A. Literally speaking, a congress is a gathering of people. The Seattle Salsa Congress is a gathering of some of the finest performers, instructors, and DJs in the world...and, of course, you're included. The festivities take place all under one roof. The touch of an elevator button takes you to and from your hotel room. The Grand Ballroom will meet your expectations of what a special event should be. This is a happening that will put Seattle on the map as a hot spot for salsa.

A. Dancers of all levels and experience will attend the Seattle Salsa Congress. We are working hard to provide a well rounded experience. There is something for everyone!

A. No, even people who come with partners prefer to rotate during workshops. It gives people the opportunity to experience different leads and follows and learn from them. And it's a great way to break the ice for the evening activities.

A. For the workshops you'll want to dress cool and comfortable. Evening comes and the lights go down. The spotlight is now on you. This is is a class act and your chance to shine. Dress to impress.

A. Bring your camcorder but there will be no videotaping allowed during the workshops. At the end of the class the instructor will give a video opportunity to attendees of the workshop. DVDs will be available for purchase and advertised on the website soon after the congress.

A. Yes, there is the Hyatt restaurant. And there are many dining establishments within a block of the hotel.

A. Yes

A. Yes

A. Registration begins at 9:00 am each day.

A. Overnight and all day parking is available at the hotel for $11, self-parking or $16 valet parking per day.

A. We want to create a pleasant learning experience for those of you who want to take the workshops. Therefore, the first wave of ticket sales will be 300 all access passes. We will also offer all evening passes (good for all three evenings), and all day passes (good for one day one night). Individual evening passes will be available at the door - if any. So, please don't wait you may be left out from the greatest salsa event the nortwest has ever seen.

• DON'T take off your wristband. They are designed to survive mishaps during the day and ANY evening entertainment. In the event you come to us with your story of a missing wristband, our volunteers will be trained to look you in the eye and offer a caring, empathetic, "Oh, that's too bad" reply.
• DO be realistic about your own dancing level when deciding on which workshops to attend. Read over the guidelines for dance levels. There are plenty of classes for everyone each day. If you are considering a workshop that you know will be far too advanced, it will not benefit you or your partner. Consider lunch or giving your feet a break instead.
• DO give us your feedback. Our website will have a post for feedback following the congress. This is the first of many Seattle Salsa Congresses. We are doing our very best to make this a memorable, exciting, and successful event. We take your feedback seriously because we want the Seattle Salsa Congress to be something the whole salsa community feels proud to be a part of.
• DO get to know new people during the workshops and dance with them in the evenings. We've all experienced going out to clubs and seeing the same old faces while wishing for something new. Now you have it. And in the evening, the line between instructor and student vanishes. You may find yourself dancing with Alex Da Silva or Cristina Morrison. All the instructors and performers really are very nice people :-)
• DO practice on the dance floor what you learned during the workshops but remember to be sensitive to the space around you. There will be times when the floor is crowded and times when you will have more than enough room. Dancing goes until 4:00 am. each night so there's no rush to do tricks and lifts that might injure a couple that is too close.
• DO give us your feedback. Our website will have a post for feedback following the congress.
• DON'T expect to get a huge amount of sleep. Workshops begin at 10 am and dancing goes to 4:00 am. And then there's the hotel room parties afterward. Even if you live locally, consider getting a room at the Hyatt. We are offering 4-Diamond hotel rooms at such a low rate, there's no reason not to take advantage of this deal. If money is tight, we are even offering a hotel/full-pass package for only $250 so that you can make this one continuous 3-day party.
• DON'T get dehydrated, drink lots of water and maintain a healthy diet. Dance hard, party harder.