Photo Jeff Lyons The Star Phoenix

Kimberly Parent first fell in love with Cuban music and dance in a Latin dance group while attending university. When she moved home to Prince Albert, she happened upon a poster for a Salsa class and really caught the bug from an instructor who had trained in Cuba. She continued to dance while she worked and travelled abroad, taking lessons in Australia and Taiwan. But when she came home to Saskatchewan, she couldn’t find a place to cha-cha! So she founded Saskatoon Salsa, as much to have a place to dance as to share her love of dancing with others, and the rest is history.

“I saw a space for it here,” noted Parent, and she continues to fill that space with great success. Now this Métis dancer is bringing Cuban dance to new generations, including thirteen local youngsters who will be part of the International Children and Youth Salsa Congress in Puerto Rico. Eleven out of the thirteen are First Nations or Métis, like Parent.

“I’m not teaching jigging, I’m teaching salsa, so it’s a funny place to be in, but there’s so much support from the Aboriginal community,” notes Parent of the interesting twist that she is teaching a traditional dance style, just not a locally traditional one. She has received a SMEDCO grant, along with support from the Clarence Campeau Development Fund, in running her school as an entrepreneur — she is not only a highly-trained instructor but owner and artistic director. “Naturally we have a lot of Creative Kids Saskatoon grants for kids’ tuition to come to the school, too.”

Kimberly Parent

As the only school in Canada representing at the Congress, the kids will train from September to June to prepare, as well as extensive fundraising ($26,000 in total - $2000/per child).

“We’re doing numerous fundraisers - steak nights, chocolates, merchandise bingos, bake sales, whatever we can,” notes Parent, and there is always room for sponsorship if any should come their way.

The showcase itself is non-competitive, a four-day-long fiesta to showcase talents, do dance activities, and inspire one another. Parent brought some of her students to the congress two years ago, and was invited back again this year, proof of the company’s slogan “Saskatoon’s Premiere Salsa.” For over a decade, Saskatoon Salsa Dance Company has had over 200 students at any given time, and does not only instruction for all ages but also entertainment, competitive dancing, travelling and training in Cuba and elsewhere. The Salsa Congress in Puerto Rico will be a highlight for the youth.

“It shows the kids where they can go. There are kids from New York City who dance every day, and of course Puerto Rico is where Salsa developed.”