Olivia Whitmer's Wednesday

Today (Wednesday), was our first full day in our new location: Cienfuegos! We traveled to the beautiful Trinidad, a town filled with history and island color. We made our way to our dance lesson. I had been looking forward to this activity for the entire trip- I wanted to learn how to Salsa with the authentic style. When we arrived just outside of Trinidad, I was caught off guard by how empty the area looked. My thoughts were soon proven otherwise as we ventured further and further into the cobblestone streets of the town. Each branch of the town was packed with colorful buildings, people, and trinkets. The palm trees around the churches and shops accentuated the blue sky and really made it feel like we were close to the water. After snaking around the town, we reached the dance studio. When our itinerary mentioned a dance lesson, of course my mind immediately pictured a streamline, air conditioned studio with wall length mirrors. My instinct was extremely incorrect. Our studio actually existed in the center of a turquoise building that was lined with tables, bars, and mini studios. The main event was in the center of this shell, where the roof stopped, exposing the tile dance floor in direct sunlight. A group of instructors lined up in the center, all dressed in differently patterned dance clothes. They called us up and taught us the basic steps of salsa, blasting counts from the boom box speaker on their desk. Even though there were varying levels of dance in our group, everyone caught on, and we loved how the instructors interacted with us and encouraged us to cha cha with gusto. At the end of our lesson, we could all safely say that we had a salsa combination down pat if we needed to pull out some serious dance moves at our next stop. As we packed up to go, our instructors danced in the center, starting with the basic steps we learned, but improving as they weaved in and around each other's arms, expertly maneuvering themselves so as to not tangle their arms and keep their graceful lines. Later, when we were back in Cienfuegos to perform with the Cienfuegos choir, one of the songs encouraged us to come up and dance with them. Of course, we pulled out our new moves and were dancing in conga lines with the beautiful singers in pastel uniforms. I know I will always remember the rhythm and energy in Cuba that is signature to its people and its art. 

-Olivia Whitmer