Salsa Club dances to the rythm of the night
The first salsa club meeting of the year had over 26 people in attendance – with no advertising. People started dancing before the music started and continued to dance for an hour after the lesson ended.
“The salsa music creates a fun, relaxed place to socialize where everyone is learning,” said Mike Olsen, president of the salsa club and junior majoring in math education. “Salsa can take you out of your comfort circle if you are shy or don’t think you’re a good dancer, but the atmosphere here is so relaxed and fun that you learn not to be so shy.”
Olsen said the salsa club began three years ago, not long after his return from his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Venezuela where he gained a love for the music. When he returned home, he sought out other returned missionaries from Spanish-speaking missions in his student ward and went in groups to the Latin dance clubs every week.
Some members of the dancing group he went with were also part of the ballroom dance team and they encouraged him to try out. Olsen said he finally tried out because of a girl and remained on the team for two and a half years, he said.
“There were a bunch of us who had a strong interest in dance and we wanted to expand it and share it with other people,” said Di Barber, co-founder of the Salsa Club and a graduate in 2003 with a degree in social work.
Barber said when dances were held everyone was invited. “This was our chance to play and have a good time,” she said.
“I knew a little bit of salsa before I came here a year ago and I wanted to improve my dancing,” said Alejandro Garcia, a graduate student studying computer science. “Some people have…call it Latino pride if you want, where you know a little bit of salsa and think you’re really good at – but then you can come here and learn more and become better.”
Barber said most people are afraid to try salsa because they feel they have no rhythm, however, she has been teaching for 11 years and has found that people can pick up salsa very quickly. “A lot of the guys here have fun dancing with the ladies, and girls like a guy who knows how to dance and lead well,” she said.
“People come with different skill levels and everybody helps each other,” Garcia said. “Some people are afraid to come because they think they can’t dance or won’t be able to learn it, but this is an opportunity to overcome that.”
“Last fall, we had more than 50 students sign up and come to the first salsa club meeting. After that, the numbers started decreasing – partially because the classroom we were in was so small,” Olsen said. “Now we are actually in a room meant for dance.”
“Dance is my release and I love salsa. It’s more like play than anything,” said Barber. “There are many different hand movements and a variety of footwork involved. It really gives the dancer a chance to imagine. The dance is open to imagination. The salsa club has a great time together. It’s a party time.”
“The salsa club is cool. Number one, because salsa is fun, and number two, because this is a great place to make cool friends,” said Garcia.
“There is a very diverse atmosphere here – not everyone is Latino. There are people from India, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Utah.”
“We would like to try to organize a dance Sabana sometime soon and have some friends from Salt Lake come teach,” said Olsen. A dance Sabana is where a lesson is first taught and then there is dancing afterward, he said.
“Café Sabor had invited us to come three times this summer. We teach before the band comes and then dance on the patio to the band,” said Olsen.
“The night usually lasts three to four hours. We’ll be going one more time on Sept. 14.”
Olsen said many of the club members go to Club NVO on the Latin dance nights. They used to play salsa music, he said, but don’t anymore because not many people want to dance salsa. “I’m hoping that by getting more club members to go to Club NVO, they will begin to play the music again,” he said.
“Our ultimate goal this year is to have a lot of fun and dance,” said Olsen. “Word of mouth really is the best way to advertise the club. So bring your friends and make some new ones.”
-evhubbs@cc.usu.edu