Before the Dancing with the South Florida Stars competition really kicked off, I asked team Village Pub’s Jerry Solano what his thoughts were going into this competition.

“We just want to have fun really,” he told me.

When I asked why his goal wasn’t to win (or to not mess up at least) he told me that him and his partner, Ashley Blake, were just going into it with an open mind, with the goal of having fun. He was being extremely genuine and honest. This wasn’t a facade. This was their actual mindset going into the competition.

Fast forward to a few weeks later, and I’m standing with this year’s winning team: It’s team Village Pub, of course.

The duo’s Salsa dance received great scores from the judges and the crowd ate it up. The cheers took a good chunk of time to die down each time Jerry and Ashley came out. I assumed early on in the night that they were going to take home the trophy for Village Pub (after they were introduced to a room of loud cheers), but I didn’t picture it to be so grandiose. When it came time for the audience applause segment of the evening, it was a done deal. A sweeping win.

It’s worth noting that the two of them are entertaining, witty and extremely passionate. Whether it’s Ashley’s gigs at Rumors, Palace, Off The Hookah, Azucar, or Village Pub, or her firecracker personality, Mrs. Blake is lively, engaging, and just easy to talk to really. She even flies to New Jersey at the end of each month to meet with clients as a stylist, which Blake says used to be a full-time job alone for her.

Yes, Mrs. Blake. She married her partner of three and a half years, Diego Costa, roughly six months ago, in New York City. (They are eagerly waiting for the day same-sex marriage becomes legal in Florida.) The two have been happily living in Wilton Manors for the past year and four months.

Jerry, originally from Costa Rica, has been a South Florida resident since 1991. He’s a well-known bartender, as he’s practically always behind the bar at Village Pub (which he’s been at since its opening almost 2 years ago). In his space time, he enjoys…Salsa dancing! He absolutely loves it.

“Ashley didn’t know how to do the Salsa, so I had to help a little,” Jerry confessed. “But she’s actually a very fast learner. She really delivered.”

Jerry and Ashley said that they were “so very thankful for their win for Village Pub,” but they were also quick to extend an enormous “thank you” to Danny Carter, a dance instructor from Dance Moves, for giving the team a crash course one-time lesson on the Salsa. They also thanked the Brian Neal Fitness and Health Foundation for everything that they do for the community.

“Above all else, it was for a good cause,” Ashley said.

The foundation is a non-profit that aims to aid those with life-threatening illnesses, including HIV/AIDS, by helping them stay fit via free gym memberships and healthy lifestyle workshops.

“We had to do it for Brian Neal’s foundation,” Solano added. “There was no question. It’s so important to the community.”

Though they may be humble, the two are already looking forward to next year’s festivities, and to be honest, we can’t really blame them.

Photo by Tony Fowler