"Come Rueda With Me"
Soy Jacqui,
I don't profess to be a trained dancer although I've been told I'm a "lovely mover"! Nor am I a qualified teacher, I've learnt to teach through trial and error. My ambition has never been to make my fortune from salsa. It's a selfish reason but I want to be able to go out to any club in the area and find someone to "Rueda" with.
My very first dance class was Cuban salsa in Norwich about 10 years ago. I remember instantly falling in love with the music and couldn't wait for the next lesson.
A couple of years later, a friend recommended a club in Ipswich that she'd previously been to. My first Rueda class. I danced non-stop with every guy in the room and had such an amazing time. I was hooked!!
A few of us dedicated "Wheel nuts" began to have regular practice sessions at home in Gorleston (Great Yarmouth) and as I've always been quick to pick up dance moves I naturally took on the role as tutor. It wasn't long before other friends began to join our group and we started to travel further a field to workshops in Cambridge and weekenders in Somerset adding to our repertoire of moves.
Eventually it became more difficult to induct newcomers as our dancing became more advanced and fast-moving so the only option was to start a beginners group on an alternative evening. At this point I realised that our informal sessions were fast becoming proper classes!
October 2005 saw the start of classes in Norwich and it's great to see that already several of those salseros are becoming quite accomplished at dancing and "calling" their own Ruedas.
In May 2006 a dozen of us decided it was high time we took a trip to Cuba to see how it should be done. The highlight of the trip for me was gate crashing a street party in Matanzas, starting a Rueda in the middle of the square and having the locals join in! Fantastic!!!
So you see my dreams have come true. I can dance Rueda, not just in East Anglia but anywhere. And, along the way I've made some very special friends too.
Hasta luego. JC x