I (Alexa) traveled across the pond for EnDanse’s 20th production of their March weekender in Limoges, France. It is clear why this festival has been running for as long as it has. Read on for a review of Festival Salsa Carnaval 2024.
What was Included?
I purchased a Full Pass in the 2nd wave for 130 Euros (140 USD). The pass included:
- 10 class times (5 per day), 7 time slots had 3 options, 2 time slots had 2 options, and 2 time slots has 1 option.
- Entrance to the performances which lasted 2 hours.
- 3 night Socials (around 4 hours), with a selection of 4 DJs.
- 2 day socials happening during afternoon classes.
- Alain Perez y la Orquesta concert (2.5 hours) with social dancing before.
What I had not realized beforehand was that there would be a free shuttle operating at night from the hotel to the shows (performance and concert) and then to the location of the social.
What classes did I take?
- Musicality w/ Musicians
- Son Couple w/ Fredy and Laura
- Timba Dende Style w/ Alexei and Emilia
- Mambo/Cha Cha Cha w/ Wilmer and Maria
- Timba con Afro w/ Alexei and Emilia
- Casino Contratiempo w/ Alexei and Emilia
My favorite part?
My favorite part was the social during the Sunday afternoon workshops. DJ El Loco spun a set entirely on vinyl. The set was pure quality, and I enjoyed every bit of the time.
An Area of Improvement
I think it would be helpful to add language of the class on the program. There were a number of instructors who didn’t speak French, so I think that info is helpful for attendees. As an attendee, it would be nice for those who speak no French, since the festival is bringing in more and more people.
Overall Takeaways
A huge thank you to enDanse for putting this weekend together. I felt extremely welcomed all weekend. It was clear this was an event organized by dancers, for dancers. There were so many details that made it so easy to enjoy myself at the events. The addition of a shuttle, since the location where the shows were at was very out of the way, was extremely heplful for someone without a car. Plus, seeing the money of my pass put to good use was nice.
Another detail I appreciated was food on-site. It was great if you had limited time for whatever reason, plus pricing was very reasonable for food. My favorite thing, by far, was what I’m calling a “pocket social” during the classes. It was a great way to socialize, listen to music, alternative option for people who want to take a break from classes, party pass purchases had more to do, and finally it was pure fun.
This festival definitely ran on time. But they have everything planned out accordingly. Someone was in every room keeping instructors on time. Since workshops were held in 3 separate buildings, which the organizers had maps on the program and staff to point you in the right direction, it was important to run on time since you had to walk to each class building.
All the venues had a good floor for dancing. The venue where the performances and concert were at was beautiful. The stage elevated the performances because of the use of professional lighting and sound. The concert sound was fantastic, and I know how hard it can be to get concert sound right. Alain Perez put on a great concert, so if you have the chance to see him, you totally should.
The socials were so fun, the music was stellar, thanks to DJ Phillippe El Loco, DJ La Tremenda, DJ Didi El Ciclòn and DJ Lilimba who made every party memorable. The line-up of artists was also great, each of them extremely professional. I felt like the classes I took, matched their respected listed skill level.
Finally, thanks to Ava who came with me from the USA for this festival, AND to all the new people I met that weekend. This festival has brought every major Cuban band in the past, and is on its 20th year for good reason. For me, I’d totally come back because of how well thought out the event is, they made it easy to have a good time.
So, have you been to Salsa Carnaval Limoges before? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Don’t forget to check out Travel list to plan your next adventure. Plus save the date for their 2025 edition March 14 to 16.
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