{"id":11843,"date":"2025-10-20T05:45:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T05:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/11843\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T05:45:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T05:45:11","slug":"stepping-into-the-salsa-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/11843\/","title":{"rendered":"Stepping Into the Salsa Scene"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Anthony Tineo, owner of Kumo Dance, teaches Susana Arce some salsa moves during a class in Naples. -ANDREA STETSON \/ COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

Alexandra Welsch moved to Cape Coral from Germany last year. Tiffany Thompson is Jamaican. Deverick Martin is retired while Kensie Robinson is barely out of her teens. \u00a0Iqra Radecki covers her head and neck with a colorful scarf, while Devi Rosado\u2019s blond hair hangs down her back. Erick Trippett\u2019s skin is dark. Anthony Larkin\u2019s is pale. They come from different cultures, religions and customs, but they all get together to salsa dance.\n<\/p>\n

People might think of salsa dancing as something for Latinos. But all around Southwest Florida and across the state in West Palm Beach County, those on the dance floor are proving that isn\u2019t true.\n<\/p>\n

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People came from all over Southwest Florida to enjoy a salsa social in Bonita Springs. There is one a month in Bonita and one a month in Cape Coral. -ANDREA STETSON \/ COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the greatest part of it,\u201d said Agnely Rivero of Lake Worth in West Palm Beach County. \u201cIt brings such a community together from different cultures. \u201cWe have people from Croatia, Russia, Spain, Haiti. We have people from all different cultures that you never thought would get into it. This is what I love the most. Everybody wants to learn from different countries, different backgrounds, different religions. You have Jewish people, Muslim people. It doesn\u2019t matter what your religion is or background. It fills my heart to see all these people together.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

They enjoy it in studios where they take lessons. Then they enjoy the salsa socials that run late into the night.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are creating a safe space for people to go and just dance,\u201d said Tiffany Thompson, of West Palm Beach County. \u201cIt is so different from a club where people are just trying to pick you up and it might not be safe.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The participants have a long list of reasons why they love putting on their dance shoes and moving to the fast beat of salsa music.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very trendy,\u201d said Susana Arce of Collier County. \u201cIt is getting out of the usual routine. It\u2019s creative.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the music a lot,\u201d added her husband Camilo Valles.\n<\/p>\n

Anthony Tineo, owner of Kumo Dance, teaches salsa in Naples, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral and Fort Myers. He holds monthly salsa socials in Bonita Springs and Cape Coral.\n<\/p>\n

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Once a month Anthony Tineo, owner of Kumo Dance, holds a salsa social in Bonita Springs and once a month he has one in Cape Coral. During a recent social Larry Leggett danced with Lucero Carvajal. -ANDREA STETSON \/ COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just get together as a community,\u201d said Tineo. \u201cI began creating it back in 2012 as an environment that is safer than clubs. In clubs, people are typically going to drink and hook up. This is more of an environment where people want to dance, and it is not clicky. It is ok to come on your own without a partner. It is a great place to meet people.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The monthly socials are held at Dancelife in Bonita Springs and Rhythm in Motion in Cape Coral. Next month, the salsa socials will be Nov 1 in Cape Coral and Nov 8 in Bonita Springs. There will also be a special salsa social fundraiser for the Gulf Coast Humane Society on Nov 14 in Cape Coral.\n<\/p>\n

Salsa is a melting pot of dances. It takes moves from dances in the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, Asia and South America.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSalsa is a fusion dance,\u201d Tineo said. \u201cThe music spoke to me. The music has a lot of culture and a lot of substance to it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not an easy type of dance to learn. Tineo said some of the steps are complicated, but with practice his clients are quickly learning. He also teaches merengue which is similar to salsa, but a bit easier. Tineo said there are two types of salsa dancers: those that take lessons and want to learn new techniques and improve and those that just go to the socials to have fun. He said both are accepted in the salsa culture.\n<\/p>\n

At a recent salsa social in Bonita Springs dancers moved about the floor constantly switching partners as they swept their feet in intricate steps while doing moves such as inside and outside turns, spins, arm spirals, cross body leads and more.\n<\/p>\n

Deverick Martin started salsa dancing in 2017 when he moved to Southwest Florida.\n<\/p>\n

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Deverick Martin dances with Alexandra Welsch at a salsa social in Bonita Springs. -ANDREA STETSON \/ COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

\u201cI had the energy and flexibility, but I didn\u2019t know much about music,\u201d Martin began. \u201cWhen you do exercise programs it is like \u2018monkey see monkey do\u2019 and you don\u2019t think as much; it is very predictable This is a whole different world. You have to really pay attention to the music. You have to adjust to the skill level of your partner. I like to dance with everybody. My personal goal is to make sure the lady has a good time.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Martin said he likes the music and the culture.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSalsa so popular around the world,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has music from Africa and Latin America and Europe and Asia, and it is all mixed together and so there is something for everybody.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Devi Rosado has an entirely different reason for salsa dancing. She began seven years ago.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes us feel sexy,\u201d she said as she headed to the dance floor in Bonita Springs. \u201cIt makes us feel good. It makes us shine.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Erick Trippett started salsa dancing a year and a half ago right after he retired.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured I had to do something,\u201d he explained. \u201cA lot of people when they retire, don\u2019t know what to do with themselves. This gives me structure.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Anthony Larkin went to his first salsa event last week.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my mom\u2019s hobby so I came with her,\u201d he said. \u201cI will probably come back and take some classes.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

