Hips Don’t Lie

The Oxford University Salsa Society (OUSS) runs classes for a range of levels every Monday of term (they even distinguish between ‘absolute beginners’ and fast-track beginners’) and for only £4.50 (or £3 if you become a member) you enjoy an hour’s worth of hip-rolling, spinning and hilarity.

As the classes are open to non-students as well as those from the university you’ll find a range of people amongst your fellow attendees. Don’t be intimidated if the first people you see when you arrive are a man in his thirties wearing a tight black V-neck shirt, a rather elderly man already practicing his copas in the corner, and hoards of fresher girls – this is the salsa appreciator – the variety of which adds to the exhilarating chaos of the salsa dance floor.

And don’t think you can escape making friends with your shiny, new classmates by bringing your own partner to classes: the speed-dating style partner swap that is instigated each time the teacher claps their hands ensures that you get a turn exchanging palm sweat with all the others in the room. Anna Frangou, the OUSS captain, stresses that “there is a lot of freedom dancing salsa, you develop your own style, and you’re constantly improvising”.  “Salsa is a social dance”, so it is about being comfortable enough to get up close and personal with complete strangers in the name of a good jig, and seeing as the experience is the same for everyone, by the end awkward smiles become knowing smiles and once you’ve grabbed someone else’s waist half a dozen times in the last half hour friendship is inevitable!

Even better are the Wednesday socials at Anuba (Park End St) where there’s an hour-long lesson at 9pm followed by a night of social salsa dancing, and there’s an OUSS Ball that takes place in March which showcases each year’s new university team (which is often comprised of some of last year’s beginners who’ve been in good class attendance), auditions for which take place this Saturday from 3 to 5pm at the Old Fire Station.

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Why do salsa? There isn’t enough light-hearted fun around here but it can definitely be found on the Wesley Memorial Hall dance floor.

For more information, see: http://www.oxfordsalsasociety.co.uk/index.html

Find OUSS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/oxfordsalsasociety/