About
Salsa Ritmo Dance
Salsa Ritmo Dance was formed in 2001 by Linda and Mark. Our mission is to foster frienships in the dance community and to promote Latin dance as a flavorful avenue for creative expression.
The group has grown quite a bit over the years. We have performed many different dances, and our alums are scattered throughout the western hemisphere.
Welcome to the home of
Salsa Ritmo Dance in Pittsburgh, PA! We provide group and private lessons, technique and rhythm development, and performances of folkloric and modern Latin dances. Some of our main performance groups are featured here.
Las Chicas
Las Chicas is an all female dance team that dance together
to salsa and other styles of Latin music. Countless fancy foot patterns can
be invented to the beat of Latin music. These rhythmic foot patterns are
also known as "shines". Shines can be done without a partner and they give
the dancer an opportunity to express her own personal style. The Chicas is
the only all-female shine team in the Pittsburgh area.
Casino Rueda
Casino rueda began in Cuba in the 1950's inside of large dance halls called
casinos. The casinos were popular places for dancing and socializing, and
it was where this exciting new form of group dancing developed. Casino rueda
involves a circle of couples dancing together. One member of the circle calls out
moves, and each couple performs them simultaneously, often exchanging partners
depending on what the caller yells
out. Although our casino rueda dancers have learned close to 150 moves
through year long practicing, the dance itself is not choreographed — every dance
is different, depending on what our caller yells out.
Salsa
Salsa is a distillation of many rhythms from different places in Latin America, each uniquely rich in its musical heritage. It has strong roots in Afro-Cuban music, particularly the music style called Son. Salsa dance, a spicy couple's dance, came alive in the United States around the 1960s in the barrios of New York when the flavors of American and Puerto Rican jazz musicians blended. The music and dance have continuously evolved into the dynamic style found all over the world today.
Plena
Plena music and dance was influenced by both Spanish and African culture. Plena music was used as a
sort of "singing news paper": the news of the day was put to song and used to
spread messages to the people of the barrio. Our plena dances often feature a
vejigante, who is sometimes known here as the "boogie man." He mischievously passes in and out of the shadows and tries to scare
away evil spirits.