On Karlsruhe - Candela Festival 2011

Let me just start by saying that I had an amazing time. I went with a group of friends who made the whole experience super fun and memorable. The moments I most remember from this congress are the fillers - those moments when you're waiting for breakfast to start, going for dinner before the parties, joking around between the party and the after party, or hanging out in a reception area of some sort. These fillers are also those dances that you weren't expecting, like when you find someone awesome while on the way to the bar or the loo, when a new hilarious "dance style" is inexplicably invented or when you choose to dance with a friend for the fifth time because you simply can't get enough!

Karlsruhe wasn't just about dancing, though the dancing was definitely good, it was about laughter and joy and emanated a family feeling that made us all feel bonded by the end of it.

From the strictly salsa point of view, the congress falls a little short of the likes of Zurich, but the organisation, the quality of the shows and the good vibe all made up for this. As did the insane quality of the breakfast in our hotel! The festival can be characterised as small and friendly, but I would not recommend it to a solo traveller. This is a congress where you want to take a group of friends and if possible good dancers with you. This year, the noticeable groups included a bus load of Italians, two taxis worth of Croatians and a minibus of UK dancers. Everything about my Candela experience was chiefly related in some way to these three groups.

Where a review of Zurich or Berlin might be timeless with only minor tweaks and improvements every year, any review of the Candela Festival stands at a point in time - much as the organisation was flawless, there's a definite sense that without the same people or subjects of amusement, it simply wouldn't have been the same. Will I be going back next year? Probably not - we've had our fun and it's a little too much hassle to get to unless you benefit from special help from the organiser. Still, it will be remembered as one of the most fun "whole-congress" experiences that I've had since Salsorro 2010. Indeed, the big events can almost stand on one part - e.g. Athens 2009 would have been epic if it only consisted of the Marc Anthony concert, Zurich 2011 could have dispensed (imho) with all but the after parties, but with Karlsruhe, like with Salsorro, it was about the whole package.

So great times had by all, but a sense that without the smiley Croatians and the amusing observations of typically Italian antics, the congress simply would not have been the same.

My next post will provide more standard congress comparison criteria, but I thought it important to give a few extra personal comments about this one, in line with the familial feeling of the congress.