Participants pick up nuances of salsa at the workshop. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, May 18: Latino seems to be the preferred flavour for Ranchiites this season with a four-day salsa class kicking off at Gymkhana Club today.

“Because of the demand and craze surrounding salsa, the club has organised the salsa workshop for its members the second time. Last year also, we held a seven-day workshop,” said Munjala Jain, in-charge of Ladies Ring at Gymkhana Club.

Salsa refers to a fusion of informal dance styles having roots in Cuba and the Caribbean, Latin America and North America. “Salsa” is a Spanish word for sauce, connoting a spicy flavour. It is a usually a partner dance though there are recognised solo steps and some forms are performed by groups of couples with frequent exchanges of partners. Improvising and social dancing are important elements of salsa.

Aditya Upadhaya, who runs a school Vive La Salsa in Calcutta and is a specialist in Latin night club dances, is teaching cross body lead style salsa to the members.

“The participants here are as enthusiastic and good as in other places,” said Upadhaya. Participants have been segregated into groups of below 13, above 13 and married couples..

“This style is a rage across the world and is catching up fast in India too,” said Upadhaya. Garima Bajaj, a member and a participant of the workshop, said: “Though I attended the previous workshop too,we tend to forget the steps owing to the long time-gap. Moreover, it being a couple dance we do not get partners to practise with,” she rued.

“Though a lot of foundation work is pending, we plan to open franchisee centres in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Bhubaneswar to provide opportunity to people here to attend weekend classes. This will help them to continue this dance.” said Upadhaya.