More than just a dance, salsa helps Latino community feel at home on P.E.I.
For years, Victoria Lange was focused on competitive figure skating. But deep down, she always wanted to do something that connected her to her Latin American roots.
Her father is originally from Peru, and growing up she listened to a lot of salsa music. She often watched her parents dance salsa around the house.
"I had a strong connection to it from a really young age," she told Mainstreet P.E.I. host Steve Bruce.
Still, Lange said she never truly learned how to dance salsa until after her family moved from Germany to Prince Edward Island in 2018. That was when, at DownStreet Dance in Charlottetown, she took her first salsa lessons.
Fast forward to today, and Lange now teaches salsa workshops.
Through the dance, she and many other members of the Latino community on the Island have found a deeper sense of belonging and connection to their heritage.
"Being outside of your home country and then coming to a new place, you sort of feel like you have to reclaim part of that identity again," she said.
'I feel liberated'
What Lange now teaches is a specific dance — Cuban-style salsa. She learned it from her boyfriend, Angel Rodriguez, who moved from Cuba to P.E.I. in 2017.
She said it was more difficult than the version she first learned, but it brought her a completely new sense of freedom.
"I feel liberated in a sense. It's just really freeing to be able to just enjoy the music," she said.
"It's just liberating to be able to, like, shake my shoulders a little bit, or my hips when I dance, and especially with my boyfriend since it's always nice when you're in a couple to be able to dance together and enjoy the music together."
She dedicated a lot of time to practising with Rodriguez and watching YouTube tutorials, steadily improving along the way.
Then, they began dancing together more often at local Latino parties. On several occasions, people approached them to ask if they offered Cuban salsa classes.
That inspired Lange to start her own workshops, something she saw was missing on the Island.
Building community
Rodriguez said he's happy to see Lange offering the workshops. He said it's something fun that both Islanders and members of the Latino community can enjoy.
Though salsa dancing is a big part of his culture, Rodriguez said he didn't dance much after moving to P.E.I., at least not until last year.
"It was a long time before I danced salsa," he said. "I start dancing again and feel more happy."
Through salsa and local dance socials, Rodriguez said he got to meet people from Latin American countries beyond his own, including Peru, Chile and Mexico.
"I get to know that community. And it's getting bigger, very much bigger," he said. "Because we are very far from our family, from our country, from our roots, it's good to have… that community. It becomes kind of like a family."
Lange said the beautiful part about salsa dancing is that it's not just for Latin Americans, but for anyone who wants to learn.
"For non-Latino people, it's just nice to get to know a different part of culture, especially as P.E.I. is becoming more diverse," she said.
"We have lots of people from different countries come here, and I think that's really beautiful to have that now finally, and I think we can all learn something from the different cultures here."
'Don't be afraid'
Lange also pointed out a common misconception: not all Latin Americans know how to salsa.
One of Lange's students, Johann Lidioma, is from Ecuador. He came to P.E.I. in 2024 to study at UPEI and recently started learning salsa from Lange.
He said the experience has helped him reconnect with a part of his culture.
"I like that when I dance, I have the confidence and freedom to show out some moves, get to dance with other people, connect with other people, because when you dance, you actually get to know the other person," Lidioma said.
More than that, he said salsa has helped him feel part of a bigger community on the Island.
"I have met a lot of people, people from other countries, getting to unite as a community here in P.E.I.," he said.
"If I had to summarize it with one word, it will be 'happiness.' It really makes me happy when I share this culture with other people, with the community, locals, everyone. I just like that feeling."
For those who might be hesitant to start learning salsa, Lidioma has some advice.
"Don't be afraid," he said. "When I started dancing, I didn't know anything. I felt unconfident about it, but when I took that first lesson, that first step, that really changed everything for me."
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