Byron shire Latin dance teachers Leyla Roberts and Robert Frater did the northern rivers proud recently by winning the the masters division of the Australia and New Zealand Salsa Summit in Brisbane.
Leyla and Robert, representing NSW, were thrilled to win the inaugural masters category, introduced for this year’s summit by request from the rapidly aging dance community,
’So it was all a bit scary. Anyway, over 50 is the go!’ Leyla enthused.
‘We’ve been working our butts off, we just love what we do, dance is an obsession for me and I don’t want to stop,’ she told Echonetdaily.
The two dance maestros have taught Latin moves and grooves for years from their LaSalsa Byron Bay academy, boosting the region’s vibrant dance culture.
The Salsa Summit, held in Brisbane in November every year, draws scores of dance couples from around Australia including the northern rivers.
The competition is held as a qualifier for the World Salsa Summit in Miami USA, and this year’s overall winner, footwork master Juan Carlos, will compete there, having won the airfare.