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SPICY SALSA Movies and more have cultivated fiery dance craze STEP OUT
Salsa dancing is spicy hot
Date published: 8/10/2006
By KATE WATERSON ETTY WILSON steps back with her right foot, floating her left hand on the shoulder of an imaginary partner. Her right hand grasps the air. She takes two more dainty steps--a left, then a right. Then Wilson gets serious. She shakes her hips and circles her arms, making her movements more wild and free. "Let it go!" she says. "That's salsa!" The sultry dance, with Latin roots and a rich history, is marked by deep dips and dizzying twirls. Its diverse styles vary with the pattern and timing of footwork and turns, and the use of arms. Most types are named after specific regions, and the numerous styles are indicative of the variety of places that have laid claim to salsa dancing. But whether it's Cuban or Colombian, New York or Los Angeles, salsa is sultry and sensual, fast and fun. And salsa is hot! The growing Hispanic population and influence of Latino culture in the United States, coupled with the popularity of dancing on the big screen and, more recently, on TV, have sent salsa's appeal soaring. And with a slew of local spots offering lessons, folks in the Fredericksburg area have plenty of chances to master the seductive moves. Freedom of motion is what sets salsa apart from other Latin dance styles, Wilson said. "It's a street dance. Your style is your own." And she should know. A nightclub dancer in 1950s New York, she performed jazz and tap routines at the Commodore Hotel, the Copacabana, the Latin Quarter, the Hawaiian Room and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. In the '60s, Wilson went to work as a hostess at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Florida. She'd danced since she was 2 and knew all the traditional ballroom styles. But it wasn't until she reached Astaire's studio that Wilson learned to salsa. "Everybody wanted to do salsa, and that's what they taught," she said. Now she gives her own lessons, in salsa and a variety of ballroom styles, at Paragon Dance Academy in Fredericksburg's Central Park. The Latin style has swung its way into other area locales, as well, including what might seem to be an unlikely venue, Tickers Coffee in Westwood Shopping Center.
Date published: 8/10/2006
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