The last stop on our mini European tour was Lisbon, Portugal. Here we attended Crazy 4 La Timba for the weekend. Lisbon was a picture perfect location to get CRAZY! This festival in its second year is definitely one to keep an eye out for. Keep reading for our experience at the festival, an decide if you may stop in Lisbon for 2024.
What was Included?
Both of us purchased full passes which included:
- 3 night parties (each night had 2-3 DJs) that were 5-6 hours in length.
- One night featured the performances from the 3 bootcamps.
- A History of Rumba lecture
- A Rumba Abierta
- 2 days of workshops, 4 hours with 4 options per hour
Aside from the full pass they offered the following which we did attend:
- A pre-party (free) on Thursday with DJs and some live music
- A walking tour (15 Euro) that had some dancing mixed in
The following was offered at an additional cost, but we did not participate.
- 3 bootcamps (Afro-Cuban, Lady Styling, and Reparto)
What classes did I take?
Andrea
- Timba Lady Style w/ Yusimi
- Reparto w/ Relampago
- Casino a Contratiempo w/ Alexei & Emilia
- Timba Dende Style w/ Alexei & Emilia
- Casino con Estilo w/ Sofia & Ariel
- Salsa con Rumba w/ Alexei & Emilia
- Lady Style w/ Alex
Alexa
- Complejo de la Rumba w/ Alexei & Emilia
- Oshun w/ Andy & Yuliet
- Casino Contratiempo w/ Alexei & Emilia
- Rueda de Casino w/ Christian
- Salsa con Rumba w/ Alexei & Emilia
- Timba Musicality w/ Sofia & Luis
My favorite part?
Andea
- The classes were really good! I felt they were well thought out in the variety they provided, plenty of solo work, afro, rumba, partnerwork, son, and casino. Special shout out to the inclusion of live percussion because it always makes a difference. Especially the quality of instructors was impressive. The space in which the classes were help was great and easy to navigate. Each room had really good dance floors. Also, we loved that there wasn’t a very early start time, so we felt like we could sleep.
Alexa
- The classes. I don’t just say this in terms of the topics which were fun. But, each instructor I encountered went beyond just a simple combo. Each one aimed to give tips on how to become a better dancer. This ranged from where your weight should be, options on arm movements, how and why you should to connect with the music, and to ultimately enjoy. Plus, I attended 2 workshops that were lectures, which helped provide context to Rumba and Timba, and these are also important to grow as a dancer, in my opinion.
An area of Improvement?
After much discussion, we have decided to add this area to ALL our festival reviews moving forward since we are hoping that this will help festival organizers and goers.
Andrea
- The timing of the parties. Given that the classes went so late, we felt there was not enough time inbetween the start of the parties and the end of the classes. This ended up with odd waves of people who came really early and later because of trying to rest and eat and get ready. Realistically, the parties could have started an hour/hour and a half later.
Alexa
- Class labeling. I found the coloring system to be hard to differentiate or notice. Having the Partnerwork and Footwork labels for all classes, even if it seems implied may be clearer for all participants. Lastly, there were some lectures in this mix (which I feel could be it’s own track) but labeling them as such could be helpful in attracting those interested. Maybe even explaining what each level means at this festival could help attendees.
Overall Takeaways
Overall, we had a lot of fun. Team USA made another appearance at a festival, and the memories we made included delicious food, dancing, and drinks. Huge thanks to the organizer team, we know it is no easy task to put together a festival, and your hard work did not go unnoticed. A great detail was the updates feature they implemented. It was so nice to get reminders of each upcoming event and the details. Please keep this feature in future iterations! Our favorite part was the classes, and we won’t go more into in here, but truly a highlight.
We felt the walking tour was a nice introduction to the city and the dancing was a great way to create some unique memories around the city. It was nice to have a guide to explain more about Lisbon. So, I hope that they keep this element and find how to put a bigger Crazy 4 La Timba spin to it. We loved how seeing a conference in the mix of the festival because this dance conversations are so important to listen and participate in. Afterwards, the Rumba Abierta was a beautiful communal experience with live percussion.
As for the parties, we feel that there was great music played each of the 3 nights. It was so cool to see how the DJs worked together to create each night’s ambiance while also letting their personal styles shine. Our shazams are definitely packed with songs now. Without a doubt the DJs were quality. The location for all the parties was awesome because it provided lots of space and good floor.
So, if you’re considering going to Lisbon in 2024, this may be a good choice for you. Were you at Crazy for La Timba this year? Last year? Tell us your favorite part in the comments below. Thinking about going…what are you most looking forward to?
Bueno…ya tu sabes.
Ya Tu Sabes 