City has various places for people to move to the Latin beat

Picture this: Latin American beats in the background, strappy high heels and twisting and…Picture this: Latin American beats in the background, strappy high heels and twisting and turning bodies moving to the rhythm of the syncretic combinations of folkloric music.

This is salsa.

Salsa dancing is an intense and exhilarating way to spend an evening out, and in Pittsburgh, it’s available any night of the week. The salsa community in Pittsburgh welcomes both those with two left feet and those who have been dancing for years.

In the last 10 years, Loyal Martinez, an independent dance instructor in Pittsburgh, has seen the city’s salsa dance community explode. Martinez began his involvement with salsa dance in 1999 and now teaches classes throughout the week at a few of the many salsa events found here. Based out of Absolute Ballroom, a dance center located in the East End, Martinez not only teaches, but also attends many of the other salsa dance socials during the week.

“We have a night called Absolute Salsa,” Martinez said, referring to the Sunday night class at Absolute Ballroom. “Sunday night is targeted toward dancers that want to learn and want to practice — and, of course, have a good time, too.”

Today’s widely popularized form of salsa music is derived from Cuba. A blend of African beats and Spanish guitar have developed into various forms of music, one of which grew to include this lively form of dance.

Salsa has people moving their waist and hips on top of their quickly moving feet. Dancers turn and perform difficult tricks, making the dance not the most simple of hobbies.

Heidi Pullen, Martinez’s dance partner, decided to take up salsa in Pittsburgh after first taking a salsa class while studying abroad in Spain.

“It was a way for me to get out and practice my Spanish with the locals,” Pullen said. Since moving back to the U.S., she’s found a place to take lessons and has now been dancing for five and a half years.

She and Martinez agree that the salsa community becomes like a family for many people, keeping them enraptured with the dance.

“It’s not like a big sea of people that go. It’s usually the same crowd, and you become friends with these people. Everyone embraces you and wants every new person to learn and enjoy it. There’s like a salsa family, and when you keep going out and that salsa family takes you in, it’s just like a different lifestyle,” Martinez said.

He and Pullen met at Mexico City, a bar and restaurant located Downtown. This venue hosts salsa nights every Wednesday and Saturday.

“Mexico City attracts a lot of beginners and gets them into it,” Pullen said. “It is the big salsa party place that everyone goes to have a good time.”

Anne Neuhaus, who has been a dancer for most of her life, discovered salsa this past year after a friend invited her to Mexico City. The venue has become her favorite place.

“I love the people there. It’s like a family,” Neuhaus said.

Salsa is a way to get out and make new friends while learning about a new culture and having fun while working out. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to get involved in salsa.

Sunday night salsa at Absolute Ballroom starts with an advanced class followed by beginner and intermediate lessons. After receiving instructions, dancers are set free for a dance social to mingle and practice their moves.

While Absolute Ballroom seems to be a place to practice precision, there are other options for those just wanting to get their toes wet.

Monday salsa nights can be found Downtown at Seviche, Tuesdays at the Pittsburgh Dance Center in Bloomfield and Thursdays at Bossa Nova, also located Downtown.

According to Martinez, Thursday at Bossa Nova is probably one of the biggest salsa events of the week due to the number of people that attend consistently. He teaches a class there with an open floor for dancing afterward. Events like these offer dancers different forms of salsa.

“As an instructor, I think it is important to know all styles in case you come across a student who wants to learn all of these different styles that came about. Everything needs to be embraced and I don’t believe that one is better than the other,” Martinez said. “It’s all about what you enjoy.”

But those who are starting with no prior experience shouldn’t be afraid.

“Even if they are off a little bit, so what? It’s all about having a smile on your face and making the person that you are dancing with happy — and enjoying it,” Martinez said. “When you hear that rhythm and the music is playing, it kind of moves you. And once it moves one person, it kind of moves the whole crowd.”

On a tight college budget, salsa is financially practical. While many other activities and workout classes cost more than a college student can afford, these salsa lessons are typically free. Mexico City has a $5 cover, but after a first lesson or dance social, it will be clear that the workout provided by salsa dancing is quite worth the small price.

“Everyone can learn. People can say they have two left feet or no rhythm. I’ve seen it and heard it all, and before you know it they are dancing up a storm,” Martinez said. “It’s a dance that anyone can pick up and learn with the right amount of time.”