Lydia Kline, left, dances with Henry Melville to the music of Salsa Borealis during last year's eighth annual Hot Salsa Cool Ballroom event at Centennial Hall.
Story last updated at 2/4/2010 - 11:27 am
Picture this: You push through Taku winds from your car to the doorway of Centennial Hall. You peel off jackets, scarves, gloves, layers of fleece, wool and rubber to the sounds of salsa music. You glance to the dance floor and see lithe dancers moving in gorgeous time and step-step-twirling their way around you. You want to join them. You want to leave your Juneau reality for this moment of warmth, but you can't distinguish bachata from banda.
Don't get your pantalones in a bunch: Juneau boasts a thriving salsa scene and this weekend, Hot Salsa Cool Ballroom welcomes newbies to the dance form as well as aficionados.
The mid-winter dance fest started almost a decade ago when organizers realized people wanted a chance for Latin dance and Juneau had a dearth of opportunities. Dancers who had learned fancy footwork in other cities complained they couldn't find a place to practice their form; beginners intrigued with Latin dance sought a place to learn. Hot Salsa Cool Ballroom was born.
What started off as basic salsa in Juneau has given birth to uniquely Alaska versions of some of the form's most exciting styles. They include Bachata, a dance with an easy to learn four-step beat, whose roots can be traced to the Dominican Republic; Banda, which heralds from Mexico, and Cuban "Son," which some musicologists believe is the original form of salsa. Its elegant-to- watch moves reveal both European and African influences.
Just about anybody can learn to spin, tap and slide salsa and that shows in Juneau's diverse Latin dance scene. This is not a break tables, smash glasses kind of thing. Hot Salsa Cool Ballroom and other salsa dances in Juneau are places to socialize, mingle and make friends. Attendees at salsa events include attractive, well-coiffed 20-to-30-somethings, as well as attractive, well-coiffed 60- to 70-year-olds. It's a safe, welcoming scene and the capital city's high school students, some of whom are now learning salsa in school, also show up for events.
Some dancers come prepared for a workout in T-shirts and sweats (salsa is, after all, a high energy endeavor); others come in dresses and strapping heels.
Last year proved the most popular Hot Salsa Cool Ballroom ever, when almost 600 dancers showed up to swirl to the sounds of Juneau's Salsa Borealis. The dance, which is a fundraiser for Montessori education in Juneau, is organized like a social, open to the public, and populated with amateur and more experienced dancers and willing partners. Novices who want to learn often gravitate to the more experienced dancers. That's because one great way to learn salsa is to dance with partners who know more steps than you do.
This Saturday's gala features two bands. Salsa Borealis, which will welcome back long-time Juneau musician Albert McDonnell as a guest artist for the event, has been playing Hot Salsa Cool Ballroom since it debuted in 2001. The band will release a new CD at the event. Thunder Mountain Big Band will also play the bash. Bands play until midnight.
Hot Salsa Cool Ballroom takes place on February 6 in Centennial Hall and dancing starts at 7:30 p.m. with short lessons in some of the genre's easiest to learn styles. Instructors and experts will also demonstrate more complicated turns, combinations and transitions for those who want to practice more advanced moves. If you come, you're not going to end up humming the songs. You're going to end up dancing them.
The event raises funds to support the Juneau Montessori School, which serves children ages 18 months through kindergarten. This year the school celebrates 25 years of educating young children.
A Latin-style buffet dinner will start at 5:30 p.m. featuring halibut and beef tacos and chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice and beans. Diners will enjoy performances by aficionados in rueda, merengue and swing.
Dinner/dance combination tickets have to be purchased in advance. Dance-only tickets are available both in advance and at the door. Tickets are available at Hearthside Books, from any Juneau Montessori parent or by calling the school at 364-3535.
