Colombian salsa is love, and a lot of passion, said Thursday Milady Teran, the recent winner of the annual World Salsa Championship in “salsa capital” Cali.
Cali-native Teran, and her partner Jhon Andres Lucumi, took home the gold for their cabaret couples performance in the 2011 Cali World Salsa Championship, that lasted from October 8-15.
Of her win Milady told Colombia Reports, “it feels very rewarding to be one of the best dancers, and very exciting because there are many many dancers; to be one of the youngest and to have the title of champion makes me very proud and very thrilled.”
She believes that “Colombian salsa is love, and a lot of passion. When you see a Colombian dance you say that it transmits a lot of emotion and love, and this is what we are.”
Under the direction of salsa dance school Swing Latino, founded by legendary salsa dancer and choreographer Luis Eduardo Hernandez “El Mulato,” Miss Teran has quickly blossomed into the school’s youngest dancer to reach the highest ranks of salsa competition.
Starting with Swing Latino in December 2010, Teran has rapidly taken the salsa spotlight, although she “never imagined (she) would reach Swing Latino and become one of the best in the world.”
Teran began dancing at the young age of nine with the Cali dance school “Nueva Juventud,” and feels she owes a lot to her mentor, El Mulato, and partner Lucumi for taking her with them to the top.
Her plans for the future include a trip to London, England to dance and continue her quest as the best, and the salsa-star dreams of one day being able to visit China, Egypt, and Puerto Rico to learn from their dance styles, and make herself internationally known.
Ternan’s Cali win with Lucumi comes just month after taking second place in the cabaret portion of the 2011 Chile Salsa Congress. In both competitions, the pair performed to the song “El Rey del Timbal,” interpreted by Oscar de Leon.
“My aspirations are to be a great dancer and be able to be on stages all over the world, so that people know me as the best, but first before being the best dancer, I want to be a good person,” the Cali-native humbly confided.