NYE Fest Highlights into 2026

This article presents the highlights of my experience, participation and awareness developments at the UK’s largest Latin dancing New Year convention. The event, organised by Latinmotion took place at Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel at Birmingham's NEC

Experience

I attended a number of classes and workshops, ranging from Bachata and Cuban Salsa through to Salsa and Musicality. These were delivered by teachers and instructors including Moe Flex, Jaz & Alex, Abu, and many more.
I also attended the social party on New Year’s night. This was the first time I had a positive late-night dancing party experience since a previous occasion several years earlier in 2022.

Important Information
Due to my previous experience on New Year’s Eve, along with the changing social climate, I made the difficult decision not to attend the party on New Year’s Eve. I felt that, because of increasing & very packed atmosphere along with barriers due to my difficulties as a neurodivergent (at previous events) which had prevented me from dancing, attending would pose a negative risk and reduce the likelihood of having a positive experience. I have also felt stigmatised for complex reasons.
Further details on my thoughts regarding this negative stigma will be presented in a special online blog this April, to mark Autism Awareness Day and International Dance Day. Please keep updated via social media and the Embrace Dancing feature closer to these awareness events.

Additionally, due to other priorities, I was unable to dance regularly for nearly half a year. This may have affected my dancing confidence during late-night parties, particularly in the very crowded atmosphere typical of New Year’s Eve.

Participation

Building on my previous participation in the event as a volunteer, I used my expertise to develop a special information guide for volunteers.
This guide provides information and guidance to ensure consistent standards relating to interaction and interpersonal conduct. It applies not only to communication between volunteers, but also to how they engage with visitors and event participants.
This was developed as an interactive digital touchpoint document in a pocket-sized format suitable for mobile devices. It received positive feedback, and there is potential to develop a similar document for future events.

Awareness

Through my dance awareness initiative, Embrace Dancing, I collaborated with Latinmotion (the event organisers) to develop a special series of inclusive dance guides for classes, workshops and parties. These were presented as social media video reels and post templates, with input from Latinmotion’s Mauricio Reyes and his son, Kamren.
These guides were released in mid-December and encouraged visitors and event participants to be mindful of small steps that can help ensure every attendee has a positive experience, regardless of their abilities or challenges.
I also premiered a promotional flyer for my Embrace Dancing initiative during the NYE Fest.

Networking
Following the launch of Embrace Dancing flyers and collaborative initiatives with LatinMotion (including video and social media), I shared my recent developments with key participants of NYE Fest. These included SuperDixon, Moe Flex, Gary Thomas, Emma Jayne Santo from Salsa Feel Good, Merchant and Divina from Alchemy Dance Co, and Jean and Robert White from Mambo City, among many others.

Conclusion
This event provided a great balance of dance experience, involvement, and opportunities to inspire others through dancing.

To find out more on my dancing awareness initiative visit the Embrace dancing feature

To explore more on my dancing related participation visit the Dancing direction feature

This article is linked with the Developments:

Active, Awareness and Participation

Notice to editors

Keith Mckenzie
Keith is an awareness campaigner, a creative designer (Graphic design and digital art) and a salsa dancing participant
With a background in Art & Design (including Graphic Design & Digital art) and a participant in music-related film documentaries, events & record label project King Of the Beats including filming and behind the scene preparations.
Keith was educated at Hereford College of the Arts, the University of Northampton, Birmingham City University and Google's Digital Garage. Since 2000 , he has developed over twenty years in providing awareness projects, campaigns and activities with the Awareness brand Plus Value Awareness along with Differences Originals. Also am involved with salsa classes in the local community
as an assistant. I also have participated in major dancing conventions in Birmingham's, including Motion City (created by Birmingham Latinmotion and London's ManboCity) during the summer and Latinmotion's NYE Fest during the New Year public holiday.
In 2022. Keith became a featured community participant for Birmingham who became part of special projects and campaigns to promote a positive legacy beyond hosting the Commonwealth Games

Embrace Dancing

The online special feature appears both on my personal website and on my awareness website (Plus Value Awareness).

Presenting a family of dancing relatives, awareness projects information and activities. The feature was created in April 2023 and originally developed to support the two awareness events, autism dance and International Dance Day. After the response on social media and online the embrace dancing feature became a permanent feature and as a first point to explore projects & information.


(Content on the Plus Value Awareness website)

"Inclusive to dance", the inclusion information project,

Dancing Inclusive pledges: a family for tips and gudance to encourge inclisive dancing envionments.


(Content on my website)

Including the mini feature Dancing Direction related to my dancing projects and involvement, special information and Latin dancing anniversary surpise


(Content from both websites)

Dancing activities to support the dancing awareness events in April, Dancing Inclusivity publications. Online links to the marketing videos & promotional materials to spread the word about the Embrace Dancing feature.