How salsa is winning hearts on KL's dance floors

Free Malaysia Today

21 hours ago

Salsa instructor Vishnuvarthan sharing the dance floor with a student during a practice session. (Andrea Rhiannon Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle)
PETALING JAYA : It's dusk in Kuala Lumpur, and most of the city is winding down for the night. Many are preparing to rest after a long day at work.
For some, however, the night is just beginning: a group of about 30 people are dancing in a circle atop the roof of a local hotel.
A caller shouts out commands in Spanish – 'dame, enchufla, vacílala!' – and everyone moves with the rhythm, swaying as they switch partners to the infectious Latin-American beat.
This is a meeting of the Rueda Rebels, one of the many salsa-dancing groups in Malaysia today.
Every week, the group – established by student hosts Aiffah Badron, Yunn Zailan and Francis Nantha – practises the popular circular partner-swapping Cuban style known as Rueda de Casino.
They are an offshoot of the popular Rueda at the Park, of which dance instructor Andrew Sureshkumar is a co-founder.
'Salsa is a great way to break barriers. It's also a great way of socialising, as it brings people together,' he told FMT Lifestyle.
In Colombia, salsa isn't just a social activity – it's part of what the nation represents. It's a cultural emblem, a national dance that carries history, pride, and passion.
The scene there is undeniably more intense: more competitive, more expressive, and steeped in tradition.
Rueda at the Park dancers at the Afro-Latin Festival Asia pre-party earlier this year. (Rueda at the Park pic)
This sense of community, belonging and celebration now thrives in Malaysia, with studios offering classes in everything from Los Angeles to Colombian versions of the dance.
Many are welcoming newcomers with free sessions, teaching everything from partner work to group styles like Rueda de Casino. Resources such as the Salsa KL website contain expanding lists of local salsa studios, DJs and socials.
'There's a big community here, and it's only getting bigger and bigger. Every month we get new people joining our free trial classes,' salsa instructor Vishnuvarthan, also known as DJ Alex Vishnu, told FMT Lifestyle.
Vishu ventured into salsa at age 35: a reminder that this dance has no age limits. He started learning the Los Angeles style before taking up bachata, merengue, and cumbia with his friends.
Then, when watching Cuban dancer Yoyo Flow, he was inspired to take up Cuban-style salsa and now teaches dance at the Illusions Dance Academy in Brickfields.
Vishnu shared that salsa social nights are frequently held at prominent spots in KL such as Ceylon House and Havana, usually on Fridays and weekends.
He added that salsa is thriving not just in the nation's capital but in locations such as George Town and Kota Kinabalu. This is thanks to events such as the annual Afro-Latin Festival Asia (Alfa)and Penang Salsa Festival, which draw dance aficionados from all over.
Salsa instructors Andrew Sureshkumar and Sherilyn Foo with members of the Rueda Rebels. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)
They say salsa brings people together, and a beautiful example of this is Rueda at the Park's Andrew and fellow co-founder Sherilyn Foo. They met during a salsa social, fell in love, and got married.
'That's the beauty of dance – it's like another language. For example, I may meet a person from another place, another culture, who I may not know at all, but I could dance with them and it will just work,' Andrew shared.
Foo believes the scene has been growing because it's 'a happy place' for many people. 'We get all walks of life here. For many, it's a chance to forget their 9-to-5 job, meet friends, and release stress after work,' she said.
She noted that the local salsa scene was even more vibrant before the pandemic, with multiple events often taking place in one evening. In more recent years, the community has steadily been regaining momentum.
'I hope more people give salsa dancing a try. Don't shy away from it; it's a great activity where you can meet like-minded people. You never know what you might gain from it,' Foo added.
Members of the Rueda Rebels come from various backgrounds and meet for dance sessions weekly. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)
Indeed, in Latin culture, you don't need a reason to dance – it's a feeling that grabs you and doesn't let go. When the rhythm hits just right, simply shout '¡Epa!' and start to move.
The joy? That's salsa.
In Malaysia, that same infectious spirit has taken root as these growing communities move to the beat, truly proving that the rhythm of the dance knows no borders.
Mariana Valentina Tabares Jaramillo is an undergraduate at the City of St George's, University of London, and an intern at FMT.