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General News: Move to the Beat of Latin Music
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| Maia Martinez dances a salsa with an unidentified partner. |
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| Maia Martinez stresses that salsa is a playful dance form. |
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| People can dance for hours at the Latin American Festivals in the area. |
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| Zumba incorporates salsa and other Latin beats in a popular exercise program. |
February 22, 2012
By Gabrielle Grilli
Have you ever caught yourself softly shaking your shoulders as you push your grocery cart down the aisle or tapping your toes while you wait in line for coffee?
If so, you can join a steady stream of people in Orange County who are finding ways to express their urge to dance in studios and at concerts where the Latin beat, especially salsa, reigns supreme.
Latin American Festivals Popular Throughout the Area
A big draw for salsa dancers are the Latin American Festivals in Middletown, Kingston, and Poughkeepsie organized by R&M Promotions, the Hudson Valley’s only Latino-owned entertainment company. You can go once the weather warms up, but be prepared to dance.
Eddie Ramirez, the company’s founder and a former dance instructor, said, “Listen to the music. I can teach you the moves, but the music has to come from the heart. It comes from inside of you. Once you let the rhythm in, the body takes over. Your body reacts to it.” Ramirez recommends that beginners simply attend a local dance and get on the floor.
“They’re non-dancers when they walk in, but they’re dancers when they leave. I guarantee you that three or four people will rush right over to them and start to teach them how to move,” he said.
You can feel good about busting a move at one of R&M’s events, since many of the festivals raise funds for the Hudson Valley Latino High School Scholarship, which Ramirez started in 1999.
Salsa and Tango Classes in New Windsor
For those looking for a traditional lesson in basic steps, Strictly Ballroom in New Windsor offers salsa and tango classes with Maia Martinez, who gives lessons for a few months at a time. Martinez frequently returns to her native Patagonia, Argentina to refine her choreography.
“There is no dance without music. Music makes us create, improvise; when we dance we connect with the music first, and then with our partners or audience. Thus, the creation of the dance followed the creation of the music,” Martinez said. Martinez started teaching in Beacon, New Windsor and Newburgh when she arrived in America at age 16.
According to Martinez, salsa is essentially a “fusion of rhythm,” grown from the mambos of Africa, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, mixed with a splash of rumba and jazz.
“Salsa is an alive and playful dance, we have flexible codes, no rules, so it is open to innovation and creativity,” said Martinez. “Salsa can be danced in various styles by accenting different beats in the music, so different countries or regions may have different styles of salsa dancing.” Martinez notes that some of the most well-known forms of salsa include New York, Los Angeles, Cuban, and Colombian.
Martinez has lately focused on beginner classes and ladies’ workshops, which she will be extending to Café Rosendale in the coming months.
Zumba Brings the Latin Beat to Staying Fit
Salsa has found its way not only into the hearts of locals, but into the gyms as well. Zumba, the incredibly popular dance fitness program, has popped up in YMCA’s, local dance studios, and video game systems all over.
“To teach a Zumba class, you need to always include salsa, merengue, reggaeton, and cumbia,” said Eileen Bastien, Orange County’s first Zumba instructor. By Bastien’s count, there are now about 300 instructors in Orange County.
“Zumba is a highly-accessible way for people to discover Latin American dance, as well as other rhythms,” Bastien said. “It’s not pigeonholing itself in one format. It continues to adapt and to embrace more international dance rhythms. It will continue to appeal to different populations.” Bastien teaches at many places, including the Railroad Playhouse.
Martinez is hopeful about salsa’s mainstream appeal. “Remember, you may like one more than other but there is not one right or wrong way to dance salsa.”
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