Salsa for Charity: KIZOMBA with Elisha & Miss Ginga Boo fundraising to help Tatiana to dance again!

ABOUT THE CHOSEN GOOD CAUSE Tatiana is a Kizombeira. She is part of our dance community. She had been in Angola for the 'most amazing' ten days as she pursued her passion for Kizomba. But she had unknowingly been bitten by a mosquito and contracted the 'deadliest' form of malaria. When she returned to London, things started to escalate quickly and she didn't recover after falling off a bike. She was rushed to hospital where her condition quickly worsened and doctors had to put her in an induced coma after she developed sepsis. When she came out of the coma, she discovered doctors had made the most difficult decision to save her life by doing below knee and below elbow amputations. But she has said she is just 'grateful to be alive' and has remained positive despite waking up as a quadruple amputee just a year ago. She is now determined to become independent and is now fundraising for new prosthetic arms and legs. Let’s help Tatiana get some amazing new legs and arms so that she can learn to dance again with them. A BIT ABOUT YOUR TEACHERS Elisha & Miss Ginga Boo are based in London. Sonny Varela, aka Miss Ginga Boo is French born, originally from Cape Verde. She has been dancing Passada/Kizomba, Funana, Batuku, Kuduro, Mazurka, Coupe Decale and Ndombolo from an early age. She was UK Kizomba Champion 2015/2016 and 3rd World Kizomba Champions with her then dance partner Jeydikson Lima. Her reasons for teaching Kizomba include “the passion of the dance, the feeling, the connection, the emotion and how that brings people together in a fun filled environment”. Her philosophy is: “Kizomba is like having a conversation with two connected bodies, ‘he’ communicates the movements, ‘she’ listens and replies”. 6 years ago she set up SV Promotions. now called Ginga Boo UK dance school & events, bringing the most famous teachers in the UK for workshops, classes, mini festivals, the Ginga Boo Kizz UK Festival (3 days event). Her aim is to bring the dance community together, by focusing on Kizomba, Urban Kiz, Semba, Afrohouse and more. She also runs the famous Criola, not only in London but across the UK, namely Criola Reading, Milton Keynes, Blackpool, Kent, Birmingham, Norwich, Newcastle, Southampton and with more to come. Elisha Sevvume (born in the UK, and originally from Uganda) started his kizomba dance journey 5 years ago. He was passionate about the dance and took time to learn with reputable teachers such as Nino, Sol and Jeydikson and many more. During this time, he participated in numerous group performances with the Kizomba Next Level Team, and represented the UK in the Kizomba Open Spain 2018. In 2021, he started working with Miss Ginga Boo on different projects, choreography, dancing challenges, online training etc. His self evident passion led him to partner up with Miss Ginga Boo, and they now travel across the UK teaching and sharing their passion for dancing. It is an honour and my pleasure to be able to bring them to Sunderland for you to learn from, and to team up with them for such a worthy cause. I hope this event will bring the kizomba, salsa and bachata communities together, all with one aim – to help Tatiana to dance again. SCHEDULE OF EVENT 7:45pm Beginners/Improvers Kizomba 8.35pm Intermediate Kizomba 9:15pm - Social dancing and party until 11.45pm with a great mix of Salsa, Kizomba and Bachata. SUGGESTED DONATION £10 CASH ONLY - PAY ON THE DOOR ​ THE VENUE Toby Carvery Barnes Park (Function Room) Durham Road Sunderland SR2 7RB 20 minutes from Durham 35 minutes from Middlesbrough 40 minutes from Darlington There is a 42 feet x 16 feet sprung dance floor and a lovely bar area adjoining the main dance area. Parking is free but it is monitored so you must enter your registration number via the screen in the bar. If you stay after midnight then please re-enter your details to avoid a fine. COVID GUIDELINES 1) Covid is still around but thankfully cases are a lot lower. Please do not attend if you are feeling unwell eg, the symptoms of a cold, a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste. 2) It is your choice if you don't want to switch partners in lessons or stay in a partner bubble. 3) Bring sanitiser with you if wanted.