Michael Littenberg-Brown teaches Salsa at Salsa International in New York. Visit SalsaInternational.net or his SalsaTimba Profile
I have always thought of salsa as an activity that transcends differences and creates a shared space for cultural and social exchange in the guise of fun. It was only recently, however, that I had an experience that made me realize the power of salsa to educate and inform, both for the students learning and, in my case, for the instructor teaching. My remarkable cross-cultural learning experience began with my planned trip to China, when my friend Pablo, living and working in Beijing at the U.S. Embassy, asked if I would be open to teaching a salsa class to a group of Chinese high school students while I was visiting.
As part of my trip, I was planning on seeking out the salsa scene in China, and Vietnam, while I was in Asia, and so I enthusiastically agreed to do the event as part of my ethnographic salsa research. Pablo set about organizing an event for local Chinese students who were interested in learning about American culture and improving their English. My visit to Beijing coincided with Latino Heritage Month, and this event was part of the U.S. Embassy’s efforts to teach the local population about the U.S. through the lens of Latino culture. The ironic, and amusing, side of the event was that here was a white Jewish kid teaching salsa and Latino culture to a group of Chinese students.
The students arrived excited and curious about salsa, and immediately asked me questions about how long I had been dancing, whether I ever performed, and if I thought they would be able to learn salsa. After watching the beginning of a new PBS documentary entitled Latin Music USA, I spoke to the 40 or so assembled students about the uniquely “American” nature of salsa. Visiting from New York, I explained to them how Puerto Ricans in New York City in the 1940’s and 50’s took the Latin rhythms coming from Cuba, infused them with American jazz harmonies, and transformed it into what we know as salsa today. The students were brimming with questions, but we wanted to get them moving, so I turned on the music and began teaching them the basics.
My first impression of the Chinese students is that they took to the movement of the dancing more quickly than I have found with young people in New York. I noticed a certain natural level of grace in their movements, and they followed my instructions extremely well. I was able to move the class quickly, and very few students fell behind. After teaching them the basic step and a simple combination; cross body lead and a right hand turn for the ladies, we put on the music and let them try out their new salsa skills. Eventually, we stopped the music and the students took turns eagerly asking me questions. When we finished, the students requested a group photo and individual photos with me, and a few of them asked for my autograph, marking perhaps the first time that anyone had ever sought my scribbled name for its own sake.
When I reflect back on the class, I am most struck by the natural grace of the students. I wonder whether the prevalence of Tai Chi in Chinese culture is part of a larger story of a more graceful culture, where boys are not socialized to perceive graceful movement as feminine, and where dancing is respected and encouraged among young boys. In all, teaching salsa was a window for me into Chinese culture, and Chinese youth perceptions of Americans and American culture. At the end, I gave many of the students I met my e-mail address, and told them I hoped to see them at one of my classes some day in New York.
As part of my trip, I was planning on seeking out the salsa scene in China, and Vietnam, while I was in Asia, and so I enthusiastically agreed to do the event as part of my ethnographic salsa research. Pablo set about organizing an event for local Chinese students who were interested in learning about American culture and improving their English. My visit to Beijing coincided with Latino Heritage Month, and this event was part of the U.S. Embassy’s efforts to teach the local population about the U.S. through the lens of Latino culture. The ironic, and amusing, side of the event was that here was a white Jewish kid teaching salsa and Latino culture to a group of Chinese students.
The students arrived excited and curious about salsa, and immediately asked me questions about how long I had been dancing, whether I ever performed, and if I thought they would be able to learn salsa. After watching the beginning of a new PBS documentary entitled Latin Music USA, I spoke to the 40 or so assembled students about the uniquely “American” nature of salsa. Visiting from New York, I explained to them how Puerto Ricans in New York City in the 1940’s and 50’s took the Latin rhythms coming from Cuba, infused them with American jazz harmonies, and transformed it into what we know as salsa today. The students were brimming with questions, but we wanted to get them moving, so I turned on the music and began teaching them the basics.
My first impression of the Chinese students is that they took to the movement of the dancing more quickly than I have found with young people in New York. I noticed a certain natural level of grace in their movements, and they followed my instructions extremely well. I was able to move the class quickly, and very few students fell behind. After teaching them the basic step and a simple combination; cross body lead and a right hand turn for the ladies, we put on the music and let them try out their new salsa skills. Eventually, we stopped the music and the students took turns eagerly asking me questions. When we finished, the students requested a group photo and individual photos with me, and a few of them asked for my autograph, marking perhaps the first time that anyone had ever sought my scribbled name for its own sake.
When I reflect back on the class, I am most struck by the natural grace of the students. I wonder whether the prevalence of Tai Chi in Chinese culture is part of a larger story of a more graceful culture, where boys are not socialized to perceive graceful movement as feminine, and where dancing is respected and encouraged among young boys. In all, teaching salsa was a window for me into Chinese culture, and Chinese youth perceptions of Americans and American culture. At the end, I gave many of the students I met my e-mail address, and told them I hoped to see them at one of my classes some day in New York.
