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SPICY SALSA Movies and more have cultivated fiery dance craze STEP OUT

August 10, 2006 12:50 am

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.

Pamela Moniz is one of a group of teachers who take turns instructing at the Fredericksburg coffee shop each week. The "relaxed, casual atmosphere makes it an easy way to learn to dance," she said about the classes that attract people of all ages and experience levels.

And in true salsa style, anything goes at Tickers.

On a Friday night last month, J.Lo's "Let's Get Loud" spilled from the speakers and across a packed dance floor.

A young girl wiped the brow of her punk-rock T-shirt-wearing boyfriend. A gentleman in his 30s accepted tips from another man. A teenage girl practiced newly learned steps. And a group of Marine Corps wives clapped hands and bounced to the beat.

The room spun with Latin dancing and lots of laughs.

"Giggling is fine, but you can't just stop and giggle, you have to keep moving. Your partner wants to keep dancing," instructor Greg Davis yelled over the music. "So let's go--basic, two, three "

Gustavo Ramallo started the Latin Dance Club at the University of Mary Washington. He and his brother became interested in learning the sultry style after his brother met a group of Puerto Rican students at a summer program.

"They all knew how to do it, and he felt embarrassed that he couldn't do it," Ramallo said.

So the pair began taking classes, and formed the club in 2005.

Even with its popularity, there is some debate over salsa's true origins.

The general consensus on Latin dance Web sites is that salsa evolved from mambo, which is considered a product of Cuba, where African rhythms combined with big-band swing. Puerto Ricans are credited with bringing that Cuban music to New York City when they began immigrating there in droves after World War II.

Mambo dancers eventually got bored and started adding in extras. And in the late '60s, salsa emerged in those thriving Puerto Rican neighborhoods in New York.

Recent reality television shows such as ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and the Fox hit "So You Think You Can Dance" have contributed to salsa's revitalization, Wilson said.

"There is definitely a new feel about the romance of dancing," she said. "It's come back."

The 2004 film "Shall We Dance?" starring Richard Gere also had an impact, she said. But of all the movies that influenced salsa's popularity, Wilson said, none can compare with "Dirty Dancing."

Released in 1987 and starring Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, the Oscar-winning film was wildly popular.

Swayze played Johnny, a dance teacher at a resort called Kellerman's. Asked to "shake things up a bit" for a final end-of-summer show, Johnny hijacks the performance and does "his own kind of dancing."

He and his partner, Baby, blow the audience away by performing, not the tango or the mambo, but a new, much sexier, freer style of Latin dance--salsa.

"That created a stir for people to want to just move on the dance floor any way they wanted to," Wilson said. "I love it. It's the way it should be."

Tatiana Ramallo, secretary of the UMW Latin Dance Club, commented on the success of a 2005 Latin dance performance at the university, saying she thought it was the first time a lot of people had been exposed to salsa.

"So many people were surprised, curious. It was something they hadn't seen before," she said. "Salsa catches attention. It is a fun, colorful, vibrant dance."

To reach KATE WATERSON:540/374-5000, ext. 5779
Email: kwaterson@freelancestar.com