SalsAmigos

Sam Gill's Website: Body Dance Play

Sam Gill PhD, has researched and taught world dance history for more than a decade at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His recent writings on dance are “SalsAmigos: Teens Dancing Health and Happiness” and Dancing: Stepping to the Rhythms of Life.  In 1999, he co-founded, with his daughter Jenny, Bantaba World Dance and Music in Boulder, where thousands have been offered dance, music instruction and performances from dozens of cultures throughout the world.

For the last six years, Sam has taught salsa in several forms to hundreds of dancers of all ages and levels. In 2003, Sam organized and began coaching a group of teenage girls—Salseritas—who performed widely and competed internationally. They dance the rueda de casino form of salsa. In 2005 and 2006 the Salseritas took fourth place at the annual “Cuba Baila!” international rueda competition in Vancouver.  The Salseritas have now become an all-ages women’s salsa performance group.  Sam has taught SalsAmigos rueda de casino sessions since 2005 at New Vista High School in Boulder.

In 2006 Sam founded SalsAmigos, a non-profit devoted to teaching salsa (rueda de casino style) to teens.  Through his work with young people, Sam has developed an approach that teaches all dancers both “lead” and “follow” parts—a significant innovation in the form and in the benefits to the participants.  SalsAmigos was recently awarded a multi-year grant from the Youth Opportunities Board of the City of Boulder.

Sam also teaches bachata and bolero.  His most recent salsa teaching is called Salsa Challenge, an intensive technique and fundamentals based course to train salsa dancers.  An instructional video series focusing on the Salsa Challenge method of teaching salsa dance with special attention to the Salsa Connection will be available for purchase in fall 2009.

Sam writes extensively on the Salsa Connection on the Salsa Challenge blog.

Learn more about Sam at his website www.Sam-Gill.com