Weekly salsa party heats up city hall
Seven years ago, Salsa at City Hall was just a twinkle in Ana Gherasim's eye. Today, the summertime dance party draws hundreds of movers and shakers each week.
Gherasim, owner of Azucar! Latin Dance Company, said the idea was inspired by a trip to Vancouver, where she witnessed a skating rink transformed into a dance floor.
When she returned to Ottawa and saw the Sens Rink of Dreams being built, she knew she had her venue.
"It's really a chance to introduce a lot more people to Latin dancing, because a lot of people might be tempted by it, but don't really know how to get into it. So, I wanted to make that nice and accessible," Gherasim said.
The event is free, and everyone is welcome. The City of Ottawa provides the sound system and the space, and local DJs and instructors volunteer their time.
While salsa can be intimidating for beginners, Gherasim said there's an hour-long class starting each week at 6 p.m., just before the party gets started.
"It does take a little bit of jumping in and trying it the first time, and afterward, every single time gets a little bit easier."
Gherasim said when salsa dancers travel, they always pack a pair of dancing shoes.
"If you're going to New York or San Francisco or Dubai or pretty much anywhere in the world, you're going, 'Where can I do salsa while I am here?' And then once you actually get into the scene, it's almost like having an instant family, because whether you speak the local language or not, you always have some way of connecting with people."
