Saturday - The Show!

Higher, stronger, bigger, better, elegant doesn't even come close to describing Saturday night's show. The four foot high stage allowed people in the back seats to see the performers on stage. Stronger, the calibre of the performances went to a whole new level. And stronger too - The Terminator landed and overwhelmed everything, including the sound system! Bigger - larger stage, more seats, larger show venue.

Elegant, men and women dressed to the nines, reminescent of night club evenings with dinner - show - dance. Flippy dance skirts alongside suits and jackets alongside evening wear alongside evening dresses.

Mona exclaimed, "[We're] checking out the fashion! Nice to see the shoes and what they wear"

By 8:55pm., not one of the 1100 seats remained empty.

The energy had been building all day. Between the workshops, along vendor's row, anywhere where there were more than one salsa dancer went, people were talking about the night's upcoming show.

The performers' list was overwhelming -- Liquid Silver Espinoza, Ismael Otero, Joby Martinez, Tito & Tamera, Hacha y machete, Caribbean Soul, Ana & Joel, Joby Brava & Francisco, Jayson Molina, Cultural Explosion, Juan Calderon, Descarga Caribe, Los Salsomanos, Mambo Mosiac, Saltimambo, Sonia & Morris, Kids Con Estilo, Hijos de Borinquen, Sabor Dance Company, Mambo Tribe, Muevete Dancers.

Any one of these troupes or performers could headline anywhere, any city, any time. And, here they were, all together at the same place at the same time.

Saturday's show has raised salsa on stage from dance to true entertainment!

Philadelphia's Muevete Dancers put a slow, sensual, tango accented take on Bogey and Casablanca's "Time Goes By."

Bermuda's Sabor Dance Company gave the audience a strong dose of salsa with a Bermy twist - Cheshire Cat smiles - and a quick smooch put the audience right into their hands.

The original members of Caribbean Soul and Ismael danced, opening with a playful cha cha and they sent off Michael Jackson with a moonwalk and moves that even The Gloved One would be hard pressed to do.

The audience was with one with the performers as they were singing the words to much of the music, especially to Kids Con Estilo.

Juan Calderon and his Cultural Explosion brought out the delicate sensual side of salsa.

Montreal San Tropez Dance Studio's Sonia & Morris brought Thanksgiving to the house with a hilarious take on an old Eddie Torres routine. Chef Morris even basted the Sonia bird and dusted the tailfeathers with salsa.

Toronto's Mambo Mosiac's 44 member troupe must have broken the record for the most dancers on stage. But, they have taken the performance bar up to a new level with their Cuban fiesta. Technique married sensuality and musicality and flow to create a real dance mosiac. Afro-Cuban and show specialist Ana Machado's delicate hand could be seen in this superb performance.

The Terminator-Gubernator-Salsinator aka Al Liquid Silver Espinoza overwhelmed the stage and the sound system when Terminator 3 touched down! Only Al could do that! And, MC David Melendez earned his keep. Aharnald and Company framed takes on Ray Charles playing piano - in this case his partner, between scenes from the movie as the leather jacket shed to Ray Charles' signature Blue Blazer to the Terminator's black Tee - all to a salsa beat. The audience got a rare treat as Al re-did his performance which stopped half way through when his Terminator tripped the breakers.

What can they do to top that?

Have to come back next year -- eh?