Workshops at Energetic Soul

Originally posted on www.detroitsalsadance.com

What an eventful weekend (July 20 & 21, 2007) it was at the new Energetic Soul Dance Studio. Besides the Grand Opening celebration, they also held special workshops, featuring the very talented Felix “Pupy” Insua. Cuban by birth, now residing in NY, Pupy has come to Michigan with a lot of love for what he does. Specializing in traditional Rumba, he is quite original in his teaching.

This young man, at 60, is a joy to watch. His energy is contagious, and never did he show even an inkling of tiredness with all the twists, turns, jumps, and splits that he demonstrated with perfection. It was obvious that dance is more than just a mere hobby to Pupy. It is his passion, his life. And he was serious about passing his knowledge on to us. “We are all born to dance. The dance comes from inside, it is within all of us” – emphasized Pupy during the workshops. He wanted us to follow the music, instead of concentrating on the steps so much. Although the technique is important in dance, it is just as crucial, if not more, to hear the music and use it as a guide.

Workshops were full, but not overly crowded, which gave everyone enough room to “spread their wings”. Those in attendance were members and non-members of the ESDS, not to mention the guests from Atlanta, GA and Madison, WI. Pupy has chosen to conduct the lessons in Spanish – his native tongue. I felt lucky being able to understand everything he said. However, the rest of the participants – those that don’t speak/understand Spanish – were not at a disadvantage either. After all, as we all know, dance is a form of self-expression without words. And the language of dance is Universal. Pupy did a great job expressing himself through movement, and the language barrier did not stop him from communicating with every single individual in the room.

If you missed this rare opportunity to see a master of his trade teach and perform, let me tell you what it felt like to be in the presence of this extraordinary human being. The workshops were entertaining – the man is full of life, challenging – it takes a lot of practice to be as good as he is, addictive (in the best possible sense of the word) – I know I did not want to leave the studio, and extremely beneficial – anyone serious about dancing would get some pointers for themselves. I have been exposed to Cuban Rumba before, but after a couple of hours of training with Pupy, I’m now even more determined to learn this dance. There is just so much depth to it. Rumba is intriguing, passionate, playful, with lots of beautiful movement. It takes time to acquire this skill but I know I’m willing to give it my all to be able, one day, to move the way Felix “Pupy” Insua does.

In case you didn’t get a chance to attend Pupy’s workshops this time around, but are memorized by what you can learn from him, then stay tuned to the news from ESDS. You can always refer to their website – www.energeticsoul.com – for upcoming events, as they might (I’m keeping my fingers crossed) bring señor Insua back to Michigan in the near future. Then you’ll be able to see for yourselves what an inspiration he is, to anyone and everyone.

Keep your feet moving, your hearts singing, and your faces smiling!

Love and Peace,
Alla