EVP dancers set sights on Argentina festival showdown

For the fourth consecutive season, dancers will push their limits in pursuit of top honours at a three-day dance festival in Argentina.

Through the Empowering Via Performing (EVP) Dance Academy, 14 dancers have been selected, paired and put through rigorous training routines. Their preparation will be showcased at the official launch on March 15 at the Tradewinds Hotel and Conference Centre, San Fernando.

EVP president Delano Manganoo said the competition format mirrors that of the television series Dancing with the Stars, combining performance, technical skill and audience appeal. He noted that experts from Mexico and Argentina have been invited to perform and conduct workshops at the grand finals in May.

Manganoo said that dancers underwent a screening process before being paired and trained intensively for the competition. They are being coached by four instructors and will compete in show dances across the SBK genres—Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba—as well as the Rhumba.

Highlighting the importance of blending popular social dances with technically demanding ballroom styles, Manganoo said the initiative was designed to engage a younger generation while preserving the discipline of the art form.

“We have more young people involved in the challenge. Young people are not as involved in Latin and ballroom dancing, and this is teaching them that dance is a sport,” he said.

“It requires male and female interaction, agility and discipline—just like any other sport. In the Caribbean community, many still see dance as simply creative expression, but it demands the same physical and mental training as traditional sports.”

He added that one of the academy’s goals is to educate the wider public about the athleticism required in competitive dance, while providing young performers with an international platform to test and refine their skills.