idea.

?And we made the announcement at my last workshop, which was in April. We put down the dates to make it final, lined up Hamilton Princess and negotiated with them and here we are two weeks away.

?It was that quick.?

Of Mr. Melendez, Mr. Paynter said he was a New Yorker and he puts on about 14 or 15 congresses around the world every year.

?He does one in Japan, England, Paris, as well as in the United States,? he said.

?He also runs the Starlight Dance School. This is what he does and organising congresses is what he does.?

Mr Paynter said as soon as the event ends he will be starting on next year?s Salsa Congress, thus making it an annual event.

?Next year will be better and we would have worked out any teething pains,? he said.

?This one is about to be upon us and we are just going to make it happen.?

There are at least a dozen instructors and and several dancers will also come to help out.

?There will be at least six couples and you can go to any class you wish,? he said.

?There will be classes for the beginner, who never danced salsa, mambo classes, and dancing on ?one? and ?two?, intermediate and advanced classes for salsa.

?We will even have Cha Cha classes, but there will be no Merenge because it is easy to pick up.

?In the future we plan to offer Afro Cuban salsa as well.

?There will also be men?s and ladies styling classes and an intro to mambo.

?There will be all kinds of classes.?

Most classes will last about 60 minutes, but they are planning a little break in between each session.

?The reason is because sometimes the classes run over and you can leave there and get some water,? said Mr. Paynter.

?Fifteen minutes may not sound like much, but of all the congresses that I?ve been to, when you finish one class you go straight onto another.

?There are two rooms and six classes going on in each room ? there are 12 classes each day.?

The dancers that will be showcased will be from New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Canada, New Orleans, San Diego and, of course, Bermuda.

?Many of the best dance instructors from around the world will be in attendance,? he said.

?Al and Edie Espinoza are no strangers to Bermuda at all. They have visited, taught and performed here many times as well as in over 40 other countries, and hundreds of cities around the world. ?

The 1st Annual Bermuda Salsa Congress again welcomes the dynamic duo Georgette Alcocer and Troy Anthony, of Latin Motions, in New Orleans.?

They were married on the Island in 2002, and they?ve brought their own Creole Style Salsa, which is a mix of LA and New York style salsa with a Cuban presence.

Mr. Anthony is also the 2004 West Coast Congress honouree dancer/promoter.

?Shaka Brown Lee and Maria Ismael Otero are another dancing duo and local teachers Judy and Juan Mello and Dwayne and Tara will also be teaching.

Dancers can stay at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess for $129 per night if they mention that they are taking part in the Salsa

Congress, Mr. Paynter said.

?Once the party begins on Thursday evening, expect almost non-stop salsa activity from 11 a.m. right through until 3 a.m. the next morning by DJ Nelson Torres,? he said.

For more information, schedule of events and rates visit www.salsacongressbermuda.com website or ( Mr. Paynter on 799-5203.