KOCHI: Women
seek leadership, guidance and protection from men and that is perfectly
mirrored in each step of Salsa, according to Rahul Stephen, international Salsa
dance trainer and performer. The music, steps and movements are all blended for
a perfect relationship to evolve between both the sexes and it goes beyond the
sensual appearance for the viewer, he said.
In Salsa men take the lead, hold and direct the movements of
the lady partner and the focus is on attaining perfection that both the dancers
can’t think of anything else even when it appears sensuous to the viewer.
Rahul Stephen was in town to conduct a work shop on Salsa on
invitation byBeats ‘n’Steps, in South Kalamassery. In these times of increasing
sexual abuse, the mistrust and fear evoked in interactions between sexes, the
relevance of Salsa is only increasing day by day.
Salsa also helps the performers become part of a rich
culture of dance and music that evolved from the slave trade of Africa. The
clave rhythms, the Mambo dance, Kizombo of Africa became popular in Cuba due to
slave trade. From there it gradually spread to America where it got blended
with Jazz music. As it moved across the world different styles evolved and thus
you have the Cuban Style, Colombia Style, New York Style and Los Angeles Style
(LA).
“When you hear about Colombia you come to equate it with guns and drugs trade but not many know of its rich music and dance culture. Likewise, Cuban music suffered no obstacles in moving to United States despite the ban on movement of people and it helped the developed of Latin dance styles in US,” Rahul Stephen said.
“When you hear about Colombia you come to equate it with guns and drugs trade but not many know of its rich music and dance culture. Likewise, Cuban music suffered no obstacles in moving to United States despite the ban on movement of people and it helped the developed of Latin dance styles in US,” Rahul Stephen said.
Training at Cyprus
Rahul along with his twin brother Deepak were trained in
Salsa in Cyprus where they went to study BBA at European University after their
school education at Christ Nagar School,
Thiruvananthapuram in mid-2000. They
were trained by Christos Shakkalis at Dance Club in the university and also at
the Shakkalis School. After five years, they did a dance diploma at
International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA).
Among their early achievements include an impressive
performance at International Dance Festival in Cyprus for which they got a
standing ovation, reaching semi-finals at Greece Got Talent and performed at
the Torching Ceremony of London Olympics 2012, regular appearance on Cyprus
Television and Bollywood Film Festival in Moscow in 2016 where they performed
along with Harsh Vardhan Rane of Sanam Teri Kasam fame.
After his marriage to Abi Gail Ramsay of England in January
in Thiruvananthpuram,he has been leading
a quiet life and occasionally doing workshops in Kochi and the capital city.
She is also a salsa trainer and works in a financial firm in Leeds. They met at
a dance event in UK.
Rahul who will return to UK next month is looking forward to their forthcoming appearances at Thailand Dance Festival and also a major event in United Kingdom. “We have performed on invitation in many countries including UAE, Malta, France, Pland, Ireland, Isreal, Germany, Indian cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore,” he said. He is happy to find more acceptance for salsa in metro cities and Bangalore while it is making only slow inroads in a more conservative Kerala milieu.
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