(From top) Aditya Upadhya and Nidhi Bhagania on the Roxy dance floor at Vive La Salsa; the Ladies of Calcutta concert at CC&FC; models at the catwalk in Prince of Cal. Pictures by Rashbehari Das and Pabitra Das

What: Vive La Salsa that began with a one-hour merengue workshop and culminated in a party.

Where: Roxy, the cocktail bar at The Park.

When: Friday night, 10 pm onwards.

Hostspeak: Aditya Upadhya, salsa expert, presented this night to “spread the salsa lifestyle” in the city. “I wanted a high level of participation, so we decided to hold this workshop ? a perfect way to engage the crowd.”

About merengue: This Latin-American form of dance, according to Aditya, is actually more of a “club dance” than salsa is. The counts are essentially one and two, it is faster and can be adapted to any club mix, be it Bollywood chartbuster or house music.

The workshop: Was conducted by Aditya, assisted by Nidhi Bhagania who had come down from New Delhi. With about 15 eager couples on the floor and many more surrounding it, the merengue spirit caught on at Roxy from the word go. Enthusiastic dancers, some hot-steppers and some aspiring ones latched on to each instruction that their trainer had to offer. “I taught some basic combinations that can be improvised according to personal needs,” explains Aditya.

The party: The introductory classes over, the party people then took to the dance floor in large numbers, as they rehearsed their newly-acquired dance skills. Great Latino music, some new mixes and exotic cocktails flowed freely.

Woman power

What: Ladies of Calcutta, a musical show.

Where: CC&FC lawns.

When: Friday night, 8 pm onwards.

Organiserspeak: “It’s a tribute to the ladies by the ladies,” said Oindrilla Dutt of Open Doors, who had conceptualised Ladies of Calcutta about two years ago. “There are so many wonderful singers here. This is just an effort to put great talent on a single platform.”

The participants: Usha Uthup, Pramita Mallick, Jojo, Anjum Katyal, Ananya, Isheeta Ganguly, Anasua Chowdhury, Priscilla Corner, Swastika Moitra, Chanelle, Mona Lamba and Pali Sachdev, Sharmila Biswas, Shamlu Dudeja, Piu Sarkar, Sutapa Bandopadhyay and Shahana Chatterjee.

The show: Began with Usha Uthup greeting the audience with Hello Calcutta and then going on to Jezebel. The others soon joined her on stage as they crooned the title song Ladies of Calcutta. The rest of the evening was spent in “full concert style”, with all the lovely ladies present on stage as their friends sang solos. Numbers, old and new, from Jodi tor daak shune to Bulla ki jaana to I Will Survive, regaled the audience on a lovely winter outdoor evening.

Fashion fling

What: Fashion show organised by Sourav’s: The Food Pavilion, in association with Images of India.

Where: The restaurant at 20G, Park Street.

When: Friday night.

The show: Titled The Christmas Rose, the fashion do displayed designs by Aishee Gupta. Lots of natural fabrics shaped the silhouettes and splashes of vibrant colours defined the look. The line comprised both ethnics as well as western party wear. Lots of short skirts, fitted tops and dresses shared the ramp with sari and salwar suits. The clothes were paraded on the dance floor of Prince of Cal by models Priyanka, Ishika, Oindrila and Debjani.

Designerspeak: “The collection is a tribute to the sensuousness of women.”