Salsa & the City Pamplona, Spain

Written for OnlineSalsa.com by Amaia Markuleta

Latin Dance arrived to Pamplona, Spain, by the early 90’s, thanks, largely, to Valentino’s, first pub in the city to play Latin music, hire instructors and to arrange live shows. Its dancers, a group of Ballroom Dance lovers, formed Nagiko Show Company, started to experiment on Latin rhythms and put into practice the first Merengue steps in Pamplona.

The Caribbean moves soon caught the public and the Merengue, Cha-Cha-Cha and Bachata spread all over the city.

Then, the influences of the “Rueda Cubana” came and attracted even more attention from people that started to demand more salsa at the dance schools.  Once salsa sparked, no one wanted anything else. It is so much so, that Salsa has evolved a lot in Pamplona in the last decade, and there are great Salsa dancers in all the different styles. Some remarkable but already dissolved groups were Merekumbé; the group’s spectacular and explosive choreographies were specialized in Los Angeles Style and Coromiyaré, who opted for different fusions between Modern Dance and Salsa.  One of its couples is still on active.  Idoia Ferrer manages since 2006 the Le Bal Contemporary Dance Company, of which Ivan Navarro is also part of.  We have recently seen the company performing very interesting fusions, the last one at the International Salsa Symposium in Madrid.

Besides, since 2009, the dance couple formed by Idoia and Iván belongs also to the Aguanilé Dance Company, led by Roi Casado and Talía Gamarra.

Another great Salsa couple in Pamplona is Bayaderos, whose style is New York On1.  Diego Martínez and Amaia Otano formed the company in 2007 and since then, have taken part in several national and international congresses and events. In 2008, they reached privileged positions in two of the most important salsa competitions in Spain, World Salsa Championship and Salsa Open.

Where to improve those Salsa Moves

LE BAL is one of the leading schools giving salsa in Pamplona.  With 13 years of tradition, its prestigious teachers and wide range of social and academic activities makes it a great place to learn to dance.
•    Styles: Cuban salsa, different in-line salsa styles, bachata, merengue, cha-cha-cha, kizomba. 
Teachers: Idoia Ferrer, Iván Navarro, Domingo Rojas, Vicky Segura, Ana Ciganda and Patricia.
SURYA has also been a pioneer school in salsa teaching in the city.  Its teachers are Salsa enthusiasts, they love taking classes wherever they travel to and have participated in several congresses.
•    Styles: Los Angeles Style, other in-line salsa styles, Cuban Salsa, Cuban Timba, Cha-Cha-Cha, Bachata, Merengue, Kizomba.
•    Teachers: Alberto Martínez and Juan Carlos Moreno.

BAYADEROS’ motto: “a dancer solfas with the body the music that leads his soul”.  Their new teaching method is based on the knowledge of one self’s body and not on the repetition of figures, to help pupils find their own style.
•    Styles: they work all the Latin Styles but especially the On1.
•    Teachers: Diego Martínez and Amaia Otano.

CENTRO HERA has more than a decade of experience in teaching Salsa and is specially focused on the social part of the Latin Dance.
•    Styles: Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cha-Cha-Cha, Rueda, and Kizomba
•    Teachers: Sergio, Maite and Félix.

GIMNASIO LEÓN is mainly skilled in Cuban Salsa and Salsa ‘slot dancing’ Los Angeles Style.
•    Styles: Cuban Salsa, ‘slot dance’ Salsa, and all Latin Styles.
•    Teachers: Eneko Colmenero.

RAVEL is another very good spot to learn Salsa. Its actual teacher, classic dancer and professional Latin dancer since the founding of Nagiko Show, endorses the technique of their lessons.
•    Styles: Rueda Cubana, Cuban Salsa, Los Angeles Style, and Casino.
•    Teachers: Manuel Cancela

Hot Salsa Clubs

•    CIABOGA: on Saturdays from 00:00 hrs.
•    OLIVA: on Thursdays and Fridays from 23:30 hrs.  Instructors: Juan Carlos Moreno and Eneko Colmenero.
•    PUNTA CANA: on Thursdays and Sundays.
•    HABANA : run by Latin natives.
•    MAKUMBA DISCO: last great bet in the city.  It is a wide and comfortable Salsa Lovers meeting place.  Instructors: Alberto Pérez, Gabi Garcés, and Amaia Maisterra. 

Events you should not miss!

•    Pamplona Salsa Congress
•    Salsoteka (every three months more or less, the last one was on May 7th)


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Amaia Markuleta
http://jugonesweb.wordpress.com