The first Salsa at Kinsmen Park presented by the Margo Fournier Arts Centre gave people the chance to learn how to salsa dance on Saturday evening.
Shania Cabilao, the arts and cultural programmer for the Margo Fournier Arts Centre, said she saw instructors Keith Hitchings and Gil Campbell hold similar event being held at the riverbank in Saskatoon, and thought it would be a good fit for Prince Albert.
Those plans came to fruition on Saturday, with Hitchings in Prince Albert to teach Salsa at Kinsmen Park.
“I just thought it would be so cool to bring something like that here to Prince Albert where people can just gather and have fun and connect, (and) just enjoy the space and the nature,” Cabilao explained.
Cabilao said Kinsmen Park was perfect for the event because of the central location and beauty. She also liked that the location would also allow anyone who was interested and drawn to the sound of Salsa to come and take part.
“I was thinking maybe here or Little Red, but I just thought this is more accessible,” she added.
On Saturday, Hitchings gave a guided lesson of dances and dance steps beginning with the bachata. The Bachata is a social couple dance and musical genre that originated in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s.
“He’s going to teach like the basic steps of that one and then we’re going to practice it with a few bachata songs and then later on we’re going to do salsa and then practice on with that,” Cabilao explained. “Then, once everyone’s kind of got that groove going we’re just going to keep dancing,” she said.
The whole process lasted for approximately two hours in the Kinsmen Park amphitheatre. Cabilao said that the point was learning but also the dancing itself.
“The point of it is just for people to step out of their comfort zone too,” she said. “Even just a one, two step is great, just something to get moving and grooving.”
Before the event started, Cabilao said that the feedback she got showed her that many people were interested in coming.
“I know a lot of people have come and told me that they want to dance, but I really don’t know how many people are coming because we’ve promoted it through Facebook, through Instagram, like on the billboard and the newspaper, so we’ll just see,” she said.
Keith Hitchings instructed the basics of bachata at Salsa at Kinsmen Park on Saturday night
After learning the basics people formed couples to learn the bachata at Salsa at Kinsmen Park on Saturday night.
The event had almost 50 people come to try Salsa dancing.
Calilao said that the event was also part of the Summer Program Guide for the Margo Fournier Arts Centre
“We’ve got tons of arts and culture programming happening this summer and I’m just so excited for people to start connecting through art and music,” Cabilao said.
With school ending in the next few weeks there is also opportunities for youth.
“We’ve got tons of youth art camps happening in July. A lot of our programming starts in July,” Cabilao said.
Cabialo said that if the first one was a success she hoped to keep Salsa in Kinsmen Park growing.
“I would love to get a community going,” she said. “When I planned this I really wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, but so far like it’s been such great feedback from the community, so I’m excited to see how it could build and grow.”
Being able to be the arts and culture coordinator allows Cabilao to follow her passions.
“I’m just really passionate about creating spaces for people to connect through art and music and cultures, so this is just the best,” Cabilao said.
“It’s really what I love doing,” Cabilao said. “I’m very fortunate to have an opportunity to just have the opportunity to do this.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
