Más Salsa Por Favor
I heard Rutgers Salsa Club is the largest sports club at Rutgers. What’s it like being part of a such a large organization?
“It’s definitely a lot of fun dancing and becoming friends with people who I might not have otherwise met around campus. RU Salsa consists of such a large, diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students as well as working professionals. I actually just got my brother and his peers from RWJ medical school to join, and they love it! Not only am I learning to dance, but I’m learning about different cultures, different majors, and gaining a different way of thinking” (Nonye O., 2019).
What is the RU SALSA Project?
“The RU SALSA Project is a fun-filled annual event held in the College Ave main gym. It is a night of social dancing, performances, and amazing food. The members of salsa club work diligently all spring semester to perfect a routine that they debut at Project. Many performers invite their family and friends to come to the event where even they can learn a few moves. We have a live band and a DJ and offer a mini salsa lesson to kick off the night. It is an event that you do not want to miss!” (Rachel Chubin, 2018)
Is Salsa Club–and the event–funded by RUSA allocations? Do you also run additional fundraisers throughout the year to prepare for this event and socials?
Salsa club is partly funded by RUSA, the Rutgers university student assembly. We get a set amount of funds at the beginning and we do fundraisers to assist with that.This year we have done about five fundraisers. The first fundraiser was during Valentines Day where we sold roses and balloons, the second was from March to April where club members went to a local Shoprite and bagged peoples groceries for donations. We just recently did a cupcake sale where we advertised for our upcoming Salsa Project, and until club ends we are selling our “Mas salsa por favor” club shirts. All of these funds went to past events and for making Salsa project as memorable as possible. (Kierra Pean, 2020)
Do you need experience to join Salsa Club? Do you teach lessons or just dance?
“You do not need any experience to join Salsa Club! I personally joined because I enjoy listening to Latin music, but I knew nothing about the dance of Salsa. When we meet for club each week, we split up into 3 groups: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. It’s up to you to decide what class you fit into. In the individual classes, we teach combinations for individual and partner work.” (Rachel Chubin, 2018)
Do you work with other student organizations at Rutgers to collaborate on events? How do you feel about working with other student organizations?
Yes, we’re actually collaborating with RU photography club for our Salsa Project, and in the past, we’ve done many fusion socials with Bachata, Ballroom, Swing, and collaborated with RU Chaos Theory [hip hop dance crew]. (Nonye O.)
Who are your e-board members and their positions?
Currently, the Salsa e-board members are: Janisha Rodriguez (President), Rachel Chubin (VP), Nonye Okafor (Secretary), Chris White (Treasurer), Sherina Lawrence (PR Chair), and Kierra Pean (Fundraising Chair).
What is special about Salsa? What makes you want to come out Monday nights after a long day and dance?
“Anyone can Salsa! Salsa allows you to combine many styles of dance such as ballet, merengue, hip hop, bachata, and even ballroom into your moves. The music and steps are so versatile, that if you know the basic steps, you can add any style of dance you want into your moves and make it look FIRE! Besides the versatility, Salsa is very interactive and engaging – it’s a great workout that feels like your just vibing to the beat and having fun. “ (Nonye O.)
“Salsa is so special because it is a time where for two hours nothing else but Salsa matters, no homework or finals stress, just Salsa. Club is basically like a scheduled Monday party. When everyone gets to the gym it’s like one big family reunion- people are catching up with friends about how their week went and others are dancing immediately to the music we play to welcome everyone. There are some people who jump into the more advanced classes but I am currently in the beginner class where the instructors have us switch partners every so often to get to know each other. It is a time where messing up a move is fine and our instructors help us to learn to laugh at ourselves and continue. By the end of each semester, it is easy to see how close we have become and how much we have learned while having fun. All of these things together is what makes me come to salsa after a long Monday. (Kierra Pean, 2020)
When is Salsa Project, and is there anything you’d like to add?
“RU SALSA Project is April 30th, and there will be dance performances, interactive lessons, authentic, spanish foods, a live band, a DJ, a whole lot of fun!” Pre-sale tickets end this Friday: It is $5 for RU Affiliates and $10 for Non-RU Affiliates. At the door it is $7 for RU Affiliates and $12 for Non-RU Affiliates. Come out, show some love, and learn some new moves this Monday, April 30th!” (Nonye O.)