by Krystyna Samoraj
Travel is one of my favorite hobbies. Every year I am fortunate enough to tour a distant country where I can experience first hand the world's various cultures. This summer I took a trip to Greece and my second home, Poland. Being an avid fan of salsa, both the music and the dance, I had to get a taste of the salsa scene in both countries.
While in Greece I visited Athens' most famous and oldest salsa club called "Palenque". Unfortunately, after a great deal of effort to find it (it was located on some tiny side street that only a persistent salsaholic would find) it turned out that it was closed for the summer like many other salsa clubs in Greece. Nevertheless I took a picture in front of it. Although I was disappointed that salsa was not so much a summer activity in Athens, I was thrilled to discover that Poland indeed had many clubs that were open.
I was able to go out for just one night but it was a fantastic experience! The club was located in the downtown capital of Poland, called Warsaw, in a magnificent building called the Palace of Culture and Science. Just seeing the dance ballroom inside of this picturesque historical building was worth the trip.
The Polish Academy of Dance was running this particular salsa club. It was funny to see how similar salsa in Poland is to that in Canada. There was a lesson at the beginning of the night, followed by dancing just like in Canada. Also the DJ was playing almost identical songs to those that are heard in Toronto clubs. The dancing style was similar although there were some moves I've never seen before. Most of the dancers were beginners, however, there were a few very good dancers and instructors. Although the level of salsa dancing may have been lower than in Toronto, the bachata that they dance in Poland is much more complex and exciting.
Overall, it was an amazing night and I felt right back at home. To think that this was just one club of many…that just means there will be more left for me to explore on my next travel adventure.
