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Robert Abrams
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Salsa
Merengue
Bachata
United States
Georgia
Atlanta, GA

Sanctuary

by Robert Abrams
July 20, 2003
Atlanta, GA

Sanctuary

Robert Abrams
July 20, 2003

Sanctuary Latin Nightclub
3209 Paces Ferry Place
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 262-1377
www.sanctuarynightclub.com

I went to Sanctuary tonight for Salsa. It took a while to get there because I managed to take a couple of wrong turns. Along the way, I got the scenic detour of Atlanta, including a couple of Marta stations, some strip malls, gas stations, wooded swank residential areas, and the scene around Peachtree. I almost gave up on finding Sanctuary, but I finally found it.

It was worth the trip. Their website claims that the club is located in a strip mall, but they are selling themselves short. It may be a mall, but the exterior does have some architectural interest. The inside is seriously elegant with green marble columns, detail work on the ceiling, and a grand staircase leading upstairs to the dance floor.

The dance floor is a high quality wooden floor. The lighting system pumps out flashing color to match the pulse of the music. The music was consistently lively and well mixed. While I was there (from about Midnight to 3 am when the place closed), the DJ played a mostly even mix of Salsa, Merengue and what I think is Bachata. It sounded a little like Cha-cha, but looked a little like Merengue with a tap step at each side. After conferring with friends in New York, I am certain it was Bachata, a dance I had heard about but never actually seen danced. What looked like a tap step is actually a hip action.

Most of the time the dance floor was full. There were a lot of good dancers out there and a few superior ones. One of them, Victor Olivo and his student, cleared the floor a few times towards the end of the night. They danced Salsa with a succession of sophisticated patterns that were well accented (more staccato than fire salamander). Victor can be contacted for lessons at 770-374-7673 or volivo@hotmail.com.

All in all, Sanctuary was a great place to dance.


Victor Olivo and student dance Salsa at Sanctuary
Photo courtesy of Robert Abrams



Victor Olivo and student dance Salsa at Sanctuary
Photo courtesy of Robert Abrams

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