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El Mambos Dance Academy 

30 Jan 2022

  • Dance classes that’ll sweep you off your feet 
Dance – especially Latin forms – is considered to be one of the most freeing, relaxing, and therapeutic forms of exercise there is. Founder of El Mambos Dance Academy, best known by his stage name Messiah, saw a gap in the dance community in Sri Lanka and realised that there are very few opportunities to experience or learn Latin dance. In conversation with Brunch, he told us that most dancers don’t cater to all forms of street Latin dancing, so he launched El Mambo’s to fit into this niche market. “There are many people that are interested in learning street Latin forms of dances; but they don’t know if it’s available in Sri Lanka for one, and they don’t have a point of contact where they can go and experience it and learn the dance, and they also think it’s very expensive,” explained Messiah, when talking about the inspiration behind the class. He also added that in other countries, these dance sessions are popular gatherings for socializing and meeting new people and in fact, there are specific studios and clubs that play Latin music entirely so people can let their hair down and feel the rhythm.  “On our little island, the dance community has been stagnant for a while, so one of the main reasons El Mambos was established was to broaden the dance community and introduce new talent into it,” he said. The most recent session was held last Saturday (29 January), and was completely free, in order to provide an opportunity for anyone to come in and learn and experience the magic of Latin dance. This special session hosted by El Mambos Dance academy brought together the best Latin Dance instructors in the country and highlighted the fun nature, accessibility and availability of this style of Dance in Sri Lanka. The session, which is set to be repeated every three months, was taught by El Mambos Dance Academy Founder Messiah, El Latinos Dance Academy Founder Kevin Nugara, El Mambos Senior Instructor Dinithi Doranegoda, El Latinos Senior Instructor Sharanya Dias along with Asanka Atapattu, Lahiru Dissanayaka, and Neshanie Dahanayake who all specialise in the Latin dance forms of Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, and Zouk. “The last session was a smashing success and everyone present had such a great time dancing, they barely noticed the time pass”, Messiah reported. When talking about why he chose to offer these specific dance styles, he explained that they are pleasant to watch and incredibly easy to learn “When I got into Latin dancing, I didn’t want to dance hip hop anymore; Latin was more in the moment, and allowed connection and emotion – that’s how much it changed my life.” He also informed us that since it’s a partner dance, that leaves room for communication, building bonds, and understanding between the two – it’s also a great way to network and socialise. Another reason being the health factor – Messiah told us that Latin dances, especially salsa dance allow increased blood circulation, which helps burn calories and improve stamina. In general, it is estimated that a session of Latin dance can help you burn anything from 500 to 1,000 calories per hour depending on the intensity and speed. Right now, times are dark and unpredictable; Messiah truly believes that dancing – especially the four particular forms of dancing he teaches – is a form of therapy. Like any exercise, dancing releases feel-good endorphins in the brain. Dance is even used as a form of non-verbal psychotherapy to treat people with serious psychosocial and behavioural problems, including schizophrenia, depression, autism, and eating disorders. “Some of these dance styles are centuries old, and over the years, the dance has progressed to be more inclusive of modern times. Now, the women can lead the dance, and people from the LGBTQ community also get involved,” he described, adding that these dance forms are all about understanding music and forming connections. “We also brought together instructors from the community, who came together to celebrate dance and open our arms to others and welcome them to the world of dance,” he said. El Mambos will be conducting these free workshops every three months, so stay tuned to their socials for updates on the next class.  The Morning Brunch was an event partner for the last El Mambo’s session.  Instagram: @elmambos  Website: www.elmambos.com 

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