On your first congress

If you’re planning your first congress, here are some things that you might want to think about.

1. Your current level – I would recommend you have at least a year of regular dancing under your belt before you attend your first congress. These events can be quite intimidating and it might be quite frustrating not to be able to dance with everyone there.
2. The crowd – Try to ensure that you have a number of good friends attending the congress with you, preferably a couple for whom it is also a first experience. You will greatly appreciate being able to share this experience with someone, but also enjoy having other people to discuss the proceedings with.
3. The dominant style – This may sound obvious, but if you are a Cuban dancer, you will obviously enjoy a Cuban congress more, or at least one with a decent sized Cuban room.
4. Your budget – Congresses are not cheap weekends away. They can be reasonably cost effective, but you need to be able to dig around for good deals. The easiest way to do this is to buy your tickets early and try to get a group discount. Staying in the country is another way to reduce the costs: take advantage of those congresses that are on your doorstep, in which you will have the added benefit of knowing more people as well.

For those of you who’ve been to a congress, is there anything else you would have liked to have considered prior to going?