Event Information

Salsa Congresses celebrate the rich cultural legacy of Latin and Afro-Caribbean music and dance. The Chicago International Salsa Congress is Chicago's Premier Latin Music and Dance event of the year, bringing you total immersion for 4 nights and 3 days of non-stop excitement with our array of workshops, dance productions and live entertainment.

For one weekend only you'll have the opportunity to choose workshops from a list of the most sought after Latin dance instructors both nationally and internationally renowned. Over 60 workshops offered in one weekend! You'll enjoy instructors teaching at all levels of Latin dance covering the latest styles and traditional methods. In addition, workshops covering percussion, rhythm and historical perspectives honor the multi-cultural origins of this music and dance.

We produce 7 dance productions for this amazing weekend, bringing in the best and the brightest stars from around the world to excite your senses with astounding talent. Each year we bring you some of the world's greatest salsa musicians and vocalists at the CISC. In our elegant ballroom setting you'll dance to legendary and cutting edge live entertainment until 3:00am nightly.

Official Congress disc jockeys and local radio personalities will provide the exciting musical landscape around the live entertainment throughout the CISC providing wonderful opportunities to explore new styles and expand your expression of the music.

Workshops

Through our Workshop Series we bring together world renowned instructors to help you take your skills to the next level. By providing over 70 classes at all levels, we have something for everyone! Beginner's classes for the novice bring out your natural rhythms to start you on a journey of lifelong dancing. Our intermediate classes help you personalize your moves and enhance your style. Advance classes are geared to further developing your technique and offer professional development for performers.

Performances

Our Production team under the vision of Saladeen Alamin, Artistic Director, produces seven Dance Showcases. Working with our dedicated team of Chicago Artistic Directors, Maricza Valentin of Latin Rhythms, Andy Cruz of Los Soneros del Swing and Zeke Ruvalcaba of Estilo Dance Company the CISC provides an exceptional professional production experience for the performers and a dazzling artistic creation that thrills the audience! We have created the CISC Emerging Artist showcases that feature “up and coming” dancers. Our “Next Generation Youth Showcase” filled with unbelievable performances with dancers from ages 6 to 18, is a crowd favorite on Sunday afternoon. Each evening kicks off with a “Dance Spectacular” featuring professional dancers from around the world!

Live Music

Our Concert Series brings you four nights of dancing to live bands featuring world class Latin Music artists and Chicago's hottest Latin Music DJs. In previous years the CISC has featured some of Latin Music's legendary greats and today's hottest musicians. Past CISC featured artist include: El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Jose Alberto "El Canario", La Sonora Ponceña, Eddie Palmieri & La Perfecta, Tito Nieves, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jimmy Bosch, Jimmy Sabater, Jose Mangual, Jr., Cheo Feliciano and many more! Throughout the CISC weekend a talented team of Chicago's top Latin music DJs will spin the classics and the latest hits for your listening and dancing pleasure.

The dedicated CISC team seeks to preserve the integrity of the music and dance through sharing its rich cultural legacy, nurturing and educating a multi-generational and multi-cultural audience. By contributing to the historical preservation and participating in the collaborative story that is Latin, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Cuban Music and Dance we invite you to join us on this journey.

Your personal enrichment is awaiting you this February 16-19, 2012!!

Photos by Steve Starr.