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DeDe Anderson, a Latin dance instructor, dances with Pablo Jimenez at Habana Hemingway on a Saturday night.
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David Newman and Tiffany Cano pair up for salsa and bachata.
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Bartender Jonathan Goddard keeps the dancers happy and hydrated.
It’s Friday night and men and women of various ages and backgrounds have gathered at the Virginia Beer Company for a free salsa dance lesson. Some are seasoned dancers, others are first-timers, but they are all here to let loose and have a little fun. They are part of Williamsburg’s latest trend.
Most of the dancers on the floor are women; on this particular night there are roughly two dozen females and only a handful of males. Dance instructor Victor Haskins starts off by reminding the ladies of the first rule of salsa for them: right foot back. The second rule, turn on five. The dancers spend a half hour learning the basic moves of salsa on their own and then with a partner before dancing the night away to a DJ.
Haskins learned to salsa shortly after graduating from college. He honed his skills with a dance instructor in Richmond before starting to provide lessons himself. Haskins was one of the first instructors to introduceWilliamsburg to salsa starting in 2017.
“There is a heavy element of improvisation to salsa dancing, which I like,” Haskins said. “I also love the music. I think it is very energetic and lively.”
Salsa dancing has long been popular internationally, particularly in Latin communities. It originated in the Caribbean and exploded in the United States in New York City in the mid-1970s. There are differing styles to salsa depending on the region. The activity has taken Williamsburg by storm in the past few years.
Virginia Beer Company offers quarterly Salsa Nights with free lessons followed by a few hours of dancing while the Triangle restaurant in downtown Williamsburg also frequently hosts salsa events. Free salsa lessons are on the calendar every Wednesday evening at the Habana Hemingway Café, a Cuban restaurant that opened recently on McLaws Circle as well as at Revolution Golf and Grill on High Street on alternating Thursdays.
“Salsa dancing is a lot of fun,” Haskins said. “It’s a great form of exercise and a great social activity. I love dancing, but I also love meeting different people. Salsa dancing is a common bond you have with other people. What is also nice about it is that it is world-wide. You can find people dancing salsa anywhere.”
Local dancers as well as dancers from Richmond and Newport News have been turning out for salsa dancing at Revolution Golf and Grill since it first started offering it a few months ago.
“It’s popular because it is something unique,” said Kevin McCauley, a manager with Revolution Golf & Grill. “Williamsburg is looking for something different to do and we are happy to provide it. Locals like it.”
Kimberly Renner salsa dances several times a week.
“Salsa is my outlet,” she said. “It’s a great stress relief. When I am on the dance floor, I am in the zone. I love the music, I love the people, and I love the cultural aspect to salsa dancing.”
Deborah “Dede” Anderson is aLatin dance instructor with Country Bootleggers Dance Studio in Yorktown who also teaches at various venues throughout the Peninsula andWilliamsburg. She’s been a dancer since the age of five and was introduced to salsa dancing during junior high school in New York City.
“From that point on, I was hooked,” she said. “It’s become such an amazing surprise that there is so much salsa here in Williamsburg.”
Anderson, who salsas at least four times a week, can be found onWednesday nights giving the free salsa lessons at Habana Hemingway Café.
“I like a lot of dances but with salsaI feel like I can get lost in it,” saidAnderson. “It’s very freeing. There isno feeling like it. I also like the interaction you have with your partner when you are salsa dancing. I like the sexiness to it.”
The number of dancers who come out each week to Habana HemingwayCafé varies as well as their ages, though Anderson does tend to see a lot of regulars as well.
“There is such a variety of people who like to salsa,” Anderson said. “The other night, I had a couple who were in their 80s who came to dance as well as some families who brought their kids because they wanted their kids to learn to salsa.”
Some take to salsa immediately while others are timid.
“Salsa allows you to let your guard down and express yourself,” Anderson said. “That can be hard for some people. But once you try it, you see that it is a lot of fun.”
Anyone can give it a try. Lessons may be a good way to get the hang of it, but Haskins feels that the only way to truly appreciate salsa dancing is through experience.
“You can’t just take lessons,” he said. “You have to apply it. Go out dancing, and go out dancing with different people. Immerse yourself in the music.”
Renner agrees.
“Just be open and go with it,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone in the salsa dance community is so welcoming. It’s like family. I really believe that if the world just did a little bit more dancing, it would be a more peaceful, happier world.”
That seems like reason enough to put on your dancing shoes and give salsa a try.
Brandy took a free salsa lesson by Victor Haskins at Virginia Beer Company only to discover that yes, indeed, she has two left feet.
