Cuban natives have the fever; Their Latin dance studio opens late this month in downtown North Bay

Posted By Jenny Potter

Posted 17 days ago

Mabel Hernandez and Orlando Rosales travelled a long way to dance.

The couple came to North Bay from Havana, Cuba seven years ago after visiting Hernandez's brother in Northern Ontario.

"We were just planning to visit but loved it so much we ended up staying," said Hernandez.

Arriving with their son, Fernando, who was four at the time, the couple's plan was to use Hernandez's computer engineering degree to support the family, but it wasn't that easy.

Despite her training and experience, Hernandez struggled to find work. She had taken English training while in Cuba. But once here, she learned her skills weren't enough.

"I couldn't even order at Tim Hortons," said Rosales, who spoke no English when he arrived.

Despite the bleak outlook, the couple put their best feet forward by starting to teach Latin dance.

Utilizing Rosales's experience as an accomplished dance instructor and Hernandez's growing language skills, the couple started instructing classes in church halls and doing private lessons from their living room.

"Dancing was something I did as a child but I put it aside to focus on my career," said Hernandez. "Dancing in Cuba is like hockey here, everybody does it."

Now, with more than 200 students, the couple is opening their own studio downtown.

"Seven years ago, people thought salsa was just something you ate. But now they know it is something you do," said Hernandez.

The couple has had enough students for two years to support a studio, but were looking for a location that had enough space for a proper dance floor and mirrored wall.

"We have had trouble renting a place with a proper floor for dance," said Hernandez.

The Dance Obsessed Studio is set to open April 21 at 162 Main St. E. The couple sees it as a central place where the community can socialize.

"Dancing is not only exercise, it helps people mentally, as well as physically," said Hernandez.

The dancing duo plans to offer classes for all ages and dance styles. There will be a weekday fitness program for older adults, social ballroom dancing, swing dancing, traditional Latin ballroom and bellydance.

There also will be classes combining dance moves with a rigorous workout such as the cardio salsa fusion and bellydance mixed with yoga.

"There are many different places to exercise or dance. We want to be an all-encompassing studio," said Hernandez.

Instead of teaching all classes, the couple decided to focus on their strengths and teach Latin dances. They have hired two couples to instruct ballroom dancing and they also brought in someone to teach Saturday children's classes. Once the studio gets going, they hope to add an aerobics instructor.

Mabel is a machine. She would teach all day if she could," said Rosales.

The couple is excited to have an opportunity to share their culture with North Bay and hope the new business will be good for the city. "It has helped us meet people and feel like this is our community," said Hernandez. "Every day we feel better and better that we stayed in North Bay."

jpotter@nugget.ca

The dances

Latin dances to be taught at Dance Obsessed Studio:

Merengue: The official dance of the Dominican Republic is performed with a slight skip or hop. The dance is quick and the tempo sometimes frantic.

Samba: Originating in Brazil, the dance is a lively and rhythmic dance to samba music. It has three steps for each bar of music.

Cha cha: A light and fun dance that is one of the easiest to learn. The words 'cha cha cha' are said to represent the sound made by the feet of the dancers on the floor.

Rumba: One of the slower Latin dances, it involves a lot of hip movement and was originally a fertility dance used to attract a mate. Many Latin dances have elements of rumba.

Salsa: Danced by stepping on three consecutive beats of music, then pausing for one beat and then repeating. There is a lot of shaking, shimmying and hip action, which is essential. The dance originated in Cuba and draws from many other latin dance styles, such as rumba and mambo.