New Zealanders of all ages are dancing their way to health and happiness with Latin American dance classes. Jennifer Little finds out more.
Physical fitness and flexibility, and a happy spirit are the spin-offs you can expect from a salsa class with Cuban professional dancers Greydis Montero and Vivio Ramos.
The couple, aka The Cuban Groove, has been teaching and sharing the joyous energy of Cuban salsa, rumba, congo, cha cha cha, mambo, merengue, bachata and other Latin American and Afro-Cuban dance styles with New Zealanders - mostly in Auckland - for the past seven years.
"We always aim to make it fun, whether you're a beginner or more advanced, because we enjoy dancing so much ourselves. We just try to pass this feeling on to our students," says Greydis. "You see people come to class looking tired and stressed after a tough day at work. They forget about it as soon as the music starts, and they leave with a big smile."
A salsa class, whether for beginner, intermediate or advanced dancers, typically starts with a vigorous warm-up to the infectious rhythms of Afro-Cuban music.
Then comes a demonstration of new steps - usually followed by applause from students dazzled by the Cubans' fluidity, suppleness and exuberant style.
Once students have practised and mastered the new footwork, twists and turns, they incorporate these into the quintessential Cuban salsa form, rueda de casino. The rueda (meaning wheel) is a popular way to practise Cuban salsa, with couples dancing in a circle. The "leader" calls a move, which all the dancers execute simultaneously, finishing by changing partners in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.
Cuban Groove students have been rehearsing for a rueda festival in Whanganui in December.
Advanced dancers learn to combine an array of steps, body moves and "salsa styling", giving Cuban salsa its distinctive expressiveness and playful character. Other salsa styles include Los Angeles, New York, Columbian and Miami.
Salsa, says Greydis, is more than just a fun activity. It has definite health benefits - improved posture, all-over body strength and muscle tone, better co-ordination and, beyond classes, walking with more grace and confidence.
Devonport resident Tonia Malva has been coming to classes for about two years and says she enjoys the aerobic and fitness gains. "It's also nice to learn to dance and feel almost sexy," she says. Recently she has been attending the Cuban Groove's Latin fitness class with her 10-year-old son Harvey, who is a big fan too.
"I like coming to these classes because of Vivio and Greydis," says another student, Roland Young, who travels from Waterview to Devonport for salsa and to Mt Eden for Afro-Cuban class on another night. "You get a real feel for the Cuban salsa and the joy of the Cuban music. They are the real deal."
Greydis, who began dancing at age 8, and Vivo at 11, are both graduates of the prestigious National School of Arts (ENA) in Havana, and met as principal dancers and choreographers for the show Lady Salsa, which they toured globally. Their final destination was New Zealand, where an extended stay teaching salsa workshops in the South Island convinced them they could live and dance here.
Since that decision, they have not only continued performing at festivals and dance events all over the country but have turned hundreds of Kiwis into avid salseros, from youngsters to the over-50s. "There's no separation - we teach teens to older people. Sometimes the parents come with their children," says Greydis. "We are all one big family in a salsa class."
For more information on salsa visit thecubangroove.com, salsanewzealand.com
