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Visual Art -
Photography |
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presents: Caitlin Lindsey |
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Salsa Picante
Memories of my
documentary of "Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz"
by Caitlin Lindsey
March
18, 2003
"Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz"
is a non-political, community-oriented social dance organization
of dancers, lovers and supporters
of Cuban Salsa dancing Casino-Rueda style
in Santa Cruz, California.
The organization began in July 2001
with rapid increasing interest in the community.
They count over 100 people to their classes every week and in 5 years
they have organized 60 performances with volunteers supporting various
community events.
Click here to see more of 'Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz'
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Rueda
simply means "wheel".
Casino refers to the kinds of turns and breaks you might
normally see in ordinary partner Salsa Dancing.
What makes Rueda unique is that the dancing is done in the "wheel",
as a group, with the "followers" being passed in the wheel,
rapid exchanging of partners, and many complicated moves -- sometimes
done as wheels within wheels -- and all done in time with "hot"
Salsa music.
Each move, or "call", has a name, and is called by a leader
of the Rueda, sometimes in very quick succession.
Many of the moves also have hand signals as well as names, in order to
be able to dance in a loud club setting.
The Rueda can be as small as two couples, or as large as a space can hold
-- as many as a hundred couples.
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This
quarter was definitely an adventure.
Going into this class I thought it would be all fun and games. I didn't
think that I would have any problems this quarter. I had a fun subject
and I thought somehow the labor aspect would tie in and it would all come
together. Well, I was wrong. This quarter was not what I expected at all,,
but it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
I came into the quarter very sure of myself in regards to what I was doing
in the darkroom and as a photographer. What I came across was very humbling.
I started off the quarter all over the place with different Salsa groups
and each week I was coming in with the same sort of pictures. I wasn't
getting into the real core of one particular group, which is what I needed
to get the depth and various aspects of dance that come together to make
it more than just fun moves and poses.
Besides the actual act of documenting people, technically I was having
problems as well. The flash was not easy to work with and once in the
darkroom, it gave me even more hell. I was frustrated, disappointed, and
extremly hard on myself.
I wanted to give up and start all over with a new subject, but I knew
I could somehow pull it off.
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Once I
began documenting Salsa Rueda it all started to come together.
I began focusing only on one class and one teacher.
I began to find the comfort level that allowed me to get on the inside
and take the photographs I was looking for.
I found "Salsa Rueda
Santa Cruz" to be the most fun and community oriented group around.
It was finally a group I wanted to document. Every week I went back
I became much more comfortable with the people and photographing them.
I remember by the first time I photographed them everyone looked at
me every time the flash went off.
But as the weeks went by, they began to forget the camera was even there.
They began to smile at me when I would walk into their class or they
saw me standing there watching them with my camera. I soon became a
part of their community.
Overall I am very happy with the portfolio. I am glad that I stuck with
my topic, because I think that it really paid off in the end.
I am proud of all, the time and effort that I put into it. The time
that I spent every week with "Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz" paid
off because you can see the closeness and relationship that I established
with the group.
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Performace at fund raising
event for One World Children's Fund
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"Dance
like no one is watching"
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"The people often
come exhausted from their day's work.
They don't smile and are tired and very tight.
But you should see them after the first two songs dancings together.
They lighten up like flowers and smile and have a great time"
-Chris
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Cesario: "I teach
because people ask for it. People needed it."
Maryasha (to Cesario): "You needed it. It's like breathing for you." |
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Dance class at Veteran
Memorial Hall downtown Santa Cruz (every Thursday from 7-9:30pm). 'Wear
comfortable shoes'
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Preparation for a performance
at 'One World Children's Fund' event.
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June: "I dance Salsa
because I love Salsa music.
And when you love the music you have to dance it.
And I dance Rueda because I love the community" |
Chris: "Everyone is in
the same circle - the same community.
You don't have to overcome yourself.
You don't have to ask someone to dance.
Everyone works together." |
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Cesario: "When I dance,
I feel myself. I feel I can be who I really am. It's a release of stress.
I do it as a job, but I really love to do it. I could be teaching for hours
and not get tired.
It's an addiction." |
Pa'l medio |
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"Don't waste the music"
- Cesario |
"I like playing with people.
It's a good place to shake the hips.:
- Gilberto |
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Cesario: "Show
me your hips."
Cathy: "Oh, don't worry, they're there. They're not going anywhere."
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Set-up for performance
at 'One World Children's Fund' event
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"You have a very
expressive face and that gets you in trouble.
You scared me when I first met you. (Laughs) But now I look back and think
that's funny."
- Maryasha (to Cesario) |
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More pictures of
"Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz" taken by Caitlin Lindsey
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