By: Nicole Rupersburg, 1/21/2010

 

Picture this: You hustle through freezing winds from your car to the doorway of the Sangria Sky Club in Royal Oak. You shake off layers of coats, sweaters, boots, and scarves, then grab a colorful cocktail as the sound of salsa music hits your ear. Suddenly the dance floor is filled with gorgeous, lithe dancers (who might not actually be gorgeous and lithe in real life) gracefully step-step-twirling their way around you. You'd love to join this momentary vacation from frigid Michigan reality, but don't know your clave from your conga.

Don't get your pantalones in a bunch: Metro Detroit is a veritable mecca of salsa resources, so that no matter your level of skill or interest, there is ample opportunity for you to let your inner salsero shine.

Mambo Marci, every time I go to a salsa congress, I get frustrated at the big workshops, with too many people, and the fact that I get stuck with a beginning dancer throughout the class. Any thoughts?

The reasons people have for going out to dance salsa and other latin dances are varied. Here are some of them...

 

 

ROYAL OAK — Sangria owner Luigi Cutraro's support of families with premature babies at risk of blindness hasn't gone unnoticed by officials in his native country of Italy.

Cutraro, 53, of Rochester Hills was given the title of cavaliere, which means knight, by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

"It's most certainly a great honor that commands respect," said Angela Piazza, spokesperson for the Consulate of Italy, Detroit. "He could request to be addressed as cavaliere, which would be like Sir Anthony Hopkins or Sir Paul McCartney, but we are a republic not a monarchy."