Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  On Sunday, February 12, about a dozen couples gathered in a circle around Salsa instructor Jessie Keller at the Caribou Room in Nederland. The couples included more women than men and a handful of girls.

The spotlight was on Jessie as she began her Salsa Level 1 class which focuses on the basics of salsa while students learn how to connect with a partner and lead and follow while having fun.

Taking the soon-to-be salsa dancers through the moves, step by step, Jessie spoke through her microphone making the directions easy to understand and simple to follow. The couple held each other, one leading and one following, moving forward, then backward, bending to one side and then the other, in time to the music.

Just when they felt comfortable with the moves and the signals from their partner, Jessie had them rotate to another partner. Each time they had to kind of start all over again they felt a little more comfortable, their bodies relaxing into the conga beat.

Local contractor Jeff Fruth said, “It is good to dance with different partners. At the end of the class I could do the basic moves while listening to the music.”

Nederland Elementary School physical education teacher Mary Joyce said it was her first time trying salsa and one of her partners told her, “This isn’t swing, stop jumping around and glide, kind of like you are on ice skates.” It worked.

Soon the dancers had their chins in the air, their clenched hands up and ready for a twirl, as they swayed their hips a little and moved in sync.

After the lesson, Chicos Malos, locally talented musicians, picked up the beat and the salsa students jumped right in.

The Caribou Room Salsa Sunday featured a dinner special of Cuban Mojo Marinated & Roasted Pork tenderloin with rice, fried potatoes and Mango salsa and to drink, a Cuban Mojito with fresh mint.