Dancer Valentino pulls off showstopping Latin ballroom dance show

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Last Saturday, Kampala Serena Hotel witnessed not just an extraordinary concert, but a celebration of dance in a glamorous and stylish way.

It was Valentino Kabenge’s maiden edition of the Uganda Dance Nights show. By 7:00 pm, the stairs and walkways at Serena Conference Centre were already painted red, waiting for fashion enthusiasts to walk by as they expressed themselves as freely as they could. And, indeed, they did!

From colourful outfits, netted blouses donned by both men and women, bespoke dresses and suits for men, to out-of-the-ordinary designs, the night was not for dance only, but fashion as well. It could easily remind one of the good old days of Brian Ahumuza’s Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards (ASFAs).

The show kicked off at around 8:00 pm, but firstly, if you knew nothing about Latin ballroom dance, then you probably had to watch a YouTube tutorial first, lest you’d be sidelined the entire show.

The man of the hour, Valentino, took to stage to show the crowd how ballroom dance ought to be pulled off. From Salsa, through a fusion of Rumba and Cha Cha, to everything Latin dance, Valentino had the entire auditorium watching intently and waiting for his next step, move, twist and skill with his follower.

As the lead, he showed full control of his stage. Accompanied by some Cuban and high-tempo Latin American music, the groove and steps on stage were just in perfect sync as the crowd enjoyed a rare showcase of art.

The crowd was treated to an electrifying dance by a young ballerina, whose command of the stage left many in awe. Her stretch of the feet, disengagement from the floor, jaw-dropping round of the leg, to how she could disengage her leg from a coupe, attitude, to a full expression, were just enough to send the crowd into deafening screams. In dance etiquette, that was unruly. You do not shout at ballerinas.

Have you ever seen comedienne Anne Kansiime dancing salsa or rumba? Perhaps never. Well, she surprised the crowd, when she was led by Kabenge to treat the crowd to an exciting ballroom dance showcase. Donning shiny, multi-coloured pants with a purple crop top, Kansiime showed the crowd that apart from cracking jokes, she can actually boogie down the Latin ballroom way.

Another surprise act on stage, doing a salsa dance set was actor Allan Kutos, famous from the hit TV series, Sanyu.

From Latin American dance moves, the show was brought back home with some traditional dancers taking centre stage. The dance troupe entertained the crowd with exciting dance routines from the central, western and eastern parts of the country, leaving some revellers more thrilled than they were by the ballroom dancers.

The show was also graced by other entertainers like musician Racheal Magoola, who treated the crowd to her iconic music with songs like Obangaina, setting for mood right for a dancing moment by the crowd.

By the end of the show, a precedent was set. Perhaps, dance, as an art form, will be looked at in a more professional way.