Greenacres Gets Ready For Salsa

It's that time of year, when things get a little spicy in Greenacres!

Salsa fest takes place this Saturday at the Greenacres Community Park, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

More than 12,000 people are expected to show up for live salsa music, the best of salsa dancing, and tasty ethnic foods.

Salsa Fest's main stage will be the center of entertainment.

Three international musical artists, a battle of the bands, solo artist, as well as the local radio station Mia 92.1 will all be on hand to keep the party going.

This year's performing artists will be be Rey Ruiz, Anthony Cruz and two time Grammy Award winner Lalo Rodriguez.

But the fun doesn't end with the music!  If you don't feel like showing off your dance moves, try your hand at the domino tournament.

Players will compete to see who is the area's best domino player, as well as for a $250 cash prize.

Salsa Fest will also bring back the ever popular chihuahua race this year, where the tiny pups line up to show everyone that just because they are small, doesn't mean they're not fast!

And finally a salsa dance contest, salsa cooking contest, and amusement rides will round out the fun.

Admission is $10, but a family four pack is only $30.

And for those little salsa lovers under the age of 7, admission is free.

 

Zumba and Salsa Can Be a Potent Thigh Blaster

The music is rocking to an infectious Latin beat. The sweat is pouring as the crowd shimmies and shakes. Are they dancing the salsa in Havana, Cuba or Cali, Columbia? They could be, but they are not! They are students in a Zumba With Pam Fitness class. Zumba Fitness is the dance fitness craze that has taken the world by storm and is now poised to take over.

Zumba started in the 90’s when Colombian born, fitness instructor, Beto Perez, forgot his usual aerobics music. He quickly grabbed his cassette tape from his car and for the next hour played traditional Latin rhythms—salsa and merengue. The class was a huge success and Perez realized he was onto something by merging aerobics with dance to a thumping Latin beat. Now, there are over 40,000 instructors worldwide teaching Zumba in over 40 countries.

“The principle behind Zumba is incredibly simple,” explains Pam Andrews, Licensed Zumba Instructor and owner of Zumba With Pam in Bear, Delaware. “There are no complicated moves to learn and you don’t need the coordination of a traditional aerobics class. or a dance partner. Best of all, the music is so infectious that you barely even notice you’re exercising.”

A one-hour Zumba With Pam class uses the four basic rhythms of Zumba based on simplified versions of salsa, merengue, cumbia and reggaeton. You will also experience a bit of calypso, African, tango, belly dance, flamenco and other international dances. Participants are constantly engaged and entertained with the variety of rhythms. It breaks away from the typical 32-count aerobic format and uses the passion of the music as it was meant to be experiences. Even those with two left feet are successful in a Zumba With Pam class because of the natural flow of the simple steps that radiate through the body in synch with the music.

Latino Festivals Gain Ground

Dressed in the Colombian national dress, Ruby Stover and her nephew were among thousands who attended the fourth annual Festival Latino on Saturday at Bayview Park.

"I'm here representing my country," Stover said. "I want to show how beautiful it is."

Stover had a booth at the festival, showcasing food, clothing, instruments and photographs of flowers native to her country.

"So many people have misconceptions about Colombia," Stover said. "There is so much culture that few know about."

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• Latino Festival

For those at the festival Saturday, there was plenty of culture to experience.

"Our culture is to celebrate life, family, friends and food," said Grace Resendez McCaffery, organizer and founder of the event. "Festivals like this is what most of us are used to."

To celebrate food, venders provided numerous authentic Latin-American dishes, from tamales to boiled green bananas.

"This is my grandmother's cooking on a plate," said festival attendee Evelyn Keith, whose plate included pernil, a pork dish; batata, which is Spanish sweet potatoes; and Puerto Rican rice and beans.

Not only was there plenty of food, but live entertainment from Alabama, Atlanta and Florida delighted the crowd with salsa, zumba and mambo dancing. Many of the groups were high-school Latin clubs that travel to Latin events and festivals to perform.

"There is so much creativity in the Latin community, and clubs like these provide the perfect outlet," said Alissa Murpher, sponsor of Club Latinos at Foley (Ala.) High School.

Other entertainment included a local zumba fitness group who led a group dance; a professional Aztec dancer; and a disc jockey from Fort Walton Beach.

Along with booths representing various Latin American countries, numerous organizations, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, had booths to provide information to the local Latino community.

"We want to educate and inform people about the 2010 Census to ensure that the minority is counted so that they may have a voice," said Tina M. Joshua, partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau. Her booth provided information about the census in Spanish and English.

Other information booths included the Foster Home Development of Lakeview Center, Healthy Start, the Special Olympics and various Spanish-speaking organizations and churches.

"This festival is an opportunity for businesses to market to the Hispanic community and to provide them with important information in their language," McCaffery said.