Sweet Azucar!
Don't we all love a good Cha Cha Cha?
Throw in a bit of hilarity; an abundance of knowledge; some solid teaching skills; and a lot of sass - and you have Liz Parson's Cha Cha Cha workshops.
Yes! Liz Parsons and her team at Sweet Azucar! Latin Dance are back at Salsa Tumbao 2023.
If you missed the last two Sweet Azucar! - Cha Cha Cha workshops - put a reminder in your calendar for this one.
So. Much. Fun!
We have it on good authority that several of the Sweet Azucar! team headed to the USA to add to their already formiddable dance skills. We'd like to tell you it was just for the workshop at Salsa Tumbao - but...
We asked Liz about her dance memories - and she did not disappoint.
1. What is your earliest memory of dancing? Think early childhood – before you’d even considered a career.
Watching my mum in local theatre shows. She was an Opera singer and I'd happily watch all of the magic growing in rehearsals. The energy was captivating and addictive. I was always doing impromptu dance performances for my Mum's friends when they visited. Soon after that, I decided I wanted to be a dancer on the tv show "Solid Gold". I also wanted to be a mermaid; and an astronaut, so....yeah.
2. What is the memory of dancing that brings you the most joy/that brings a smile to your face?
This is too hard a question. Dancing brings me so much joy!!! I have a strong memory of bringing our Sweet Azucar! 'Hanuman' routine to the National Champs and blowing the audience away!
You know you've done something right when even the judges stand in the ovation!!! That routine had men dancing Tango together, it had Flamenco solos, Bachatango, some kick-arse Cha Cha Cha and the kicker - a HAKA and a Drag Queen dancing Vogue style!!!! We won, by the way.
3. What is your most dramatic dance memory?
Sweet Azucar! had a beautiful Bachatango danced to a song by Pablo Alboran called 'Perdoname' which means 'Forgive Me'.
I remember multiple occasions where I'd look out and see audience members wiping tears away, rubbing their arms that had broken out in goosebumps or leaning forward watching intently with their hands over their mouths.
People would approach us afterwards thanking us for taking them on a journey. It makes all the work so worthwhile.
I loved that dance. It's still my favourite slow piece. In fact, I have a painting of me and my dance partner in one of the tango holds, captured whilst performing.
4. Who else in your family dances? Do you have a memory of dancing with them or watching them dance?
It was watching my sister learning Jazz Ballet, back when I was about 11, that got me hooked on Jazz Ballet. I needed it in my life!! It looked just like the stuff they were doing on Fame, the TV show.
Now, in my own little family, all of us dance or have danced. I've gotten to dance alongside my eldest daughter a couple of times which feels pretty darn cool.
But my proudest is having my husband, Des, who COULD NOT DANCE, learn Salsa from me. The minute I started up Sweet Azucar! he signed up and hasn't left!! In fact, he's competed AND is one of our Salsa teachers.
My love is travelling around the globe with him and being able to bust out some Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha and Kizomba with each other.
5. Do you have a funny memory of dancing? One that makes you laugh out loud whilst telling it?
Two come to mind. We were competing as a team in a National Championships and Jono's shirt popped wide open!! Thankfully I didn't even notice until we came off stage and was wondering why everyone was laughing so hard. Jono and his dance partner held it together so well. I thought everyone was smiling bigger than usual during the routine!!! Jono continued on like the pro he was. We miss Jono.
The other was in 1989. I was on a dance exchange at a performing arts school in Canada (my Fame dream realised) which meant that as well as maths and English lessons, we had dance lessons too. I had to attend a ballet lesson. The only one ever to be honest. My ballet was so bad, the VERY FRENCH teacher asked me to leave and to never attend ballet lessons ever again, anywhere in the world. Ouch!!!! I never did, either. But I kicked butt in my other genres and started my own gorgeous dance school!!
Liz Parsons and the Sweet Azucar! Latin Dance team teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Edmonton Primary School, Te Atatu.
Find them on Facebook and Instagram
Or their Website is www.sweetazucar.co.nz