2010 Six Degrees Salsa Competition - Final Results

SRO! Standing Room Only! Six Degrees was packed Tuesday night as crowds of salsa dancers made history watching $6000 Degrees of Salsa Competition with the winning professional couple taking home $6000 in a seven couple dance-off!

Amateur and Professional Couple Dance-off - Smack Down!

Seven Amateur couples all from Toronto brought their game to Six Degrees: Leon & Luda; Iana & Roberto; Rodrigo & Bianca; Kevin & Thalia; Carmela & Milo; Salineh & Alberto. Briia & Sergio, winners of the Toronto Salsa Festival competition won a buy into the Six Degree Amateur Division Final.

And it may have been but six couples competing as Iana had suffered a broken rib within days or perhaps hours of the competition. A telephone call to Jennifer saying that they could not compete somehow got converted to .. yes, we'll be there!

Seven Professional couples, two from Montreal brought their game to Toronto: Montreal's Victor & Katia; Montreal's Evens & France; Toronto's Bong & Irina; Orlando & Mira; Albert & Lauren; Java & Patience; and Toronto Salsa Festival winner, with a buy into the Six Degree Final, Steven & Tania.

As chief judge and scrutineer, Steps Dance Studio's Jennifer Aucoin introduced the seven judges then stepped back and let iFreeStyle.ca's Angus act as the elegant MC for the evening. The judges panel Tuesday night included in no particular order: long time instructor, choreographer and sometime DJ Giovanni Torres; Dance to Live's Paula Vidella-Rodrigues; Cuban trained dancer and instructor Ana Machado; Karen Trujillo; iFreeStyle.ca's Caryl; Ballroom and Tango expert and salsa instructor Elizabeth Sadowska; Ballroom dancer and Blackpool competitor Juan Alberto; Ballroom competitor, choreographer, and So You Think You Can Dance Canada / SYTYCD Canada head judge Jean-Marc Genereux.

A competition is like a war. The best plans go right out the window with the first shot, or in this case the first note. The one who makes the fewest mistakes wins. Tuesday night's competition was no different than a war. The competitors who stayed with well worked strengths rose to the top, while some of the other competitors who tried to 'shoot for the moon' with new and possibly unfamiliar material missed the moon and settled for a place.

Amateur Couple - Results!

The judges decided, after witnessing an outrageously slick and strong performance beyond their years, that the future is with youth. Briia & Sergio, long time Latin Groove Productions Oscar students took first place with 477 points. A trip courtesy of Denise Hernandez and Moreno Travel is theirs!

The standings continued: Second Place - Kevin & Thalia; Third Place - Iana & Roberto; Fourth Place 358 Points - Rodrigo & Bianca; Fifth Place 358.5 points - Leon & Luda; Sixth Place 352.5 points Salineh & Alberto; Seventh Place 337 points - Carmela & Milo.

Professional Couple - Results!

When the dust settled and the numbers tallied, the couples who made the fewest errors and who were stayed with well rehearsed plans won. The 6 Degrees Toronto Salsa Competition Winner's list is below.

First Place 503 points - Montreal's Victor & Katia; Second Place - Steven & Tania; Third Place 451 Points - Montreal's Evens & France; Fourth Place 418 Points - Albert & Lauren; Fifth Place 411 Points = Orlando & Mira; Sixth Place 410 Points - Bong & Irina; Seventh Place - Java & Patience.

2011 Six Degrees Salsa Competition Is A Go!

Want to win next year? Eat your Cornflakes and start now. Jennifer Aucoin announced to a cheering crowd that 6 Degrees is running a 2011 Salsa Competition and has upped the ante, cementing their place as Canada's richest salsa competition.

The $10,000 Degrees of Competition splits $7000 with first place; $2000 with second place and $1000 for third place professional couples.

Good Luck!

More pictures coming in several days. Videos coming to YouTube and Facebook.

• 2010 Six Degrees Salsa Competition
• 
  
• 2010 Six Degrees Salsa Competition Photo Albums
  
  Tuesday 30 March 6 Degrees Competition - People.
  
  Tuesday 30 March 6 Degrees Competition Amateur Finals.
  
  Tuesday 30 March 6 Degrees Competition Professional Finals.
  
  Tuesday 30 March 6 Degrees Competition Finals - Teaser.
  
  Tuesday 23 March 6 Degrees Competition Pro. Semi-Final.
  
  Tuesday 16 March 6 Degrees Competition Amateur Semi-Final.
  
  Tuesday 9 March 6 Degrees Competition Round 4.
  
  Tuesday 2 March 6 Degrees Competition Round 3.
  
  Tuesday 23 February 6 Degrees Competition Round 2.
  
  Tuesday 16 February 6 Degrees Competition Round 1.
  
