Girls from Year 9 and the Lower Sixth enjoyed an afternoon of vibrant salsa dancing lessons as part of their Spanish studies.

On Thursday 8th February, three members from “Canela Fina!” visited Francis Holland to showcase their dancing skills and help our girls learn a few steps! Hailing from Spain, Cuba and Columbia, the instructors gave a real insight into the culture surrounding salsa and its influence upon many Spanish-speaking countries.

The session started with an introduction focused on the origins and history of salsa, incorporating Spanish vocabulary, images, audio, video, live demonstrations and spoken explanations in English and Spanish. Next, they each learnt some salsa rhythms on percussive instruments including the bongos, claves and maracas. Finally, the girls took to the floor to learn some basic salsa steps individually and in pairs; their instructors were so pleased with their skills that they even had time to teach our girls some more advanced moves too! Spanish vocabulary was used to give simple instructions and participants were encouraged to answer in Spanish.