salsa-history-project

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I found a new love for Salsa thanks to (Salsa: History in Motion) and learned so much history.

J. Jalics

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My experience in the Salsa Unclass was unlike any class I’ve ever taken. I was hesitant to even sign up for it because I am not a dancer, I always felt very uncomfortable on stage or a dance floor. I knew I wanted to take this class for the history aspect of it though, so I reluctantly accepted the dance aspect of it too. Much to my surprise, I ended up absolutely loving it. It forced me out of my comfort zone and I discovered a new side of myself. The passion that Dr. Santos and Lenin have for salsa is palpable, and for me it was contagious. As a history major, I loved delving into the source material and tracing salsa’s roots and how wildly it spread. As a musician, I might have loved the music even more. I found myself listening to it all the time, outside of class and assignments. Mondays we danced, and Wednesdays we were in a classroom discussing material and having lectures. Either half of this class would have been a wonderful experience on its own, but having both is what made it so fantastic. It was a ton of work, but it was worth it. We were reading and writing for class, then learning and practicing dances and eventually learning a whole routine to perform at the end of the semester. Dr. Santos went above and beyond to make this class as great as it was. She brought in professionals in both dancing and the world of salsa and we all learned so much. She stayed late after class, came in on days we didn’t have class so we could have extra practice, and put in countless hours of her own time putting this course together. I would not have wanted to learn about salsa any other way, it was such a rich experience. Salsa is so much more than just dancing, learning about culture and identity was one of the most important aspects of this class. This experience was a highlight of my time in college. Getting to know everyone involved, having the social night at Salcity of Angels, the debates; I honestly loved everything about this course and I’m so glad I had this opportunity before I graduated.

M. Rose Stull

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In the fall 2019 semester, we spent 15 weeks immersing ourselves in the roots of Salsa that led to the development of the culture around Salsa as we know it today. The complex history behind Salsa is one that I would never deeply understand on my own without the analyzation of primary and secondary documents, the passionate speakers that were brought in, and the afternoons that we spent learning how to move our bodies to the different rhythms that make Salsa unique. I believe my worldview changed because I now understand the political challenges that both Cubans and Puerto Ricans faced in their own nations and throughout their migration to New York and how those challenges paralleled with the development of Salsa, allowing them to express their often suppressed human rights through these rhythms of the son, guaracha, cha cha chá, mambo, plena, and the bomba. Today, Salsa is danced all around the world and almost any country, if picked at random, would have its own history of Salsa to tell. In reference to the social impact that the class made on the students, I felt that it made campus smaller because I would run into my Salsa classmates a few times a week and we always got so excited to see each other and check on each other´s well being for a minute or two. Because of the frustrations that we all experienced from spending hours of trying to master a specific part of our performance, we all developed a special bond. In fact, one of my favorite memories of my sophomore year at The University of Akron is the night we all went to a ¨Salsa social¨ at our professor´s dance studio and we had the best time dancing and chatting with our classmates and other local dancers from the Northeast area of Ohio.

Irene K. 

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This is us: Salsa: History in Motion unclass, fall 2019

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Here is a video of the Salsa: History in Motion final salsa showcase at the University of Akron. We had so much fun!!!

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Watch a "behind the scenes" video of the Salsa: History in Motion unclass experience.

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Performance of “Aunque no tengo dinero” at the salsa social of Salcity of Angels’ Dance Studio in Bedford, December 7, 2019

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Dancing with the Cleveland salsa community at the salsa social at Salcity of Angels’ Dance studio in Bedford, December 7, 2019

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Learning to salsa, at Guzetta Hall, on Mondays afternoon. 

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University of Akron News featured our “Salsa: History in Motion” unclass in their December 5, 2019 issue. Check it out!

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Dancing with the Cleveland salsa community at the Salsa social at Salcity of Angels’ Dance studio in Bedford, December, 7 2019

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Salsa History Debate, with local salsa historian Eileen Torres and famous salsa DJ Efraín “Frankie” Flores from Cleveland, Ohio. 

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Checking the video recording of our dress rehearsal

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Irene K with Eileen Torres, after the lecture on Salsa History in Northeast Ohio. 

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Dance practice and Friendsgiving at the Salcity of Angels’ studio in Bedford, Nov. 2019

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With Eileen Torres, local salsa historian, after her lecture on “Salsa History in Lorain, Ohio”