Salsa Dancing
Posted August 14th, 2008Categories: Latin America, local culture, non-profit, Team Stories, United Planet
Tags: Afro-Caribbean, Antigua, Boston, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Latin America, Latin Music, Peru, Salsa Dancing, Salsa in the Park, Salsa Lessons, South End, United Planet
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Post written by Theresa, a United Planet team member.
Salsa – spicy, fiery, hot, delicious! Of course I am talking about the dance! Like all dance forms, the music and movements represent cultural customs and history, making salsa dancing much more than just a fun, sultry dance.
The origin of salsa dancing is contested with many places claiming to be its “birthplace” — the leaders being Cuba and Puerto Rico. Salsa is a distillation of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. The Latin music we hear today has most of its origins in Cuba where the blending of African drum rhythms and Spanish guitar evolved into a variety of Latin American music.
I fell in love with salsa while studying Spanish and living with a host family in Antigua, Guatemala back in 2002. One day I noticed a flyer announcing salsa lessons for $3.50. Who could resist? I was hooked after my first five minutes! It was a combination of the contagious music, fun moves and the chance to learn more about Antigua from a local’s perspective. I took classes five nights per week and joined my new friends at the salsa clubs on the weekends.
After returning to the States, I was not able to continue exploring my new-found passion until I moved to Boston in 2004. Since then, I have taken endless classes and joined a company called MetaMovements (www.metamovements.com). I now train with the student performance team and teach classes both in the studio and at salsa clubs in Boston. I also dance and teach Rueda de Casino – a Cuban dance with casino-style salsa moves done to salsa music, but the dancing couples are in a circle and all complete the same moves as they are called out by the group’s leader. It is a fun twist on salsa as dancers switch partners throughout the song, making it a very community-oriented dance. You can never stop learning salsa and rueda! The longer I dance, the more questions I have and the more I want to learn!
I am grateful that my job at United Planet requires me to visit many of our volunteer abroad programs worldwide. It has afforded me the chance to dance salsa in many countries including Japan, Peru, Costa Rica and Ecuador. Dance serves as a common language that negates the need for words!
MetaMovements Salsa Team
This photo is from my team’s first performance held at “Salsa in the Park” in Boston’s South End. Unfortunately, we had to dance inside due to the rain, but that didn’t put a damper on the evening!
I love dancing with an international group of dancers and spreading the love of salsa! I encourage everyone to find a form of dance that connects with them and explore it to the fullest – its moves, music and history. I think everyone can dance!
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Explore posts in the same categories: Latin America, local culture, non-profit, Team Stories, United PlanetTags: Afro-Caribbean, Antigua, Boston, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Latin America, Latin Music, Peru, Salsa Dancing, Salsa in the Park, Salsa Lessons, South End, United Planet You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will appear immediately, but we reserve the right to delete innapropriate comments.
August 14th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Joe Casino
August 14th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
You look muy bueno, chica! Looking forward to seeing more of your dance moves…
October 5th, 2008 at 5:04 am
[...] public links >> dancing Salsa Dancing Saved by tjason1 on Fri 03-10-2008 Mama, I’m a Showgirl Now! – London Saved by SteveZuwala on [...]
March 17th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
I am a salsa addict and completely hooked on to this wonderful dance style. You can fall in love again with this hot and spicy dance form that represents its culture, history and customs with a dynamic rhythm and beat that stems from Afro-Caribbean and Latin dances. New York salsa lessons
December 13th, 2009 at 11:18 am
This was an interesting article that got me thinking. Have bookmarked so shall return again soon. All the best.
December 14th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Thanks Ryan! I’m glad you liked it.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
It’s amazing how Salsa has caught on around the world. My wife tried to book a course locally to us and it was the most oversubscribed course of the lot. Great article.
October 13th, 2010 at 11:18 am
I love it! It’s starting to become quite a big thing in the UK
November 23rd, 2010 at 6:21 pm
I hope you start reading your blog comments…some of them need to be deleted.
November 23rd, 2010 at 6:24 pm
I love the fact that I can teach what I love to the residents of Newark. It brings me joy to say that I am from Newark and learned from an instructor in Newark. I love to work with the children and adults as well as to be able to show the world that the people of Newark can dance and be committed just as much as those who attend dance schools in New York.
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November 23rd, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Sultry salsa sweeps dance floors from Tokyo to Turkey by Jill Serjeant, Reuters, June 14, 1999 (“In Cuba they have been doing it for almost a century, in New York it took off in the 1950s. Now salsa is spicing up dance floors and night clubs from Tokyo to Turkey in an explosion of hip-shaking, sultry Latin rhythms … Popularised by movies like “Dance With Me,” “Mambo Kings” and “Dirty Dancing,” salsa is whipping up a storm across Europe and Australia and has a huge following in such unlikely places as Japan and Germany … Two years ago, 15 countries took part in the first World Salsa Congress in Puerto Rico, where modern salsa evolved at the turn of the century from Cuba’s “son” peasant music that also developed into the mambo music of 1950s New York.”)
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