Diversity on the Dance Floor
If there is one thing that we all have in common, it is that we are unique. Each of us has our own essence; a personality, preferences, strengths, weaknesses, qualities and faults. Each person weaves his own tapestry throughout their lives based on experience which define us. It is art. And it is inspiring. When I walk into a dance class, I am warmly greeted by people from various walks of life, and all kinds of cultural backgrounds. There are singles, married people, young and old, all at different stages of their life. We all bring our own story to the dance floor, and when we come together, it is poetry in motion. It doesn’t matter how well you can dance- just that you want to try. In reflecting on this, it seems only natural that salsa would inspire such a melting pot. First things first. What is a melting pot, you ask? According to Wikipedia, it is “a pot in which metals or other materials are melted and mixed.” Or, “a place where different peoples, styles, theories, etc., are mixed together "a melting pot of disparate rhythms and cultures". Salsa gets its roots from beautiful and complex Cuba, and it is a well-known fact that Canadians have a crush on Cuba. But it goes even deeper than that. The essence of salsa was brought together byimmigrants who went to Latin America either searching for a better life or against their will (African slaves). The influences of Danzón, the dance of French and Haitian immigrants, orRumba from the African slaves, and the Són of the Cuban people, blended with troubadour music (mostly Flamenco) of the Spanish people as well as various musical instruments of Africa. [...]
