TYLER, Texas — As we wrap up our Hispanic Heritage Month coverage, we’re taking you to the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico where salsa dancing first started.
From what started as a new dance, Rob Nunziato, a salsa instructor, has made a living passion from salsa to keep him on his feet.
Nunziato told us that salsa first started in Eastern Cuba and the dance spread to Miami and across the world.
But as to how salsa and Rob met...
"[We] met through a young lady that I was dating from Colombia and I just fell in love with the dance and the history," said Nunziato. "Even though I‘ve been dancing since 1995, like hip-hop and club dancing, I just fell in love with salsa."
The popularity of salsa exploded in the U.S. once this dance arrived in the early 20th century.
"You can do the whole dance in two square feet," said Nunziato.
So we decided to give it a try!
"So we are going to have the guys on this side and the girls on this side. Salsa is an eight counts dance. And you dance on one, two, three and five, six, seven," said Nunziato.
Now that we have the basics done, let’s add a little spin to it – and some music!
"We’re going to do what we call an underarm turn," said Nunziato.
As good – or as bad as we may be, we decided to leave the dancing to the real pros!
If you're interested in taking salsa classes, you can contact Rob Nunziato at (903) 714-8299.