Dancing is a language; the movements are its words, the grammar its rhythm. Dancing varies in all types of beats and forms, but for me, salsa is the best. The small island 90 miles South of Key West not only is the birthplace of my parents and their predecessors but salsa also. Originating in Cuba, salsa has Spanish roots with African undertones. Its rhythm appeal to all, with its sensual lyrics and upbeat music, captivating the salsa dancer in everyone. Its steps are fundamental and straightforward but are open to interpretation and creativity. To my grandparents, salsa is just another dance from their native country Cuba. However to me, it is a tie between the present and the future that anchors me to where I come from and has helped shape me to be the person I am today.

Although born in the United States, dancing Salsa connects me to my roots. It contains the power to connect me to the past and open the doors to a place of self-exploration allowing me to embrace my culture and be proud of it. To this day, I can still remember the first time I learned to dance it. I can't recall exactly how old I was, but the beat of Celia Cruz's "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" playing in the background as my father guides me to the beat while I stand on his brown leather laced up oxfords still lingers in my head. This memory still brings a smile to my face and causes me to ponder if my father never taught me, would I have learned?

I would like to believe that the answer to my question would be yes, but a part of me feels that perhaps that isn't true. If I hadn't grown up watching my grandparents and parents dancing salsa then, the dance form would be foreign and virtually unappealing to me. Watching them become entranced by the music while the melody flowed through them as a little kid made it seem magical. That magic is perhaps what lead me to want to learn and while it wasn't easy, over the years with lots of practice my skill set has grown. Now my feet automatically begin to move, to the words and beat of any salsa song. The 1-2-3 1-2 dance steps have become second nature to me like my name. When I dance Salsa, I escape reality, picturing myself somewhere in the past dancing with those who came before me. Like Celia Cruz says, "la vida es un carnaval y es mas bello vivir cantando."