Meet Gerardo Osvaldo Russo, director of the Salsa y Sentimiento Academy and organizer of the San Clemente Salsa Congress
Gerardo Osvaldo Russo was born on July 3, 1984, lives in a small town called San Clemente Del Tuyú, Argentina; He mentions his tastes for salsa and Latin rhythms and tells us that in 2005 he began to dance and listen to salsa and from that moment his taste and passion began, then he went on to dance other Caribbean rhythms. As of 2009 I have been teaching Caribbean Rhythms in the “SAOCO” studio, which is one of the best places to train in your country, for that I had to travel every week since it is 300 kilometers away from where I lived. I made an important decision which was to dedicate myself completely to teaching and then in the future to be able to create new projects that I already had in mind.
He mentions that the city where he lives had no way of training, since there were few resources and he could not do everything he had in mind, and his motivation was to grow personally as a teacher and dancer and thus be able to put all the knowledge he was acquiring. to the people who went to his classes.
For the year 2008 he began to teach at the beginning as a hobby for a year and a half until he made the decision to work 100% in his profession; Therefore, today it has its own Dance Academy called “Academia Salsa y Sentimiento” which was inaugurated in 2012 where he is currently coordinator and teacher; He has also been in charge of organizing the “San Clemente Salsa Congress” for about 3 years and for his institution he holds Salsa, Bachata and other Caribbean rhythms every year, these include seminars and trainings with teachers of high quality and experience.
The reason that allowed the inauguration of the “Academia Salsa y Sentimiento” was basically that there was a need in the people not only of their city, but also of the neighboring cities of Puerto de la Costa, which is the region to which San Clemente del Tuyú and thus had the opportunity to learn to dance, express himself, find a place of liberation and belonging and also be able to meet people and socialize; For this reason, it is known for being the first dance academy registered in the entire region, feeling very proud of its work team and of itself. In a few words, they mention that their goal has always been for people to identify with the activities they do, find a place where they can learn and have fun, as well as recharge. Students entering this academy may do so without any experience or knowledge of the rhythm they wish to practice. For this year 2020 they will inaugurate their official website to have more information and not only information through their Facebook account.
In the academy you start from scratch but people who already have knowledge can also come because we have several levels. We work with people from 3 years onwards.
The biggest goal to be achieved was to create an International Salsa Congress where they proposed to bring their students to compete; and in 2016 they were able to do it with the reggaeton group with professor “Maximiliano Laplaca” reaching the finals of one of the most important competitions in Argentina and South America called “Argentine Aerobic and Dance Tournament” (TAAD).
For this year, together with other companies in the city, they are working to provide benefits to their students and not only have the possibility of learning and having fun, but they can also access discounts and benefits in stores in San Clemente. There is also a project for a few years from now, and that is to be able to train teachers to leave our Academy.
At the end he gives us a message for both students and future learners
“My message is as a teacher but fundamentally as a human being is that they do not stop going in search of their dreams, as long as they work hard with responsibility, passion and respect for things can be achieved. To also tell anyone who wants to come to the Salsa y Sentimiento Academy, they will find a place not only where they can learn to dance and train, but also a human group of contention, a place where they can freely express and bring out everything they carry inside. Adults and children who are united by the passion for dancing. Teachers who love what they do and want to pass it on to new generations. Always open to the possibility of listening to anyone who has new ideas to build a better Academy Salsa y Sentimiento every year ”
