Salsa in a good cause

Posted on November 17, 2011

A new charity, The Lee Wright Synergy Dance World Memorial Trust, will be launched this month. This is the only UK charity that raises money, using salsa, to be put back into salsa projects.

It’s named for salsa champion Lee Wright, who died in a car accident at the age of 24. He had a successful career teaching and performing salsa, usually with his dance partner Shelley Cook. They were UK National Professional Champions in 2006 and 2007. He had planned to set up a dance school with the name “Synergy”, which has been incorporated into the new charity’s name.

Money raised by the charity will fund projects to introduce the joys of salsa to new and disadvantaged communities. It will also support the development of talent, through training and amateur competitions. Its organisers want Lee’s positive influence to go on benefiting dancers, from beginners to advanced.

The charity will be launched officially on November 26, with events in central London. Dance workshops will be held at the Drill Hall, 16 Chenies Street, London WC1E 7EX, starting at 12.45. Classes must be booked in advance – email loveleetickets@live.co.uk to book your place. Workshop places cost £8, or £14 for two workshops.

In the evening, from 8pm–1.45am, the first annual Love Lee Salsa Extravaganza will take place at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL. The evening will include classes in “Lee’s footwork” and partnering, shows, a raffle with salsa prizes, lots of social dancing and a fancy dress theme of “Bows, Ties and Sequins”. Tickets cost £10 on the night.

See www.leeforever.org.uk for more information.

Picture: Lee on the dancefloor. Photograph: Mauricio Reyes

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.