Alexandra Welsch moved to Cape Coral from Germany last year. Tiffany Thompson is Jamaican. Deverick Martin is retired while Kensie Robinson is barely out of her teens. Iqra Radecki covers her head and neck with a colorful scarf, while Devi Rosado’s blond hair hangs down her back. Erick Trippett’s skin is dark. Anthony Larkin’s is pale. They come from different cultures, religions and customs, but they all get together to salsa dance.
People might think of salsa dancing as something for Latinos. But all around Southwest Florida and across the state in West Palm Beach County, those on the dance floor are proving that isn’t true.
“This is the greatest part of it,” said Agnely Rivero of Lake Worth in West Palm Beach County. “It brings such a community together from different cultures. “We have people from Croatia, Russia, Spain, Haiti. We have people from all different cultures that you never thought would get into it. This is what I love the most. Everybody wants to learn from different countries, different backgrounds, different religions. You have Jewish people, Muslim people. It doesn’t matter what your religion is or background. It fills my heart to see all these people together.”
They enjoy it in studios where they take lessons. Then they enjoy the salsa socials that run late into the night…