Cubans keep salsa tradition alive with neighborhood lessons

HAVANA (Reuters) -Until recently, 26-year-old Cuban Alejandro Beltran was among a rare breed of Cubans with two left feet.

That embarrassing predicament, he said, led him to seek out salsa dancing lessons with a fast-growing community program that aims to maintain Cuba’s reputation as Latin America’s salsa capital.

“There’s a myth that all Cubans know how to dance salsa and I didn’t want to be the exception,” he said. “The first classes weren’t easy, but I’ve kept at it and now I feel comfortable.”

That is the goal of the “Salsa for my People” initiative, which began a year ago and offers classes to prospective dancers in Old Havana.

Cuban salsa dancing has long been one of the Caribbean island’s calling cards, a symbol of the festive nature of Cuba’s residents and a major attraction f