Kaytee Namgyal is well aware that he is the face of Salsa in India. With his gruelling practise sessions the skilled Salsa dancer makes sure he never falls flat on his face during international performances. “People don’t associate India with Salsa. They sound amused and underestimate us. But I’m going to show them that Indians can dance the Salsa as well as anybody,” says Namgyal, snatching a few minutes to speak to us while he trains for a performance at the Berlin Salsa Congress. A three-day dance festival that starts from September 12, the Congress is one of the largest dance festivals and has the status of the Glastonbury in Salsa circles.
Apart from his performance, Namgyal will also be teaching at the Congress. “The good thing about these festivals is that it’s very professional. As a performer, I feel constantly challenged to work on my style,” says Namgyal who has developed “Karma-Salsa”. A truly personalised style, it focuses on music, body movement and “dancing through one’s body, mind and soul”, interpreting and representing the music being played. Move to the beat, Karma style.
