Miami Beach Salsa Fest Plus

Dance may not save us from the wildfires, floods, or winds, but if we are going to seek relief as we respond to a new normal, a little movement cannot hurt.

Summer heat, despite copious sunshine in between the storms, mightily stresses our wellbeing despite all the good things going on that distract us – Miami Spice, the Marlins, all things Messi, etc. That said, autumn is around the corner.

Until then, since Miami is one of the globe’s dancing centers, on Saturday September 16th at 6 p.m., the Miami Beach Salsa Fest will take place at the Miami Beach Bandshell. You can RSVP if you like, but it is free.

The Bandshell is an iconic example of MiMo (mid-century Miami Modern) architecture, in the heart of the MiMo Historic District in the city’s North Beach neighborhood. Managed by the RHYTHM FOUNDATION for the City of Miami Beach since 2015, the open-air space hosts more than 100 events each season. Visitors can experience music, arts and culture year-round, with a diverse mix of genres. The genre this time, salsa, is deeply worshiped here.

There are far too many groups and places to note here, but I heard about this through the wonderful Salsa Cooperative, a not-for-profit group dedicated to spreading salsa love throughout South Florida. They are a sponsor of this event and the creators of a first monthly outdoor meet-up in Coral Gables on Giralda Plaza. They used to call themselves Ninjas for silently appearing, but things change. They also provide a handy weekly dance-fix schedule on their Facebook page, where I am hoping they will include my playlists for the common cause.

SalsaCraze on the campus of the U has offered dance lessons for years. Cuban salsa is danced in pairs, but a “rueda de casino” is what SalsaCraze teaches. They teach beginners from a syllabus they rigidly follow, and intermediates from the same syllabus which they never follow.

SalsaCraze is VERY popular, VERY crowded, VERY hot, and VERY affordable.

The rueda de casino was popularized in clubs or recreational societies, which had large dance floors with enough space for dancers. One of the most popular of them was the Casino Deportivo (Sports Casino Club), so the dancers went from “let’s dance in a circle” to “let’s dance like in the Casino” and then to “let’s dance a rueda de casino.” Step by step, dancing in a circle became more complex and addictive.

If you are interested in dancing, Casino D’Primera, located in South Miami, offers rueda classes Tuesday evenings. Miami Baila Dance Studio teaches a variety of styles from Monday through Friday in East Little Havana, including salsa on 1, salsa on 2, casino, bachata, and zouk. Other schools include Salsa Kings, which has been operating in West Miami for years, Salsa Lovers near FIU since 1994, and Liquid Silver Salsa also in West Miami. If you prefer private salsa lessons, Dance Awakening in Brickell offers them, or classes in Bachata, Zouk, or zumba.

Finally, if lessons and classes are not your thing, Calle Ocho’s Ball & Chain, CubaOcho, and Casa Tiki are waiting for you.

Dancing isn’t everything, though salseros may act like it is, but it’s way better than worrying.

 

 

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