Kiz’n The 6ix lite edition: Hit or Miss?
After 2 years of dealing with a global pandemic, many of us have been itching to get back to the festival dancefloor. While travelling restrictions make it hard to access international events, there are still a couple of local Canadian options you can explore.
Last weekend I attended the Kiz’n The 6ix lite edition for the first time. Here is my review.
Venue & location ⭐
The event happened at a dance studio in the heart of downtown Toronto. The amenities were perfect for dancers: great floors, mirrors, several rooms, and rest areas available.
The place was well lit and ventilated, and made for a very comfortable experience. The AC was so efficient, that I barely broke a sweat the entire weekend. I would even get cold whenever I rested for too long!
The studio close to many hotels, so attendees could easily walk from their accommodations to the studio.
Workshops ⭐
If I am not mistaken, this was the first time Kiz’n The 6ix had an all Canadian cast:
Jurcic Chanhoun (Urban Kiz)
Angola Terra & Julz (Kizomba / Semba)
KizoLove Babs (Urban Kiz / Kizomba)
Danse Sélect Canada Première école de danse Konpa (Kompa)
The workshops were top quality and well balanced in terms of genres and levels. There was a great mix of Kizomba/Semba/Urban Kiz and a couple of great Konpa classes.
It goes to show how much talent and potential there is in Canada.
Note: I’d like to add a special mention for Samy from KizoLove who helped in several workshops without being featured as an instructor.
Entertainment ⭐
The entertainment was simple, but effective. It seems a lot of thinking and care was put into planning it. In addition to the day socials and the regular parties, we enjoyed a mini concert by 2 local artists, a Konpa performance by Danse Sélect, and a fun game time.
The DJ line up was solid:
Dj-Fofo Jah
DJ Afrodeshiak
DJ-LY
DJ NS
Day socials happened in one room. And most parties had 2 rooms (a Kizomba/Semba and an Urban Kiz/Douceur), except for Saturday that had an added Konpa room. It provided a good variety for people who like to dance all styles and a designated place for those who wanted to dance one style only.
To me, the best discovery/revelation of this event was Jurcic Chanhoun as a DJ. 🤯 He played on Sunday night and made amazing closing performance to end event. He’s definitely a DJ to watch for in the future.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere was great in part because people were so happy to dance again. But also because the event was well organized, welcoming, and engaging.
However, the Saturday party was made in collaboration with another organization. This collab brought people who are not familiar with the Kizomba festival culture and etiquette. So it made for a few, uncomfortable situations that could’ve benefited from having more staff present.
Verdict ⭐⭐⭐½
All in all, the Kiz’n The 6ix lite edition was a great event to attend for people of all dance styles and levels.
The event was a HIT and I will definitely go again!
P.S. I’ll be sharing more about Kiz’n The 6ix on social media