Efrain Rodriguez

I interviewed Efrain Rodriguez, our Salsa teacher. Efrain taught us a newer style of salsa called, “Salsa on Two” or “ballroom salsa.” In this style the emphasis is on the second beat and the steps are a little bit more intricate. We also learned fancy little moves and turns to spice up the routine. In the interview Efrain mentions that he specializes in numerous dance styles like Cha Cha and Jazz, as well as three styles of martial arts. Efrain is an active community member and is constantly involved in many beneficial programs. He also mentions that teaching, dancing, and martial arts played a major part in his life as he was growing up in the Bronx and helped keep him on the right track, as the other professionals also said about their vocations. In the interview Efrain talks about his inspiration for a dance that we watched in which the boys are held in straightjackets and the girls play nurses who rescue them from the asylum. Efrain jokes about constantly creating new steps and choreography in the shower and around the house and emphasizes that he is never without an iPod—when I asked him what his lucky charm was, his answer was his iPod.