By: Megan Lo, Program Director

My first Saturday Night in Ecuador I was thrown into an incredibly fun new experience that was way out of my normal comfort zone. A fellow Program Director had a local friend who introduced us to Lavoe, the most famous Salsoteca in Quito. Though we had only practiced basic steps for about an hour in the living room, courtesy of some Spanish youtube videos, we threw on our dancing shoes and headed out for a night on the town. We definitely stuck out as the Americans that couldn't dance, but surprisingly the locals were patient and enthusiastic to show us the basic steps of dancing Salsa and Bachata. We saw some professional level dancers that night and were inspired to improve our moves.

We got almost all seven of the current PDs to try out a free salsa class at a dance studio called Cinnamon Escuela de Baile the following week. We were quickly convinced into signing up for private lessons every Tuesday night and have learned the basics of Salsa, Bachata, Reggatone, Merengue, and Salsa Choke. We love practicing the routines we learn on the roof of the Manna House after dinner and have returned to Quito to go dancing several times. It has been a great way to learn more about traditional Latin American dance and to meet new friends.

Our playlists are now full of salsa and bachata music and we pride ourselves on how much we've been able to learn in the first month. It is something I hope to continue over my next six months in Ecuador and hopefully I'll be able to find a Salsoteca back in the States to try to bring home some of this fantastic culture.