Say it with Salsa

A lot of 
people like to watch, but most are afraid to try. This applies to many when it comes to dance — and it gets even more intense when it comes to the impossibly acrobatic salsa. It is a stream of thought Aloy Junco believes in. And he would know this better than most. A salsa dancer from the place it all began — Cuba — with rhythm flowing through his veins, Aloy has travelled the world extensively to share his love and passion for this celebrated aspect of his country’s culture. Milan, London and Sydney are just some of the places where he has taken up residence in a bid to make people aware of this Afro-Cuban ‘Rumba’. He shared some thoughts with wknd. at Blends in the Address Dubai Marina, where he hosts salsa sessions on Wednesday evenings.

Let’s go back to the beginning. What made you get into salsa?

Having grown up in Cuba, I can say that salsa is much more than a type of dance. It is embedded in our culture. I took my first steps with my older sister at the age of four. For me, there was no grand moment of realisation; this is what I always wanted to do. I attended the National School of Arts in Havana, before going on tour with the Havana Nights Dance Company.

What makes salsa so special for you?

More than any other form of dance, salsa really requires you to ‘co-ordinate’ with, rather than simply ‘move’ to a beat. It’s about more than just movement; you have to listen — really listen — to the music. In Cuba, salsa grew as a social activity thanks to its values of bringing people together. I’m sad to say that in today’s world, most people don’t seem to know their neighbour; where I come from, we live for our neighbour, and salsa is one important activitiy that knits together communities in Cuba. You drop your inhibitions. You don’t need to think. When you’re moving in flow with the beat, it’s an almost transcendent experience — like you’re hypnotised. This is the ultimate form of release, a very healthy form of expressiveness and, most importantly, everybody goes home with a smile on their face.

So salsa seems to be the real deal! What can you tell us about your particular style?

When people see me at work, they usually come over to ask exactly what I’m doing. My moves are different to what is known as the ‘LA style’ of salsa, which is better recognised in this region. Music is at the core of the Afro-Cuban style, and I use something called timba. It’s a recent genre, very Cuban in its roots. My particular style is also less ‘couples-based’, with more possibility of a group dance, something we like to call ‘casino’. Musically, a wide range of influences can be observed, with everything from Reggaetown to Blues acting as ingredients. Today’s music is mostly electronic, but salsa, in general, is almost purely instrument-driven. Another distinctive difference between the Cuban and LA styles, is that the man leads in the former, while the lady does most of the work in the latter. The Cuban style is slightly more challenging, and can get quite fast. I’m proud to say that, as of right now, I’m the only Cuban in the UAE offering salsa sessions.

Both globally and here in the UAE, what can you tell us about the popularity of salsa?

People love it! London and Milan have both become salsa-crazy, and Australia too. It is also immensely popular in the US, but more so the LA and New York styles, which have evolved in a way more suited to what people over there want. The LA style in particular has been sold very well over the last 20 years. Cuban salsa has been making great headway in Europe, the Far East and the Middle East over recent years. The past eight years have seen salsa take off in the UAE. I was honestly quite surprised by its popularity here. A lot of people love to unwind with it post-work. The Cuban style is something I want to get more people familiar with in the UAE.

Years of dancing mean that you’re obviously in fantastic shape. What sort of exercise regimen might a salsa maestro follow?

I think one of the best things about salsa is that there’s not much of a physical fitness requirement. You can follow the style best suited to you. Personally, I like to do a fair amount of stretching, gym and cardiovascular work. But more important than this is practice. The more you practise, the better prepared you’ll be. It’s also a lot more fun than the gym!

riaznaqvi@khaleejtimes.com