An upbeat setting to give salsa dancing a whirl

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010 | 2 a.m.

Quint Rahaman moves his feet a few steps forward, then a few steps backward to the beat of the salsa music coming from the dance studio speakers.

He grabs the hand of a long-legged woman in his Tuesday salsa class at Dance Charisma on Jones Boulevard and Twain Avenue, and the two begin dancing in unison on the hardwood floor.

The duo are working to master distinct hip movements and break steps that are staples of salsa dancing.

Rahaman, a 44-year-old who works in corporate finance, started taking salsa lessons last summer to help overcome his shyness.

Judging by his smile and ease as he rotates between partners, his shyness doesn’t carry over to the dance floor.

“I wasn’t as comfortable as I should have been in front of a large group of people,” he said. “This gave me an opportunity to perform in front of people in a no-pressure environment.”

Rahaman is among 35 who take weekly salsa lessons at the studio. The 45-minute sessions are broken into beginning, intermediate and advanced.

The participants enrolled for different reasons.

Some seek fitness benefits (one dancer lost 30 pounds), others want to perform the dance in a club or at a party, and others are eager to make friends.

Dance Charisma also offers lessons in styles such as bolero, Argentine tango, international fox trot, cha-cha and samba. But Tuesday night salsa dancing attracts the biggest and most diverse crowd. Patrons pay $12 a class or $49.95 a month for the more than 60 regularly scheduled classes.

Dancers range in age from early 20s to mid-50s — a class for children is later in the week. Some wear dancing shoes and attire; others come in jeans and tennis shoes.

Studio Director Nancy Nies said television shows such as “Dancing with the Stars” have helped popularize many forms of dance. She said part of salsa’s popularity comes from the music’s distinct beat.

“The stereotype of a guy with a thin mustache taking out a rich woman (dancing) no longer exists,” said Nies, who has operated the facility for 17 years. “Now people understand this is for all walks of life.”

Salsa dancing originated in Latin America — Colombia, Cuba and Puerto Rico — and is mostly a partner dance. There is a certain way to move your feet, turn your body and position your arms — something easier said than done for beginners.

Some struggle, but the group is more than accommodating to novices. Also, the studio’s instructors are certified through DVIDA, whose licensing process includes a test on nuances in footwork and other techniques.

“I like salsa very much. It’s actually real easy to learn,” said Eugenia Shevchenko, 54.

A group of 10 dancers assembles four to five nights a week to practice a more advanced salsa rueda, or group dance. They will compete Aug. 19-22 in the Nevada Star Ball Dancesport Championships at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino. More than 5,000 dancers are expected to participate.

The group’s routine is strictly planned with each step and turn choreographed. The practice is more vigorous than the beginner course, with plenty of constructive criticism from the instructor and a sense of urgency to master the steps. Each dancer frequently glances toward a big mirror in the middle of the room to monitor progress.

At one point, the instructor asks the female dancers to close their eyes, allowing for their male partners to lead them around the floor in an exercise designed to build trust.

Although their sessions are more intense, the dancers say they are involved in the activity for the same reasons as the beginners: a fun after-work social.

“This is completely different from what I do with the rest of my life,” said Deana Nickerson, a 36-year-old civilian analyst for the Air Force who is part of the team. “It’s a nice break.”

Part of the fun includes a Friday night social.

The studio hosts a two-hour dance party starting at 8:15 p.m., when students can show off what they learned earlier in the week. It’s when people like Rahaman can take center stage.

“If you are here for that, one of the things you learn is that women clearly tend to gravitate to the best dancer,” he said.