Latin Dance encompasses many types and styles of dance. The Latin Dance Society provides a window into the art of Latin dance. The organization is hosting Salsa Invasion, an event that provides the public with the opportunity to learn Latin dance styles and watch professionals perform, this weekend.
Salsa Invasion will be held Friday night at 8 p.m. and all day Saturday. Groups from various universities will be in attendance to perform, and eight professional groups will perform and teach workshops. There will also be social hours where those in attendance can practice their skills and dance with new partners.
“With Latin dancing you learn a basic eight or 10 counts,” Bedford freshman Sandra Miriam said. “And once you learn those basics, you can essentially dance most of the Latin dances.”
Miriam joined the Latin Dance Society last semester and credits the group to her advanced experience in a variety of styles. She will perform a bachata dance at the event this weekend.
The event is an emulation of the Houston Salsa Fest, Riverside, Calif., sophomore Asia Suarez said. The goal is to provide new learning opportunities for those interested in experiencing Latin dance while also having a variety of performances for entertainment, Suarez said.
“My grandfather is from Puerto Rico, so Latin dancing is about getting back into my heritage,” Suarez said. “And also it is a skill a lot of people don’t have. I think it is cool to say that I know how to salsa, bachata and merengue.”
Salsa Invasion workshops will be held at Marrs McLean Gym, and performances will be in Waco Hall. A full schedule is posted on the Baylor Latin Society Facebook page. A student pass for the weekend is $25, and a non-student pass is $50. Tickets will be sold at the door on the day of the event.
“The whole event is not only to showcase different performance teams and the professionals invited, but also to teach people about different dances,“ Miriam said. “And I’m still no expert, but I didn’t know half of these dances existed; Latin dance society opened my mind to how many dances there actually are.”
