What is Salsa to Me by Johanna Rodriguez
11/24/03

I remember salsa bringing me out of the dark. When I thought there was no more hope, when I thought that my life would never be the same again, when my soul was crying from pain and my spirit had little life, salsa brought me out of the dark.

It's as if I was resurrecting myself when I heard the music. The music made me remember a stronger me, a happier me, a loving me. The music made me cry, the music made me get up from my bed and dance. My soul was crying and my spirit was crushed but when I heard the music, I wanted to dance. Everyday I would hear the music, everyday I would get up and dance, cry and keep going.

As time went by, my dance was no longer a resurrection, it was a joy, it was happiness, life was a dream again and everything came back to balance. My dance continued like this for awhile and then darkness came again. I felt hurt, I felt pain, I felt anger. My dance became agressive, my dance became passionate, my dance gave me freedom for a moment. Pain go away! Hurt go away! Darkness go away! Free me of this nightmare! Love, I feel love, Miguelito gives me love with his smooth romantic lead, Felipe gives me love with the way he looks at me, Moses gives me love with his positive energy, I feel love.

As I go through the everchanging tests of life, I hope that my dance can remain at joy. Joy, our true nature expressed through the music, expressed through the dance. Que viva la salsa! Amen.

Johanna has been a professional dancer for years and has performed at the Los Angeles Salsa Congress. You can visit her website at www.jorodriguez.com

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