(VOVworld) – Recently, salsa, the Latin dancing style, has become popular in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi, attracting many young people. This social dance is also playful, and fun to learn. Salsa dance is organized in clubs, and on the streets.

Once a month, at 8.30 p.m. on a Saturday night, young people from salsa clubs in Hanoi, gather in Ly Thai To Garden to move to the romantic melodies of salsa under the streetlight.

Young people are dancing salsa at Ly Thai To Garden

Hundreds of people from all walks of life, with a common passion for salsa, come together to dance away the stress of city life. Phung Phuong Ngan is an official in Hanoi: “I’ve danced salsa for 2 years and always join street salsa because there’s more space to dance here than in bar clubs. In the streets, many people can stop to watch and this stirs up salsa dancers.”

Curious passers-by often stop to watch the dancers. There are often as many spectators as dancers, forming big circles around the dancers. Jean Franco, a businessman from Italy, says he regularly travels between Italy and Vietnam for work. He says he watches street salsa every time he goes to Hanoi: “It’s very nice to see. I always come here to see because I like to watch people dancing. I like to see but I cannot dance.”  

Walking around Sword Lake, Brazilian tourist Ana Flavia Pimenta Braasch and her friends are mesmerized by the dancing. Ana swiftly falls in line with street salsa: “I was just passing by and I saw this crowded people and I decided to see what was going on. So when I saw people dancing salsa, I felt really interesting because salsa from southern America where I’m from. It’s very nice to see that salsa is appreciated here, in other side of the world.”

Many people flock to the street to dance the Latin dancing style

Hanoi isn’t the only city where young people are flocking to street salsa. It’s also becoming popular with Hai Phong’s youth. Every Saturday in the middle of month, they travel to Hanoi to join street dance. Pham Hoai Nam is from Hai Phong city: “I join all street salsa performances with young people in Hanoi. My purpose is to link salsa communities in Hai Phong with those in Hanoi and to find more fun.”

Organizing street salsa performances creates a wholesome playground for young people. It’s also a way to raise funds for charity. Nguyen Anh Tuan is president of “FA Salsa” Club, a group that organizes street salsa: “The activity is aimed to create a healthy playing-field for Hanoi youth. In every salsa performance, we coordinate to raise funds from dancers. We use the money to maintain and upgrade our audio system, and for charity. The club’s activities have long been associated with charity activities.”

At 10.30 p.m., as darkness sets in, people running wet with sweat say farewell to each other still smiling with the joy and passion for street salsa.