The annual event celebrated its third year at Studio 600 in downtown Salt Lake City with salsa shows and workshops featuring dancers from around the world. Participants attended classes and dance shows to get ideas and then danced into the early morning hours practicing their newest steps.

Maria Ivanova, one of the gala's organizers, says the event is all about bringing salsa to a wider audience. A registered nurse originally from Russia, Ivanova discovered salsa when she moved to Salt Lake City a few years ago. She now heads a professional dance team with her husband, Eduardo Santos. Though salsa has long been popular in the Latino community, it has been slow to penetrate into Utah culture.

"I'm not Latin myself, but I want to involve everyone else," Ivanova says. "Not just people who like salsa already."

The Congress offered classes for dancers of all skill levels in an attempt to appeal to a broad audience. Beginners were able to study the basics, while more experienced dancers could focus on more difficult steps such as lifts, styling and spins. A partner was not required to attend, and during classes partners switched frequently. Ivanova says this is very important because salsa is a social dance with a focus on meeting new people and learning their unique steps.

"I have such a fun social atmosphere that I've become part of," says Kimball Davenport, who began learning salsa in February. "It's a great way of meeting people, not just for dating reasons, but to make friends."

Though salsa congresses are relatively new to Utah, they are a long-standing tradition in cities like New York City and Los Angeles. California was well-represented at the Utah congress, and while the salsa scene in Salt Lake City is not as vibrant as that in bigger cities, those in attendance were impressed.

"This was really on par," says Ann Bruno of Los Angeles. "I felt like I was in L.A."

John Narvaez and his partner, Liz Rojas, are originally from Colombia. They now live in Oakland, Calif., and taught at the congress for the second time.

"It was beautiful, the people here are really open-minded," Narvaez says. "I liked the fact that people were really attentive to the class."

Steve Ames, the owner of Studio 600, was slightly disappointed with the estimated turnout - between 700 and 800 people - at this year's event. Still, he believes those numbers will grow over time. Studio 600 hosts Latin dancing every Saturday night, so hosting the event was a chance to reel in future club-goers.

"It's a very successful night," Ames says. "This just seemed to fit with what we were already doing."

For her part, Ivanova hopes dancers will continue with salsa. She says the salsa shows are a great way to find inspiration and new ideas. The shows even managed to impress Ames, who has been a dance disc jockey since 1985.

"The routines were amazing," Ames says, "and like, mind-blowing."