Why this matters to us as Queer dancers

The growing popularity of Salsa and Afro-Latin dance has opened up beautiful opportunities for communities across the globe to connect through rich music and movement. But too often, instructors without Latin American heritage or lacking sufficient cultural context reduce Salsa and other Afro-Latin dance to only steps and routines, disconnecting these dance forms from their cultural significance and the communities that created them.

Building queer resistance by creating spaces to enjoy Afro-Latin partner dances and music traditions has been deeply healing for us. And that makes sense: these traditions were born from cultural resistance and collective strength, created by African-descendant and Indigenous communities in Latin America in response to violent displacement, exploitation, and oppression.

However, as Salsa and other Afro-Latin traditions grow in popularity, they are increasingly commodified and whitewashed by the very systems of capitalism and colonisation they were created to resist. These practices profit from Afro-Latin traditions while sidelining the communities they come from and erasing their histories of resistance.

For Salsa to truly be a source of queer joy and resilience, we have to honour it as a powerful, living lineage and consistently re-centre it’s Afro-Latin roots with intention. That means learning about Salsa’s ongoing history, integrating cultural practices with awareness and appreciation, and creating a platform where Afro-Latin, African-descendant, and Latin American communities both shape and materially benefit from what we’re building.

How we're trying to centre Queer Afro-Latin communities and culture in salsa

Anti-black racism and structural barriers in the dance industry means that Afro-Latin communities continue to be under-represented as instructors and organisers. We recognise how this limits queer Afro-Latin and Black communities from materially benefitting from the culture and practises they produce. 

We’re actively working to centre queer Afro-Latin practitioners and collectives in our work and are committed to increasing Afro-Latin representation and leadership in the dance industry. Some of the steps we’re taking include:

1. Offering free and reduced-cost spots to Afro-Latin and Afro-descendant students

2. Collaborating with and supporting queer Afro-Latin practitioners and collectives in equitable, long-term ways

3. Training queer folks (including Afro-descendant people) to teach at our courses and events and ensuring they’re paid fairly

4. Applying for funding to launch a support programme, including paid scholarships, to help queer Afro-Latinx people build careers in Afro-Latin dance teaching, performance, and events

💌 If you’re interested in helping us achieve this, we currently have a some funding available for consultations, contributions, and collaborations. While we prioritise queer Afro-Latin and black communities, we’re also keen to platform and collaborate with Latinx and queer practitioners who are committed to this work.