  Six Degrees Competition Info One Page Listing
  
  Editor's Note
  
  The 'blotches' and apparent out of gamut color streaks on some of the images are from the venue's stage lighting. A warm wash was punctuated by one or two cold sharp focussed spots. And there are unevenly lit or dark areas on the stage that the competitors continually moved through. These are not studio conditions.
  
  No flash was used in creating the images.
  
  
• Previous Results
  
  23 March Professional Semi-Finals
  
  Montreal's Evens & France. Then it was a Toronto show with Orlando & Mira who competed solo in the recent Toronto Salsa Festival. Shine King Java & Patience were next, followed by Bong & Irina; Albert & Lauren. Montreal's Victor & Katia came out, followed by Toronto's Paul & Katty; Edgar & Yulia and Olga & Yared.
  
  Professional Finalists in order: Montreal's Victor & Katia - First; Montreal's Evens & France - Second Tie; Bong & Irina - Second Tie; Orlando & Mira - Fourth; Albert & Lauren - Fifth; Java & Patience - Sixth. Scores not cumulative.
  
  The Toronto Salsa Festival Pro Winners, Tania & Steven won a place in the Six Degree Competition Professional Couple Final round and will be competing Tuesday 30 March.
  
  16 March Amateur Semi-Finals
  
  Seven amateur couples took their turns on the Six Degrees stage: Kevin & Thalia; Iana & Roberto; Salineh & Alberto; Rodrigo & Bianca; Stephanie & Summitt; Leon & Luda; Carmela & Milo.
  
  The top six amateur couples advance to the finals. They are: first - Leon & Luda; second - Iana & Roberto; third - Rodrigo & Bianca; fourth - Kevin & Thalia; fifth - Carmela & Milo; sixth - Salineh & Alberto. The rankings of the night will indicate the starting order only. These scores are not cumulative.
  
  Four judges were on hand to to evaluate the semi-finalists. They are: Los Salsomanos' Giovanni Torres; iFreeStyle's Angus; Dance to Live Paula and Jose; Latin Energy Vanesa.
  
  9 March Qualifier Round
  
  Three Amateur couples put it out for the crowd and Dance to Live's Paula and Latin Energy's Vanesa the two judges for the evening. The couples are: long time person on the scene Irena and her partner Kurt; Milo and Karmelo, and Karen and Kunam[sic].
  
  Four professional couples put it out there Tuesday night: long time performer and instructor Bong & Irina; Albert J. Gomez and Lauren; Olga & Yared; the globetrotting Gustavo & Madeline. All of the professional couples danced to the same song, selected by competition organizer Steps Dance Studio's Jennifer Aucoin.
  
  Two amateur couples and three professional couples advanced to the semi-final round. The Amateur couples from Round 4 are: Irena & Kurt; Milo & Karmelo. Professional couples from Round 4 are: Bong & Irina; Olga & Yared; Albert J. Gomez & Lauren.
  
  2 March Qualifier Round
  
  Five amateur couples came out.
  
  Leon & Belinda; Carmela & Milo; Iana & Roberto; Salineh & Alberto; and Rodrigo & Bianca put it out there, and if Tuesday evening was any indication, there is definitely a competition afoot, with some very very good dancers showing some of their stuff.
  
  Word of that $6000 cash must be getting out as four professional couples entered.
  
  Franco Dance Studio's Edgar & Julia, Strickly Salsa's Albert Gomez & Lauren, Rhythmic Fire Danz's Paul & Katty, and Orlando & Mira put it out there.
  
  Three amateur couples from Round 3 advance to the semi-final round: Iana & Roberto; Salineh & Alberto; and Rodrigo & Bianca; with three professional couples: Edgar & Julia, Paul & Kathy and Orlando & Mira advancing to the semi final round.
  
  23 February Qualifier Round
  
  Java & Patience, both who are Solo competitors in the recent Toronto Salsa Festival partnered for Tuesday's second round of heats and advanced to the Semi-Final Round.
  
  Eddie & Jena also competed.
  
  In a surprising appearance, Dance to Live's Steve and Enamorarse Salsa's Tania paired for the competition. All three professional couples advance to the semi-final round.
  
  Amateur couples vying for a chance at that trip included: Leon & Luda; Edgar & Katerina; Kevin & Dalia; and Stephanie and partner.
  
  Leon & Luda; Kevin & Dalia; and Stephanie and partner advance to the semi-final round.
  
  16 February Qualifier Round
  
  Toronto's competitive spirit showed signs of awakening Tuesday night as three amateur couples: Joaquin & Jennifer, Couple No. 3 ; David & Kerri, Couple No. 1; Alex & Maria, Couple No. 2 threw it down on the Six Degrees dance floor for the crowd and the judges!