Wally Mara, President
Summer is coming, as are the Latin Rhythm Dance Club’s summer dance classes. Yes, we teach all summer and have been doing so for the last 13 years. Over the years, many SaddleBrooke residents have enjoyed our professional-level Latin dance classes.
Your doctor may tell you that dancing, especially Latin Dancing, is beneficial for your health. It is aerobic, good for the heart, improves your balance and, by learning new step patterns, stimulates your brain. To paraphrase an old saying: we old dogs can (and must) learn new tricks.
Hot Dances in a Cool Ballroom
Our summer classes meet in the Vermilion Room at SaddleBrooke One at 10:00 a.m. every Thursday morning. Yes, these Latin dances are hot and the Vermilion Room is cool. A materials fee of $5 per couple per session includes weekly step summaries and a practice dance music CD. Jeanny and Wally are true instructors.
May 3, 10, 17 and 24 – Latin Club Dances, old and new, an introduction
May 3: Colombian Cumbia. This is the oldest Latin dance, originating in the 1800s, and is the ancestor of all other Latin dances. The dance steps you learn in Cumbia appear, with style changes, in other Latin (and Ballroom) dance forms.
May 10: Salsa. Our most popular fast dance which was created around 1970 in New York! Yes, we said New York. Cuban émigrés working with the local Puerto Ricans adapted Cuban dance steps to American music styles. We call Salsa “The all American Latin dance.”
May 17: Zouk (First time in SaddleBrooke). A newly popular Latin dance created less than 20 years ago on the Caribbean Islands of Martinique and Guadalupe. It is a flowing, yet moderately fast dance with many familiar steps, which has made it popular worldwide.
May 24: Kizomba (First time in SaddleBrooke), A Latin dance from Africa? Yes, from the former Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique. In less than 20 years it made its way through Portugal to Brazil and the U.S. and has become one of the world’s most popular Latin dances.
June 7, 14, 21 and 28 – Salsa Steps and Patterns
This is a fundamental Salsa Course, beginning with the basics and developing many useful and exciting dance steps. By the end of the course you will feel comfortable dancing Salsa at any dance party.
July 5, 12, 19 and 26 – Samba, Brazil’s National Dance
Samba is the most exciting (and aerobic) Latin dance that you will ever learn. Its music, styling and dance steps are unique to Samba. Our instructional approach will have you dancing and enjoying basic Samba steps after the first class.
For more information about Latin Rhythm Dance Club classes and dance parties, our popular dance instructional DVDs or membership, contact [email protected] or call 818-0604. Ask to be included on our email dance events notifications.