As part of our due diligence tour for newbies, we headed over to Sarchi Sur on Sunday afternoon with Carolyn & Darryl (potential expats), Shirley (our Spanish teacher) and Charles Owens (co-owner of La Terraza) for some dancin. Viejillos is open on Sunday afternoon from 1:30 - 6pm and then on Monday night (which is when they are really packed). Sunday afternoon was crowded as well. Sunday is family day in Costa Rica so there were many families there. Grandfathers dancing with granddaughters etc. They have a live band and serve food and drinks. The admission was $5.
We had a lot of fun!!
The only problem was...we didn't know how to do the dances they do here in Costa Rica!!
So I have vowed to learn the dances. Shirley told us that there are classes in town and she is checking schedule and pricing -- so I will report back later on that.
Here is a little info about dancing in Costa Rica.
Merengue, salsa, cumbia and dub fill Costa Rica's discos. From San Jose's nightclubs to rural dancehalls, you'll find Costa Ricans swaying their hips to these tropical rhythms. From an early age Costa Ricans learn the basic steps to the country's most popular dances making them accomplished dancers, but don't embarrassed, they'll be happy to show you their moves.
MERENGUE
Merengue is one of the most popular Latin dances in Costa Rica – it can be heard in almost every home, discotheque and radio station in the country. It has a two-step beat that features fast footwork and swaying hips. The man leads and usually holds the woman by her waist and right hand. Merengue is a tight dance where couples move within a small circle; when steps are made in any direction, they only traverse the space of a few feet. It’s easy to find somewhere to dance merengue, but to give it a whirl at home look for music from Grupo Mania, La Makina or Los Hermanos Rosario.
Viejillos on Sunday afternoon
SALSA
Another popular local dance, salsa originated in Cuba and was influenced by mambo, Guaguanco and Afro-Caribbean beats. It blends quick steps with sensual movements in a three-step rhythm danced over a four-beat measure. As in most Latin dances, the man leads holding one or both of his partner’s hands. Experienced salsa dancers often employ complicated spins and intricate steps, which add panache to their dance. Like merengue, it is easy to find a club that plays salsa music; popular artists include Elvis Crespo, Celia Cruz and Salsa kids.
CUMBIA
Originating in Colombia, cumbia is one of Costa Rica’s favorite tropical rythyms. Drums and other percussion instruments create the pervasive cumbia beat, which plays out in a 4/4 rhythm structure of long-short-short-long. Cumbia is typically danced to the Colombian music of the same name; however, Costa Ricans make the cumbia all their own, dancing a cumbia beat to the steps of the "swing criollo." Swing criollo mixes elements of the Lindy hop and jive to create bouncing steps and small kicks that are danced in a circle of complex footwork and fancy spins. This dance style is very Costa Rican and a source of national pride. The Costa Rican song “Jugo de Pina” is one of the world’s most famous cumbia songs. Alberto Pacheco, Lucho Bermudez y Su Orquesta, Lisandro Meza and Edmundo Arias are all popular cumbia artist. source
A snippet from Sunday
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