St. John’s College

| we we |

Everybody salsa!

Students inspire salsa movement at
St. John’s College

Everybody salsa! Throughout the = Teaching people how to dance

world, that familiar refrain calls and have fun together has
up images of colour, passion, and _ been the inspiration for Kenji’s
involvement, but for both
him and Anthony, the highlight

was watching students in

pulsating music. Thanks to the
enthusiasm and efforts of College
residents Marcelo Garcia, -

Kenji Okuma, Anthony Waldron,

Rebecca Simpson and Yoko

action at a local dance club.

“The club night was a real
highlight,” enthused Anthony.
“Everybody was so psyched

Namita, the salsa movement
has taken root at UBC.

Since the start of the fall
semester, Marcelo and Kenji, with how to dance to this music. For

the help of Anthony, have many this was a personal first.”
been hosting Friday night salsa ee
The group is still laying plans
lessons where about 15 regular
. for the current semester, but
participants have been learning
Marcelo hopes to collaborate on
the basic moves and occasionally
On a new learning approach
taking their skills to the dance
to encourage more beginners.
floor of a local Latin dance club
Me Anthony would love to see the
in Vancouver. In the spirit
current group reach a standard
of St. John’s College, the atmos-
where they could give a show.
phere at the lessons fosters
fun and cross-cultural friendship. | Marcelo also has a personal
ig abies interest in the cultural origins
Participating students come
of salsa and would like to
from countries as diverse as

incorporate some elements of
China, Greece, Japan, Canada are
this into the next round of
and Turkey. Marcelo believes : se,
lessons, perhaps by inviting
that teaching the classes with
; ; students to screen a few movies
Kenji, a non-Latin salsa instruc-
or documentaries about salsa.
tor, “is proof that dance and

music can surpass cultural barri-
ers and bring people together

under the banner of diversity.”

to go to a club and actually know

spring 2003

St. John’s salseros Marcelo Garcia and

his partner, Ayuchi Goto, demonstrate the

power and appeal of salsa dancing.

All of the instructors agree
that whatever direction they take,
bringing salsa to St. John’s
College has been a great way
to get to know fellow College
residents and, as Marcelo
articulated, “to connect on a
personal level through, feeling,
movement and emotion.”
This, they concur, is what will
inspire the next generation

of St. John’s “salseros” who
they hope will continue

the movement after they leave

the College.