Meet Sheena Larsen, who'll show you a thing or three about Salsa on July 7

A warm evening, a cool drink, friends and family, great music... you know it's really summertime here at Waterside with the arrival of the popular Music Under the Stars festival, a series of free concerts held right here on the Plaza. This year Waterside's Music Under the Stars festival begins on Wednesday, July 7, at 6:00, with FREE Salsa lessons, courtesy of the very friendly, easy-on-the-eyes, and extremely talented Sheena Larsen and Cesar Carrasco. 

Sheena and Cesar welcome anyone and everyone--whether you have experience or not... whether you have a partner or not--to come on out to the Plaza as they lead a group lesson in that most passionate of all traditional Latin dances, the Salsa. The lesson, which is free and open to the public, starts at 6:00 and runs until about 6:45. Then the Gregorio Uribe Big Band take the stage for a 16-piece celebration of Latin music, with Sheena and Cesar performing one of their amazing routines during intermission. All in all, it promises to be a hot night of music, dancing, and family fun on the Plaza. 

But before she mesmerizes us on the dance floor, Sheena was nice enough to answer a few of our questions about her life, her passions, and her Step Into Salsa school. For more information about the Step Into Salsa school, please see their website, here. And now... Sheena:   

1. How long have you and Cesar been dancing together? Did you meet on the dance floor?

Cesar and I met at a Salsa Social the very first week I moved to NYC just over 2 years ago. We did a few shows here and there together just as little side jobs while we were both working at other jobs. Both of our jobs ended up not working out for one reason or another and we decided to take the plunge and open our own dance school Step Into Salsa in January 2010. Haven't looked back since.

2. What is it about salsa that inspires such passion within you? Why not, say... tango, or the waltz, or other ballroom dances?

Salsa music has so much soul in it, I just can't help but move when I hear it. There is so much going on in Salsa music--lots of different instruments playing at once--that it can be tricky to hear the beat in the music if you are just starting out. But once you are able to understand and hear the basic rhythm that we use in Salsa dancing, you can start to mix it up and become really musical in your dancing by using the different rhythms of the different instruments. Salsa dancing is fun to begin with, but it is an amazing feeling when you do a move in perfect sync with the music--a natural high. 

3. We're Latin music rookies. Any suggestions for songs or albums--basic, classic cuts--that we could download to get us started?

There are so many talented artists and musicians, it's hard to narrow it down. A few of my favorite songs when I first started dancing Salsa were Lloraras by Oscar D'Leon; Conciencia and Perdoname and Amor Mio No Te Vayas by Gilberto Santa Rosa. 

More recently, I am enjoying a lot of the older Salsa music from the 60's and 70's by artists such as Eddie Palmieri, Cachao, Cheo Feliciano, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Joe Cuba, and Eddie Palmieri, just to name a few. 

If you are a beginner and want some slower songs to start dancing to, check out the playlist on our homepage at StepIntoSalsa.com. 

4. We love to dance, but, frankly, get a little shy sometimes in public... especially doing something tricky like salsa. Any tips for overcoming our fear? You won't embarrass us on the 7th, right?

Only slightly. ;) Just kidding. Of course not! The most important thing to remember is that if we aren't enjoying what we are doing, then why are we doing it?? Too often, we lose sight of that. 

Thanks Sheena. See you in two weeks (remember: Wednesday, July 7, at 6:00), on the Plaza!   

Posted at 09:52PM Jun 22, 2010 by Scott in United Nations  |