They've done it again. Three divisions of the 2007 World Salsa Championships saw the 2006 champions repeat again as the best in the world. In the sports world, this is called a dynasty. This is quite an accomplishment, considering the high level of competition and some controversial rule "changes". The rules have stated that in both the on1 and on2 division, no more than three tricks can be performed (dips, drops, or flares). There was confusion whether certain spins and turns were tricks that had to be removed from couples' routines. Additionally (for the semifinals), the on1 division had almost 38 couples (2006 - 28 couples), on2 had 32 couples (2006 - 22 couples), and cabaret had 26 couples (18 from 2006).

Despite this fact, both Abel Pena and Zulmara Torres (on1), Oliver Luda and Luda Kroitor (on2), and Swing Latino (team) once again took first place in their respective divisions. Kelvin Hernandez and Licelott Maldonado, 2005's cabaret champions, took third place in a stacked division which saw 2005 2nd place finishers Jhon Vazquez (John Gerner) and (Yudi) Judy Aguilar take first place.

Congratulations to the Philly area dancers who participated in the event. Jose Serrano and Charlotte Serrano placed in the top 10 for the cabaret division. They have a spot in the DVDs, the ESPN international broadcasts, as well as ESPN2's show in the United States (an important development for U.S. coverage).

Darlin Garcia (Art in Motion) and Melissa Pabon (Enixe Dancers) performed a beautiful routine in the on1 semifinals division. Eli Torres and Yen Dorado also competed in the on1 division. A collection of Philly's best dancers joined forces as the Philly Pro-Team, and made a strong showing in the ultra competitive team division, which saw a Colombian sweep from first through third place. The Philly team was composed of Jose Serrano, George Dennis, Danny Roque, Oliver Hannah, Charlotte Serrano, Amber Rawls, Kathleen Eccleston, and Cindy Ramos.

Videos are located here

Other reviews from the web

Salsacrazy Blog - Neartime news and commentary on the championships. Including complete finals footage!
Salsadynasty.com - Interviews and summary videos of the event!

Albert Torres interview at the 2007 World Salsa Championships