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Iqra Radecki (right) practices some new spin moves during a salsa social in Bonita Springs. -ANDREA STETSON \/ COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

Iqra Radecki has only been learning salsa for two months, but is quickly improving with lessons and her nights at the socials.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is part of my culture,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is connecting with my family.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

When Alexandra Welsch moved to Cape Coral from Germany last year, she was looking for a fun way to meet people.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI found friends here,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s fun meeting all these people.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Salsa dancing is also becoming more popular in Charlotte County. Becky Magnuson teaches classes at the Cypress Lodge in Babcock through Parks and Recreation. More than 20 people are currently taking her classes.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are seeing now that more men are attending the class,\u201d Magnuson said. \u201cThey have more support now. I want to get rid of the social anxiety. We are there to have fun. You do not need to bring a partner to the classes because we rotate every minute or two, so everyone dances with everyone.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Magnuson plans to organize some group trips to clubs for salsa dancing. She enjoys the salsa nights on the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center rooftop in downtown Fort Myers.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an experience to go to that,\u201d Magnuson said. \u201cI like to go and dance with different people.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Magnuson enjoys seeing the variety of people there.\n<\/p>\n

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During a salsa social in Bonita Springs, dancers of all ages enjoyed the music, the companionship and the dancing. -ANDREA STETSON \/ COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople dance for different reasons,\u201d she began. \u201cSome to get a mate, some to get away from their partner. Dancing is such an outlet. You don\u2019t think about stress. You don\u2019t think about how you have to weed the garden. You don\u2019t think about money problems. Plus, you get exercise. Plus, you get to get dressed up. It is for all ages. I have people that are 19 years old. I have a student who is a retired doctor, and he is close to 90.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Laura Sobotka enjoys taking salsa lessons as part of a variety of dances taught at the Visual Arts Center in Charlotte County.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love it,\u201d she exclaimed. \u201cIt is so natural and happy. It is a great dance. There is no judgement. It is for everybody.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Tasha Rodriguez, owner of Rhythms Dance Studio in West Palm, not only teaches salsa to adults, she teaches children too. Her students are as young as six years old.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is part of all of our cultures, and this keeps that culture alive,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cI love when I see a person that is not of Latin ethnic. It is like they have embraced something about us that they don\u2019t have to. I love seeing other cultures doing the dance.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Rodriguez not only teaches salsa, she runs socials and leads workshops.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople just like to get dressed up and dance. It is really nice,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

Her students love this.\n<\/p>\n

Agnely Rivero, who has been salsa dancing for seven years, says there are about 200 people at the salsa socials that she attends.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brings so many people together,\u201d she said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter where you are from. You just do it together.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I love about salsa dancing is I find myself in a perfect community,\u201d added Jose Pena who stared salsa dancing in May. \u201cI find myself doing a hobby that I want to improve on. I find myself doing something I look forward to. I definitely found happiness. I don\u2019t think I have met a better community than the salsa community.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Anthony Tineo, owner of Kumo Dance, (in the pink shirt) teaches salsa lessons in Naples, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral and Fort Myers. -ANDREA STETSON \/ COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

Pena also commented on how he loves the variety of people salsa dancing.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI see a lot of diversity,\u201d Pena described. \u201cThere is so much to learn about different cultures and different perspectives.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Tiffany Thompson has been doing salsa for nine years.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSalsa is very fast paced and very energetic,\u201d she began. \u201cIt is great exercise, a great workout. The thing I love about it the most is the community.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Thompson said salsa is great for networking.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI travel in the states and abroad and I have made so many friends,\u201d she described. \u201cI met so many people that I would never know if I didn\u2019t dance. It opens up a lot of doors for you from a professional standpoint. You meet a lot of doctors, engineers; I have made so many different connections. You name it, the dance community has it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Not only do these dancers see people from different cultures in their hometowns, they get to explore the cultures when traveling. Tineo recently returned from Japan where he got to salsa dance in several locations there. Thompson has also seen the benefits.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been to Spain, Mexico, Portugal. I don\u2019t speak the language, but because we all speak dance, I am able to create bonds with those people,\u201d she explained. \u201cI think it is just an avenue to expand your horizons and learn something new. I love it, and I make it part of my life now. It has definitely changed my life. There is so much going on now. There is so much division in the world. Here, we respect each other\u2019s point of view, and we all get along, and we are united in music.\u201d\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anthony Tineo, owner of Kumo Dance, teaches Susana Arce some salsa moves during a class in Naples. -ANDREA…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11844,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-11843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}