2008 Woodie Awards
Dance enthusiasts get saucy at UAA Salsa Socials
Eryn Bannarbie
Issue date: 2/13/07 Section: Features
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The hushed rhythm of an alluring and exotic Caribbean beat lured eager ears toward the double doors of the studio. Inside, excitement lingered in the air as dancers awaited the start of the Salsa Social.
In a room of the Professional Studies Building, every Thursday when night falls, the study of nursing and journalism takes a back seat to the study of Latin dancing.
The Salsa Social kicked off with a beginner's class. About three dozen people gathered, some to dance, others to observe. Some partners chose their spots on the studio floor and mingled, while others danced, awaiting the instructor's signal.
Katya Kuznetsova, a term instructor with UAA's dance department, is a petite woman with the posture of a seasoned dancer.
She began by leading the class through basic counts. The attendees ranged in age from ten to 60. She directed them to line up in rows and follow her demonstration. They focused on Kuznetzova's hips and feet.
"Small steps …"
"1, 2, 3 … 5, 6, 7 …"
"Pretend as if you are trying to feel the waves of the ocean …"
"Don't look down … There you go … You've got it!"
The word salsa means "sauce." It denotes a "saucy or tasty" flavor, an apt fit for the Latin music and dancing it describes. Salsa music is an umbrella genre encompassing a number of mid- to up-tempo Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms, often enhanced by jazz.
After Kuznetsova taught the basic steps, the floor filled with relaxed pairs of dancers, divided into leader and follower roles.
She introduced a game in which the leader of each pair guided the follower by touch, using only the index finger of each partner.
In the exercise, one partner, with eyes closed, blindly trusts and is led by the other around the room, guided only by a sense of resistance and faith in the partner.
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