Dancing for community connection
by Amber Desnomie
For William Siguenza, salsa is like having a piece of home with him.
Siguenza was born and raised in El Salvador until he was 16. It was there he learned salsa from his family. Now he teaches salsa lessons to anyone willing to learn at Regina Salseros one to four times a week.
“I remember we used to get together with family and just get up and play music and dance. The ladies in the family would be the ones to push me to dance,” he said.
When Siguenza moved to Regina, he was homesick and wanted to feel connected to his culture.
He started dancing salsa to feel reconnected. It was then he got the idea to show the Regina community how fun and beneficial learning salsa is.
“It’s healthy in the body and an activity that keeps nurturing the mind. You have to be focused and have to be sharp to learn different rules of salsa,” he said.
When Siguenza was a University of Regina student, he found others who shared his passion for salsa. He joined the dance group Regina Salseros, established in 2005. From there he went on to become an instructor for the group.
Regina Salseros held their first lesson of the season on May 7 at 1731 Ross Ave. E. The class was a mix of new and familiar faces, one of which included experienced dancer Don Brown.
Brown has been taking classes from Siguenza for 13 years. He previously was learning ballroom dancing but switched when he fell in love with salsa.
“When going from ballroom dancing to salsa dancing, it was like the energy and the music was just so much more fun. It’s great,” he said.
Siguenza has trained with national and international instructors over the years and has attended numerous festivals and congresses with his students, where they have been able to continually improve their skills.
The Regina Salseros will be performing at Mosaic: A Festival of Culture, which is from June 5 to 7. The students of the Regina Salseros will have the opportunity to perform at the event.
“We do performances socially. I know Mosaic is coming up, so I know some of the students will be performing,” he said.
The Regina Salseros can fit 20 to 30 people in the dance studio and have the option to participate one to four times a week. “It depends on how much the learner wants to push themselves to learn,” Siguenza said.
The Regina Salseros have salsa lessons four times a month and have a new or continuing class every month of the year. There is a membership option for students who love to dance all year round. Membership information can be found on their website or social media pages.
The atmosphere is welcoming for beginners and experienced dancers alike, Siguenza said.
Regina Salseros dances in unison during lessons. Video by Amber Desnomie