Salsa-Hip-Hop Fusion Dance Takes Paris by Storm
Rodrigue Lino, a former world vice-champion of breakdance, leads a weekly salsa-hip-hop workshop at the Centquatre in Paris. The 44-year-old French-Congolese choreographer, assisted by Azerbaijani choreographer Gulnara Bekirova, teaches a fusion style that blends Latin dance with hip-hop movements. Lino emphasizes that he did not invent the style, which originated in New York's South Bronx in the 1970s among Puerto Rican and Afro-descendant breakdancers. Participants like Irina, who was initially skeptical, now find the fusion natural. Lino aims to put Paris on the global map of fusion dance, following in the footsteps of Street Jazz.
Key facts
- Rodrigue Lino is the initiator of the salsa-hip-hop workshop in Paris.
- Lino is a former vice-champion of breakdance, nearly 20 years ago.
- The workshop takes place every Sunday at the Centquatre in Paris.
- Gulnara Bekirova assists Lino as a choreographer.
- The fusion dance originated in New York's South Bronx in the 1970s.
- Lino grew up in a Congolese environment with Latin dances and hip-hop influences.
- Participants find the fusion challenging but possible.
- Lino hopes to elevate Paris as a global center for fusion dance.
Entities
Artists
- Rodrigue Lino
- Gulnara Bekirova
Institutions
- Centquatre
Locations
- Paris
- France
- New York
- South Bronx