Salsa buffs make record with 47 pairs<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Forty-seven pairs of salsa enthusiasts moved their feet and
\nswiveled their hips in a square rueda (Spanish for wheel), around
\na basketball court in Bung Karno sports complex in Senayan, South
\nJakarta, on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The dancers performed the rueda de casino, a group dance, with
\npairs in a circle following simple salsa steps, from Cuba --
\nsalsa's country of origin, where no party is complete without a
\nrueda.<\/p>\n
\"Whenever people get together the dance. Even when they walk
\ndown the street,\" said dance director Rodolfo Salas.<\/p>\n
\"It's a great way to make new friends, as you don't need to
\nknow a person to pair with them,\" added the 29-year-old Cuban.<\/p>\n
Salsa hit Indonesia a few years back with the growing
\npopularity of Latin American singers, such as Marc Anthony and
\nJennifer Lopez -- the latter is famed for her sexy moves.<\/p>\n
\"I wanted to learn salsa because I like the songs,\" said Wita
\nAriani, a salsa fan. \"It's a good hobby too. It makes you stay
\nyoung,\" said the woman, who claimed to be 37 years old but looked
\nlike she was in her early 30s.<\/p>\n
Over the years, salsa fever has infected mid-and-upper-class
\nsociety -- and looks to be here to stay. At least 180 salsa fans
\nall over Indonesia are members of a salsa community.<\/p>\n
\"We invited members of the community to take part in our
\nattempt to register a record for 59 couples dancing rueda with
\nthe Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI),\" said Albert James Loing
\nof Salseros, a dance club in Mampang, South Jakarta, which
\norganized the event to commemorate the nation's 59th Independence
\nDay on Aug. 17.<\/p>\n
Clad in training suits -- white with red stripes for men and
\nthe reverse for women -- and sneakers, rather than high heels,
\nthe participants took to the floor as soon as the band started up
\nto signal the start of the fiesta, almost one hour later than the
\nscheduled 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
When the band took a break, they formed rows and followed
\nRodolfo's lead -- which abruptly came to an end when the CD
\nplayer conked out.<\/p>\n
The next victims of technology were Rodolfo and his partner.
\nThe music paid no credit to their rather complicated footwork as
\nit paused for split seconds after every fourth beat.<\/p>\n
About 300 spectators -- mostly relatives of the dancers, who
\npaid an entrance fee of Rp 25,000 (US$2.70) each -- were ready
\nfor the event's climax, the rueda de casino, at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
The participants twirled and tackled the steps with no
\nhesitation, having practiced for three months. Although the
\ntraining outfits united the pairs as one group, the sensuous
\nswish of material and the glamor and glitter of salsa fashion was
\na sad loss.<\/p>\n
The show ended in less than four minutes. Some kept their eyes
\non the arena, anticipating more to come, to no avail.<\/p>\n
Although only 47 pairs were present, Jaya Suprana announced
\nthat MURI had recognized the group as the biggest to perform the
\ndance.<\/p>\n
Despite the shortage of partakers, James remained optimistic.
\n\"We plan to make an attempt for the Guinness Book of Records next
\nyear,\" he said. \"We will start a program this year, whereby we
\nwill introduce school students to salsa, to find more dancers.\"<\/p>\n
According to James, the current record for a rueda is 32 pairs
\nin Barcelona. In the United States, a record of 173 couples
\nstands, but they performed in several rueda.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/salsa-buffs-make-record-with-47-pairs-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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