A few months ago, we posted an article about salsa, dance therapy, and PTSD. The post led us to connect with one of the readers who commented on the article, Mark Word. Mark is a therapist who worked for many years as a social work officer in the Army. Today, he … [Read more...]
About Mariah Ore
Salsa In the Movies: El Cantante with Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez
Research for an article about salsa in the movies brought me to, among other titles, El Cantante, featuring both Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Ever seen this one? First off, it didn’t get great reviews -- just 5.4 out of ten stars on IMDB, and a whopping one star … [Read more...]
The Most Famous Salsa Cities in the World
Traveling is the perfect way to enjoy salsa dancing. In day-to-day-life, there are plenty of excuses standing between you and your salsa goals. It can be hard to take time out of your week to stay up late and go dancing -- especially if there's a learning curve. But … [Read more...]
Do You Salsa Congress Or Festival? February’s World Events (2016)
How many big events are we talking -- a few? A handful? Nope, we’re looking at thirteen huge salsa dancing events in February alone. Salsa, casino, kizomba and bachata dancing are worldwide pastimes, and most continents (sorry, Antarctica) have a congress or festival … [Read more...]
Conversations I Had While Salsa Dancing This Week
Me: So what do you do? Him: I just got back from Africa, where I was a microbiology researcher. Me: Awesome! What did you study? Him: Watch out, here comes a dip. I studied meerkats. Me: OMG! I have been compared to a meerkat more than once. Him: (squints) Hmm. … [Read more...]
Uncovering the Kingdom of Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa
It’s time we talked about the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz. Born in Havana in 1925, Cruz garnered 23 gold records before passing away in 2003. In addition to the popular moniker The Queen of Salsa, people also know Cruz as The Queen of Latin Music. She’s a powerhouse, and … [Read more...]
Kizomba: Americans Get Comfortable With Sensual Dance
Lately, I can’t get enough of kizomba music -- the slow, bouncy beat in combination with its dark melodies is purely addictive. Unfortunately, I haven’t tried the dance -- mostly because I’ve spent the last year traveling between Portland, Alaska, and Montana, which … [Read more...]
Salsa Dancing Through the Eyes of a Feminist
Bria Sullivan is a late-twenties professional who lives in the Boston area. Recently, she moved into her first solo living situation: a one-bedroom apartment. “I can cartwheel across my living room without hitting anything!” she says about her new space. Yep, she’s … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Celebrate Life This Día de los Muertos
There’s something uniquely cathartic about having a day set aside to focus on celebrating the life of a loved one who has passed on. When you lose someone, so much attention is paid to the mourning process. But what about the vivacity of the life they lead -- the light … [Read more...]
Salsa Dancing Can Help You Fight PTSD
This week, I came across an article online about a Tucson army veteran named Antonio Medina. In the video accompanying the article, Medina is a cheerful, fit-looking guy with a gigantic smile on his face. He’s got some pretty awesome salsa moves, and he’s a military … [Read more...]
Why You Should Care About Hispanic Heritage Month
Did you know that September 15th-October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month? These 30 days are a chance for all of us Americans to take the time to recognize the latin roots of 17% our nation’s citizens. And what better way to celebrate than by learning some new … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Control Your Movements on the Salsa Floor
Hint - Don’t Dance Like a Rag Doll A few months into my salsa renaissance, I was feeling pretty good about myself. When paired with an experienced lead, I could maintain the illusion that I knew what I was doing. But after one particular round of dance floor … [Read more...]