Have You Tried Salsa Dancing?

Arizona Daily Star Tucson, Arizona
Published: 03.09.2006

Salsa dancing is for everyone; it is music for the soul, says instructor Bruce Montoya. "It's another form of inspiration … spiritually, mentally and physically," says Montoya, who teaches a salsa dancing adult- enrichment class offered by Catalina Foothills Community Schools at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive. The class takes place in the cheerleading room of the gym, a location far removed from a romantic Latin nightclub.

Montoya and fellow teacher Summer Sando are professionals, though; they also teach with Salsa Soulseros, a group of dance instructors that teaches all over Tucson. "The students are so confused at first, then they get it and they are so proud of themselves," Montoya said. "They see that they are creating art when they dance."

The four-week class is designed to help guide beginners through the basics of the dance. Many students discover Montoya is correct when he says, "The music is just wonderful; you hear the music and your feet start moving." And it doesn't take long for the couples to start moving together to the Latin rhythms. "It's so unifying, with everyone," Sando says.

For more information about classes offered by Catalina Foothills Community Schools, call 577-5304 or visit the www.cfsd.k12.az.us/community schools/adult Web site.