Leighton resident offering salsa dance classes

When you hear the term “salsa,” people in these parts are likely to think about chips and dip.

People who visit Kingpin’s in Tuscumbia every other Friday night, however, are in for a completely different type of salsa.

Leighton resident Savannah Ostapenko hosts beginner salsa dance classes every other Friday night at Kingpin’s bar beginning at 8 p.m.

The beginner classes are free, and anyone who would like to learn more about the dance can the Sav’s Dance Facebook page or website for more in-depth classes.

“When I was 18, my friend took me out to a bar that danced salsa, and I saw how beautiful and dynamic the dance was, and I absolutely fell in love,” Ostapenko said.

The roots of salsa dancing can be traced back to Cuba and Puerto Rico in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The term “salsa” was coined in New York in the 1960s.

Ostapenko, who has Puerto Rican heritage, was raised in Colorado but moved to Sacramento, California, when she was 12 years old.

She said it was there she started dancing styles like jazz, ballet and contemporary.

“In Sacramento, they had a place to dance every night of the week,” Ostapenko said. “The salsa scene was huge out there.”

Savannah met her husband Andrey, now a firefighter with Florence, while salsa dancing.

Eventually, the couple began looking to move somewhere a little quieter than the hustle and bustle of big city California.

“It was a dart on the map moment,” Ostapenko said. “My husband and I wanted a change of pace and a different lifestyle. We wanted to try somewhere new, and if we hated it, we’d move back.”

She said they were planning to move somewhere in the South when her father, also looking to move from California, found a house in Florence.

“It was a serendipitous thing,” she said. “We had taken road trips and been to Alabama before. We saw our house once the day we signed the paperwork. It ended up being spontaneous. We moved straight to Leighton.”

Ostapenko said she and her husband were looking for the small-town lifestyle. Somewhere they could breathe easier and raise chickens (and maybe other animals one day).

One day Savannah, now a stay-at-home mom with a young daughter, decided she missed salsa dancing.

She thought if there was no salsa dancing scene in The Shoals, why not try and create one?

She has been hosting classes as her own company for four months now, with her beginner class on Aug. 15 at Kingpin’s garnering about a dozen participants.

“I missed it so much, so we decided to try it out,” she said. “It’s been going really good. I’m here at Kingpin’s doing socials every other week, and it’s been a blessing. I love all the people I’ve met. It’s a work in progress, teaching about 20 people at a time, but we have room to grow, and it’s not bad for four months.”

Ostapenko said most people who dance in this area do things like line, square or even swing.

She said salsa dancing is a little more nuanced, but once you know the basics, you can dance with anyone.

“It takes some focus to begin with, but once you understand the timing, everything unravels,” Ostapenko said. “I’ve had a lot of people have great success. I love seeing someone who has never danced salsa before, and you see the confidence grow on them. It’s about having fun. It’s about connecting with the music, connecting with your partner and having fun. You don’t have to worry about the stress of the day.”

And as for the switch between big city living and country life in The Shoals?

“It’s slower, and the people are nicer,” Ostapenko said. “People take more time to be human. Southern hospitality is not a myth. When you’re not in a rush, you can take consideration of others.

Visit www.savsdance.com or the Sav’s Dance Facebook page for more information.