It’s flashy, it’s brassy, an energetic exhibition of kinetic exuberance – it’s Salsa! The word literally means ‘sauce’ in Spanish but what it is in the dance world is a sensual interplay of passion, full of twirls, fancy moves and spicy interpretations.
If the sofa is beginning to fit your bottom a bit too comfortably, and you feel like you know the way every tv show is going to turn out, and you think your life has kind of landed in a rut, you could be ready for a taste of the hot rhythms and dynamic flair of Salsa, New York style – and you won’t have to travel thousands of miles to find it.
Given that you are on an Asian island where the emotional tone is generally understated, it may sound a little odd that you can walk into a club on base and find yourself in the thick of a Latin tempo, but you can. And even if you don’t know salsa from duck soup you can find yourself in a few short weeks moving like a professional dancer wowing the spectators on the sidelines or your friends at the next get together.
All you have to do is motivate yourself (and your significant other, if you have one) to get off the couch on Thursday and Friday nights and head to Erik Rodriguez’ free classes. On Thursday at Thirsty’s on Camp Futenma show up by eight o’clock in the evening for walk-in basic instruction. You’ll get an hour and a half of enthusiastic exercise learning the quick-quick-slow fundamental steps of the dance craze that is a variant of the classic mambo. From 9:30 until 10:00 you can practice what you just learned and get ready for Friday night.
Then, come Friday from 8:00 to 9:00 pm, at the Globe and Anchor on Foster, a level one course is offered by Erik and his lovely wife, Yuki. The moves get a little more elaborate and you’ll learn the tactile hints that inform you and your partner what the next step will be and how to do it with grace. After that, the next hour expands the repertoire, moving up to level two where you get into the really fiery grooves.
But what if you don’t have a significant other or a friend you can talk into sharing the moment with you? Not a problem. The Salsa atmosphere is social all the way. Erik makes certain everybody gets a stab at showing off their stuff by having people change partners often during the evening, so even if you come alone you are bound to get in the wave.
If, as may happen, you get dance fever, Erik and Yuki offer private lessons for quite reasonable fees at different times during the week. There are at least half a dozen venues on Okinawa, mainly in the Ginowan and Naha areas, that offer a Salsa club ambience where you can party down until dawn.
Check out the scene at Erik’s web site: www.mamboki.com
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